Self-image and self-awareness

Everyone has three types of self-image. The first is the real self-image, which contains the characteristics that we or someone else believe we actually possess. The second is the ideal self-image – these are the qualities we would like to have, or someone else would like us to have. These are our hopes, aspirations, and desires. The third is the expected self-image, which is a set of traits we or someone else think we should possess. This includes our obligations, duties, and responsibilities.

If these images matched up, there would be no need for psychologists, as everyone would feel great in their own skin – but in reality, the story goes a bit differently. As soon as a little disturbance in the force appears, the unity of our self-image can crumble, and we start feeling bad, which is understandable. In many situations, we feel like our efforts to be who we want to be are not realized – this can lead to the eruption of disappointment, gloom, shame, and sadness. And when we can't be how others expect us to be, anxiety, tension, angst, and guilt come knocking at the door. The best thing to do in these times is to try to gain deep self-awareness.

With self-awareness, we can get a realistic picture of our personality components, boundaries, and possibilities. We can understand our behaviors, the reasons behind them, and have a conscious image of ourselves. Not to mention, it helps us judge our human relationships correctly and the roles we play in them. If we have self-awareness, we solve our problems more successfully, recover more easily from physical and emotional illnesses, are able to find new goals after setbacks, and handle our social relationships and conflicts more effectively. Go for self-awareness!