#125: Narrative Identity, Subselves & Being Self-Absorbed
3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Thinking About Ourselves
I. Narrative Identity
There are many ways to describe someone’s personality. The Big 5 personality traits (conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness to experience and extraversion) are one of them. But we can also see ourselves as agents pursuing goals and values. According to psychologist Dan P. McAdams, our Narrative Identity, is a third level of personality:
Narrative identity is the internalized and evolving story of the self that a person constructs to make sense and meaning out of his or her life. The story is a selective reconstruction of the autobiographical past and a narrative anticipation of the imagined future that serves to explain, for the self and others, how the person came to be and where his or her life may be going. People begin to put their lives together into narrative identities in their late-adolescent and young-adult years, but the process of narrative identity development continues across the life course.
—Dan P. McAdams, Narrative Identity
II. Subselves
Broadly speaking, the subself theory suggests that our personalities are made up of various parts, so-called Subselves. These parts are like different characters within us, each with its own thoughts, feelings and motivations.
We can think of it as having a group of inner selves inside our heads. One may be the voice of reason, the other may play the careful part or the part that likes to scream in your boss’s face how you really feel about your job. The goal is to have them all work together harmoniously.
III. Being Self-Absorbed
We're all self-absorbed. But according to the author of The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene, that’s okay:
We’re all, to some extent, very self-absorbed. And I want to take it away from the judgmental aspect that people have of saying: “Oh, you’re a narcissist, you’re so self-absorbed.” We’re all that way. And I want you to accept these parts of yourself instead of keep projecting onto other people that they’re the ones who are bad. Realize that you have that part of it inside of you. Everything that you think other people have, you have those tendencies as well. And you need to accept it. And by accepting it, you become a better human being.
🐘
Have a great week,
Chris
themindcollection.com