Human Behavior
The sense as a soul
I am aware of my existence and this helps me in defining my sense of self. I am aware of what makes me an individual. I am conscious of my being and personhood. Being conscious of my individuality is paramount. I will not be swayed easily by the decisions that others make. I will be clearer and more aware concerning the actions that I choose. I can strengthen my sense of self since I am conscious of the strengths that I have. I can capitalize on those strengths and at the same time identify ways of making them more powerful. The knowledge of my individuality improves my sense of uniqueness. The strengths and positive aspects of my personhood are indispensable. All people are different. When a person can identify the things that make him unique among the rest, then he becomes aware of his individuality (Kihlstrom, 2001). This is better than when one tries to imitate others since he cannot be able to do what they do with skill and expertise.
I am more aware of the weaknesses and limitations that I have. This is useful because it can enable me to identify ways of overcoming my limitations. Working on the weaknesses that I have will enable me to make the relationships that I have much stronger, which will benefit my future behavior. For instance, working to improve my temper will place me in a position where I am able to relate to people in a better way. I can improve my strengths and reduce or eliminate my weaknesses by acquiring information on the specific areas. This is possible through activities such as reading different forms of literature, and learning from mentors and people who have had similar challenges before but have managed to overcome them. Although I will get exposure to other influences, this will not determine my sense of self since I am already aware of it.
The self as a flow of experience
The experiences that I have shape my way of thinking, and this in turn influences my mentality and perception in life. I am able to judge people based on what I have experienced in the past. For instance, I am able to know who trust and who to avoid when forming any form of relationships. The experiences that I have had have increased my level of knowledge. I have learnt more about others and myself. They have enabled me to know how to deal with different situations in life. Defining the self as a soul and as a flow of experiences differ in the sense that the latter depends on external influences and environments while the former is intrinsic and independent (Liu & Perry, 2012). In addition, the self as a flow of experiences will involve other people.
People are influential in determining the form of perception I have about myself. Failing to improve the strengths that I have will make me define myself based on other people’s judgment about me. It will deny me the chance to identify my individuality and uniqueness; hence, I will not have anything noteworthy or meaningful to offer. However, both are concepts of the self and I am conscious about them, although at different levels. I can improve the experiences that I have in life if choose to be more selective towards the experiences I have. Although many experiences in life are spontaneous and unavoidable, others can be avoided by making the right decisions. I can reflect on the experiences that I have had, and this will put me in a position where I can develop my own mind. The environment will be essential in forming the experiences of the self.
The self as a cognitive structure
I have changed my thought processes and perceptions as I have grown. I do not have the same thought processing capabilities as when I was young. My thoughts have changed as I have grown and developed. Defining myself based on my cognitive structure has enabled me to see how much I have grown in my level of thinking over the years. I have developed to a point where I am able to see how my thoughts will influence my behavior in the end. Cognition helps people to encode the information they receive. People are able to know the reality in their lives, and they distinguish this from their imagination. In addition, cognition helps people in self-regulation; thus, they are able to control their behaviors despite the thoughts they have. Although a person may experience negative thoughts, she can decide not to act on those thoughts after reflecting on the consequences of her actions. Different social and environmental factors affect people’s cognitive development in diverse ways.
Knowing the form of influence that these factors have will enable a person to make the right decisions and develop an enhanced sense of self. Social relationships, the work environment, family, and the leisure activities that people choose to engage in are influential in determining their cognitive development. Some people define themselves based on these social and environmental factors. Some find their sense of self and their meaning of being because of their families and their work (Clark & Beck, 1999). A person who understands the form of influence that the wrong friends can have will be able to use that knowledge to avoid negative influences in his life. I can strengthen the positive aspects of my life while working on the negative areas that cause emotions such as depression and stress. This will have an effect on my present and future behavior.
References
Clark, A. D., & Beck, T. A. (1999). Scientific foundations of cognitive theory and therapy for depression. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons
Kihlstrom, F. J., Beer, S. J., & Klein, B. S. (2001). Self and identity as a memory. Retrieved from http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~kihlstrm/SelfIdentityMemory.htm
Liu, J., & Perry, J. (2012). Consciousness and the self: New Essays. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press
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