Page 1 - Lesson Note 1

Class XII

Chapter 2

Self and Personality

Lesson Notes

Module 1

SELF AND PERSONALITY: an overview

 The characteristics ways in which we define our existence generally refers to
the concept of self and personality.
 It constitute the various ways in which our experiences are organised and
show up in our behaviour.
 We have seen different people having different views and ideas about
themselves, this represents the SELF of a person.
 Although we know that different people behaves differently in any given
particular situations, but the overall behaviour of any particular person
remains fairly stable across different situations.
 This relatively stable pattern of behaviour represents the
PERSONALITY of that person.

CONCEPT OF SELF

 Generally as we have already studied in class 11 that when a baby is born,
s/he has no idea of its self.
 But as it grows older, the idea of self emerges and its formation begins.
 The idea of the self is –
 Shaped by the involvement of parents, friends, teachers and other
significant others.
 Modified by our interaction with others, our experiences, and the
meaning we give to them etc.
 The attributes that people use to describe you speaks about their personal as
well as their social and cultural identities.
 PERSONAL IDENTITY
 Refers to those attributes of a person that make her/him different from
others.
 Here, a person describes his/her qualities, characteristics,
potentialities, beliefs etc.
 Example- I am honest and hardworking person.

 SOCIAL IDENTITY
 Refers to those aspects of a person which link her/him to the society
and its rules or is derived from it.