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Self identification definition. Healthy self-identity and meaningfulness, vocation and work. See what "Self-identification" is in other dictionaries

Model of personality self-identification levels

M. A. Shcherbakov

The problem of personal identity has traditionally occupied the minds of leading representatives of a number of psychological schools. Self-identification is closely connected with the attitude of the person, with behavior in society and, accordingly, with the problems of personal development and relationships.

On the other hand, self-identification is closely connected with social stereotypes - this is a kind of bridge between personal and social psychology, between individual and social.

In a cluster model of consciousness, each cluster is a kind of antenna that works both “for receiving” and for transmitting. ” This feature allows us to consider a kind of macro-social resonances of certain structures of consciousness. Thus, taking the basic model and ideology of KTI as a basis, we can offer a completely new approach to the study of personal identity. This approach is all the more interesting because it allows you to include in the general integrated model both “surface” social interactions and deep levels of consciousness.

Basic concepts

Identification - likening, identification with someone, something (Psychological Dictionary).

By self-identification (SI) we mean precisely identifying myself with a certain social group, image, archetype, etc. For example, I am an engineer; I am a father; I am a man, etc.

Self-identification is closely related to morality. One of the most significant motivations for fulfilling moral standards or complying with obligations assumed is precisely the preservation of one's identification status. The word of an officer, the word of a nobleman, honest merchant. “So decent women do not behave”, “are you a man or who?” - examples of such situations. If I do not do this, then I am not a real officer (nobleman, merchant, woman, man ...), others will not treat me as a real officer (merchant, woman ...), and I myself will not feel confident enough in this quality.

It is interesting in this connection to ask questions: “Why do we violate honest pioneering and other equally honest words with such regularity?”, “How can I prevent my colleagues, employees, family members from doing this myself?” More about this later.

Several definitions

Any direct statement directly defining self-identification will be called positive identification. For example: “I am an engineer”; "I am Russian".

Any direct denial of such an identification is a negative identification. For example: “I am not a worker”; "I am not russian"; "I'm not a girl"; “I am not your boy.”

An assertion that is declared as direct, but in such a way that it implies negative, is called an inverse identification: “I am an engineer” (maybe a technician or a scientist or a boss, it’s not so important, the main thing is that it’s not a worker or a person of physical labor); “I am Russian” (maybe a little Tatar, but definitely not a Jew or a Caucasian), etc.

Levels of self-identification

Based on the cluster model of consciousness,, we introduce a model of levels of self-identification. As will be clear below, the seven levels of SI (Fig. 1) are directly related to the structure of consciousness.

The social and professional level is determined by statements like: I am an engineer; I am a professor; I'm rich; I am a respected citizen, etc. Moreover, by such identification we mean everything that a person consciously or unconsciously puts into this declaration. Let us once again draw attention to the fact that part of the statements related to SI may lie in the unconscious sphere.

For example, I am a professor (this statement clearly implies that I teach that I am more important than an assistant or a simple teacher, that I have a certain status in my environment and can count on the appropriate attitude and privileges. This may implicitly mean that I count on respect from neighbors, relatives and family, that I am counting on a certain standard of living, worthy of a professor, that I am counting on certain social privileges, etc.)

The family-clan level is determined by statements like: I am the mother; I am a daughter; I am an uncle; I am kunak; I am a member of the family (clan, teip, tribe, etc.).

National-territorial level: I am Russian; I am a Muscovite; I am a Moldavian, etc.

Note that at this level of SI necessarily contains several statements that are embedded in one another like a nesting doll. I live in the village of Big Spoons; I am Ryazan; I am Russian; I'm Russian; I am European.

For a resident of a neighboring village, the first statement (possibly with clarification - Lower Spoons or Upper Spoons) will be important, for an American it is in any case Russian (as well as Moldavian, Belarusian or Chukchi), for a Latin American or African - European.

Religious and ideological: I am Orthodox; I'm muslim; I am a communist; I'm an atheist; I am a Jew; I am a fundamentalist; I am a democrat; I am a pacifist, etc.

This level of identification determines the attitude to any religious or ideological group (for example, a church or party) and the associated value system. The identification “I am Orthodox” does not necessarily imply the fulfillment of the ten commandments; perhaps this statement is made by a professional racketeer. For some people, this will mean - I sometimes attend church, I am baptized in a certain way, I wear a certain type of cross, an icon is strengthened in my car, etc. At this level, we often see inverse identification. I am Orthodox - I don’t know very well what it is, but I’m definitely not a Catholic, not a Jew, not a Muslim or a sectarian, and although I also have a poor idea of \u200b\u200bwho they are, I hate them.

Evolutionary species. I am human. This identification seems rather banal, but looking a little deeper, we will find very interesting shades. Evolutionary-species identification is closely connected with archetypes and “evolutionary memory”. In primitive cultures, this creates direct SI statements related to religious and family-clan levels: I am an eagle; I am a lion; I am a wolf, etc. In Western culture, such associative connections rarely come to the surface, however, in some situations and states of consciousness, they also play a role (see Lyrical digression 1).

It should be noted that the declaration “I am human” itself carries a much greater semantic load than simply belonging to a biological species. For different people, being a Man does not mean exactly the same thing. Remember: “Barankin, be a man!” And what is really meant here? Be ... who exactly? And who is Barankin now for the speaker? What does the adjective “human” mean to you? Calling a person an animal, the speaker, as it were, subconsciously calls into question his evolutionary-species identification, and although, it would seem, there are no grounds for doubt, the called person experiences resentment and anxiety.

Usually, names of various “unclean” animals are mentioned when calling names — a pig, a jackal lousy, etc., however, I recently attended a heated discussion of two car mechanics, in which a curse “dolphin” was heard. And it is interesting that the opponent did not like this characteristic very much.

In another situation, the boatswain of the research vessel constantly scolded the sailor with a complex four-story mat. Finally, the sailor was asked: “Edik, how do you endure all this! Aren't you upset? ” - “No, if he would call me, say, a goat ...”

Perhaps the names common in certain circles (“goat”, “rooster”) are precisely an attempt to violate the evolutionary-species identification layer or to declare that such a violation has already occurred and the nickname carrier is already “not quite human” (Note that in primitive communities, the a member of the crocodile clan also considers himself not quite a man, but in many ways a crocodile.)

Gender level of identification: I am a man; I am a woman.

These statements contain a lot of shades, from purely everyday: I am a woman, so I cook dinner, wash and darn, to very deep archetypal levels of Anima and Animus. Try to say out loud: “I am a man” or “I am a woman” and feel that it responds inside.

Sexual identification is one of the deepest levels, and its study can provide extremely valuable information about the unconscious component of the personality. The study of sexual identification is largely devoted to psychoanalysis (especially the work of Freud).

But if Freud stops at this SI level, then we will go even deeper - to the next level.

Spiritual level: I - ... This level can hardly be defined by a direct verbal statement. The closest (albeit rather clumsy) statement: I feel God or I am in a certain connection with God.

However, we emphasize once again that this level cannot be determined verbally - this is the complex of sensations, worldview and the value system directly related to them that determines our relationship with God (universal mind, light, the idea of \u200b\u200bspirituality - verbal definitions are not important). Note that we are talking about a system of values \u200b\u200bassociated with personal spiritual experience, and not with the system of values \u200b\u200boffered by the church, community or social group. In some cases, both of these value systems are closely intertwined, that is, this particular religious or other practice allows you to get personal spiritual experience (According to the classification of the work, this situation is a “step”, otherwise the religious-ideological level becomes a “wall” and prevents the spiritual and personal development). In such cases, there is a kind of resonance between a part of the religious-ideological level and the spiritual level (In the cluster model of consciousness, such resonances are explained by quantum-mechanical tunnel effects), this connection is shown by the arrow in Fig. 1.

A few important notes about the structure of SI levels

The deeper the level, the “less verbal” its components become. This is especially true for levels below the energy barrier (gap in Fig. 1). Many aspects of the levels of gender and species identification are outside the realm of logical reasoning and verbal descriptions. Spiritual non-verbalism has already been discussed.

The boundaries of all levels are very blurred, there are areas almost equally determined by two neighboring levels.

