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The Self

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The Self
Part 1: Summarize “The Self” by George Herbert Mead
George Herbert Mead begins his article by highlighting that self is not something we are born with but rather a process we develop through our experiences and interactions with our social surroundings. Mead adds that we create an incomplete self-image through what we can see with our eyes such as our hand and feet but reflects that we create a complete image of what we can see and can’t see through our social interactions. He mentions how social experiences consist of symbolic/gesture exchange. We our just objects without conscious when our minds our occupied by intense action but become self-objects when we become conscious of that in which we are distracted with. We create meaning by language, gestures and symbols. Mead believes that social experience is determined by how we see ourselves by social responses. We self-analyze ourselves to reason and differentiate ourselves from other objects. We are our own best advocates. Mead uses an example of those in solitaire communicating with themselves and becoming companions to themselves. He mentions gestures are the first line of communication. How we respond to our own gestures may actually change how we felt originally simply by how we analyzed our own responses. How we are with ourselves is different than how we are with each other which explains why at times we told you’re not yourself. Mead describes how knowing others’ intentions require us to see it in their shoes. Mead describes that full development is reached by two stages. The first stage is based on how we determine self by the responses of others towards himself or toward each other. The seconded stage is how we are perceived by a group or organization. He mentions how we become part of a community by adopting those images of the community and mirror them as your own. Mead describes that “I” self-initiates an action and “me” self may change or continue based on how others responds. George Herbert Mead

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