Exploring Self and Identity though different perspectives

In this blog, we will view self and identity through various perspectives. We will begin first by defining what self is. The self encompasses the individual's core nature, which includes emotions, thoughts and experiences. On the other hand, identity is the collection of characteristics, beliefs, and affiliations that define an individual in specific contexts, such as cultural, and social spheres.

For, survival, humans need to interact with others and live in groups and communities. So, it is important to show oneself as important to the group otherwise, they may feel ostracized by the group. In this process to show others that the person is important to the group, they desire improvement in themselves. In this process, the 'I' may explore 'Me' through the following perspectives:

(a) a social actor

(b) a motivated agent

(c) an autobiographical author

'I' discovering self
[Image credits: improvewithmetacognition.com]

The Social Actor Perspective

Humans tend to be parts of different groups and for each group, they may have different roles within the group. In playing those roles, humans tend to become multi-faceted and tend to possess different traits and characteristics. Humans tend to show emotions based on how they perceive they are playing the role. They are embarrassed when they do something they aren’t supposed to do, and they feel proud when others praise them, or they achieve something. The development of self as a human actor is also heavily influenced by how they perceive themselves as social actors. Improving social roles can lead to a transformed self-concept and observable changes recognized by others. Social actors possess the potential to evolve and improve their performances throughout the human lifespan.

The Motivated Agent Perspective

To understand human behaviour as a motivated agent, we need to recognize the desires, inner needs, values and objectives that lead to their actions. To the observers, only the actions are apparent and what remains latent, is their underlying motivations. Self-change is mostly propelled by the inner motivation, and this leads to the social actor acting in a way with purpose and with direction. This also leads to the changing of self-concept gradually, and the human attempts to change values and life goals. There do exist some pivotal points in life where a person reevaluates their life goals, values and envisions personal futures, like adolescence and early adulthood.

Motivation drives self-improvement
[Image credits: linkedin.com]

The Autobiographical Perspective

To achieve temporal continuity in life, and in order to create a cohesive life story that explains how the past led to the present and how the present leads to the future, a person takes the autobiographical perspective. The emergence of the autobiographical perspective starts in early adulthood. This perspective layers over the motivated perspective and the social actor perspective. This narrative identity integrates the past, present and future in the form of a story and highlights the meaning and purpose of self over time. Many factors play a significant role in shaping the narrative identity of a person, like culture, which adds a lot of sense to life stories.

Conclusion

Exploring the self and identity leads to a journey through intricate layers of human consciousness. Our self-concept is the major factor that propels the transformation we want to bring. In a world that increasingly embraces diversity and interconnectedness, understanding the fluidity of identity becomes paramount. By acknowledging the dynamic nature of self and identity, we pave the way for greater empathy, acceptance, and harmony in our interactions with others and ourselves.