SI levels form a single holographic picture. No level is strictly limited to certain limits. Rectangles in fig. 1 make sense of those zones where the influence of this particular SI is greatest. This is, as it were, a cut of several wave functions (Fig. 2). In other words, in the area of \u200b\u200bSI, which is determined by the influence of the family-clan level, the influence of adjacent levels is quite pronounced: social, professional and national-territorial, but also of all other levels, and the weaker the farther the level.

The higher the level, the more it is exposed to environmental conditions and the faster it reacts to their change.

The higher the level, the stronger and more direct its impact on human behavior and its relationships with others.

The upper levels lying above the energy barrier to a greater extent describe the self-identification of a person in the context of social interactions. Deep levels are more related to internal interactions and relationships with environmental energy (not social).

The higher the level, the more selected, relatively divided areas in it, the more fragmented its structure (Fig. 3). The deepest spiritual level has no separation. The upper socio-professional level has many relatively separate sublevels.

A specific person’s access to a given SI level may vary. In the future, we will say that in this SI level “contains more energy”. For a peasant or artisan in a strictly hierarchical society (for example, Russia of the 17th-19th centuries), most of the energy will be in the first three levels. Moreover, the family-clan and religious levels will be relatively large. For many peoples of the East, the most important role is played by the family-clan level, which is rather weakly expressed in many modern Americans (the latter have much more energy at the socio-professional level).

The relative height of the rectangles in Fig. 1 does not carry any semantic load.

Finally, why is the structure of SI levels chosen in such a way? As already noted, this structure is built on the basis of a cluster model of consciousness. Each layer of consciousness (Fig. 4) and each cluster in it is, as it were, an antenna that works both in reception and transmission. That is, certain structures of consciousness, resonating with similar structures of other people, form a kind of base frequency with its own internal structure.

Of course, each individual is characterized by certain unique features of the structure of SI, but in general, due to these circumstances, one can trace general patterns. This article is devoted to the search for such patterns related to social interactions.

What happens if the structure of self-identification at one of the levels has undergone certain violations? How can this model be used to work with specific personal and social problems?

PAGE_BREAK-- Spikes and roses of identity crisis

Recently, it has become fashionable to talk about a “spiritual crisis” in Russia and the need for a “revival of spirituality”. But can what is happening now in Russia be called a spiritual crisis?

The concept of “crisis” at the household level implies that some time ago the situation was much better. Can it be argued that, say, in 1935 or 1985, society was much more committed to spiritual values \u200b\u200band more interested in spiritual pursuits? Very doubtful. Calls to return to the spiritual and religious values \u200b\u200bof the turn of the century seem even stranger and more ridiculous. The revolution of 1917 and an extremely brutal civil war convincingly showed that it was at the beginning of the century that Russia experienced a really deep spiritual crisis, which led to these events.

The socio-psychological situation in which millions of citizens of the former USSR are now, in our opinion, can be described as a crisis of self-identification.

In the event of destruction or sharp deformation of one of the layers (most often as a result of external circumstances, i.e., renewable energy), the system goes into a state of crisis and the need for adjustment.

It is important to note that the levels of self-identification can be considered as global screens in terminology (in a particular case, these can be “wall-screens” and “step-screens”) and, therefore, all the basic models of interaction with crises described in. In other words, a person can:

Suppress a problem using mind-altering drugs.

Build new screens in the same area, that is, pretend that nothing happened and try to live in accordance with the old models, slightly adapting them to the changing situation.

“Dissolve” the boundaries of the SI layers and merge them into a more harmonious structure.

Transfer most of the energy to another SI level.

The first method is widely used at the social level to maintain the stability of the SI structure, i.e., the widespread consumption of alcohol or sedative drugs in society preserves the existing structure of identifications and helps people not to change it, even if this structure is completely inorganic for them.

The second and third methods are discussed in and.

The fourth method is most interesting for our consideration. What happens if one of the SI levels collapses or changes dramatically?

This situation is typical for a society undergoing a major restructuring, for example, the CIS of the 90s.

As already noted, the socio-professional level, as being closest to the surface, contains a lot of energy and greatly affects human behavior. If this level is destroyed, the system goes into an unstable state.

Yesterday I was an engineer (researcher, officer, etc.), and this identification implied a number of familiar and stable relationships. Today I am unemployed or still a researcher, but already without a salary, without work, without the corresponding respect of others and without a sense of value of what I am doing.

What does a person do in this situation? As already noted, there are four options.

Starts to drink.

It is trying at all costs not to notice what is happening and to hide it from others, that is, in one way or another to preserve the old structure of SI. In Western countries, where social and professional identification is very strong, people who have lost their jobs often become deeply depressed, some continue to “go to work” in the morning so that the family and neighbors do not know anything. The second option is to find a scapegoat (government, colleagues, superiors) and scold him endlessly, without trying to really change your situation. The third option, the most constructive, but not always possible, is to try to urgently find exactly the same job with exactly the same social status. In all these cases, a person tries to stay within the framework of the existing SI model. If this is possible, it’s good, but during a period of economic crisis it is often completely unrealistic. Try in Russia to find a well-paid job in the specialty of an astronomer or theoretical physicist, even if it is a doctor of science, in the past a well-known, respected and wealthy person.

Changes the identification within the level, that is, changes the specialty.

Attempts to direct energy to a different level of identification.

Although I’m no longer a researcher, I’m, first of all, a mother (wife, father). Let me no longer be an assistant professor, but I am a Moldavian (Tatar, Ukrainian). I may not be an officer, but I am Orthodox (Jew, Muslim).

Thus, during the period of the collapse of familiar social and economic relations, emphasis can shift to other levels of SI.

In this case, it is easiest to direct energy precisely to levels close to destroyed (Fig. 1).

From this point of view, it is easy to explain the increased interest of a part of society in their national status. What a few years ago did not attract much attention suddenly became so important that national wars and an unrestrained “parade of sovereignty” began. Although it is obvious that both of them did not and could not bring any economic benefits, this practice has become very common.

The increased interest in religious associations, the “parade of church sovereignty” and various disputes on this basis, often moving to the level of fights and heated litigation, can also be explained from these positions.

Indeed, if a person is used to rigidly identifying himself as an engineer, a citizen of a Great Power, etc., and, accordingly, to measure his values, behavior, relationships with others, and now he can’t do this anymore, then the easiest way is to find new ones hard identification methods. The more rigidly defined the structure of SI, the easier it is to interact with it, since you do not need to think much and look for answers to life problems yourself.

The SI crisis automatically generates the collapse of moral values \u200b\u200bassociated with them. That is, if moral values \u200b\u200bare associated to a greater extent not with internal spiritual experience, but with appropriate identification, then an almost complete moral vacuum will come. Most likely, it will be quickly replaced by a new structure of self-identification.

This situation is typical for Russia in 1917 - 1920 and 1989 - 90s, and for Germany 1920-30s. If God (the bright image of Lenin - Stalin, the KGB, the party organization, the Great and terrible policeman, etc.) is no more, then everything is allowed.

In Russia, the new leaders quickly managed to reorient the SI of society by introducing seemingly ridiculous definitions of the type: “I am the proletarian”; “I am a Bolshevik” instead of “I am Orthodox.” After the war, a new SI crisis came, and the party had to add a national level: I am Russian (not a Jew and not cosmopolitan).

In Germany, it was possible to immediately reorient the identification to national-territorial. Let me no longer ... but I am a true German and therefore for some reason I am very interested in expanding the territory.

But can energy be directed into the sphere of sexual identity? Of course. Both in Russia and Germany in the corresponding periods, a violent sexual revolution took place. Aggression, as one of the aspects of sexual energy, also increases sharply, which leads either to an increase in violence within society, or is directed to the conduct of external wars.

Note that the war (no matter with an internal or external enemy) helps to increase the rigidity and stability of the SI, in any case, until it ends. During the war, the main identification of most people is: I - mine. Veterans of various wars often and in civilian life lack this simplicity and clarity of self-identification. In totalitarian or related states, wars have traditionally been used to create artificial statements of SI. Taking advantage of the weak awareness of the deep levels of SI (and not only deep), the leaders of such systems skillfully redefined SI: I am a man, therefore, I am brave, fearless, strong, therefore, I am a soldier without a shadow of doubt. I am Russian, therefore, I defeat persons ... of nationality and non-believers. I am a patriot, therefore, I am the enemy of all strangers.

