Modern Thinking of Self Concept

Introduction It is not known exactly when man’s awareness of self developed. However, it is believed that the notion of self awareness has existed since the creation of man. Philosophers such as Renà © Descartes were among the first to define self concept.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Thinking of Self Concept specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the 20th century, the concept of the self took a new turn with the emergence of behaviorism and other schools of thought on self concept. Modern thinking of self concept is varied. Humanistic psychology, spiritual concept of self and other theories constitutes modern thinking on self concept. The History of Self Concept The concept of self possibly dates as far back as the beginning of man. This is because there is no sufficient evidence on when man became aware of such intangible personal attributes self-esteem. However, studies in the development of sel f concept got a boost from the works of Rene Descartes in the 17th century. Descartes suggested the existence of the ego (non-physical being). The concept of the ego remained anonymous throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It is only during the early 20th century that the concept of the non physical started gaining prominence (Rachlin, 1991: Plotnik, 2005). Some of the early philosophies explaining self concept include behaviorism. Behaviorism is a school of thought suggested by such renowned psychologists as B.F. Skinner and J.B. Watson. Behaviorists concede that self concept can only be understood by carefully interpreting human behavior (Baum, 2005). Within the same period, Sigmund Freud developed psychoanalysis, the psychology of the study of the mind, which deviated slightly from behaviorism (Elliott, 2002). Humanistic psychology developed later in the mid 20th century with concepts such as self actualization gaining prominence. Famous humanist psychologists such as Car l Rogers proposed the idea of unconditional recognition, a concept in which the perception of oneself is motivated by unconditional self acceptance. Furthermore, Robert Burns suggested that self concept is a composition of personal attitudes and beliefs. The concept of self has developed further with varied opinions constituting modern thinking. These include the spiritual based concept of self, whereby each of the major religions such Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam, suggest unique philosophies on self concept (Greenberg, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The modern thinking on the self Grego (2007) argues that most of the modern theories on self concept borrow heavily from the works of Rene Descartes. Descartes’ works focus on dualism; the idea that human beings are dual in nature. Most of the modern self concept theorists build their philosophy on self concept around Descartes’ initial idea on the ego. The modern thinking suggests that human beings have an inherent need for motivation. This implies that self concept is largely determined by motivation. There are various factors that determine motivation. Abraham Maslow proposes that an individual concept of self progresses in stages. These stages are equated to progressive levels of human needs. The satisfaction of each level of needs motivates a person to acquire an improved concept about the self. As such a person’s self concept develops in stages. Other modern theories on the self concept include Sociometer and the terror management theories (Kernis, 1997). While Sociometer theorists suggest that the development of self concept is motivated by one’s social needs and the ability to fit into social groups, terror management theorists propose that security issues (and more so those related to life and death matters), determines the development of a person’s self conc ept (Solomon and McGregor, 1997). Moreover, humanistic psychology, which suggests that unconditional acceptance motivates self concept, also constitutes modern thinking. Modern thinking suggests two types of self concepts: high and low self esteem. People with high self esteem characteristically love themselves unconditionally. They also recognize themselves and live comfortably, without letting the flaws affect them negatively (Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger and Vohs, 2003). On other hand, people with low self esteem fail to recognize and accept themselves. They perceive themselves negatively and desire to change certain attributes about themselves.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Thinking of Self Concept specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Spiritual concept of self The spiritual aspects of the self concept are founded on James Hillman’s definition that psychology studies the human soul (Klemp, 20 09). Based on Hillman’s psychology, the concept of the self show a relationship with a higher being, most commonly referred to as the creator of the universe. Modern theosophists such as Helena Blavatsky suggest that the spirit, other than being incorruptible, is above the human soul. The human spirit deals with the non physical aspects of life such as virtues and vices. The spirit, thus, constitutes the self. The human soul can be attracted to the human spirit. If this happens, a person becomes overtly spiritual. The connection between the soul and the spirit forms a person‘s self concept (Creeger, 1994). Theosophists separate the soul and the spirit and argue that the human spirits transcends mortality. Thus, people who are deeply spiritual perceive themselves as immortal; they will live beyond death. Such people live in permanent freedom. People who are overly spiritual characteristically detach themselves from physical cravings, since they consider such to be a hind rance to their self actualization. As such, they concentrate in the spiritual aspects of life such as meditation, prayer and worship, and other aspects that guarantee joy and happiness. Due to their spiritual nature such people perceive themselves as closer to their supreme creator. Major world religions have specific philosophies that explain the concept of the self. The Hindu concept of self is founded on the caste system. Hindus believe that a person’s progressively move towards self actualization, by meeting spiritual needs. The progress through the caste system signifies a person spiritual growth. Similarly, Christianity proposes its own philosophy on the self concept that â€Å"man is created in Gods own image† (Hensley, n.d). In this regard, the Christian concept of self is based on positive self regard. Conclusion The development of self concept can be attributed to the works of Renà © Descartes. However, behavior psychologists made significant contribution to the development of self concept. Behaviorists suggested that a person self concept is derived from studying personal behavior. It is imperative to state that behavior psychologist ignored spiritual aspect of the self.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unlike behaviorists, theosophists focus on the spiritual aspects. They propose that the human being is made up of two distinct parts; the soul and the spirit. The soul is the physical, while the spirit is the powerful of the two and connects one to a higher power. The spirit, which constitutes the self, leads one to self actualization. As such, the self endures beyond death. Similarly humanist psychologists suggest that the concept of self improves with the satisfaction of progressive human needs. Self actualization is the highest level of growth one can achieve. While theosophist suggests that self actualization is only attained through the satisfaction of spiritual needs, humanists propose self actualization is met through satisfaction of human needs. Both theosophical and humanistic approaches are unified by life after death. Reference List Baum, W. (2005). Understanding Behaviorism: Behavior, Culture and Evolution. New Jersey: Blackwell Publishing. Baumeister, R., Campbell, J., Krueger, J. and Vohs, K. (2003). Does High Self-Esteem Cause Better Performance, Interpersonal Success, Happiness, or Healthier Lifestyles?. Psychological Science in the Public Interest 4 (1): 1–44. Creeger, R. (1994). Theosophy: An Introduction to the Spiritual Processes in Human  Life and in the Cosmos. Hudson, NY: Anthroposophic Press. Elliott, A. (2002). Psychoanalytic Theory: An Introduction. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Grego, R. (2007). Dualism, Consciousness and Self-Identity in Descartes and Sartre. Web. Greenberg, J. (2008). Understanding the Vital Human Quest for Self-Esteem.  Perspectives on Psychological Science. 3(48). Hensley, M. (n.d.). Self Concept and Spiritual Maturity. Web. Kernis, M. (1997). Efficacy, Agency, and Self-Esteem. New York: Plenum Press. Klemp, H. (2009). The Call of Soul. Minneapolis, MN: Eckankar. Plotnik, R. (2005). Introduction to Psychology. Ontario: Thomson-Wadsworth. Rachlin, H. (1991) Introduction to Modern Behaviorism. New Y ork: Freeman. Solomon, S. and McGregor, H. (1997). Terror Management Theory And Self-Esteem: Evidence That Increased Self-Esteem Reduces Mortality Salience Effects.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72 (24). This essay on Modern Thinking of Self Concept was written and submitted by user Anya Kirby to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Bonnie and Clyde in Oklahoma essays

