From society to family to media, external influences never seem to disappear from everyday life. These outward forces tend to leave a lasting impression on us for as long as we live. Because they are so prevalent in our daily lives, exterior factors will have a significant influence on us, specifically our sense of self and happiness. When defining our sense of self, it eventually comes down to how we interpret our individual self-image. In most cases, we do not truly know who we are from our own mindset. Therefore, we take into account the reactions that those around us have an influence on our actions and decisions. From these external effects, we create the persona of who we are. In his article, Immune to Reality, Daniel Gilbert explains …show more content…
We believe that once we find our true “self,” we will attain happiness. In his article Thurman states, “[k]nowing something is a way of controlling it, being able to put it in its proper place in relation to us so that we can use it effectively” (Thurman 446). When a dominant party controls our impressions by means of peer pressure, we alter how we define ourselves in regards to the commanding group. Therefore, our sense of self is significantly affected by the peer pressure of external influences creating a lack of happiness. In addition to peer pressure from exterior factors, conformity contributes to the idea of self-validation and contentment. Conformity revolves around the concept of matching behaviors, ideologies, and decisions to those of a certain group. Individuals, such as us, want to fit in with the majority. Therefore, we alter ourselves by conforming to be accepted in a group. After we are accepted into the group, we attain positive self-validation. This constructs the foundation for what Johnson describes in his article when he explains complex systems. (INSERT JOHNSON SHIT HERE) Conformity leads us to be accepted into groups. From there, we look at ourselves in a more positive manner because we are validated by our peers. Outward entities make us feel valuable because with conformity, external influences significantly affect our sense of self and how we pertain to
Conformity is defined as behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards. This is not a good or bad thing, this just is. It exists as a compliment to earlier humans congregating into larger groups, using agriculture and domestication to create sustenance. Also, conformity is essential for life. We need people to share the same ideas, ideologies and a way of thinking in order to work efficiently and effectively. There many examples that exist like, at work or in your house and even within yourself. Sigmund Freud has explained the phenomena of group psychology in a piece titled, Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego. Using Freud’s theory of conformity I will explain the self, what we call “me”,and its different constituents using The Principles of Psychology by
In the real life, it is hard to judge our personal identity: we are aware of who we are every second and minute, we also are able to check our appearance that we have known since we were born from looking at mirror. We know “I am myself” all the time.
People’s perceptions of themselves and how they think others perceive them influence their actions. This theme is evident in The Death of Benny Paret, Shooting an Elephant, and On Dumpster Diving, but in different ways in each piece. Once people know who they are and are comfortable with themselves, they have reached self-actualization.
To begin, one of the major reasons that make people who they are is self-image.
Individuals often have a strong desire to pursue their aspirations and desires due to their ambitious, determined innate nature. However, through these numerous achievements they have successfully fulfilled, other people’s perception of the individual will vastly differ depending on their relationship with him/her. In the poem “Prodigal”, Bob Hicok suggests that when individuals have successfully accomplished their ambitions, others will perceive the individual’s changed identity in vastly different ways depending on their relationship with the individual. An individual’s ambitious nature will also significantly impact themselves due to their ever-changing perception of themselves, which will greatly affect their own perceptions and decisions
What does sense of self-mean? It means what that person sees when they look in a mirror. Whether it is a decent, awful or an indifferent image. Everyone’s self-image is different, and that’s acceptable; normal even. No one person is exactly the same. The authors explain how a sense of self is like internal conflicts and the decision to lie in order to gain approval.
We often believe that others are more like ourselves than they really are. Thus, our
Psychology is the study of the human brain and its functions which includes some internal and external influences. Throughout the PSYC 101 course, many concepts were discussed and had some sort of interest. Some of the most interesting concepts were the ones who left the most effect of the average human. Such as social norms, sleep disorders, and substance abuse. All three of these concepts affect the average humans’ behavior, personality or way of thinking.
...l, our self-concept is multi-dimensional. We have three ways of perceiving ourselves, the private me, the ideal me, and the public me. The private me, is the way that we believe ourselves to be. The ideal me, is how you desire yourself, who you wish you were. Lastly, there is the public me, the way that we present ourselves in public, the face that we try to show others. Ego boosters and Ego busters affect us in everyway possible and affect the way we perceive ourselves to the world we live in.
