subject: Five Aspects Of The Self In Your Life [print this page] There are many kinds of theories about knowing the self, or self-knowledge for short. According to one theory (by Neisser, Ulric), our self-knowledge comes from different sources of information. And a certain source of information can be seen as establishing a unique kind of "self".
The following does not come in any necessary order. Okay, first, there is the ecological self. The ecological self is the self as it stands in relation to the physical environment. It is important for us people to know what kind of relationship we have to the environment. There are so many things by which the environment can affect us and vice versa.
Second, there is the interpersonal self. This is the self that builds relationships with other people. Other people are necessary for our survival. It is the building of relationships that ensure our survival as a human race for generations to come. Other than mere survival, there is much more especially with regard to psychological and spiritual aspects that need the existence of others, and the need to be needed by others too.
Third, there is the extended self. Two factors that constitute the extended self are the memory and the anticipation. What comes with our memory, we bring us. Although, the human person is so much more than the adding the sum of our past actions and decisions, a person's past does somehow live in the present. And our anticipations of the future tell us what we do next in the present or current situation.
Fourth, there is the private self. From the word "private", we can come to understand that this is the self that knows the self as entirely one's own. There is indeed a part of us that we simply cannot share with others. Our consciousness, our subjectivity is entirely and totally private. We can guess or empathize with one another, but we can never really totally know the reality as the other person perceives it in his or her own private consciousness.
Lastly, the fifth self (in Ulric's theory) is the conceptual self or the "self-concept". This self is conceptualized from the different theories and beliefs we hold on to about the human nature and the human person in general. This is vital because our beliefs certainly affect our portrayal as who we are and who we are supposed to be.
This theory can help you assess and know yourself better. See these five aspects of the self in your life, to understand and live it better.
