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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Anything again
« Last post by Dirty Hippy on Today at 12:35:39 PM »- adult children of immature parents starts to get new age at the point it talks about the real true self
AI summary:
The actual research breaks down into two main conclusions:
The True Self is a Cognitive Illusion: Empirical research confirms that the concept of a hidden, objective "true self" is a psychological fiction rather than a measurable biological or neurological entity. Data shows the "true self" is actually a cognitive shortcut—a belief system people use to make sense of social identity, rather than an underlying factual structure.
The "Goodness" Bias: Studies by researchers like Nina Strohminger and colleagues demonstrate that people only claim to see a "true self" when a person's behavior changes for the better. When a person acts negatively or destructively, observers attribute it to external factors or a "surface self"; when they act positively, it is labeled as their "essence". This reveals the true self concept is simply a moral projection used by the brain to track cooperative social partners, not an objective reality.
Greater Good Science Center - University of California, Berkeley
Origin of the Theory: The distinction between a "true self" and a "false self" originated with mid-20th-century psychoanalysts, primarily Donald Winnicott. Winnicott did not define the true self as a mystical entity, but rather as a child's spontaneous, unconditioned physical and emotional reactions. The "false self" develops purely as a defensive, highly compliant survival strategy to appease erratic, emotionally unavailable, or demanding parents.
Psychological Scales & Instruments Database
The Modern Scientific View (Cognitive Load): Modern cognitive science reframes this dynamic away from hidden essences and views it through the lens of cognitive expenditure:
Role Self (High Load): A state of high mental exhaustion where you are actively monitoring, filtering, and performing to maintain safety or manage impressions in an unstable environment.
True Self (Low Load): A state of low friction that occurs simply when an individual feels safe enough to drop the defensive performance and stop actively managing their environment.
References:
Strohminger, N., Knobe, J., & Newman, G. (2017). The True Self: A Psychological Concept Distinct From the Self. Perspectives on Psychological Science.
Strohminger, N., & Nichols, S. (2014). The Essential Moral Self. Cognition.
Winnicott, D. W. (1960). Ego Distortion in Terms of True and False Self. The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment.