How do you feel about who you are? Are you pleased with the person you’ve become, or do you think there’s so much room for improvement that it affects the way you look at yourself? How do others view you — and how do those you meet shape who you are and how you look at yourself? There are just a few things we’re talking about this week on Men in Gorilla Suits.
We begin by talking about how the concept of self-image was introduced to us. (Shawn shares a particular devastating story, here.) After that, we discuss how accurate our perceptions of ourselves are.
Next, we talk about how we arrived at our current self-images.
Others shape who we are in so many ways. We chat about others making observations about us that, while true, went against the way we looked at ourselves. After that, we talk about who has the most accurate image of us: ourselves or our wives.
Find out if we ever project images of ourselves that is different in any way of what we feel are our “true” selves. Then we move onto other people: if we polled those closest to us, would their images of us match the way we look at ourselves? Would it be more positive, negative, or a bit of both?
Then we talk about other people. Find out if those we know view themselves better (or worse) than the people we see. After that, it’s back to us. Do we have a positive or negative (or even aggrandized) image of ourselves?
We wrap it up with two questions:
- If you had to describe yourself — your personality, your actions, your character — in one word, what would you choose?
- What one word do you think others would choose?
Tell us who you are in the comments below…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
gorillamen says
BIG LEGS!!!
BIG LEGS!!!
BIG LEGS!!!
CMStewart says
“Proud to be me T-shirts”? I think that’s a great idea for every grade. 🙂
CMStewart says
I’m proud to be https://youtu.be/loTphMrraQ8 🙂
CMStewart says
Shawn: There was a psychopath in middle / high school who would scream a torrent of the most outrageous insults at me every time he saw me. I didn’t know him, but he was absolutely obsessed with me. He would stalk me in the halls and try to get others to join him in his obsession. And he, like you, would attempt to “justify” his behavior with “I’m just being honest,” which was an obvious falsehood. Today, he is a scumbag lawyer who defends child molesters and loses. Of course.
Shawn says
I would have hoped he would grow out of it. I thought most adults did.
And then I go to a Waffle House… and see they didn’t.
P.S. I actually love Waffle House.
CMStewart says
1. Thoughtful. This would include every meaning of the word “thoughtful,” plus and past and future meanings.
2. Dunno. I believe the spectrum of opinions of me is too contradictory for a single word… Maybe “thoughtful.”