Myself and My-Self / My-Selves

Understanding Myself and My-Self / My-Selves

This an intriguing area of human exploration. It affects us all. This is a modest effort to document my understanding.

Our self is that part of us which thinks and feels, evaluates and assesses, considers and concludes our own value, worth, dignity and esteem. It thus generates a view and a self-concept that is empowering and motivating on the one hand or deficient and lacking on the other hand or de-motivating on the still another hand.

We have ten principal aspects of personality which structure our thinking and feeling in generating our perceptions, evaluations, assessments, conclusions, decisions, judgements, activities and actions. These may be done by us on purpose or occur awarely or unawarely in a programmed or habitual manner. They are listed in the note at the end.

There are two aspects of this self. The 'I' that sees, feels, experiences itself or other selfs (living, non-living, conceptual, thoughts, ideas, evaluations, constructs, occurrences, behaviours, processes etcetera) - the subjective self and the 'I' that possesses; interacts; deals with people, events, incidents; and lastly the externalised subjective 'I'. This other 'I' is called 'me'. 

Then there is of course the Pure Self. This Pure Self is the aspect of the universal of which each one of us, every other living entity, non living matter and object is also an aspect much like a drops of water which together form water bodies as an ocean, sea, river, lake, tank, or for that matter what we hold in a glass or carry around in our body.

Ten Principal Aspects of Personality

1. Value, worth, dignity and esteem upholding authoritative, controlling self.
2. Value, worth, dignity and esteem denying aggressive, persecuting self.
3. Value, worth, dignity and esteem upholding helpful, assisting nurturing self.
4. Value, worth, dignity and esteem denying rescuing self.
5. Age appropriate, reality driven and orienting situation ending, problem solving sane, objective self.
6. Little bothered, free of restraint, free flowing urges, impulses, drives driven self.
7. Child-like creative, innovative, out of the box thinking, magical thinking unencumbered self.
8. Child-like adapting but rebellious non complying, rules breaking self.
9. Child-like adapting compliant, complying, extra courteous, pleasing self.
10. A deep hidden aspect that sort of pulls the sheet from our feet, so to say, and nullifies a well done task, job, activity, piece of art, a tasty dish or a dress - aptly called the demon. It also from nowhere releases a slip of tongue, causes momentary withdrawal of attention from an ongoing activity, or triggers a self harming, impulsive act.

Aspects of the Me Self

1. The Material Self - This believes it owns and possesses. It includes all things that belong to us. Our body, whatever we own, our associations and whatever we hold dear including our thoughts, feelings, memories and experiences.
2. The Social Self - Who we are in a given social situation. We change with time, place, position, role, purpose etc.
3. The Spiritual Self - The Self with a Conscience that experiences right and wrong, guilt etc.
4. Pure Self - This Pure Self provides continuity of existence through past, present and future.