Lesson 6

Western Thought of the Self

Individualist Self 
● The individual identifies primarily with Self, with the needs of the individual being satisfied before those of the
group. 
● Looking after and taking care of oneself, being self-sufficient, guarantees the well-being of the group.
● Independence and self-reliance are greatly stressed and valued.
● People tend to distance themselves psychologically and emotionally from each other.
● Persons believe they have specific, distinctive attributes that set them apart from the general population. 
● Independence and self-reliance are greatly stressed and valued. 
● One may choose to join groups, but group membership is not essential to one’s identity or success. 
● Individualist characteristics are often associated with men and people in urban settings.

The principle of individuation, or principium individuationis, describes the manner in which a thing is

identified as distinguished from other things. For Carl Jung, individuation is a process of transformation,
whereby the personal and collective unconscious is brought into consciousness (by means of dreams, active
imagination or free association to take examples) to be assimilated into the whole personality. It is a completely
natural process necessary for the integration of the psyche to take place. Jung considered individuation to be
the central process of human development. In individuation psychique et collective, Gilbert Simond
on developed a theory of individual and collective individuation in which the individual subject is considered as
an effect of individuation rather than a cause. Thus, the individual atom is replaced by a never-
ending ontological process of individuation. Individuation is an always incomplete process, always leaving a
"pre-individual" left-over, itself making possible future individuations. The philosophy of Bernard Stiegler draws
upon and modifies the work of Gilbert Simond on individuation and also upon similar ideas in Friedrich
Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud. For Stiegler "the I, as a psychic individual, can only be thought in relationship
to we, which is a collective individual. The constituted in adopting a collective tradition, which it inherits and in
which a plurality of acknowledge each other's existence."

An individual is a person or any specific object in a collection. In the 15th century and earlier, and also today
within the fields of statistics and metaphysics, individual means "indivisible", typically describing any numerically
singular thing, but sometimes meaning "a person." ("The problem of proper names"). From the 17th century on,
individual indicates separateness, as in individualism. Individuality is the state or quality of being an individuated
being; a person separated from everything with unique character by possessing his or her own needs, goals, and
desires in comparison to other persons.

In the late twentieth century, researchers began to argue that the self is a cognitive and social construction.
Cognitive perspectives suggest that one’s self-representation affects how one thinks about and gives meaning to
experiences. Like James, psychologist Ulric Neisser distinguished between one’s self-representation connected to directly
perceived experiences and that resulting from reflection on one’s experiences. The “ecological self,” connections of
oneself to experiences in the physical environment, and the “interpersonal self,” connections of oneself to others through
verbal or nonverbal communication, comprise direct perception of experience. Neisser proposed that these two types of
self-representation develop early in infancy. Regarding reflections on one’s experiences, Neisser identified three types of
self-representation that emerge in later infancy and childhood with cognitive and social maturation. The
temporally “extended self” is based on memories of one’s past experiences and expectations for the future. The “private
self” emerges with the understanding that one’s experiences are not directly perceived by others, but rather must be
communicated to be shared. The “conceptual self,” one’s overarching theory or schema about oneself based on one’s
reflection on experiences within social and cultural context, parallels terms such as self-concept and self-schema. In a
1977 article, psychologist Hazel Markus showed that one’s self-representation or self-schema guides information
processing and influences one’s behavior.
A self-conceptualization is an understanding you have of yourself that’s based on your personal experiences, body
image, the thoughts you have about yourself, and how you tend to label yourself in different situations.  It can also be
defined as an all-encompassing awareness you had of yourself in the past; the awareness you have of yourself in the
present, and the expectations you have of yourself at a future time.  Your self-concept is built upon perception — how you
perceive yourself based on the knowledge you have gained over a lifetime of experience. This perception you have of
yourself is based on the information you have gathered about your values, life roles, goals, skills, abilities and much
more.  Your self-concept is more or less a collection of beliefs you have about your own nature, qualities, and behavior.
It’s all about how you think and evaluate yourself at any given moment in time. It is a perception of your image, abilities,
and in some ways a perception of your own individual uniqueness.