Bonnie and Clyde in Oklahoma essays Two of the Southwest's more noted desperados during the early 1930's were Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. Bonnie and Clyde (or the "Bloody Barrows", as they were then commonly called) terrorized the country, from Texas to Iowa and back, for two years, slaughtering at least a dozen men, most of whom were peace officers. They regularly visited Oklahoma in the course of their depredations. Raised in the slums of West Dallas, Clyde Chestnut Barrow (or Clyde Champion, as he preferred to be called) and Bonnie Parker Thornton apparently met in early 1930. He was the son of a former sharecropper who now ran a gas station in West Dallas. Both Clyde and his older brother, Buck, then in Huntsville Prison, had been arrested several times for burglary and car theft. Bonnie, as yet, had no record, but did have a husband, Roy Thornton, who was doing 99 years at Huntsville as an habitual criminal. She briefly found solace with Clyde Barrow but their budding romance was interrupted by police, who hauled Barrow off to Waco, where he was wanted for a series of burglaries and car thefts. Clyde pleaded guilty to two burglaries and five car thefts and was sentenced to two years, with 12 years probation. On March 11, 1930, he escaped from the Waco jail, with two other men, William Turner and Emory Abernathy. The suspicion was that Marvin "Buck" Barrow, having escaped three days earlier from Huntsville, arranged Clyde's jailbreak. According to Bonnie's relatives and Clyde's fellow escapee, William Turner, it was Bonnie who smuggled the a gun into Clyde's cell. At any rate, Barrow, Turner, and Abernathy left Bonnie behind and lit out for Middleton, Ohio, where they were arrested on March 18, after robbing a railroad depot of $57.97. The three were soon returned to Texas in chains, accompanied by Sheriff Leslie Stegall of Waco. Clyde's probation was revoked and, on April 21, 1930, as Clyde Champion Barrow, #63527, he was received at the State Penitentiary...

