I find the self one of the most fascinating subjects of Psychology. We all take it for granted. We use it in our language -myself, himself, herself even itself (which is and interesting concept can an "it" have a self?). What would you say if you were asked to define what your self was? Is the self what defines you, your ‘you-ness’? Popular opinion is that the self is divided into three main aspects. There is the self-concept which changes considerably early in life and settles later on. When it is settled, it used to evaluate the world, like a lens through which to view the world. Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself and social identity is how you present yourself you the world;The self-impressions we make on others. Also linked to self-esteem and social identity is self-efficacy, which is concerned to your sense of you own ability.
Self-concept
One of the first things babies learn is to distinguish itself from the rest of the world. For example, Children younger than the age of two usually cannot recognize themselves in photos. Sex and age are the first ways they learn to discern selves. After that they begin making comparisons with the talents and skills that others have, physically and intellectually. Finally, there develops an inner, private view of the world, the self and, indeed,of everything that comes into consciousness. After a sense of self or a self-concept is formed, so various selves begin to develop. We usually develop an ideal-self; The way we would like to be rather than the way we are. Most (though not all) of us develop as sense of ought-self; The way we think society would like us to be (it upholds the moral standards).
Self-esteem
The evaluation of the self by the self as to whether it is seen as good or bad, whether it is liked or disliked, is a matter of self-esteem. The three major areas in which people tend to evaluate the self are:appearance, general performance and social interactions. If your self-esteem is
low, then you are likely not to achieve well or not succeed, partly because your self-esteem is low. The amount of self-esteem a person has is largely dependent on that person's childhood and on how secure their first relationships were (with parents or caretaker).
Social Identity
Putting together self-concept and self-esteem leads to the development of social identity. Some things about our social identity are relatively constant. The obvious examples of this are gender, education, occupation and language, although even these can change. Also there are some enduring characteristics of behavior or personality. Put all of this together and this is what makes a person unique.
Self efficacy
We all have our own sense of our abilities. This sense gives us a belief of how efficient we are. Again,it is upbringing that is crucial to the degree of self-efficacy that an individual experiences. Upbringing that emphasizes success rather than failure is more likely to lead to a greater sense of self-efficacy.
