True vs. False Self

For English class we read "The Self We Live By," by James Holstein and Jaber Gubrium. The book offers many different views on what identity is and how the idea or concept of the "self" can be viewed. One theorist that particularly spoke to me was Hochschild's emotionally managed self which she discusses in her book The Managed Heart. The reason for this was not just because I feel my identity is deeply rooted in how I feel and my emotions but because she offered great insight into the idea of a "true" self and the ability of people to create "false" selves to meet situational demands. She wrote, "the 'true' self is often overrun by false selves that have been mobilized to help ward off the demands of the social." According to this theory it seems that the "self" is largely individual and defined by the emotions it feels, but at the same time can adapt or change in diverse situations in order to play many social roles. This deviation from the true individual is referred to as a false self, and depending upon the situational demands one true identity can have many false versions of the self.

This theory seems extremely valid in our society today. It does not seem like anyone maintains or portrays their individual roots all the time, but rather, one can frequently exhibit the change of "self" or people acting differently depending upon the circumstances. For example, if I looked at my own "self" introspectively I would not hesitate to agree with Hochschild. When I am alone, I am in touch with my feelings and have a very specific definition to who I think I am. But, no matter how frequently I tell myself to act the same in every situation, I find it impossible to do so. Over the years I have accumulated so many versions of my self or "false" selves that I sometimes get confused as to who I really am. I think the "false" self can relate to James interpretation of the self as changing yourself to fit what you think others want you to be. It is true that we create our false selves as people who feel they would better fit with the audience they want to be a part of. This is almost stereotyping in a sense, because we must interpret how the group we want to join or how the people we want to hang out with want us to act/be and we mold ourselves around this basis of nonfactual personal judgment.

Hochschild says that, "it is from feelings that we learn the self relevance of what we see, remember, or imagine." This is true for we internalize perceptions, actions and events, and memories all as how we felt when they occurred. I feel that the self is largely emotional and no action or thought can be devoid of emotions. This theory may apply when examining how extremely emotional events impact a person's concept of identity as well.