We Think We've a "True" Self. But Does the "True" Self Exist?
Here is what philosophy and social sciences would tell you.
Overview
Social psychologists Roy Baumeister and Brad Bushman once said, “Many people like to think they have an inner “true” self. Most social scientists are sceptical of such notions. If the inner self is different from the way the person acts all the time, why is the inner one the “true” self?” In science, some suggest that the true self is a notion lacking close investigation and scrutinisation. For example, Dr Nina Strohminger from Wharton and Prof. Shaun Nichols from Cornell highlight that the belief in a true self is indeed common while questioning its actual existence.
Is the view that we have our “true self” solely a reflection of the socio-cultural environment in which we exist?
Our idea of believing that one has an underlying self on top of the surface personality can be traced back to the notion that an individual has a soul which is potentially immortal. Before we study the existence of the “true” self, we have to understand what “self” refers to.
What are “Self” and “True” Self?
In Western and traditional Asian contexts, the understanding of “self” is often complex and, sometimes, conflicting. In general, we define it as a kind of essence, substance and/or a soul, a voice of conscience, a source of moral and/or authentic action, a divine concept and an identity related to the past and ancestry. Above all, what I like the most is the understanding of “self” as a free, autonomous agent that must be created. And the list of defining what the “self” is goes on and on.
In addition, the “true” self is generally interpreted as a psychological concept that refers to one’s core essence or identity, often viewed as distinct from the self we present to the world. We learn that all key dimensions of interpreting “self”, as presented above, are closely related to our core essence and/or identity. Therefore, many parts of us could lay claim to the “true” self.
Rather than picking or overstating one specific aspect, it’s perhaps more useful to see the “true” self as a unifying whole that brings together our different aspects of “self”. This true self isn’t just a static (i.e. ever-unchanging) entity; it’s also a moral indication, formed by our past experiences yet always striving towards an ideal that we both discover within and actively create for our future.
I mentioned that “self” can be interpreted as a free, autonomous agent. In my discipline — sociology, I study a lot about self-autonomy and -agency and their entitlement or restriction. Similarly, in philosophy and psychology, the idea of a “true” self often links to freedom — not only freedom from external constraints (such as being financially flexible or rich), but also the positive freedom to determine who we are.
I also mentioned that “self” must be created. In philosophy, the broad question to discuss is how and why we self-create our “true” selves. For example, do we self-create our “true” selves arbitrarily? Yet, in philosophy and social sciences, we further identify that our “true” self can involve connecting with others — individuals, communities and/or cultures — so our “true” selves, on top of self-creation, can be socially or culturally created too. This means, on one hand, we self-impose what our “true” selves are, and, on the other hand, we allow social and cultural exposure to define or shape our “true” selves further.
Why the Existence of “True” Self Is Often Challenged?
Yet, philosophically, is the “true” self really “true”? Or how “true” is our “true” self? In today’s landscape, for example, we are constantly exposed to misinformation, cultural biases and different unconscious drives.
Psychology informs that external forces and inner conflicts continually shape our “true” selves, although most of us maintain a consistent belief in our personalised “true” selves. When we consider what is most fundamental to our identity, we often prioritise moral traits over things such as memories and personality uniqueness. Such an understanding facilitates our general perception that the “true” self has a positive, moral core.
Despite such common belief and interpretation, as was said in the beginning of this article, the concept of “true” self is often challenged. This is primarily because the concept itself is too subjective and impossible to prove. Social scientists argue that what we identify as our “true” selves depends heavily on our personal values and cultural background.
More importantly, our “true” selves are often hidden or contradictory to all observable behaviours or traits we display in front of others. For example, a serial killer can claim that they have a pure soul who always wants to display acts of kindness. Therefore, what our “true” selves are can be criticised as an imaginary fiction rather than a scientific reality.
Final Thoughts
In sum, to determine the existence of the “true” self, we can consider two aspects: a “thin” and a “thick” conception. The “thin” idea refers to the basic and static essence — meaning the simple, direct awareness of being “you” (your own self). However, fundamentally, this can be very vague.
The “thick” conception, instead, views the “true” self as something richer and more dynamic. It is something under development over time with distinct traits or qualities, such as those moral ones. We have to ask ourselves: What traits, beliefs and values do our inner selves hold? Do we constantly hold these elements within our inner selves? Do we authentically believe in these elements within our inner selves?
We should engage in self-dialogue to understand how the “thin” and “thick” ideas interlink, in order to better self-evaluate whether we have a “true” self, and if yes, what our “true” selves are.
Yet, some social scientists would still challenge: the understanding of “true” self is subjective and lacks scientific proof.
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