Our ideal self is who we wish to be, and the real self is who we are. When there is an imbalance between who we want to be and who we are, a person can develop defense mechanisms to try to alter the real self (McLeod, 2007).
Conformity is vital to people’s life. Humans, being compound animals, live in a culture that works as a whole. Therefore, if there is a fault, the whole system might disintegrate. So, people are obligated to respect the affairs of others so that they can stay together as a whole. On the other hand Individuality, just like conformity, is necessary to life even despite the fact that modern person may not understand its worth. At one point people may want to be special from all the rest in one way or the other. As a result individuals might dress a bit in a different way as well as choose to do things we actually like. And, for on one occasion, we might create the opinions based on what we actually feel. However, earlier or later we are required to curb our impulsive desires so that society or culture does not tag us as eccentric or else weird, simply for the reason that people fear being alone.
“You are the most important thing in this world to me, Mijo” (IMDb, 2016). In writing this paper I aim to connect what I have learned from course readings and class discussions to the film, “A Better Life.” To do this I will first begin by identifying and discussing two external factors from course reading that have made a great impact on the functioning of the Galindo family in the film. The two external factors that I have decided to focus on are environmental circumstances and the effects of poverty, and through relation, the ability to provide for basic needs. Next, just like the discussion about internal factors will be the discussion of internal factors, specifically the factors of parenting styles and the assignment of roles. Last,
Elliot Aronson (2012) provides a definition of conformity, two social psychological processes that underlie a conformity and cited examples of reasons why people conform in the book, The Social Animal. Aronson (2012) defines a conformity as “a change in a person’s behavior or opinion as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people” (p.19). In accordance with Aronson’s (2012) definition of conformity, people do conform owing to the social influence, which are two main social psychological processes: belonging and getting information.
A person’s identity is shaped by many different aspects. Family, culture, friends, personal interests and surrounding environments are all factors that tend to help shape a person’s identity. Some factors may have more of an influence than others and some may not have any influence at all. As a person grows up in a family, they are influenced by many aspects of their life. Family and culture may influence a person’s sense of responsibilities, ethics and morals, tastes in music, humor and sports, and many other aspects of life. Friends and surrounding environments may influence a person’s taste in clothing, music, speech, and social activities. Personal interests are what truly set individuals apart. An individual is not a puppet on the string of their puppet-master, nor a chess piece on their master’s game board, individuals choose their own paths in life. They accomplish, or strive to accomplish, goals that they have set for themselves throughout their lifetime. Individuals are different from any other individual in the world because they live their own life rather than following a crowd of puppets. A person’s identity is defined by what shaped it in the first place, why they chose to be who they are, and what makes them different from everybody else in the world. I feel that I have developed most of my identity from my own dreams, fantasies, friends, and idols.
Throughout our lives we are shaped and molded by our friends and family. They have a lasting affect that can shape our mind and our self. Self is determined by the combination of selves that surround a person on a daily basis. From the childhood friends that we try so hard to hang on to as we journey farther and farther into the real world, to the hated boss and teachers that haunt our mind as we lie awake in our beds at nighttime, we are a product of all those selves. It is the self that determines the course of actions that are taken. Our Actions offer a window into our selves. The actions or reactions toward tragedies, celebrations, disappointments and the occasional lucky break all reflections of our self. Every one of us has a different self, because no one knows the exact same people as someone else. I believe our self contains our values and beliefs. All of our priorities, goals and aspirations we have for ourselves stem directly from the self. Our reactions are also a window into our self. In my opinion, self is a giant jigsaw-puzzle. It is filled with different pieces of others selves that we have interacted with throughout our life, that combine to make one big picture, our self. I have taken pieces of many people who I have encountered throughout my life. My three older brothers influenced major pieces of my self. The pieces of their selves have "fit" into my jigsaw-puzzle self, and complete my total picture. Without force, or a conscious effort by my brothers, the certain pieces of their selves have naturally configured to form my self.