By GREG GAST
Who am I?
Self-concept is the basis that holds all the pieces of our personality together.
It is the image we have of ourselves.
It has been influenced by many forces, including our interactions with important people in our lives.
It is how we perceive our behaviors, abilities, and unique characteristics.
Examples would be are you extroverted or introverted, your roles in life, such as a parent, sibling, friend, or partner.
Your passions, hobbies, political parties, or sports are aspects of your personality.
How you feel about your interactions with the world.
Your self-concept is important because it affects your motivations, attitudes, and behaviors.
It affects how you about he person we think we are, whether we are competent or have self-worth.
It is who you are if you were exactly as you wanted to be.
Self-image refers to how you see yourself in this moment in time.
Physical characteristics, personality traits, and social roles are all part of this.
Self-esteem is about how much you like, accept, and value yourself. All of these contribute to your self-concept.
It is affected by several factors including how others see you, how you think you compare to others, and your role in society.
Unfortunately, self-concept is not always aligned with reality.
When it is it is said to be congruent. If there is a mismatch between how you see yourself (your self-image) and who you wish you were (your ideal self), your self-concept is incongruent.
This incongruence can negatively affect self-esteem.
Self-concept is often developed through the stories we hear.
The media, both mass media and social media play a role in self-concept development as well.
Self-concept is not static, it can change. Our environment, people we interact with, even a medical diagnosis can change our self-concepts.
Our self-concept impacts on how we respond to life.
A well-developed self-concept helps us respond in ways that are more positive and beneficial for us. It does this by enabling us to recognize our worth and keeps us from internalizing negative feedback from others.
Let me know what you think…
Send your questions to Real Life Counseling, 3295 Crawfordville Hwy., suite #4, Crawfordville FL 32327 in care of Gregory E. Gast, MS, LMHC, NCC. Your name will be changed and the answer to your question will appear in an upcoming issue of The Wakulla Sun Monthly.
