Relationship Between Self-Perception and Self-Actualization

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   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   Of course, everyone has heard of the self-fulfilling prophecy which how one perceives himself/herself, he/she eventually becomes.   In other words, what one thinks about, one eventually becomes.    This is not only theory but good old common horse sense.    Research and studies have continuously substantiated that highly successful people always had positive images of themselves in addition to actually visualizing that they WILL succeed in their chosen area.     Conversely, many people who are failures believed from the beginning that they were undeserving of success and they were failures and incapable.   
   
   This thinking does not only apply to the career and success arena.   This thinking applies to many areas of life.    For example, if a person believes that when he/she becomes old, he/she will be incapacitated and senile,  chances are he/she will become that.     One thinking and attitude does influence one's life outcome.     That is why the most important component to success and happiness in other areas of life is to have positive visualization about oneself.   That coupled with positive strategizing and smart work.    Do you agree with this premise?

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   1. 76

      Shadesbreathposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with the premise, but I think it's too abstract for a lot of people to do anything with. Many people who fall into the group who see themselves undeserving, cannot simply summon a rosy image and go get it. It's not tangible enough, and for so many, they have no examples that are accessible in a real, constant, and meaningful way. Someone who comes from a background of low expectation, who grew up in that environment, knows nothing else. They have no way to conceive a world that is different than the one they know. There is only "one" reality for them. Some successful person trotting in saying, "Hey, just visualize, make a plan, and execute," isn't going to cut it.
      
      They need to be taught how to visualize rather than simply dream, then they need to be shown how to make a plan (how to eat the elephant, so to speak), shown how to track progress, how to overcome setbacks, and, ultimately, how to achieve goals.  This has to be done on a small scale first. You can't just take someone from a horrific environment and say, "Here, here's a plan for getting through college!" You have to do something more like, "Here's a plan for reading this one novel all the way through," or "Here's a plan for how to save $1000." They have to be shown how to succeed in increments that seem possible and that yield results in a time frame in keeping with the patience they can reasonably be expected to have, given that you are challenging their understanding of how the universe works based on their actual experience with it.

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      1. 84

         gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         + a multillion times!

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   2. 67

      ptosisposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think you're argument is a logical fallacy?
      
      
      
      Ummm, but not 100% either or - yes?
      
      
      No, not really. Sociopaths might have a really great feeling of self-worth - but I don't consider them 'successful' as a human being.  Really beautiful women think they are ugly.
      
      http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1 … _3#preview
      Impostor Phenomenon A person suffering from the Imposter Phenomenon believes that even though they are successful they believe that their accomplishments were the result of luck or some external circumstance
      
      
      
      
      http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/05/scien … amp;src=pm
      
      "'For most teachers, self-esteem is a theory they invent to cover the fact that they have low expectations for kids,'' Professor Elmore said. By contrast, he said, the premise of an experimental program in District 2, which includes much of Manhattan's poor Lower East Side, is to train teachers to ''accept no excuses'' and to expect the same level of achievement that would be required of any middle-class student"
      
      If talking about Self-Esteem and Career Success  - then I agree because that's competitive office politics.

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2. 83

   Jewelsposted 11 years ago

   This thread led me back to recent articles on this topic. 1.  How fake smiling makes you miserable.  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/scie … rable.html
   
   and 2. The Positive Power of Negative Thinking. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/opini … .html?_r=3
   
   I know of many people who have been trying to fake it until they make it, only to not make it at all.  In the process creating a mask of happiness covering miserableness.
   
   It's also disturbing that a person can only see positive self perception when they are successful in a career, earn heaps of cash, own big homes and the latest car, and look like a super model.  Does society judge a person as unsuccessful if they have not attained those goals?  Our yard stick on which we measure success is skewed to begin with and of course this has a negative impact on people from the outset.
   
   Tabloid media barrages people with the model of a successful person.  It's fake.  So I do wonder if these positive affirmation/visualization techniques keep creating false people?

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   1. 85

      Lee Teaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Jewels - there are many articles written on the benefits of faking a smile. Here's one, although I don't believe it to be the best out there: http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongb … iling.htm.  I fake a smile in my promotional modeling work, and know that it helps make me a living. Just FYI, not advocating.  I agree with your other points, and those of ShadesBreath. It's not enough to hear about the tool...you must be taught how to use it for it to be effective, and set a goal to reach to know when you've reached it.  But an interesting thread gmwilliams, and great food for thought this evening.  Thanks for writing!

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      1. 83

         Jewelsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Of course there is smiling to make a living, then there is the genuine heartfelt smile.  The later is what makes you feel young.
         
         I often wonder how damaging it is for telemarketers and customer service personnel to continually smile and talk positively when in fact they hate their jobs and don't give a hoot about the products they are selling.

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   2. 95

      Melissa A Smithposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      +1!

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3. 67

   ptosisposted 11 years ago

   I am Happy! I tell you! H-A-P-P-Y !!!!
   
   
   HAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYY!
   
   

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   1. 95

      Melissa A Smithposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Lol

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