As an actor, the self actively engages in the process of knowing itself. This status of self is called _____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → self as subject
Option (1) self as subject — Correct. When the self is described as one who does something, it is a ‘subject’. As a subject (actor) the self actively engages in the process of knowing itself, the ‘knower’ in ‘I know who I am’.
Option (2) self as object — Incorrect. As an object (consequence) the self gets observed and comes to be known; it is the self that is affected, as in ‘I am one who easily gets hurt’. This is the other half of the self’s dual status, not the actor.
Option (3) ideal self — Incorrect. In Carl Rogers’ theory the ideal self is the self that a person would like to be. It is a goal one holds, not the self as knower.
Option (4) real self — Incorrect. The real self is what a person actually is; Rogers held that a person is generally happy when the real self and the ideal self correspond. It too says nothing about the self as the one who knows.
NCERT (2025-26): “Concept of Self … 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.” “Humanistic Approach … Rogers suggests that each person also has a concept of ideal self. An ideal self is the self that a person would like to be. When there is a correspondence between the real self and ideal self, a person is generally happy. Discrepancy between the real self and ideal self often results in unhappiness and dissatisfaction.…” |