Understanding Self-Concept: Social, Physical, and Psychological Insights

Self-Concept Paper

Introduction:

The self-concept paper is fascinating, to say the least. I ask family and friends how they perceive me in three areas: physically, socially, and psychologically. When forming perceptions of others, we ignore applying the same principle of self-concept that we use for ourselves. This difference can present a practical challenge in our personal and professional lives. Sometimes, how we perceive ourselves is much different than what others see. In time and experience, my growth has been astonishing from my childhood years to my adult years. Being a quiet and reserved child shaped my adaptability to social events and environment adaptability. My journey of self-awareness and transformation made an impact on my life. I am glad to explore these three areas socially, physically, and psychosocially with family and friends, which has helped me analyze the contours of who I am today.

Socially, I asked the same question to family and friends, and the reply I received was engaging, extroverted, and good with people. Self-awareness reflects my actions and behavior. I tend to be cautious with my actions in unfamiliar settings or when meeting new acquaintances. I assess the situation cautiously before revealing or exposing too much of myself.

After adjusting and settling into a new environment, many family members and friends perceive me as outgoing. One person mentioned that I need to be around people. That statement is interesting because that can have much to do with my upbringing.

Years ago, when I was much younger, I was reserved, quiet, and afraid to open up to people. The reason for my action, or lack of it, was my environment with my parents. That shaped my response: less engagement, trust, and low self-esteem. Reflecting on this area today, I realized it is like night and day with no comparison. It is incredible how we can change, whether good or bad.

Sometimes, even today, I am reserved and quiet; the reason is learning from others what I either like or dislike. When assessing, I look at a person or situation to pick my likes and try to incorporate those qualities within myself. My analytical skills have always been a big part of my decision-making for myself and the future.

My analytical skills make me suitable around people, and I can adjust accordingly. I was sometimes quiet and shy when I was younger, and people thought I was either slow or unintelligent. However, that is not the case either way.

Over time, my social activity, growth, and management skills evolved. Development and management have played significant roles in engaging with others in a social environment. During my younger years, social awkwardness and various past issues contributed to my physical problems.

Physically, I think of a gym rat or a person on the go, meaning staying active. The answer I received was quite interesting in their response. The answers are challenging, average, and/or complex. I understand why all three answered in the same way they did.

My reflection goes back to my early childhood years for as long as I can remember. I do not share or reveal much of this part of my life because I do not want my physical overshadowing my success or achievements. I have had setbacks physically throughout my life, yet I have overcome many obstacles. Most family and friends who know me well bring many challenges, and I have triumphed. 

I never played sports or engaged in the gym when I was younger because the physical draw prevented me from doing these activities.

Therefore, I can see other perceptions of me physically, and the drawback is that I am limited in activities.

The psychologically fascinating part is not knowing sometimes what a person may endure throughout their lifetime. When asking this question of what each person perceives of me psychologically, it was complex, or I need to succeed and not have any problems.

The response tells me a few things. The first response that I need to succeed. I understand why they said this; I did not have control of my life when I was younger. All decisions were not my choice, and I did not have the opportunity to experience my youth. As I navigated through life, I realized that my journey was not just about visible achievements in my career or education; it was a profound inside competition. I knew that to succeed honestly, I had to challenge myself, pushing my limits and striving for personal growth every step of the way. I am unsure if this is good or bad, but I know one thing: it is a driving force to move forward.

The second is that I am okay and do not have any problems. In my lifetime, I masked how I felt and self-closure, making it appear that I had no issues. In my teenage years, between my parents’ fights, I hid my emotions, and I was good at manipulating them. I want to say this preserved self-protection for my family, which had many issues.

The third response is complex. I understand why the complexity of this word came about given my history with my family for twenty years of being entangled with many levels of issues and emotions that I was taught and conditioned by learning.

Looking back, I think, how did I even make it this far? I became a master of manipulation within me psychologically. Later in life, I did not realize who I was protecting. I am hurting myself by not dealing with the trauma or the PTSD by suppressing those feelings. All of this has a more significant impact on an individual in many areas of their life. I learned to mask and coincide the perception of what others perceive me.

Overall, others’ perceptions of me align with my self-concept in many ways, highlighting the consistency between my self-perception and how others see me.

Conclusion:

Looking back on my self-concept socially, physically, and psychologically, I have realized how I have changed throughout the years. What others perceive often aligns with my perception. Examine my life today, which has been over sixty years, and then see the vast difference in personal growth. How in the world did I succeed? The only clue is that I put one foot before the other to make a significant transformation. Honestly, I would not even think I could repeat my life. Today, I carry a lot of emotional scars from my past, yet I am excellent at hiding those struggles to protect myself and those around me. I understand the term” the grass is greener on the other side,” which is inaccurate. My journey has not been easy, but has taught me resilience and self-awareness. I am proud of how I developed and evolved into the world today.    

https://portfolium.com/entry/self-concept-5

Written by: Greg MD