Interpersonal Self

Student’s name

Institutional affiliation

The idea of self is unique to each person. What makes me who I am is not what makes defines another person.

The following traits are unique to my idea of self:

Female

African American

Plant lover

Nurse practitioner

Cat lover

Vegetarian

Christian

Environmentalist

Millennial

College student

The above groups tend to influence my ought self in numerous ways. My ought self is not much different from my ideal self. However, in some cases, I tend to deviate from my ideal self on specific aspects. Traits such as my gender and race have not influenced my ideal self in any way because these are traits about myself that I cannot change. Worth noting, for the larger part, I tend to conform to the rules and expectations of the specific groups that I belong. For instance, because I am a female, I dress according to the societal expectations of a girl’s dress code. I dress in skirts and dresses and look neat and polished at all times, as is expected of any girl. Additionally, I have always wanted to lead a healthy lifestyle, so I choose the vegetarian route. Being a vegetarian has not influenced my idea of self as this is something I always wanted for myself, which is why I remain dedicated to this journey for a long time. The same applies to the plant lover, cat lover, and environmentalist categories. These are things that I am passionate which is why they describe my true and ought self. The instance that I tend to deviate from my ideal self has to do with religion. Being brought up in a Christian home, I have always practiced Christianity, however, that is slowly beginning to change. Although I remain a believer, I no longer consistently practice religion. I do not attend church as often as I used to and am less involved in religious activities like tithing and attending service.

Being a member of the above-named groups has affected my idea of self-preservation in one way or another. For example, because I practice Christianity, there are certain boundaries that I cannot cross. For instance, actions like lying and stealing are prohibited in the Bible, so I try as much as possible to avoid indulging in such activities. While I come across friends engaging in such activities, I try not to judge them as it makes me a hypocrite knowing that I am not perfect.