The Social Construction of the Self in Western Thought 

Arguments:

1. The self is nothing but a bundle of perceptions, thoughts, and interactions, which our environment molds into
an identity. 
2. Our identities are defined by our culture and the society in which we are raised.  
3. A social construct is the intended or unintended product of social practices and cultural paradigms. 
4. Therefore, the Self must be nothing but a social construct.
Lesson 7

Eastern/Oriental Thought of the Self

Collectivist Self

One’s identity is, in large part, a function of one’s    

membership and role in a group, e.g., the family or work team. 

● The survival and success of the group ensures the well-being 
of the individual, so that by considering the needs and feelings of others, one protects oneself.
● Harmony and the interdependence of group members are stressed and valued. 
● Group members are relatively close psychologically and emotionally, but distant toward non group
members.
● Collectivist characteristics are often associated with women and people in rural settings. 

Collectivism is a value that is characterized by emphasis on cohesiveness among individuals and

prioritization of the group over the self. Individuals or groups that subscribe to a collectivist worldview tend to find
common values and goals as particularly salient and demonstrate greater orientation toward in-group than toward
out-group. The term "in-group" is thought to be more diffusely defined for collectivist individuals to include societal
units ranging from the nuclear family to a religious or racial/ethnic group. Collectivism is the idea that the individual’s
life belongs not to him but to the group or society of which he is merely a part, that he has no rights, and that he must
sacrifice his values and goals for the group’s “greater good.” According to collectivism, the group or society is the basic
unit of moral concern, and the individual is of value only insofar as he serves the group. As one advocate of this idea puts
it: “Man has no rights except those which society permits him to enjoy. From the day of his birth until the day of his death
society allows him to enjoy certain so-called rights and deprives him of others; not . . . because society desires especially
to favor or oppress the individual, but because its own preservation, welfare, and happiness are the prime considerations.”

Arguments of Confucius:
1. Personality (self) as such is not seen as inherently existing, but as something that is being formed through upbringing 
and environment.
2. Every person is born with four beginnings, which do not encapsulate a concept of self as yet, but which together, if 
put in the western framework of thinking, may be called ‘pre-self’, or ‘potential-self’:
a. heart of compassion – leads to Jen
b. heart of righteousness – leads to Yi
c.  heart of propriety – leads to Li
d. heart of wisdom – leads to Chih
A Self as such would develop out of these, and develop through practice of the corresponding virtues
3. Personality (self), in the Confucian perception, is an achieved state of moral excellence rather than a given human 
condition.
4. The concept of self also is deeply embedded within the family and society, and it is only in that context that the self 
comes to be what it is.
 DAY 11
A.

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DAY 12
How well Do I know my Physical Self?

Physical self-concept is the individual's perception of themselves in areas of physical ability and

appearance. Physical ability includes concepts such as physical strength and endurance, while appearance refers to
attractiveness.

Body image is how you view your physical self — including whether you feel you are attractive and whether others like
your looks. For many people, especially people in their early teens, body image can be closely linked to self-esteem.

Self-esteem is how you value and respect yourself as a person. Self-esteem affects how you take care of yourself,
emotionally, physically and spiritually. Body image and self-esteem directly influence one another. When you have
healthy body image, you feel comfortable about your body and know how to care for it.

