Self psychology

The self psychology is a psychoanalytic theory, which was founded by Heinz Kohut in the 1970s. It deals with the organization and maintenance of the self in response to the objects of the environment, so the most important people for the individual.

The term "self"

The self was first introduced by the psychoanalytic ego - psychologist Heinz Hartmann. It complements the structural model of the psyche of Sigmund Freud. This presented the model of the psyche consisting of from id, ego and superego.

In the object relations theory and self psychology the self is understood in relation to an object, ie the self in relation to another person.

Daniel N. Stern, a well-known self- psychologist and infant researcher, writes:. " Even if no one knows quite what the self is actually, we still have as adults a very real sense of self " He describes the self: as an individual, deferred, integrated body is perceived; as an action instance ( in which we ourselves act ); feel our feelings; our intentions detected; our plans forges; implement our experiences in language and tell our personal knowledge.

The term "I "

That has to give I -reality justice between the demands of the id, the superego and the social environment, stating that it is oriented to his own psychic abilities and possibilities and the potential and realities of the world of nature and the world of culture. The acquisition of knowledge about one's own psychic abilities, possibilities and realities and the possibilities of natural and cultural world called self-knowledge: Know thyself! ( Motto in Greek Philosophy ) Self-knowledge is therefore essential before almost every happiness forming self-realization. - "Happiness " is here now only very generally mean that a person can say at the end of his life, his life had succeeded him, was meaningful, productive, rich experience.

That I needed so hot for its mediation function -oriented conceptions of reality itself, the "self" or "self- representations ". From the self- representations a person derives its self-definition, its psycho- social identity.

Self and I compared

The self is in contrast to the ego an overarching authority in personality (but also partly described as a part of the ego ), which, so includes all instances as the superego and it as well as all the objects the idea of ​​the related parties. Its functions are self-awareness, self- control, communication and bonding. The self is only experienced by mediating a sense of well -being and self-esteem.

At first glance it seems that there are hardly any differences between the ego and the self. Appearances can be deceptive, however, because the self, as the structured images about themselves, of course, is not reflection and able to take criticism. Only the ego with its functions of perceiving, thinking and memory is able to reflect and be self-critical. The formation of a critical self is one of the main functions of the ego.

A self can then call or critical self- representations are then critically recognized and trained by the ego when they can see the limitations of the self ( the person) sufficiently realistic and reflect the consciousness. The fact that one perceives to be realistic, presupposes self-knowledge.

Self-knowledge

Self-knowledge in the deep psychological sense is often humiliating and painful realization of the real boundaries of the self. Painful is this realization, because we all like to ungefährdeter, important, safe, etc., as we are in truth. This situation is called narcissism. Adults should have a realistic picture of yourself - preferably one that comes closest to their reality. And they should love each other and learn to accept the way they are - and not as an unrealistic super-ego - ego-ideal they would like. And they should not look smaller than it according to their capabilities, otherwise they can not become who they could be and should be.

" Become who you are" ( = on your skills and capabilities ago by your system equipment manufactures and system capabilities ago) is it seems a claim, the plotted only from the educational environment fro a person and through reward and punishment mechanisms is socialized into the super-ego into it. But it is also a more or less unconscious claim from the It: The psychosomatic urge to move the curiosity drive (perception interest ) and confirmation urge (primary narcissism ) lead unconsciously - so how automatically - to test yourself, to maintain and solve problems to want. However, I must critically examine and especially self-critical and action-guiding use, so you can tell the action impulses and action claims arising from the id, the superego and of the social environment: " Become who you are" is a claim by the ichfunktional formed conscience.

The formation of the self is a process of compromise formation, inasmuch as the ego in the self-realization between the demands of the id, the superego and social external (feedback) conveys. The optimal goal of the compromise formation is the finding of a stable, ie conflict enabled self: a self that is able to organize human action in a conflict-ridden life lebensentfaltend ( conflict resolution and konfliktminimierend ). This compromise formation of the self is sometimes a difficult to solve life problem. The question 'Who am I ' is often manifested as a crisis of meaning.

Links and literature

• W. Herbold, U. Sachsse: The so-called inner child. From inside the child self. Schattauer, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-7945-2588-4. ( Review: German doctors Journal, December 2007) The book combines the self psychology of Heinz Kohut with the concept of the Inner Child work. Pp. 107-133.
• H. Kohut: " The healing of the self." Suhrkamp, Frankfurt 1981.