William James came up with a theory of self that is considered modern, if not post-modern. The Chapter X of “The Consciousness of Self,” James explains how self-treating is of great significance in its native complexity. The chapter unfolds by discussing the most common empirical sense of self. He begins on a radical note where he contextualizes the self to be more than subjectivity: “In its broadest possible sense, however, a man’s self is the total of all that he can call him, not only his body and his psychic powers, but his clothes and his house, his wife and children, his ancestors and friends, his reputation and works, his lands and horses, and yacht and bank account. All these things give him the same emotions and if they wax and prosper, he feels triumphant; if they dwindle and die away, he feels cast down—not necessarily in the same degree for each thing, but in much the same way for all. (pg. 291-292). Everything that belongs to a man makes him be connected to the property owned and if lost one is affected psychologically.
An investigation of self was necessary for understanding its constituents, which would help appreciate the full complexity of self-hood. As a scientist and psychologist, he simplified the concept of self into a more reasonable and understandable phenomenon. According to him, the self is incomplete and not the base from which all else rebounds. The components that make it include the material self, the social self, the spiritual self, and the pure ego.
The material self is not just the body but the dearest possessions of man and relatives. The family one belongs to is a component of self; hence, the death of a family member makes one feel as if they have lost a part of themselves, hence making one mourn due to the loneliness feeling. The property and wealth contribute too to one’s material self as lifelong endeavors do. Loss of property such as land would affect someone significantly if a lot had been invested in the lost item. James mentions: “There are few men who would not feel personally annihilated if a lifelong construction of their hands or brains-say an entomological collection or an extensive work in manuscript-were suddenly swept away.” (Pg 294). Psychological ownership is what makes one value the people, places, and all other things that he owns. James expounded the study of self to include the nonphysical aspects of the person due to his belief that the self was a fluid that encompassed more than just our physical bodies.
There is a very close connection between the self and possession, and this is evidenced when people mention what they own when told to describe themselves. Treating possession as part of life is a lifelong thing, perhaps explaining why there is always difficulty discarding old possessions that are no longer useful, such as old clothes that were once treasured. The reason behind this is that possessions serve as a symbolic function helping people to define themselves. Whether rich or poor, people are judged by the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, and even the place they go to work.
Equal with the material self is the social self, where James describes man as a social being, recognizing this idea that is rarely appreciated. Complete ostracisation from one’s fellows would be the worst punishment for a thought experiment by James. He says that it is more of a condemnation when one loses nature as being for others. “Properly speaking, a man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him and carry an image of him in their mind.”(pg. 293). The social selves may vary as one’s self in a particular context may differ from that in another milieu. James explored the idea of honor in this psychology text, where he said honor defined a man among his peers and sustained a code of conduct that accords with his position and duties. Honor may explore a set of behaviors that vary, unexpected to some groups but necessary to others: “Thus a layman may abandon a city infected with cholera, but a priest or a doctor would think such an act incompatible with his honor.”( pg 295). The social self brings out different roles to different groups making one hide some characteristics to certain group.
Research on the relational self reveals that we are different people in different categories of relationships. These differences might be minor and unimportant but other times considerable and consequential. A youth who acts mature before his parents and teachers swear and swaggers like a pirate among his fellow ‘tough’ young friends (Francesco et al., 2022). The way we show ourselves before our children is not how we will do before our club companions. The relationship between our customers and the laborers we employ is not the same, and the same applies to our masters and employers as to our intimate friends. “From this, there results what practically is a division of the man into several selves; and this may be a discordant splitting, as where one is afraid to let one set of acquaintances know him as he is elsewhere; or it may be a perfectly harmonious division of labor, as where one tender to his children is stern to the soldiers or prisoners under his command.” (p. 294). The different version of same person makes him or her not to be predictable especially when in a meeting composed of the various groups.
Before my high schoolmate, I will dress casually and talk to him in vulgar language. I will be free to go to the club with him. When in the company of my parents and my pastor, I will be very composed and act maturely so that they may perceive me to be a perfect kid who respects the elders. I will be mindful of the language I use while responding to them and my dress code before their presence.
The last category is the spiritual self, inclusive of our inner self or our psychological self. It entails our self-perceived abilities, attitude and emotions. “By the spiritual self… I mean a man’s inner or subjective being, his psychic faculties or dispositions…. These psychic dispositions are the most enduring and intimate part of the self, which we most certainly seem to be. We take a purer self-satisfaction when we think of our ability to argue and discriminate, our moral sensibility and conscience, and our indomitable will than when we survey any of our other possessions.” (p. 296). Our abilities and traits make one to be easily noticed and confidence is realized if we have the best traits in a group we belong to.
James’s close connection between our possessions and our emotions, attitudes, and beliefs is worth noting. A person’s belief is noted from the period of acquisition of the belief to the time it is lost. Things like “I inherited a view” or “I can’t buy that!” mark one’s belief or trust in something. A strong belief in a given thing makes one interested in it. Speaking of people who have abandoned their convictions or disowned an earlier position implies that possessions and attitudes are highly connected: they are both owned by the self. There is the creation of interpersonal difficulties when opinions are treated as possessions. When disagreement occurs between two people, they usually act as if they are being attacked instead of appreciating that different people have different perspectives. The perception leads them to become belligerent and uncompromising hence calling upon Mediators who often are needed to bring solutions, in part, because they are not invested in holding one view or the other.
According to Viktor Frankl, having meaning in one’s life is very important and makes one live a purposeful life. Life is made meaningful in work when doing something significant, which adds value to oneself and the whole organization. Caring for one another makes a meaningful life since there is one to show you love and care when faced with tribulation. The trials and tribulations can be caused when facing an uncertain future leading to negative thoughts since it may be difficult to see opportunities. This, in return, brings forth emotions that cause suffering. I am grateful to see someone faced with a problem handling it with the responsibility to get the cause of the problem and find the correct answers to finish it.
In conclusion, the self-concept’s nature has been subdivided into three categories: the material self, which includes our bodies and the extended selves; the social self, which explains the roles we have in social life, and how others regard and recognize us. The spiritual self describes the inner or the psychological self, such as the ideas about our traits and abilities and the, values and habits. Viktor Frankl’s discussion about having meaningful life has been explained where one is supposed to have purpose by setting goals and objectives for his life. In addition, it should be known that when one is faced with challenges, a solution should be sought immediately to overcome the trials and tribulations of life.
Reference
Francesco, M., Marraffa, M., & Paternoster, A. (2022). A self suitably embodied: William James and 4E cognition. In The Jamesian Mind (pp. 493-507). Routledge.