What this chapter is about
Take a moment and think about yourself. What makes you you? What defines your identity? Why do you behave the way you do? Why are you different from your best friend or your sibling, even though you share similar genes and family background? These fundamental questions about the self and personality have fascinated philosophers and psychologists for centuries.
In your daily life, you engage in constant self-evaluation and self-reflection. You notice your strengths and weaknesses, remember your past experiences, anticipate your future, and make judgments about how others perceive you. You also exhibit consistent patterns of behavior—ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that are characteristically yours. Your friend might be reliably cheerful and outgoing, while another friend is quiet and thoughtful. These consistent patterns reflect personality.
Learning objectives
- 1Explain the Inner World of Identity and Behavioral Patterns
- 2Explain sELF
- 3Explain what Is the Self
- 4Explain the Biological Self
- 5Explain the Personal Identity
- 6Explain the Social Self