It is in this way that you can attract volunteers to the Afghan or Chechen wars (to establish yourself as a man, defend the Russian nation, serve the homeland, etc.) or use simple recruits, but make sure that they fight with the utmost diligence and cruelty.

At the end of the great war, the SI crisis captures the whole of society, and the crisis occurs regardless of whether the country won the war or lost.

A veteran of a small war, as a rule, experiences a serious personality crisis of SI, the crisis is all the more severe because during the war its SI structure strongly diverged from the basic SI structure of most of society. In the treatment of such crises, the direction of energy to deeper levels, especially to the spiritual, can be successfully used.

A very special situation is associated with the ability to channel energy into the spiritual layer. This can manifest itself both as an interest in various esoteric and mystical teachings and as following the path of spiritual understanding of life.

In our opinion, such a path can be considered the most harmonious. If there is enough energy in the spiritual level of SI, a person does not experience anxiety and anxiety, his moral values \u200b\u200bdo not depend to such an extent on the current situation in society, and, most importantly, this largely removes the problem of self-identification, since internal awareness of himself and a person comes he can choose how to identify himself.

Thus, the SI crisis leads to stratification in society. Someone is deprived of their usual moral guidelines and goes into all the grave, someone replaces the old rigid norms with new, also rigid, but already different (some have national clans, others religious, others professional), and some something - becomes more holistic and spiritual.

The SI crisis is also associated with the restructuring of the internal structure of individual layers. How tough does a person identify themselves, for example, in the professional field? How consciously able to change it? How tough are his ideas about the roles of men and women in the family given? How willing is he to change them if they stop working?

Note that the more hierarchical a society is, the more rigidly are the steps of such identification. For comparison: in the USSR there were 22 ranks in the army and 5 scientific ranks, in the USA there were about 10 ranks in the army and 1 scientific. That is, having received a doctorate (Ph.D.), an American can completely relax with respect to his scientific identification and get to work. Higher than the doctor, there are no more titles. In Russia, the candidate of sciences still had many socially defined steps ahead, and only an academician could “relax”.

The stronger the SI crisis, the more difficult it is to build a harmonious picture that combines SI at different levels. So, it is often difficult to find a balance between the first and seventh levels, that is, to harmoniously combine both a businessman and a spiritual person, with a vivid perception of the surrounding world. But if in Europe and the USA such approaches have already been outlined and the very foundations of doing business have formed a certain moral code close to universal spiritual principles (do not kill, do not deceive, invest in charity, etc.), then in modern Russia and the CIS far from it. A sharp stratification led to the fact that, as a rule, a person is either a businessman or a spiritual person. To stay on the thin line in the middle is possible, but very difficult. The principles of doing business in many areas obviously involve fraud, bribes, threats of violence, etc. ... Some time ago, the situation was similar in the USA. In the wild West, cowboys with incredible cruelty shot at the Indians and at each other. Bank robbery was considered a heroic deed. Companies dynamite blew up oil pipelines and railways competitors. During the Prohibition period, bandits controlled most of the country's business. But time passed, and the extremes gradually leveled off.

The SI crisis in a person occurs not only during the corresponding crises in society. During his life, a person experiences at least several such crises. Crises of 6-7 and 12-14 years lead to the formation of a more clear structure of self-identification.

In traditional societies, ritual was one of the primary ways to resolve SI crises. Changing his identification (professional, family, religious), a person went through a certain initiation, which gave a complete and deep idea of \u200b\u200bthe new identification. Often this changed the name or part of the name. The ritual accompanied any important events related to the change in SI - the acquisition of a profession and, consequently, status, marriage, childbirth, and entry into the age of a hunter. In some primitive tribes, young men who did not pass the initiation were not considered men at all, and, accordingly, were real people.

Echoes of such traditions are preserved in modern society - the rituals of marriage, baptism, etc. In this case, in some cases, part of the name is still changing - with the help of the prefixes Miss - Mrs., Madame - Mademoiselle, doctor, Ph.D., professor , major, etc. The problem is that in modern society, initiations, if they exist, are in a greatly reduced form, many aspects of SI are defined much less clearly and often the degree of awareness of their self-identification is insufficient.

If in an archaic society everyone understood what a wife, husband or father is, then now this is often far from the case. A husband can subconsciously expect a certain behavior from his wife, corresponding to his ideas about what a “wife” is, but for a wife herself these ideas can be completely different and often also poorly realized. The resolution of such a conflict is hindered precisely by a lack of awareness of the corresponding level of SI. Instead of clarifying the situation, the husband and wife can endlessly conflict over a variety of reasons.

In a child – parent relationship, there are even more problems, since in modern society the upper layers of SI change quickly enough and parents may simply not have time to notice that the identification of “daughter” has changed a lot since their youth.

Quite often there are situations when only one aspect of SI is obvious to a person (for example, “I am a husband, therefore, the head of the family”, “I am a professor, therefore ...”). The remaining aspects are “implicitly implied”. If it is these “implied”, but poorly understood aspects that begin to diverge from reality, then a problem arises, moreover, it is difficult to solve, since its true cause is not clear.

In the general case, we will call such a situation asymmetric identification (Fig. 5). One level of SI can be better realized on a rational level, another on an emotional level, etc.

Finally, let's turn to the name again. What level of SI can be attributed to it? A name is a kind of “assemblage point” of the entire SI structure. It seems to have a little bit of each level. As already noted, in traditional societies the name has constantly changed along with the change in SI. The more significant the change, the more the name changed. Entering the monastery (both Christian and Buddhist), a person completely parted with the old name and accepted the new one. Marriage leads to a change of surname. Throughout life, the name also changes several times: Shurik - Sashka - Sasha - Alexander - Alexander Efimovich. Interestingly, the really significant crises of SI in society also lead to a change in the part of the name: Mr. - Comrade - Mr. Sometimes internal changes lead to the fact that a person changes his name - for example, from Tolik to Anatoly.

A deeper awareness of the energy inherent in a name can lead to interesting and sometimes unexpected results. So, in the process associated with name recognition at the Discovery 2 training, some participants unexpectedly found a different, “more consonant” name or changed the name as in the example described above. In our culture, a name is given to a person at birth and, in most cases, does not change much throughout life. The name and the person, as it were, build relationships with each other in the process of personality development and its self-identification.

You can conduct an interesting process of recognizing your name.

Sit or stand in a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths and relaxed exhalations. Say your name. First to myself, then out loud, then a little louder. Feel that it responds inside. What sensations in the body, colors or images arise in this case. How comfortable is this condition. Try saying your name in different ways: Sasha - Alexander. What are the differences in your feelings? Say the name again. Experiment with volume and tone of voice. How easily and freely do you pronounce your name. Which name is easiest for you to pronounce. What energy does the name sound? In order to feel the full energy of the name, you can go through all the levels of SI, saying aloud: “I am an engineer”; “I am a husband,” etc.

continuation

PAGE_BREAK-- Summary

Throughout life, a person experiences several (usually quite a lot) self-identification crises, and these crises can affect one or more levels of SI.

The sharp social changes in society lead to a massive crisis of the social and professional level of SI and a “vacuum of self-identification”.

The crisis of SI leads to a crisis of morality and moral values \u200b\u200bassociated with it.

One way to resolve the SI crisis is to channel energy to a different level of self-identification.

The crisis of SI leads to a sharp stratification in society. War is a way to temporarily overcome or postpone the SI crisis and rally society.

Traditionally, the stability and universality of SI in society was provided by rituals. With a rather sharp rejection of rituals or their formalization (as happened in modern society), a kind of “vacuum” of identification is created in these SI zones.

The degree of awareness of self-identification may vary. For example, one level of SI is better recognized on a rational level, the other on an emotional level.

The name is a kind of “assembly point” for SI levels.

