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Your self-concept is made
up of two different things:
- How you see yourself: your talents,
abilities, weaknesses, strengths, opportunities, mind,
body, and what you have to offer.
- How you perceive others see you: what
you think others think about you, and what you
think they think about your talents, abilities,
weaknesses, strengths, etc.
A negative perception of yourself or how
you assume others perceive you will result in a negative
self-concept. We each see life through a filter: a
unique perception of reality based on our own experiences,
culture, emotions, personality, knowledge, socioeconomic
status, etc. So in essence, there is no reality .
. . only perception. Heredity, intelligence, education,
wealth, social standing, or luck does not control self-esteem.
Ultimately, we will believe what we determine to be the
truth about ourselves (regardless what anyone else says).
At the same time, we are influenced heavily
by those around us. You wouldn't believe a lie if
you knew you were being told one, right? That doesn't
make sense. However, there are many myths about ourselves
that we seem to latch onto and believe. Why do we
believe them? Quite possibly, we may not necessarily
realize they are lies. They are just ways of thinking
that we are used to, or no one has told us any differently.
You see, these lies get fed to you from the media, friends,
family, etc. until you start believing them. Then
you will continue to feed them to yourself, and what you
feed yourself is what will nourish you. If you have
an unhealthy diet of thoughts, you will develop a negative
self-image. The way you think directly affects your
behavior. Every action begins as a seed of thought.
By thinking about things that are true, noble, right, pure,
lovely, admirable, or excellent, you affect not just your
thoughts, but your feelings and actions. This isn't
just the power of positive thinking: there is much significance
to the way we think!
SELF-CONCEPT MYTHS...
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