Module 4- The Self from the Perspective of Psychology

1. Concept of ME and I of the SELF of George Herbert Mead from the perspective of Sociology
and the ME and I concept of William James from the perspective of Psychology

In Mead’s Theory of the Self, “ME” is also known as the social self and it is heavily
influenced by the society. It relies on how other people expects us to behave. “I” is basically the
response to ME. It serves as the personal identity of the person.

William James also described “I” as the one that gives us the sense of identity, but he also
said that “I” is the pure ego, the person’s soul, and mind. Unlike Mead, William’s idea of “ME” is
not just the social self, it also includes the material self and the spiritual self.

2. Global and Differentiated Self

Global self is the overall value of the self. It is the entire self or the self in the holistic
perspective as it includes all of the experiences a person had. The groups of people that a person
belongs to can impact or influence the individual.

Differentiated self on the other hand, has two forces affecting a person – the togetherness
and individuality which should be balanced. It also enables a person to have a sense of identity.
Though the presence of other people could still affect the differentiated self, it could determine
the difference between self and thoughts.

3. Ideal and Real Self of Carl Rogers and the Concept of Congruence

Real self, according to Carl Rogers, is what you think about yourself, your perspective and
idea about yourself. It answers the question “Who am I?” and if a person really knows him/herself.
Ideal self is what the person aims to be, it answers the question “Who do I want to be?”

The Concept of Congruence is simply the state wherein the real self-concept and the ideal
self-concept have similarities. If there is a congruence between the real self and the ideal self, it
will result to happiness and satisfaction.
4. Unified and Multiple Self

Unified self is about self-awareness and consciousness. A person who has unified self is
considered well-adjusted, they can survive with an integrated, unified multiple selves.

Multiple self is the person who have different aspects and is made up of different parts
that makes it whole, or the person in holistic perspective.

5. True and False Self

True and False selves are both present in all individuals. True self can be simply explained
as the person or individual itself wherein he knew who he really is, his strengths and weaknesses.
False self is the opposite.

False self is the part wherein an individual wears a mask to hide the true self because he
doesn’t want rejection.