Levels of Self-Identification in Psychotherapy

The model we examined allows us to study the main personality problems associated with SI. Such problems can be grouped into three large groups.

Identification too rigid in a certain area and its weak awareness.

Unconscious direction of energy from one level of SI to another.

The limited awareness of one of the SI levels, that is, only certain aspects of a given level of self-identification are explicitly conscious, while other aspects are unconscious or “implicitly implied”.

The central idea in resolving crises and vacuum of SI is the awareness of their self-identification in all its aspects and at all levels.

The need to change one's SI is often associated with fear of losing “support”, that is, the familiar scale of values \u200b\u200band the system of internal and external relationships. The first step may be to clarify the relevant aspects of SI and their actual value to the individual.

How to clarify the appropriate level of SI?

One way is to go from the opposite. Such an exercise can be done right now with a sheet of paper and a pen (emphasis on the rational aspect) or used in the context of a session with altered states of consciousness.

SI level

What I would like to avoid

(What am I afraid of)

Why is it important

(What it means to me to be ...)

I'm a programmer

I am an employee of such a company

I am a candidate of science

I am a good specialist

To lose a job

Lose qualifications

Lose profession

Do not have enough money to support yourself and your family

Have less income than others

Lose the respect of colleagues

Lose the respect of friends and relatives

I want to have a sense of stability and confidence in the future. I do not want to change the existing habits and relationships in the team

I'm afraid to be bankrupt in a new specialty

I want to feel financially independent, a man

I like my specialty

I like the people I work with.

To be a husband means to feel strong, reliable, self-confident

Be responsible for making decisions

Be attentive to your wife and her relatives

Provide a family

Sexually Satisfy Wife

Be true

To have the right to have my wife and relatives respect me and my decisions, my wife’s loyalty and affection

Count on the support of the wife in any situation.

I am Russian (Tatar, Jew ...)

I am a Christian (Muslim, Orthodox, Protestant ...)

I am human

I am a man (woman)

I - ... (non-verbal definition of the spiritual perception of the world)

It is very important to clarify the essential aspects of self-identification. For example, what is most significant? Not to lose a job, not to lose a profession, not to lose income or not to lose qualifications?

The next step is the question: “Why is this important?”. Sometimes it can be answered with words, sometimes not (especially at deeper levels).

Perhaps after this step it will be easier to more deeply realize “What does it mean to me to be a programmer (husband, son, Russian, etc.)?”.

In the process of such a study, some aspects of SI will no longer seem significant enough, while others will suddenly be recognized as really important. This is especially true for deep levels, many aspects of which are poorly understood in Western culture. Note that awareness means not only logical analysis, but also the whole complex of sensations, feelings, inner experience, associative connections, etc.

Note the intersection of SI levels.

I want to have ... a job to make good money and feel like a man.

And what does it mean to be a man?

Quite often we come across examples of unconscious substitution of SI levels.

I work hard, provide for my family, wife, children ... A real man must achieve something in his work. Career is the main thing for me ...

And what else is important for a man? What else is included in the concept of father? How does your vision coincide with the vision of your wife, children?

One of the graduates of the Inner Discovery training noted: “After the training, I began to spend more time with my family, began to earn half as much, but now I feel what it is like to live a happy life. Partners don’t understand me. ” Another graduate after the training found an interesting high-paying job in her specialty (although she did not need money), after that many family problems were quickly resolved and harmonious relations were established with her husband and children. Before the training, excess energy directed to the family-clan level led to real hell in the family and the pre-divorce situation.

An attempt to direct all or almost all of the energy into one or two SI regions simplifies life. Workaholics are easier, since it is enough for them to think only about work, to realize only what is connected with work, etc. However, such a system drastically depletes the personality and often makes the structure inorganic and unstable.

The direction of energy from one level to another can also be constructive. So, if a person is experiencing serious problems in the family and cannot solve them, it is reasonable to direct energy to the field of work, religion or sex. As already noted, this can be either constructive or non-constructive, depending on the specific situation and the degree of its awareness.

A more complete awareness of their levels of self-identification allows us to blur the boundaries of the levels and provide a more natural balance of energy between them. A person ceases to follow rigidly set identification stereotypes and begins to perceive his SI structure more holistically.

Such a transformation corresponds to the transition from state b) to state a) in Fig. 6.

One way to clarify the levels and boundaries of SI is to examine the question of who we could imagine ourselves to be (“I assume that I could be ...”).

I'm a programmer. I can imagine myself as a librarian, seller, manager.

A janitor or forester?

- … Probably yes.

What about a policeman?

Never!

Why exactly?

It is interesting to realize how much we can feel, to take the position of another SI. Can you feel like a soldier, a doctor, a priest, an American, a Chechen, a person of the opposite sex, a tiger for a few moments ...

Of course, you do not have to like this new identification. It is enough to know your boundaries and to realize the essence of these boundaries. (I would not want to be a woman because ...; I do not want to work as a gangster because ...)

Sometimes in the process of such a study, interesting discoveries can be made. So, one businessman discovered that he could leave for another country and work as a photographer, which would completely suit him. This gave a feeling of greater self-confidence, even in an unstable financial situation.

In another example, a woman, the director of a large company, was recommended to completely change her image for several days. To go in jeans or risky dresses, attend a rock concert, etc. This recommendation turned out to be a very big challenge for the patient, as she was used to identifying herself in a very specific way, and this was clearly reflected both in clothes and in the way of spending time, and everything else. However, following all the instructions, the patient was able to rethink the situation, which has long been at a standstill, and make important decisions in life and business (as it turned out later, quite adequate and extremely timely).

A greater level of freedom in SI makes a person more creative and allows you to find solutions outside prevailing stereotypes. Albert Einstein believed that every five years a physicist should change the scope of research. Many major writers have changed a number of professions.

Finally, it is very important to approach the realization of the spiritual level of SI. A detailed discussion of the methods by which this can be achieved is beyond the scope of this article. Some approaches to spiritual development are outlined in. It is important to note that the SI level model can be successfully used in the context of spiritual development.

One of the non-trivial ways to approach the spiritual level of self-identification is to consciously go through all levels of SI from top to bottom.

Thus, we seem to use the SI levels as steps for going deeper. You will find a description of one of the options for such a process in the Appendix (Process 1)

The true spiritual path is distinguished by the fact that the rigid structures of the SI “soften” and eventually disappear. From the standpoint of KTI, the need for such a “disidentification” is associated with the destruction of screens and facilitating access to the spiritual level of consciousness. The path to a complete rejection of SI is, apparently, far from the simplest, but it is precisely this path that can enable a quick, deep passage to the spiritual layers. A description of this passage can be found in Hermann Hesse's book Siddhartha (see Lyric Digression 4).

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In the treatment of various problems associated with the crisis of self-identification, as well as in methods of personal development, the following approaches can be applied:

To achieve greater awareness of SI levels.

To clarify the artificial social identification stereotypes and fears associated with them.

Make the SI structure more flexible. Investigate the structure of SI and allow the possibility of its change, make the choice of identification more informed.

In the event that problems exist at one of the SI levels, consciously direct energy to another level.

In the event that almost all of the energy is directed to one or two levels, determine methods for a more harmonious redistribution of energy.

Use SI levels as “steps” on the way to understanding the spiritual level of SI.

Applications

Digression 1

The influence of evolutionary-species SI can (and very interestingly) be investigated in Western society.

In the CTI model, the formation of deep layers of consciousness is explained from the standpoint of human evolution as a biological species. This approach has been studied in detail in evolutionary structural psychology. In the consciousness of each person there are deep areas corresponding to the consciousness of various animals. Areas associated with mammals are more accessible, less with birds, and even less with fish and reptiles.

In a trance state, meditation, or other altered state of consciousness, you can search for your totem animal or animals. Such practices exist in shamanism, and in NLP (animal subpersonalities), and in various New Age practices, in particular, in free breathing. In the groups that conduct such experiments in Russia, images associated with mammals most often arise, which is quite understandable from the standpoint of CTI.

The search for an internal totem animal can provide a powerful source of strength,.

