Exploring the SELF

by Zahara Matovu
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What is the Self?

The self is the center of personality, the organiser of our thoughts, feelings and actions.

The self includes our visions of the self you dream of becoming, for example, the successful self, the admired self, the rich self, the loved self and so on....

The self doesn't only include the "positive" self as mentioned above, but also the self you fear of becomming, namely, the lonely self, the unemployed self, the unpopular self, the academically failed self, etc.

These possible selves influence our motivation to lay out specific goals and direct our energy efficiently and effectively.

The clearer your vision is, positive or negative, the more motivation behind your goal. For example, when you have a clearer vision of what you want to do inorder to be succesful, you'll be morelikely to achieve that success the way you envisioned it, because you'll be more motivated to take action.

Core dimensions of the self.

1. The Narrative Self:
This is the ongoing story we tell ourselves about who we are. It weaves together our past memories, present circumstances and future aspirations into a coherent personal identity.

2. The Social Self:
This consists of our beliefs about how others perceive us and our interactions within social groups.

3. The Physical Self:
This emcompasses of our bodily existence, from our physical form, sensations, and biological boundaries that make us unique from the external world.

More on the self in the following articles!