The Self

Recently in class we discussed the self- concept. This concept is made up of three key concepts:

Others images- How do significant others see me?
Social comparisons- How do I compare with my peers?
Your interpretations and evaluations- How do I evaluate my own feelings and behaviors

Along with the self-concept we also learnt about the Johari window which is a concept that deals with different parts of the self. The Johari window is made up of four parts.

Open self – shared information
Blind self – only known to others
Hidden self – only known to yourself
Unknown self – unconscious information

Below is a link to find out more about the Johari window:

http://www.noogenesis.com/game_theory/johari/johari_window.html

This concept is aimed at the positive aspects of the self and useful tool for illustrating and improving self-awareness.

There is also a Nohari window which focuses on the negative aspects of the self.

I find these concepts interesting for finding out things that you may not know or recognise in yourself.

On the other hand some people are apprehensive to take part in evaluating themselves with these types of concepts and often become defensive when the outcomes aren’t the ones desired.

I find that using these types of concepts that if you are honest with yourself you will be able to pin point the areas in yourself that need changing.

Unfortunately most people let their pride or ego stand in the way of this happening and the only one who loses out is them