This known as Charles Cooley’s “looking glass self” theory.

Step 1: Understanding the Looking Glass Self

By integrating these lessons into my personal growth journey, I aim to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of social influence with a greater sense of self-awareness and authenticity.">The Looking Glass Self theory, proposed by sociologist Charles Horton Cooley, suggests that our self-concept is shaped by how we believe others perceive us.

The “Looking Myself in the Mirror” personal reflection essay provides a chance to examine identity, self-awareness, and personal development. It promotes in-depth reflection on one’s beliefs, struggles, and experiences. People can evaluate their progress toward self-improvement and connect with their true selves through this kind of essay. You can get assistance with the difficulties of driving while intoxicated accusations from a Fairfax, Virginia, DWI lawyer. They will examine the specifics of the case, contest any discrepancies, and strive for the best result. To safeguard your rights and reduce penalties, it is essential to speak with an experienced lawyer as soon as possible.

Overall, my exploration of the Looking Glass Self theory has provided me with valuable insights into the complex relationship between social interactions and self-identity.

using the concept of charles cooleys looking glass self essay

Self-reflection, which simply means 'thinking about', is a cognitive process that has been applied to the understanding of self and others (Stephens & Allington, 1985). From the days of early Western philosophical thought, there has been an identification of a link between knowledge and the nature of self (Festinger, 1954). It is now widely accepted within psychology that the development of self-knowledge is a process that continues throughout life and is seen as additional to specific cognitive or affective processes, with self-knowledge being stored away as varying amounts of other-knowledge. A fundamental assumption of the traditional (Jungian and psychoanalytic) views is that the self and the process of reflection upon it have an unconscious element. The most recent views contrast with these assumptions and take a more social cognitive perspective of considering the nature of the relationship between self and the process of reflection. However, the key definition of the self-reflection process comes from the early work of Dewey (1913), who describes it as 'active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusion to which it tends'. This description was used by Grant and Dweck (2003) in the presentation of their research and provides an accurate specification of the process involved in contemplating the information and knowledge pertaining to oneself. More generally, self-reflection has been identified as having two forms, one which is spontaneous and naturally occurs, and the other which is experimentally prompted. Although self-reflection has been considered to have a broad and inclusive definition, there are certain cases in which it has been falsely identified as other forms of intrapersonal communication. One example of this false identification is in the case where it has been mistaken for self-rumination, and an attempt to define and discriminate is by examining the nature of the thought process. Rumination has a purely negative focus and is repetitive in nature, which exacerbates poor mental health. This is contrasted with reflection, which does not need to have a specific focus and is a continuous process without a clear endpoint. And despite the similarities in nature, it is stated that the reflection process is a direct antecedent to change of behavior or knowledge of the self. An additional example of this false identification has been seen in the literature of causal attribution, and although the two processes are closely related due to their focus on individual cognitive processes, it is said that reflection upon a specific causal attribution is a deliberate and thoughtful process that involves thought on how an event or outcome impacts on the self and action that is brought about from said event.

Self-reflection takes many forms and may involve activating any or all of the human senses, feeling, thinking, moving, or interacting with others. It may bring past, present, and future to the conscious awareness or may be narrowly focused or broad in scope. It may be engaged in as a solitary process or may be facilitated by another person or through an organized activity, such as journal writing. The best tool for self-reflection is to set aside a specific time every day and to write thoughts and feelings in a reflective journal. This helps become aware of the strength of intrapersonal communication and discover any problems that may exist. It allows analysis of each event and to find a behavioral explanation for each event. Using this tool, an individual can find an alternative method of behaving if they discover that their behavior is sub-optimal. To show a simple example of intrapersonal communication, you could assign an individual a simple task of shaking another person's hand and then retracing their steps while repeating it over and over. Task performance would be the initial thought, and recalling the task would be the thought to follow. The individual then needs to analyze the act of shaking hands. Did the person remember the act of shaking hands with high regard? Was it forced? These questions are what affect the way the person thinks of the performance and would sway the decision to repeat the act or to never remember a forced handshake. This would be an example of the analysis of positive or negative reinforcement for the behavior.

The stories I found on those children who were lost and brought up by animals, shows a clear indication that the Looking Glass Self Theory is directly affected by the social environment supporting the child.

Charles Horton Cooley’s Looking Glass theory relates to my perception of self, and I see this in my every day life while interacting with friends, family, co-workers and strangers. If not for fear of judgment, we would not indulge in popular culture such as current trends in fashion and technology. For example, I am athletic and pursued sports in high school. I saw myself through the eyes of teammates and spectators, and this lead to increased desire to win and challenge myself in order to live up to expectations of those around me. Another example is in my interactions with strangers. If not for repeated contact with others throughout my daily life, I would not bother with looking a certain way. It is important to me to properly present myself based on the people I will be around, meaning that if I am to be in public as opposed to sitting at home, I want to dress nicely. This refers to having a positive instead of a negative reaction from those around me about the way I look. I think that this example is unique in that a lot of this is based on conjecture and not actually based on reality of how others see me. Other examples of self reflection include how my parents and siblings treat me. I am a middle child and have a lot of family support, so this attention has given me fairly high confidence. In relation to this, my interactions with my friends also gives me a high amount of confidence because we reflect each other in our interests, activities and likes. Lastly, I see myself in others’ judgments on my academic ability. I do well in academics however, I feel that I can always do better. I think that this relates to the looking glass self because no matter what, there will always be others who perform better or at a higher level, and it is hard not to compare yourself in these situations.

My Looking-Glass Self - Youth Communication

Self-identity is the unique set of characteristics that outline an individual or group and make them dissimilar from others. The problem of self-identity is that it is a composite, multifaceted, and multi-faceted array of numerous, frequently contradictory features that amount to the search for the reply to the question "who am I?". Various concepts of the self have stressed the position of self-identity in knowing who we are. It anticipates that it is common for people to behave differently in various situations. Sometimes individuals may act in an extremely different way from their usual mode of behavior. A person in a job interview, for example, might be quite different from his behavior while out with his mates, while a career criminal might raise some money for a charity. Identity management theory tells us what people do to control others' impressions of them. It deals mainly with situational and more temporary identity. It is one of the most important conceptions of self in intrapersonal communication. Social scientists and researchers focusing on self-development have given more attention to the role of solitary and inner speech in emerging self-identity. This work is still in its early days, and there is a great deal to discover about how the self is formed and how the different aspects of personal and social identity are connected. However, the development of self-identity and procedural type has huge significance for intrapersonal communication. The self is not a stable and enduring entity. It is an active and changing arrangement that describes who we are in the moment and is shaped by the situations we pass through. When we are talking to ourselves or trying to agree on an issue, it is frequently because of an inter or intra psychic disagreement. For instance, a smoker trying to give up may argue with himself about whether he really wants to stop or a politician might weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of a particular policy. Usually, actions of this type are guided by the aim of resolving a quandary or making a decision on what the best thing to do is. Such actions are an important means of having good self-identity. They consist of defining the decision or action in question, associating it with the self, and sorting out if it is really something that the person wants to do. This process increases the probability that the person will act consistently with their beliefs and values. Making decisions by consulting one's conscience is known as moral reasoning and is a very significant aspect of self-identity.

Looking Glass Self Sociology Theory - Essay Example - Aithor

It was also interesting to view how the Looking Glass Self Theory could be applied in so many aspects, such as how it applies to dancers and models, but can also apply to someone like Adolf Hitler, who could change the focus of a group (Germany) by giving it what it wanted, yet use that for his own less favourable agendas as well.