In the given statement 'I am a musician' ____________
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Self is described as a subject
When people describe themselves, they do so either as an entity that does something or as an entity on which something is done.
Option (1) Self is described as an object — Incorrect. The self is described as an ‘object’ (which gets affected) in a statement such as ‘I am one who easily gets hurt’. Being a musician is something the person does, not something that happens to her or him.
Option (2) Self is described as a subject — Correct. In a description such as ‘I am a dancer’, the self is described as a ‘subject’ (who does something). ‘I am a musician’ works the same way: the person is the one who makes the music.
Option (3) Self is described as both object and subject — Incorrect. The self can be understood as a subject as well as an object, as in ‘I know who I am’, where it is both the knower and the known. A single description like ‘I am a musician’, however, shows only the doer.
Option (4) Self gets observed as an object — Incorrect. As an object (consequence) the self gets observed and comes to be known. The statement does not speak of being observed; it states an activity of the person.
NCERT (2025-26): “Self as Subject and Self as Object … If you return to your friends’ descriptions in Activity 2.1, you will find that they have described themselves either as an entity that does something (e.g., I am a dancer) or as an entity on which something is done (e.g., I am one who easily gets hurt). In the former case, the self is described as a ‘subject’ (who does something); in the latter case, the self is described as an ‘object’ (which gets affected). This means that self can be understood as a subject as well as an object. When you say, ‘I know who I am’, the self is being described as a ‘knower’ as well as something that can be ‘known’. As a subject (actor) the self actively engages in the process of knowing itself. As an object (consequence) the self gets observed and comes to be known. This dual status of self should always be kept in mind.” |