10 Steps to Positive Body Image 10 STEPS TO POSITIVE BODY IMAGE

1. Appreciate all that your body can do. Every day your body carries you closer to your dreams. Celebrate all of the
amazing things your body does for you—running, dancing, breathing, laughing, dreaming, etc.
2. Keep a top-ten list of things you like about yourself—things that aren’t related to how much you weigh or what
you look like. Read your list often. Add to it as you become aware of more things to like about yourself.
3. Remind yourself that “true beauty” is not simply skin-deep. When you feel good about yourself and who you are,
you carry yourself with a sense of confidence, self-acceptance, and openness that makes you beautiful. Beauty is a state
of mind, not a state of your body.
4. Look at yourself as a whole person. When you see yourself in a mirror or in your mind, choose not to focus on
specific body parts. See yourself as you want others to see you — as a whole person.
5. Surround yourself with positive people. It is easier to feel good about yourself and your body when you are around
others who are supportive and who recognize the importance of liking yourself just as you naturally are.
6. Shut down those voices in your head that tell you your body is not “right” or that you are a “bad”
person. You can overpower those negative thoughts with positive ones. The next time you start to tear yourself down,
build yourself back up with a few quick affirmations that work for you.
7. Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you feel good about your body. Work with your body, not against it.
8. Become a critical viewer of social and media messages.  Pay attention to images, slogans, or attitudes that make
you feel bad about yourself or your body. Protest these messages: write a letter to the advertiser or talk back to the
image or message.
9. Do something nice for yourself — something that lets your body know you appreciate it. Take a bubble bath, make
time for a nap, or find a peaceful place outside to relax.
10. Use the time and energy that you might have spent worrying about food, calories, and your weight to do
something to help others. Sometimes reaching out to other people can help you feel better about yourself and can
make a positive change in our world.

DAY 13
MATERIAL/ECONOMIC SELF
 Economic self-sufficiency is the ability of individuals and families to maintain sufficient income to consistently meet
their basic needs – including food, housing, utilities, health care, transportation, taxes, dependent care, and clothing –
with no or minimal financial assistance or subsidies from private or public.

Material self All of the physical elements that reflect who you are. Possessions, car, home, body, clothes.
Social self The self as reflected through your interactions with others; actually, a variety of selves that respond to
changes in situations and roles.

What is material or economic self?

Signify aspects of one's sense of self and identity. One's sense of self and identity is influential on how an individual
chooses to purchase his or her wants and he or she makes economic decisions that will address his or her personal and
social needs.

Two Categories:
The Bodily Part :  
       The Parts of the body

Extracorporal/External Self:
          Any material possessions which extends us.

The material self is comprised of: our body, clothes, immediate family, and home.
Economic self-sufficiency is the ability of individuals and families to maintain sufficient income to consistently meet their
basic needs – including food, housing, utilities, health care, transportation, taxes, dependent care, and clothing  – with no
or minimal financial assistance or subsidies from private or public organizations.

Self-Concept in Consumer Behavior

Self-concept can be described simply as how one perceives himself and his behavior in the market place. It is the attitude
one holds towards himself. What one thinks of himself. The self concept is not very realistic because an unconscious
component is always present. It can be divided into six types, as given below:
1. Actual self:  How a person actually perceives himself.
2. Ideal self:  How a person would like to perceive himself.
3. Social self:  How a person thinks others perceive him.
4. Ideal social self:  How a person would like others to perceive him.
5. Expected self:  An image of self somewhere in between the actual and ideal self.
6. Situational self:  A person’s self image in a specific situation.

One of the components of the self-concept which is self-image describes that consumers have a number of images of
what they perceive themselves as. The image consumers have of themselves forced them to purchase a product which is
better for their self-image. However, products should be chosen whenever their attributes match with some aspects of
the self. Example, a person thinks of himself as a person of mature age, although he is 24 years old, therefore he
purchases clothes that present him as a mature person. His perception about himself influences his buying behavior
however, there are some times when he feels himself happy and energetic he prefers to purchase products that give him
a feeling of a younger age. 
 
First the consumers are asked to rate their self-concept on the differential scale. Then they are asked to rate product
brands on the same scales. The responses that watch with the brands are expected to be preferred by consumers.
After matching the self-concept with the brand image, the individual tries to find products for his satisfaction. If he is
satisfied, his self-concept gets reinforced as shown in the figure.

The interaction between the product and self-concept can be situation specific. In some situations, the self-concept can
be enhanced or reinforced to a lesser or higher degree. Marketers use these tools as a guide to product and brand
choices.