A Worn Path By Eudora Welty Essay -- Eudora Welty, A Worn Path, Narrator

â€Å"A Worn Path† tells a story about a courageous elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson. Phoenix endangers her life to get a charity medicine for her grandson, who is unable to fully heal because of a lye accident. She walks an old worn path called the Old Natchez Trace to the city of Natchez in Mississippi. She goes through a series of obstacles on the long journey on a cold December morning. As the reader gets into the story it is apparent that this is not the first time she has made this trip to the city. Phoenix runs into a hunter, who she steals a nickel that drops out of his pocket, because her poverty drives her. This is foreshadowing for good things to come. When the beginning the reader does not know why she is making the trip because it is not revealed until the end. Once she reaches her destination she temporarily forgets why she made the journey in the first place, until reminded by a nurse. She is given the charity medicine and a nickel for the holidays. The story ends on... ... middle of paper ... ...seems reinvents herself every time she has to make that trip back home. The fact that the symbolism and this overall implied theme of â€Å"A Worn Path† collaborate so well together shows the depth of Welty’s writing style. Although the story is simple execution the meaning is timeless. Her repeated journeys reflect the lifetimes she has endured traveling to Natchez. â€Å"Phoenix 's rising out of the over-determination of this culture, as her name implies, is what the reader comes to appreciate.† (Dilgren, 2014) She is determined and persevering like a phoenix. She must deal with poverty, the pains of old age, and racial prejudice to care for her grandson with a scarred throat. The phoenix ties into the ageism as well because the phoenix is an old bird, but fierce, just the like character. The occasional journey on the Natchez Trace is only a small part of her complex story.

The Positioning, Entrepreneurial and Cognitive Schools of Strategy Essay - 1

The Positioning, Entrepreneurial and Cognitive Schools of Strategy - Essay Example It is most commonly used in conducting research on linguistic, history, communication, psychology, political science, education and the study of complex organizations (Waltz, et al, 2010). Strategy content research is especially used in conducting research targeting the often extremely turbulent nursing and healthcare research programs because it is able to provide a basic and relevant approach is suitable in both approaching and retrieval of information and data from a large number of sources in a manner that can be perceived as being more objective and systematic in comparison to intuitive listening or reading this is, in addition to its utility as, a feasible tool in data analysis strategy when one conducts qualitative research (Waltz, et al, 2010). When applied in the conduction of quantitative research, the method invokes the objective simplification and reduction of the recorded data and language to a simple set of categories each representing frequency, intensity or presence of selected characteristics. Strategic thinking is critical in order for one to be able to engage in an effective, strategic planning process. There are several actions that a person can undertake to enable them conduct an effective, strategic planning process. A person needs to try and engage in activities, whether physical or mental that support and encourage the development of strategic thinking on their part. Individuals are encouraged to try and participate in creative art forms. It also greatly aids an individual if the said individual secures the services of a good mentor or coach who can be able to guide them through essential reflective processes involving critical reflection, critical dialogue and critical inquiry. This should be done until it eventually becomes a habit (Sloan, 2012). The use of Constructivist approach can also aid in ensuring adequate mental processes are carried out before an effective mental planning process can be carried

