Mythogem # 4 - Finding Yourself Using Self-Guides

Image courtesy of http://www.wallcg.com/fantasy-angel-girl-desktop-33494-127581/.

Humankind may explore every aspect of our world and then go on to occupy the far reaches of space; but even in those moments we will still not have begun to comprehend the true depths and complexity of the human psyche because the exploration to know what it is to be is closer to infinity than these. We must travel inward to find ourselves.

The eternal question is: “Who am I?”

. . .

For this exercise we will be borrowing the terminology and concepts of self-discrepancy theory as devised by psychologist E. Tory Higgins. And though there are various ways to apply this theory, for all intents and purposes here, we will be concerned with the most basic, that is, defining the actual, ought, ideal, and feared selves.

Higgins advocates that in defining the psychological self, there are multiple self reflections which influence our concept of self:

There are three basic domains of the self: (a) the actual self, which is your representation of the attributes that someone (yourself or another) believes you actually possess; (b) the ideal self, which is your representation of the attributes that someone (yourself or another) would like you, ideally, to possess (i.e., a representation of someone’s hopes, aspirations, or wishes for you); and (c) the ought self, which is your representation of the attributes that someone (yourself or another) believes you should or ought to possess (i.e., a representation of someone’s sense of your duty, obligations, or responsibilities). . . . A classic literary example of the difference between the ideal self and the ought self is the conflict between a hero’s “personal wishes” and his or her “sense of duty.” (320-321)

To understand each interaction Higgins goes on to describe the self and its relation to point-of-view:

There are two basic standpoints on the self, where a standpoint on the self is defined as a point of view from which you can be judged that reflects a set of attitudes or values (see Turner, 1956): (a) your own personal standpoint, and (b) the standpoint of some significant other (e.g., mother, father, sibling, spouse, closest friend). (321)

When considering the two standpoints and the three domains, he draws the following conclusion:

Combining each of the domains of the self with each of the standpoints on the self yields six basic types of self-state representations: actual/own, actual/other, ideal/own, ideal/other, ought/own, and ought/other. The first two self-state representations (particularly actual/own) constitute what is typically meant by a person’s self-concept (see Wylie, 1979). The four remaining self-state representations are self-directive standards or acquired guides for being—in brief, self-guides. (321)

Therefore, throughout this exercise, you will be concerned with defining your self-concept and self-guides.

Using both the Self-Discrepancies Assessment Worksheet and the Self-Concept Words Handout fill in each column with what you consider to be the 10 most important adjectives which best describe those domains.

>>www.goodmedicine.org.uk/files/assessment,%20self-discrepancies.DOC

>>http://www.kisd.org/khs/english/help%20page/Descriptive%20Words.htm

Furthermore, in additional scholarship, “Self-Discrepancies and Affect: Incorporating the Role of Feared Selves” by Carver, Lawrence, and Scheier, there is the added interaction of the feared self, the complete opposite of the ideal self. So, on the handout, draw a diagonal line through the ideal self column and add-in the feared self.

Next, define your self-concept (actual/own) and self-guides (ideal/own, ideal/other, ought/own, and ought/other). As the theory attests, there will eventually be discrepancies between each relationship. However, the overall goal here is to understand how to conceptualize these aspects of your own self. In doing so, they will allow you to see yourself in terms of where you’re at, in terms of what the world expects of you, and in terms of what you hope or aspire to be, as well as what you fear becoming.

Source(s):

Higgins, E. Tory. “Self-discrepancy: A Theory Relating Self And Affect.” Psychological Review 94.3 (1987): 319-340. Print.