An interesting observation can be made in connection with the ratio of animal species and the typology of people. With a certain degree of conventionality, we can distinguish two large categories of people in which the qualities of the cat and dog families are strongly manifested (extremely rare - both of them at the same time).

Cat people are individualists who value relationships themselves more than a family, which they often do not have (or have, but not for long or not quite ordinary). The courtship process is much more important and interesting for them than anything that can follow. They gravitate to individual forms of creativity, have good inclinations in the field of intuition and non-trivial solutions to logical problems, among them psychic abilities are more common. They experience difficulties in tactical planning of life, every time they try to look for new ways. They cannot stand the pressure of the authorities and rigid hierarchical structures. They gravitate towards a nocturnal way of life, if they are not disturbed, they will go to bed before dawn and wake up in the afternoon. Try to choose the types of activities associated with the alternation of intense work and long relaxation. They can achieve good results in areas that require inner concentration (for example, calm meditation practices - Zen, Vipassana, etc.). Indifferent to means that change consciousness (in cats - valerian, in dogs - not). They sleep more. Sweat less. More often get cats.

A typical example of a cat person - Ernst Hemingway, by the way, was very fond of cats and constantly kept several, although, according to his biographer (apparently not familiar with this article), dogs would be more suitable for a writer.

Dog People. Family values \u200b\u200bare important to them. In sex and courtship are not particularly inventive. Much attention is paid to family and relatives. They gravitate to group activities. They like to work in a team with a clearly built hierarchy. For them, their own status in society is very important. They like to work according to a clear and predetermined plan, not necessarily their own. They gravitate to the daily and morning lifestyle. They can achieve good results in areas where it is important to constantly and persistently follow a specific strategy. From all spiritual and personal practices, more ecstatic ones are chosen: meditative running, shamanistic practices, etc. If they drink alcohol, it is more likely to relax than to get interesting sensations. They sleep less. Sweat more. More often get dogs.

Of course, there are not so many pronounced “dogs” or “cats”. You can see whether there is more of a dog or a cat in you. And finally, the canine or feline principle in man is an innate or acquired quality?

Both! If you feel that you don’t have a cat's start, talk more with cats - with cat people, and with real cats. The same is true for dogs, and probably parrots. Moreover, communicate not superficially, but at the highest possible levels. The author’s experience confirms that for a sufficiently long period of close communication, a person and a pet begin to resemble each other surprisingly. Although a pronounced cat or dog, probably can not be redone!

Digression 2

SI crises in a rigidly hierarchical society often lead to the emergence of outstanding spiritual leaders, brilliant writers, scientists, etc., against the background of a general weakening of morality, theft and violence.

The creation of a new direction in science, art or spiritual thought can already be considered as a kind of SI crisis for a given specific person. Indeed, if in the United States or Europe a person rigidly identifies himself as a psychoanalyst (gestalt therapist, Reiki master or Rebefer), then, as a rule, he has neither the strength nor the desire to do something else, since there is a risk of losing the already existing SI and the whole range of relations associated with this. In an extreme case, a person will change SI from a rebefer to a gestalt therapist, but attempts to combine different approaches outside the existing identification system are quite rare.

At one of the international conferences, the author participated in a clinical analysis. A woman, a psychotherapist from England, told a long and dramatic story of the treatment of phobia using gestalt therapy methods. During the break, the author asked if she had tried to apply such and such methods other than gestalt, which, apparently, could give a much faster and more “softer” way. The answer was quite eloquent: “You, in Russia, can try anything you like, but with us, if I write that I am a gestalt therapist, then I am a gestalt therapist.”

In Russia, the years of SI crises gave the world outstanding writers, philosophers, and public figures. Perhaps this is the historical purpose of Russia as a testing ground for world culture.

It is interesting to consider how exactly the last SI crisis in Russia occurred. As already noted, there are several basic ways to overcome such crises in hierarchical societies.

Alcohol or mind-altering drugs.

Informational noise.

Propaganda of super goals and exploitation of the image of the enemy.

The introduction of a complex multi-stage internal hierarchy of SI levels, so that energy is not spent on understanding the whole picture, but on reaching the next level.

In the USSR, all these methods were used to the full. A complex hierarchical system appeared already in 1918 (then it was connected with rations and included several tens of levels), the image of the enemy was constantly developing throughout the history of the country.

Yu. Andropov made his last attempt to revive the collapsing system of SI levels of Soviet society. Vodka fell in price, new missiles were installed, which caused the international situation to sharply aggravate, launched another campaign against thieves and truants inside the country, and the war in Afghanistan continued successfully.

M. Gorbachev turned out to be that really great man who seemed to purposefully and purposefully destroy all the structures mentioned. Access to alcohol was severely restricted, censorship was weakened, the war was stopped, the international situation was drastically discharged, and the image of the enemy faded very much in the public mind. The result is known. It seems that he was quite unexpected for the author of the reforms, all the more emphasizing his greatness.

Mikhail Gorbachev embodied the very deep archetype of the Russian Ivan, who does the devil knows what, often doesn’t understand himself - what exactly, but, ultimately, it turns out, as God ordered, that is, in the best way in this situation. It is no accident that the architect of the current SI crisis in Russia was precisely such a Russian fateful (namely fateful, that is, an instrument of Destiny) leader, marked not so much by the seal of logical thinking, but by the seal of Providence. Which once again confirms the famous Russian proverb, but in a social context - “For Russia, the mind is good, but happiness is better.”

Digression 3

One of the tools for manipulating the consciousness of society on the part of the state is the artificial redefinition of concepts, in which a person’s self-identification is forcibly shifted in a direction that is beneficial for manipulators. Sometimes such confusion exists even at the language level. So, in Russia, the word state means both territory, and country, and government (with the corresponding repressive and bureaucratic apparatus). Note that a country and a specific government are not at all the same thing, and, by the way, in the USA they are denoted by different words. In an interview with a minister from the Ryzhkov government, they asked if he was going to emphasize the economy on strengthening the role of the state, which was answered by the answer: “Of course! The ultimate goal of the Russians is to strengthen the Russian state. ” The common slogan “concern for the welfare of the state” or “state interests” also did not cause doubt or rejection among the majority of people, although these very “interests” very often clearly contradicted the interests of people, that is, the people (however, under the “people” often it implied something fundamentally different from the country's population).

The concept of homeland is all the more not equivalent to the concept of a government or a specific political party. In the USSR, the word patriotic was necessarily associated with something military, now ultra-radical, anti-Semitic and fascist organizations are often called “patriotic”.

Such manipulations are possible due to the fact that the majority of the population is initially poorly aware of the relevant aspects of SI.

For example, what is the homeland? If you close your eyes and devote a little meditation to this question, then what kind of images, associations, feelings will they be? What is really important for you in this concept? What is your homeland for you - a specific village, a specific house, a specific country, a specific region, or is it to a greater extent the whole of Russia or the entire globe?

Is your homeland, first of all, a specific locality? Or language? Or traditions? Or the people and their history? Or...? Or all of this, but is any of the more important?

In the well-known slogan “My Homeland is the USSR” it was implicitly meant: “Homeland is, first of all, an ideological system”. As practice has shown, for most people this substitution turned out to be extremely unstable.

Digression 4

“All this time, no matter how he renounced himself, he remained the son of his father, remained a brahmana, a man of high rank, a scientist. Now he was only Siddhartha, true, awakened, but nothing more. /.../ No one was as lonely as he. Every man of noble rank, every artisan belonged to his estate, found refuge among his noble or artisans, shared their life, spoke their language. There was no such brahmana who did not rank himself among the brahmanas, did not live in their society — there was no such ascetic who could not find refuge in the midst of the adobe. Even the most reclusive forest hermit is not completely alone; and he has fellowship with those like him, and he belongs to a well-known class, replacing his homeland. Govinda became a monk, and thousands of monks became his brothers; they wore the same dress as him; had the same faith as him; they spoke the same language as him. /.../

From this moment, when the world around me seemed to melt away and departed from it, when he stood alone, like a star in the sky, from this moment of spiritual coldness and decline of spirit Siddhartha emerged with a sharper expression than before, a clenched self. It was the last “He felt it - the thrill of awakening, the last spasm of birth.”