Choose one Frost's poems and present the symbols in it. What are they Essay

Choose one Frost's poems and present the symbols in it. What are they and what do they represent - Essay Example This isolation is tempting and seems to offer peace and quiet but is something no one would want or advise. For example, even the owner of these woods is away in his village on this â€Å"darkest evening of the year† (8). The village symbolizes society and civilization and is separate from this lonely, isolated spot so that even the owner won’t know that this visitor was here. The traveler imagines that even the horse isn’t pleased to be here, â€Å"My little horse must think it queer / To stop without a farmhouse near† (5-6). The horse, although an animal, represents a domesticated and normal part of society. It offers some sense of reality and responsibility and shakes the traveler away from this tempting and even dangerous feeling of staying on too long in order â€Å"To watch his woods fill up with snow† (4). The woods are quiet and the only sounds are that of the wind and â€Å"downy flake† (12). Dwelling any longer in this place, althou gh lovely, is also â€Å"dark and deep† (13). The traveler realizes that he has â€Å"miles† to go, symbolizing the life still ahead to live filled with promises, duties and responsibilities. The repetition of the last two lines, â€Å"And miles to go before I sleep† represent the long years ahead before sleep, symbolizing death, actually overtakes him (15-16). References Frost, Robert. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.† Retrieved from http://www.ketzle.com/frost/snowyeve.htm.

Nikki Giovani Comparing Poems Essay Example for Free

Nikki Giovani Comparing Poems Essay Nikki Giovanni uses good choice of words and figurative language to put the reader in a vivid world. She uses vivid verbs, personification, and other elements to really give the right picture in your mind. Her method works because the readers get hooked onto the poem and want to read it. One of my favorite poems is â€Å"poetry.† Poetry is a poem about poets using poetry to express themselves and not to impress anybody. She uses metaphors to show what poetry is, she says â€Å"A poem is pure energy. † These types of metaphors help the reader picture what the poems trying to say. She also uses personification to also have a better understanding. Another one of Nikki Giovanni’s poems is â€Å"women.† I think that this poem talks about a woman who has been rejected. She uses metaphors to express how she feels. She says â€Å"I am glass† to say she is transparent. Nikki Giovanni uses metaphors and simile in both poems. She uses these so that readers will understand the poem better. This is a good way to get readers interested. She also uses other elements like repetition to emphasize it like when she repeats â€Å"I am glass I am glass.† In the poems â€Å"women† and â€Å"poetry† by Nikki Giovanni she uses different elements to express what she is trying to express. We talked about two metaphor and simile. The way she uses the different elements really goes along with the poems. It goes really well because it gives the readers pictures of what the poet is trying to express. This is why Nikki Giovanni’s method works good in poetry.

African-American Civil Rights Movement of 1955-1968 Essay -- Black Civi

The series of African-American Civil Rights movements, which stretched from 1955 to 1968, aimed at restoring the rights of African-American people and liberating them from social and racial discrimination. This movement changed the social and political structure of the United States. The main catch was that the movement accomplished successful results following the ‘nonviolent resistance’, establishing the fact that the Christian religion believed in peace and equality. BIRTH OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS United States, since its foundation has endured racial inequality. The government and other major institutions were administrated by the ‘whites’ and the ‘black’ Americans lacked behind in every aspect of life. The reconstruction period, that started after the defeat of the Confederate States of America, lasted for twelve years starting from 1865 to 1877.The elections of 1876 brought an end to this era in which the whites of the Democratic party gained political control in the south while the Republican Party, which mainly constituted of the Blacks, lost terribly because blacks were not allowed to register their votes. By the early 20th centaury, majority of the elected officials in the south were Democrats, the white domination caused increase in the violence on African Americans and they were detained from their rights of education, employment and religion. The consequence was the emergence of the ‘Jim Crow’ system which suppressed and violated the racial and social rights of the African Americans. The conditions in the North and West were comparatively better so most of the African people seek refuge in migration. Previously, the Civil rights movement of 1955 – 1968, with the help of organizations like NAACP (National... ... which was responsible was the division of equal power, took no practical measures in that regard. All in all, this movement was very successful in the general populous and managed to give them a sensation of separate and distinct identity but didnot achieve any remarkable results in the political domain. Conclusion To conclude, Civil Rights Movement of 1955 – 1968 has been the turning point not only in the history of African – American but has also been a source of inspiration and motivation for the further Civil Rights movements, that strived for the equality of gays, women and other minority nations. The key points of the movement were derived from the teachings of Jesus and Mohandas Gandhi and perhaps it was the result of such remarkable teachings that the movement managed to attain triumphant results and turned around the life of the people of America.