THE SELF IMAGE

• By: Louis Ochiel
• Date: September 27, 2022

The most important psychological discovery of this century is the discovery of the "self image." Whether you realize it or not, each of us carries about with us a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves. It may be vague or ill-defined to our conscious gaze. In fact, it may not be consciously recognizable at all. But it is there, complete down to the last detail. This self-image is our own conception of the "sort of person I am." It has been built up from our own beliefs about ourselves. But most of these beliefs about ourselves have unconsciously been formed from our past experiences, our successes and failures, our humiliations , our triumph and the way other people have reacted to us, especially in early childhood. From all this we mentally construct a "self"(or a picture of a self). Once an idea or belief about ourselves goes into this picture, it becomes "true," as far as we personally are concerned. We do not question its validity, but proceed to act upon it just as if were true.

THIS SELF IMAGE BECOMES A GOLDEN KEY TO LIVING A BETTER LIFE BECAUSE OF TWO IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES:

1. All your actions, feelings, behaviors-even your abilities are always consistent with this self-image. In short, you will "act like" the sort of person you conceive yourself to be. Not only this, but you literally cannot act otherwise, in spite of all your conscious efforts or willpower The man who conceives himself to be a "failure-type person" will find some way to fail, in spite of all his good intentions, or his willpower, even if opportunity is literally dumped in his lap. The person who conceives himself to be a victim of injustice, one "who was meant to suffer," will invariably find circumstances to verify his opinions.

2. The self-image can be changed. Numerous case stories have shown that one is never too young or too old to change his self-image and thereby start to live a new life.