Translation by B. Prozorovskaya

Digression 5

In a number of traditional cultures, the name explicitly included elements of various levels of self-identification, sometimes almost all.

In Arabic anthroponymy there are seven main components of the name:

Ism-alam - the name given at birth.

Kunya - naming by the names of children: Abu Mohamed - father of Mohammed, Umm Ibrahim - mother of Ibrahim. This naming is common among many peoples and emphasizes the importance of family SI. The father or mother of their children has a higher status than childless. So, at Kets in Siberia, before the birth of the child, the husband calls the wife impersonally - “place”, after the birth of the child - “mother of the son” or “mother of the daughter”, after the birth of several children - the mother of children.

Nasab is the name of the father or (rarely) of the mother, for example, Ibn Sina.

Lacab is a nickname. This name is formed in the process of a person’s life and may include professions, titles (-shah, -khan), the one component (“faith”), etc.

Nisba is a name by origin, genealogical (name of a distant ancestor) or geographical (i.e., that which is connected with the concept of the Motherland).

Mansab - profession, occupation.

Tahallus is a pseudonym.

All these items are rarely used together, as a rule, a person chooses certain combinations: cunya + lacab, lacab + nisba, etc.

In India, the name consists of three parts:

Rashi - it is determined by the astrologer at the birth of a child.

Belonging to a religious-community group or gender of the child (in both cases we are talking about fairly deep levels of SI).

Belonging to a caste or part of a caste (in India, this determines both the socio-professional and the family-clan level).

I wonder if you lived in a society with such name-building systems, how would your full name sound?

Let's do a little exercise ...

Exercise 1

Sit back, prepare a sheet of paper and a pen, and then close your eyes and relax.

Imagine that you live in a country in which the name of a person is built according to the Indian or Arab system. What would your name sound like in this case? It doesn’t matter if you forget the specific features of Indian anthroponymy, just find and write down what came to you.

Maybe you can get something like: Grigory Masha’s father, Katya’s husband, Peter’s son, scientist, PhD, Orthodox, businessman from Moscow, or something else entirely.

See how your name has changed throughout your life, what events and feelings have been associated with the change of name. How did you change with the name. Did you have a nickname in childhood?

What name (nickname) could you have at 10? At the age of 15? At 19 years old?

What will be your current full name? What nickname could you come up with for yourself now?

What does this full name sound like? Try saying it out loud.

What abbreviation would you choose now, which parts of the name are most significant?

Will it be Grigory Masha’s father, businessman or Grigory Petr’s son from Moscow ... or Grigory - Elena’s husband, idealist?

Process 1

You can do this little research on your own or with a partner.

Find a place and time when no one bothers you and you can calmly talk (or even scream) without fear of raising your family and neighbors to your feet. You might want to use music. If you have experience working with techniques for advanced states of consciousness, use them.

Stand or sit in a comfortable position. The process can be more interesting and intense if you move.

Say first to yourself, then out loud statements for each SI level. I'm a programmer. I am a psychologist. I am the director of the company.

Be aware of all your sensations, thoughts, associations, images.

How easy is it for you to pronounce these definitions? Which ones sound natural and organic to you, which ones don't? Where does this definition respond in the body?

Experiment with volume and timbre of your voice.

As you approach deeper levels, pronounce your name along with the definitions. Explore the sound and sensations of your name, as described above. I am Alexander. I'm a man.

What definitions can be made on a spiritual level? This question is not at all simple and there can be many possible ways to approach spiritual self-identification. Let’s take a little meditation as an example.

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Imagine that you are already dead. A large room gathered a lot of people for whom you were important in life. They pass around a large shining crystal goblet of wine and each one says something about you. What they're saying? Just listen to them, with something you will agree, with something not. How do these words respond to you?

The picture blurs, disappears, and you see a monument. This is an unusual monument. You know that this is your monument in a parallel fairy-tale world.

See what your name looks like on it. How it sounds, how it responds within you.

It is you who must write there something important about yourself, and if it is something really important, the words themselves will appear on the stone slab of the monument. Please note that some phrases are barely distinguishable on the stone, and some seem to glow in bright golden or other colors. Maybe you run your hand along the stove and feel the texture of the stone, the letters on it. Continue to say what you write about yourself on this monument.

What words appeared on the stove? Which ones glow? What kind of light?

It doesn’t matter if your imaginative space moves away from this picture. Maybe your images, colors, sounds, sensations will appear ... Just be in it and open up for new knowledge about yourself. Even if something unexpected or strange comes in, you can simply let it sound and live in your images and feelings.

And when you see that the stove is almost full, look again at the name. Maybe something has changed? Say your name again.

And try to incorporate all the feelings, sounds, colors of this magical country. See what's around the monument. Whether the sun is shining or it's night. Take that light or sad, joyful or bitter that it is important for you to take from this experience, and return back to your familiar world.

But what if you were suddenly given another year of life (maybe two years or several months)? What would you do? Who would you really like to be? What would you like to come to the monument next time with?

After the process, fill in the identification table. Each cell can be a separate sheet of paper. You might want to use colored paper or colored markers. After the process, you can change the order of the questions and first answer the question: “What does this mean for me”, and then: “What I would like to avoid.”

If you really completed this process, pay attention to how honestly and openly you did it. How free and easy did you get it? If you haven’t finished, then what exactly did you stop at?

And do not forget to thank yourself and your partner for a new experience.

List of references

To prepare this work, materials from the site were used www.ipd.ru

On the other hand, self-identification is closely connected with social stereotypes - this is a kind of bridge between personal and social psychology, between individual and social.

The main the concepts

Identification - likening, identification with someone, something (Psychological Dictionary).

By self-identification (SI) we mean precisely identifying myself with a certain social group, image, archetype, etc. For example, I am an engineer; I am a father; I am a man, etc.

Several definitions

Any direct statement directly defining self-identification will be called positive identification. For example: “I am an engineer”; "I am Russian".

Any direct denial of such an identification is a negative identification. For example: “I am not a worker”; "I am not russian"; "I'm not a girl"; “I am not your boy.”

Levels self identification

The family-clan level is determined by statements like: I am the mother; I am a daughter; I am an uncle; I am kunak; I am a member of the family (clan, teip, tribe, etc.).

National-territorial level: I am Russian; I am a Muscovite; I am a Moldavian, etc.

Religious and ideological: I am Orthodox; I'm muslim; I am a communist; I'm an atheist; I am a Jew; I am a fundamentalist; I am a democrat; I am a pacifist, etc.

Gender level of identification: I am a man; I am a woman.

But if Freud stops at this SI level, then we will go even deeper - to the next level.

Spiritual level: I - ... This level can hardly be defined by a direct verbal statement. The closest (albeit rather clumsy) statement: I feel God or I am in a certain connection with God.

In recent years, the terms identification and identity often used in scientific and journalistic literature.

We will try to identify the meaning behind the concept

"Sociocultural identity of the person." “Identity” in the domestic cultural tradition is understood as “identity”. Self-identity, therefore, is the identity of the individual to himself. But the simplicity of this definition, in the words of one of the researchers of this problem, is cunning and even, according to the famous Russian proverb, “worse than theft.” Identity for oneself is the main task for a person. Identity is the image of oneself accepted by a person, a sense of constant possession of a person’s own “I” regardless of changing, often negative, external circumstances. Identity is primarily an attribute of an adult, a mature personality, the origins of which are hidden in the previous stages of personal development. Self-identity is, ultimately, an individual's awareness of his essence, the manifestation of a personal principle, the determination of his place in the world and correlation of himself with fundamental moral values.

The very problem of identity and identification was formulated in the context of the development of psychoanalysis: the achievement of psychology of the 20th century was the idea of \u200b\u200bthe crisis nature of personal growth. Act self identification it represents the unity of emotional experience of oneself as a whole, of rational self-knowledge and, most importantly, of a volitional act. The initial state for the search for self-identity is a crisis of personal development, when it is necessary to make a choice of at least two alternative options.

