Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- List of Boxes
- Preface to the third edition
- Preface to the second edition
- Preface to the first edition
- 1 Gideon's army: the study of individual differences
- Part I The surface
- Part II Below the surface 1: the biological line
- Part III Below the surface 2: the phenomenal line
- 6 Tumbleweed or boulder? The phenomenal approach to personality
- 7 I didn't get where I am today by reading stuff like this: explaining personality by the self-concept
- Part IV Below the surface 3: the motivational line
- Part V Examples
- References
- Author index
- Subject index
- References
7 - I didn't get where I am today by reading stuff like this: explaining personality by the self-concept
from Part III - Below the surface 2: the phenomenal line
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2013
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- List of Boxes
- Preface to the third edition
- Preface to the second edition
- Preface to the first edition
- 1 Gideon's army: the study of individual differences
- Part I The surface
- Part II Below the surface 1: the biological line
- Part III Below the surface 2: the phenomenal line
- 6 Tumbleweed or boulder? The phenomenal approach to personality
- 7 I didn't get where I am today by reading stuff like this: explaining personality by the self-concept
- Part IV Below the surface 3: the motivational line
- Part V Examples
- References
- Author index
- Subject index
- References
Summary
C. J. knows dozens of ways in which he didn't get where he is today: by not knowing a real winner when he sees one, by waffling, by not knowing how to handle people, by having anonymous letters put through his letter box, by wearing underpants decorated with pictures of Beethoven. C. J. is a fictional character, invented by David Nobbs. C. J. is the over-bearing, pompous Managing Director of Sunshine Desserts, and boss of Reginald Perrin, from the BBC TV comedy series ‘The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin’. C. J. has a very well-defined self-concept; he knows exactly who he is, how he got there, and where he's going.
Humans have two gifts animals lack: one is language, the other is self-awareness. So far as anyone can tell, rats, dogs, or even monkeys do not stop to think ‘is this really me?’ before running down a maze, barking at an intruder, or mounting a receptive female. Humans, after the age of two or so start to have some idea of who they are and how they want others to see them. The self-concept affords the personality theorist a possible way of explaining behaviour. Personality is not an elusive set of traits or factors, nor a vast bundle of habits, nor the ever-shifting phenomenal field; it is, rather, how the person sees him/herself. Discover that the meek bank clerk really sees himself as James Bond, and you achieve understanding of his actions. Realise that the aggressive telephonist is trying to project the same image as Bette Midler and you can predict her reactions.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Levels of Personality , pp. 175 - 202Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012
References
et al. (2003) sound a cautious note about the value of high self-esteem.
et al. (2006) describe research on self-regulation and how to develop it.
and (1975) describe Cattell's self-sentiment, and how to assess it.
et al. (1995) describe the possible downside of high self-esteem.
(1967) classic research on correlates of self-esteem in a large US sample.
and (1985) suggest the link between self-esteem and racism may be positive, not negative as generally argued.
and (1998) present a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of various interventions intended to raise self-esteem.
et al. (2010) describe self-protection strategies people can employ to help maintain a positive self-image.
and (1996) describe Loevinger's model of ego development.
et al. (2002) describe the not thinking about white bears experiment on self-depletion.
et al. (2006) describe a programme to improve educational achievement in disadvantaged youth, based on alternative possible selves.
et al. (2009) describe research on the narrative self, and how it is related to the experiences one shares with others.
(1951) describes how the self develops, how development may go wrong, and how therapy can repair the damage.
et al. (2006) report a sophisticated analysis of self-esteem and academic achievement in West and East Germany.
et al. (2006) report a long-term follow-up linking self-esteem in adolescence with work, health, and anti-social behaviour at age 26.
(1964) (Chapter 7) describes his four-level model of the self.
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