Self-Identity Management

 

Newton’s Definition of Otherness

Newton defines otherness as the formation of an identity where an individual perceives himself or herself as different from others in regard to biological features or socially-constructed groups such as race. In furtherance, otherness excludes someone’s sense of belonging because of the perceived differences from peers. Newton delineates how being different from community members defined her Self. As a black child attending all-white academic institutions, she perceived that her history, hair, and skin color were not right (Newton 00:03:55). Otherness makes someone lose his or her sense of ideal Self. Individuals can focus on the biological characteristics, including geographic, political, and cultural histories, which can make them fit into the social identities such as ethnicity. In this light, some people see their Selves as different from those of others based on group-based identities.

Meaning of Losing Oneself

Losing oneself involves embracing oneness, a concept that centers on discarding the otherness. As such, individuals stop defining their Selves based on the characteristics that make them different from others. Losing oneself requires a flexible Self-hood where someone does not stick to the original identity that embraces otherness. For instance, Newton lost her pervasive, dysfunctional identity and demonstrated “another Self” when she was dancing (Newton 00:05:08). The activity allowed her to portray a unique expression of her identity. Therefore, individuals should change their earlier perceptions of Self, which are based on the feelings of being different, and connect with others.      

Reflection on My Self-Perception

I have multiple Selves that I portray to the world. The Self presents what someone thinks or feels about himself or herself as an object (Carter and Bruene 5). First, I define myself as a disciplined individual who is willing to obey rules without supervision. I control myself and demonstrate consistent behavior even when no one is supervising me. Culture and family upbringings have played a crucial role in influencing the current identity. My parents instilled the belief in transcendence and fear of God in me since when I was a young person. Second, I see myself as a self-reliant individual because I strive to make life decisions independently. For instance, I strive to overcome several stressors involving work and relationships without consulting formal forms of support. Social institutions such as schools contributed to the development of the current identity. Instructors addressed the importance of being an intelligent person who spoke his or her mind. Due to the influence, I have been striving to solve many problems in my life with little direct support from other individuals. Third, I see myself as an empathic person. I participate in different types of charity works that help individuals facing different adversities such as natural disasters. For instance, I have donated blood in the past because of my passion to save people’s lives. Multiple environmental factors such as family morals, religion, and events have shaped my empathy identity. One of the life events involved observing a fatal accident in my childhood. An objective observer is highly likely to agree with my identity. I have demonstrated consistency in my portrayal of the behaviors to individuals around me.          

What the Textbook Says Regarding Identity Management and Perception

The text highlights many concepts that can explain my identity management. First, the cultural environment plays a crucial role in shaping one’s self-concept (Adler et al. 40). The current concept explains how religion and parents have influenced my discipline. The belief in God enhances my control in the workplace and other settings. Second, all individuals experience perception biases such as selecting the details to attend to when describing others (Adler et al. 43). In this light, you cannot find an objective observer since every person experiences a particular set of perception errors.

 

 

Works Cited

Adler, Ronald B., et al. Understanding Human Communication. Oxford University Press, 2017.

Carter, Michael J., and Sara Bruene. "Examining the Relationship Between Self-Perceptions of Person, Role, and Social Identity Change and Self-Concept Clarity." Imagination, Cognition and Personality, vol. 38, no. 4, 2019, pp. 1-27.

Newton, Thandie. “Embracing Otherness, Embracing Myself.” TED Talks, July 2011, www.ted.com/talks/thandie_newton_embracing_otherness_embracing_myself?language=en. Accessed 05 Feb. 2021.