Moreover, "self", identity as a personal integrity is not apriori of human behavior, is not inherent in a person from birth. The process of self-identification occurs as a result of social interaction. Identity is initially a social entity, the individual sees, and therefore forms himself as he is seen others. C. Cooley puts forward in this regard the term "mirror self" - self - looking glass.

In modern psychology, in particular, in post-Freudian psychoanalysis, in the studies of J. Lacan we are talking about folding the individual as a possible whole, which does not have to be formed at all. What philosophers designate as "self" or "subjectivity" is by no means a kind of natural given, taken for granted entity. 1 As observations of the development of the infant have shown, a child under the age of six months is not a mental whole at all. The formation of the Self or personal identity, that is, the linking of disparate impressions into a certain unity is the result of identifying the child with the object with which he communicates (usually with his mother). Further self-identification of the child is associated with language acquisition.

How to identify the identity of the individual to himself? How to install it? To do this, first of all, a person should ask himself the question "Who am I?" This is not a matter of idle curiosity. Least of all is this a purely scientific question as an attempt to make oneself the subject of research, which can be anything. The question “who am I”, posed seriously, is an attempt to reveal one's own essence. This is not just a desire, not an existential need of a person, a task posed to a person. This task is formulated as follows: “know yourself”.

This requirement has come to us from antiquity from various sources. Self-knowledge is not abstract knowledge, much less empty self-digging. Moreover, the latter only leads us away from true self-knowledge. Socrates’s self-knowledge is, first of all, work on himself and “forging oneself” as expressed by B.P. Vysheslavtseva. “It (self-knowledge - Note V.K.) lies at the heart of all culture, all practice and creativity; for, in the end, every act-it is work on oneself; and culture, art, technology - nothing but spirit self-fulfillment"his eternal experiment on himself, like science, means an eternal experiment." 1

In the very concept self identity There is a paradox: on the one hand, a priori, before the start of an activity, before committing an act, in a certain sense already “knows” its essence, what it is capable of. On the other hand, a person cannot know in advance what he is. Moreover, even after committing an act, a person cannot know himself in the absolute sense. Until the end of his life, his own essence remains a mystery to him. Thus, this paradox exists at the level of antinomy (contradictions in the law), when both opposing positions can be justified.

During the lecture, the theme of which was self-identity, I, after giving a definition of this concept, asked college students aged 16-17 years whether there was a problem for them to search for self-identity. One young man replied that he did not see a problem here at all: he had already known his essence for a long time and was convinced that he would remain faithful to himself until the end of his life, in spite of any circumstances. At first glance, such confidence in knowing oneself may seem frivolous. And, meanwhile, it is necessary for a person entering into life, facing the need to commit an act. This is precisely that initial belief in oneself, without which no action, no successful activity is possible. The essence of the matter is accurately conveyed by a well-known joke when an Irishman is asked if he can walk on a tightrope. The confident Irishman replies that he can, but never tried. At first glance, only frivolity and boasting are visible here, but the subtext is more serious: a person believes that he can cope with a very difficult task.

On the other hand, the search for self-identity is the main task of a person, which he solves throughout his life. Self-awareness requires a person to fully exert all his spiritual powers. On the one hand, this is a harsh imperative, duty and 1 burden, similar to the one that Lermontov described as Pushkin - “a slave of honor. But at the same time, according to the just statement of B.P. Vysheslavtsev, "it also means liberation, for it is imposed on me by my true" I ". (“Igo is my blessing, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30)).

If you think about the origins of the very formulation of the question “who am I?”, They are associated with the phenomenon of human responsibility, his ability to answer for the consequences of committed acts. “True responsibility,” noted M. Buber, “is only where there is a real possibility of an answer. The answer to what? To what happens to a person, what he sees, hears, feels. ” 2 Thus, we emphasize once again, the question “who am I?” not idle curiosity, it always points to the fundamental problems of human existence. Self-identity is a necessary prerequisite for moral responsibility. In this regard, the contemporary Russian sociologist I. S. Kon rightly notes that even in his most intimate self-consciousness, an individual cannot help but go beyond the boundaries of his individuality, “voluntarily or involuntarily he must correlate his behavior with the opinions of others and with the absolute, lying outside him, moral law. ”

The imperative “know yourself” comes from a state of ignorance, doubt, painful searches. Socrates, whose favorite saying was “know yourself,” proceeded from a situation of fundamental ignorance: “I know that I know nothing.” This situation made his search even more stressful. At the same time, Socrates considered the knowledge of himself the most important knowledge. He wondered what we can know about space, if we don’t even know about ourselves.

In classical philosophy, the concept of "identity" is absent. Meanwhile, the content that is behind it is actually the same as that already denoted by the traditional concepts of “self-awareness”, “self-determination”, “self”. As previously noted, the problems of self-identity and identification appeared during the development of psychoanalysis. Identification mechanisms were first investigated by Z. Freud on the basis of psychopathological observations. Then he spread them to the culture as a whole. Freud regarded identification as an attempt by a child (or a weak person) to adopt the strength of his father, mother (or leader) and, thereby, reduce his fear of reality. 1 Thus, the act of identification has a pronounced compensatory character. Its underlying cause is the person’s initial weakness in the face of a vast and hostile world.

As the researcher of psychoanalysis E.V. Sokolov identification (self-identification) is a psychological process by which the subject appropriates the qualities of another person and transforms himself in his image. In Freud’s works, identification denotes the process of personality formation itself. The personal "I" consists of a sequential series of identifications that complement or limit each other. It is possible to identify with an enemy that causes strong fear, as well as victims with a tormentor and executioner. Examples of this kind are found in literature on the era of mass terror in the USSR and Germany. In such cases, identification removes the psychological distance and thereby removes fear. Among American psychoanalysts, there is an original version that even the leaders identified themselves with each other, in particular, Stalin identified himself with Hitler, which made him believe the latter and not be afraid of the German invasion.

Moderate identification with a great personality serves as a stimulating factor in individual development, but in pathology passes into megalomania. 1

E. Erickson, who made the greatest contribution to the development of this problem, identified eight stages of identity development.

At the very first stage, the baby decides the most important question, whether he trusts the world around him or not. Here, the child solves the problem of basic trust in the world.

At the next stage, the child internalizes what E. Erickson calls “the eyes of the world” - what other people see in him. 2

In the third stage (4-6 years), an alternative is resolved between initiative and guilt.

At the next stage (6-11 years), the child masters the symbols of culture. Here a feeling of competence, skill, readiness for discipline is formed. It is at this stage that the primary identification of the child with a representative of a particular profession occurs.

The fifth stage (17 - 20 years) E. Erickson considers as crucial for acquiring a sense of identity. At this age teenager

fluctuates between the positive pole of identity and the negative pole of confusion of roles. To denote the crisis period between youth and adulthood, the researcher introduces the term “psychological moratorium”. This term is adopted to characterize the complex processes of gaining an adult identity.

The sixth stage (21 - 25 years) means the transition to solving already adult problems on the basis of the formed identity. At this stage, the formation of a family, the establishment of strong friendships. The negative pole at this stage is isolation, one of the most important reasons for which is confused identity.

The seventh stage (25-50 \\ 60 years) is the longest. During this period, a person resolves the contradiction between the self-development ability obtained at the previous stages and stagnation, moreover, regression in personal development. In case of successful resolution of this contradiction, the formation of a unique human individuality takes place. The individual becomes "himself."

The eighth stage (over 60 years) completes the life path of the individual. There are also two poles here: positive as a result of finding peace and balance of a holistic personality. At the negative pole - hopeless despair, which is the result of a "confused" life. 1

And the search for self-identity and generally personal growth would not have been possible without crises of human development, as shown by E. Erickson.

Thus, in the concept of E. Erickson the whole life of a person, his personal growth is presented as a sequential chain of successive development crises. In this case, the concept of “crisis” does not have the usual negative meaning, but involves doubt and search, the need for an important choice and reassessment of previous life stages.

Self identification - Similarity to a particular person or image of a person.

The formation and development of self-identification begins in preschool age. The behavior of children is imitative in nature, during which children imitate the intonational characteristics of the voice, express maxims belonging to adults. At first, such imitation by the child is not realized, but gradually, as it becomes, it goes from the automatic level to the subconscious level. The child identifies himself with the bright qualities of significant people around him, primarily with the qualities of both parents.

