Heimdallr said:
DougEE said:
My take on self-presentation: The manner in which we present ourselves to the universe through our thoughts, words, and deeds.
My take on self representation: This could refer to the symbols we surround ourselves with, our music preferences, our circle of friends, our clothing, our programs and behaviours (habits).
I think that's pretty much it DougEE. Some things can fall into both categories, but both ways of communicating with the universe inform it, and the people around us, about who we are.
I think DougEE's and herondancer's ideas can probably be meshed. I'd divide them slightly differently, though. First some definitions:
presentation: the manner or style in which something is given/offered/displayed (i.e. appearance, what people see)
representation: the description/portrayal of someone/something in a particular way (i.e. an image, symbol, likeness)
So I'd see self-presentation as the way we dress, groom ourselves, speak, move, emote, etc. That's what people see when they interact with us.
I originally thought about self-representation similar to DougEE's take. But then I googled, because I knew I'd heard the word before:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Self-Representation.aspx
Self-Representation
How people define themselves in relation to others greatly influences how they think, feel, and behave, and is ultimately related to the construct of identity. Self-development is a continuous process throughout the lifespan; one’s sense of self may change, at least somewhat, throughout one’s life. Self-representation has important implications for socio-emotional functioning throughout the lifespan.
...Psychologists Tory Higgins, Ruth Klein, and Timothy Strauman further suggested that self-representation includes ideas about who we are (actual self), who we potentially could be (ideal self), and who we should be (ought self), both from one’s own perspective and from one’s perception of valued others’ perspectives. Discrepancies between the actual self and the ideal self or ought self may result in depression or anxiety, respectively.
Basically, it's 'self-image' (_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-image), the way we see ourselves, the deep beliefs we have about ourselves and how others see us. And our self-representation influences how we present ourselves to the world. It influences the symbols we 'put out there'. This can be the words we use, the things we create, the image we present, etc. It also influences the symbols we surround ourselves with (music, fashion, literature, multimedia, etc.).
So, what message do we send to ourselves, our community, other communities, and the cosmos at large by the way we present ourselves? What beliefs do we have about ourselves that are untrue? And what small steps can we take to switch from one 'symbol system' to another?
I think these steps can be as simple as changes in the clothes we wear, the way we style our hair, the words we use, our posture and bearing, etc. There have already been some good testimonials of just that in this thread!
It's these small steps that can get us closer to a truer self-representation, and help us present ourselves in a manner more harmonious with our ideals and values as a community. Our self-presentation can become a true indicator of who we are. And that's a good goal to have, IMO. Like Caesar said: "Be true to yourself!"
