Sense Of Self Essay

Sense of Self How can one define a “sense of self”? Is it the morals that one lives by or is it the actions that they take? In actuality, it is a combination of both. A true understanding of one’s sense of self are the morals that they believe in and how they use those morals in their everyday lives. But how does one form a sense of self? Is it pre-determined at birth that someone will act a certain way or is it through experiences that form during one’s lifetime? The works of three separate authors lends a hand in understanding exactly how one forms their sense of self. The article “Love 2.0:” by Barbara Fredrickson discusses her theory of positivity resonance. The implications of positivity resonance can help form someone’s sense of self. …show more content…
Also, “The Naked Citadel” by Susan Faludi shows how a corrupt institution manipulates the minds of young men. Despite all three of them claiming different points, they each present a piece of how one’s sense of self is formed. They each show how different factors can influence and mold a sense of self. Different factors including environmental and institutional play a major role in shaping one’s sense of self. They not only influence the morals and beliefs one can hold, but also they provide the opportunities for one to display those morals. The environment one is in can drastically change their sense of self. It is commonly known that being in certain types of environments can either improve or damage one’s sense of self. This can be clearly seen in Malcolm Gladwell’s, “The Power of Context”. One of his prominent examples is Bernie Goetz, a middle aged man who lived in New York City during the 80’s. This was at a time where crime in New York City was at an all-time high. He entered a dirty, run down subway at night and was threatened and almost mugged by four young teenagers. His response was “firing at each of the four youths in turn” (Gladwell, 149). This type of action is considered ludicrous in today’s