Understanding Personal Identity and Development
The Search for Personal Identity
I am he who has three dimensions:
- Cognitive (knowledge)
- Affective (feelings)
- Social (relationship with others)
Freud said that everything was derived from the psychosexual level of the individual; if this works well, a correct identity is established. E. Erikson says that what happens to the adolescent in crisis is that tenderness is felt in response to stimuli, and before this crisis, there is a new identity, making these poles equilibria.
Self-esteem is the way we look at ourselves through the internal mirror of how we see ourselves.
To acquire a personal identity:
- Internalization of masculinity/femininity.
- Social decision.
- Acquisition of own values and ideology.
- Overcoming the child/adult contradiction.
Personal Development
Cognitive ability (Piaget), moral and emotional capacity (Kohlberg), social skills (Gardner). In our poor development of these capacities are irrational ideas or beliefs (constructions of reality, but we believe are true).
Cognitive Development (Piaget)
Child development:
- Ability to implement abstract formal operations.
- Openness to the world of hypothetical reasoning.
- Logical thinking.
- Possibility of deductive reasoning.
- Egocentric thinking.
Social Skills
In terms of behavior in interpersonal contexts, express feelings, desires, and expressions of respect to others. The characteristics are that they are learned from direct experience or instruction; its components are cognitive, physiological, or emotional, and some variables (specific answers to specific situations).
Types of behavior:
- Passive (difficulty expressing feelings, no self-confidence, self-defeating, avoid eye contact, speak haltingly, low voice volume, and tense or nervous body posture).
- Aggressive (express feelings through force, trying to dominate the environment, lowering others’ desires).
- Assertive (express feelings without overwhelming and without manipulation, respects, verbal and gestural harmonic language, express criticism constructively).
Interpersonal Attraction
It is a judgment we make about another person. Factors include:
- Proximity
- Physical appearance
- Similarity
- Reciprocity
- Affection
- Intelligence
- Sense of humor
- Ability to express feelings
- Social skills
Love
Love is an intense emotion characteristic of human beings. Its most characteristic example is infatuation (the process of enchantment, desire for exclusivity, great enthusiasm and great suffering, desire for emotional and sexual intimacy, and commitment).
The Theory of Love by Robert Stenberg, with the experience of love, says that if the pyramid of passion, intimacy, and commitment is met, it is complete love. If passion is just crazy infatuation or love, if there is only commitment without bond and love without sex, it is empty. The intimacy that comes through proximity, they share bonds of friendship, very fluid understanding, a relationship that recognizes the other person; without further complicity, it is a close love. Romantic relationships are those that have a number of positive feelings for the partner. We have a number of differences that unite them. In a relationship of complicity, create a territory and security. We must maintain individuality creatively. Try to maintain a smooth relationship, but beware of rancor.