In the case of a healthy family environment, the child identifies himself more with the qualities of the parent of his gender. The boy identifies with his father, the girl with his mother. However, even in a healthy family environment, identification of a boy with his mother, and girls with his father, may occur. Usually this is due to the fact that one of the parents stands out against the background of the other with bright personal qualities. For example, a father may be a famous athlete or politician; a mother can be an actress, a leader or just have a bright appearance.

In the case of traumatic relationships with the parent (or both parents), identification with this parent does not occur.

The formation and content of self-identification is greatly influenced by a person’s desire for psychological comfort, avoiding responsibility (primarily to oneself) for evil deeds. In most cases of negative self-identification a great recharge gives a comfortable feeling of being bad. Because this feeling softens the feeling of shame and responsibility in general.

Self-identification is one of the key elements of a person’s personality. Negative or positive self-identification can dramatically affect all human behavior. Thus, likening a lazy person or the image of a lazy person makes a person be sure that he is just like that and cannot be corrected by any force; as a result, the identity "to be lazy \u003d to be oneself" is formed.

A person’s lack of sufficient identity based on identifying himself with a negative image can contribute to the development of various types of deviant behavior, which in turn can be characterized by a violation of interpersonal relationships with the emergence of preferred communication with the world of things, replacing the world of people, which leads such a person to the desire to enjoy in ways that exclude interpersonal contacts that the patient considers inaccessible to himself.

Negative self-identification can find its manifestation in addictive realization in order to neutralize an unpleasant reality associated with psychological trauma, with an internal feeling of constant dissatisfaction with oneself, a lack of love for oneself, and follows the hedonistic path, using means that change his mental state.

Correction of negative self-identification is difficult and often ineffective, because it (self-identification) has already taken deep roots, and has been manifested also in addictive implementation. Only painstaking work helps, in which one should consistently prove the falsity of such self-identification, while leaving for later work with addictions and other negative consequences.

Literature

Korolenko C.P., Dmitrieva N.V. Sociodynamic psychiatry.

Each person goes through a continuous internal process of self-identification: assigning himself to a particular social group, determining his role in society. If you ask yourself the question “who am I?”, Then the first thing that comes to mind is different statuses: husband (wife), parent (child), boss (subordinate), etc. There are a huge number of social statuses associated with nationality, religion, and related connections, civic position, profession, etc.

But it’s far more important for a person to understand not what “titles” he has, but what qualities, values \u200b\u200band aspirations characterize him. That is, the key question in psychology is not even “who am I?”, But “what am I?” It can be extremely difficult to answer it, but meanwhile it is very important to understand, realize and accept various aspects of the self: personality traits and psychological attitudes that have developed under the influence of experience and personal outlook on life.

Sample questions that a person asks himself when thinking about self-identification:

Am I a woman or a man? Stupid or smart? Beautiful or scary? All beloved or rejected? Worthless or important, significant? Successful or unsuccessful? Amateur or expert? Selfish or altruist? Good or evil?

In this article we will examine why it is so important to understand yourself, what problems arise if there is no such understanding, and what place self-identification occupies in psychotherapy.

Why is it important to understand yourself?

Understanding your personality, motives and motivations is the key to solving many problems. Only knowing oneself, a person can take into account his needs and desires, and this is the shortest path to happiness. It is possible to reach it by accident, without thinking about who I am, why I, where I am going to. But we have not seen such examples. At the same time, understanding yourself involves much more than just understanding what you want from life.

It is highly advisable to learn:

hear and understand your feelings, motives and thoughts;
analyze your experience and actions, draw conclusions;
outline goals that will contribute to personal and spiritual growth, achieve them.

Why is it important to master the three skills listed above? Firstly, it will allow you to objectively evaluate your internal reserves and achieve what you want in the most optimal way. Secondly, understanding yourself will help to avoid mistakes in life, situations when it seems that you are stepping on the same rake. Analyzing your actions is one way to become better, more successful, and happier.

Thirdly, all these skills will help you find your favorite business or any other opportunities for self-realization. It can be a family, a hobby, a religion - something that brings peace to the soul, brings a special meaning to life. It is important to build in your head a certain life scenario, which will be a guiding light, a map on the path to happiness.

So, the main condition for the comprehensive development of personality is self-knowledge. It is given simply to one, they like to have a dialogue with themselves, to think and analyze. For others, all this is so unusual that they cannot understand themselves without the help of a psychologist. It depends on temperament, personality type and attitudes received in childhood. In the end, from the outside it is really easier to see the whole picture than from near, which is why the help of a qualified psychologist will always be in demand.

But what if a person consciously or unconsciously refused self-identification and self-knowledge, preferring to be guided through life by any external stimuli and models?

Identity Deficit Issues

Weak self-identification, as a rule, determines the presence of the following psychological problems:

Low self-esteem. It is very important for any person to know their strengths and weaknesses. That is why psychologists often ask customers the question: what do you know how to do better than others? A person with a low level of self-identification will most likely not be able to answer this question or say that there are no areas in which he would feel like an expert. Inadequate self-esteem in itself is the cause of most psychological problems.
Difficulty in choosing work, life partner and life path. Misunderstanding of oneself often gives rise to some kind of infantilism, when an adult does not know what he wants, and therefore is inactive. He transfers responsibility for his life to others simply because he does not know what to do with it. The inability to arrange life in such a way that it brings joy is a very frequent occurrence among people who are confused and can no longer answer who they are, why they are and where they are going. This is manifested in all areas, and it is very difficult for such a person to learn to live his own mind. Sooner or later, he is at a dead end, it seems to him that everything is bad, everything is meaningless. And at the same time, he cannot indicate what specific changes need to be achieved in order to get out of this state. But the problem is solvable.
Feeling of dissatisfaction and lack of meaning in life, negative emotions, despair. Collapse can occur at each level of self-identification: in the family - divorce or death of a loved one, at work - reduction of staff, in social life - violation of rights. All this can lead to the fact that a person ceases to associate himself with important social roles. Someone surrenders in such circumstances, begins to stoke grief in guilt, someone takes a passive position, pretending that nothing happened, and someone is active, trying to restore his picture of the world and start life anew.
Errors, errors and errors again. Yes, this is also an experience, but if he does not teach anything, then there is a serious reason to think. Often women come to the psychologist who married several times, but were not happy in any marriage. They step on the same rake with enviable constancy, make the same mistakes, as if they are going through life blindfolded. Almost always, they have serious problems with self-identification. Let us recall what has been said above: if you do not understand yourself, you will not find a way to your happiness.

Self-identification and its place in psychotherapy

In psychology, the problem of self-identification has been raised by many scientists, and it continues to occupy an important place in all studies. Why? When a person understands who he is and what kind, the surrounding world becomes more clear to him. It is easier for him to use the gifts of this world for his own good, to maneuver between problems and not to be discouraged by the realization of his imaginary insignificance.

It is strong self-identification that saves from many of the problems listed above. It is so important for a person to understand and value himself! Love yourself no matter what! And then he has internal resources to be friendly to others, to understand what kind of people (friends, life partner, colleagues) he wants to see next to him. Understanding yourself is the basis for building good relationships with others.

It is so important to feel a community, involvement in certain ideas and groups. When he has loved ones, friends, colleagues and like-minded people, he does not feel lonely. Moreover, he determines his place in the system of things, sees where he can grow, and what he can achieve.

So, self-identification is perhaps the most basic thing in psychotherapy, something without which not a single psychological problem can be solved. However, it happens that the way a person sees himself does not coincide with what he really is. In this case, psychotherapy can have two goals: to help the client understand, accept and love the present, or to determine the development zone and help to become what he dreams of. Most often, this difficult process includes self-knowledge, working with goals and values, referring to the experience of already experienced events, and much more. Finding inner harmony is directly related to the question “Who am I?” and is one of the fundamental conditions for a happy and meaningful life.

We will try to identify the meaning behind the concept

Literature

Why is it important to understand yourself?

Identity Deficit Issues

Self-identification and its place in psychotherapy

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