“Exploring the Interplay of Faith and Identity: The Impact of Christianity on Self-Concept and Self-Esteem”

QUESTION

What would be a good responding question to this post with in text citations and references?

“Self-concept is an individual’s overall perception of him or herself. It usually answers the question, “Who am I?” Self-esteem, on the other hand, is an individual’s perception of his or her own value and is an answer to the question, “How much do I like myself?” (Sabates, A.M, 2012)

Psychologists use the terms “self-concept” and “self-esteem” to talk about how people feel about themselves. Self-image, ideal self, and self-worth are often known as self-esteem, with three parts of the self that make up the self-concept. Philosopher Rene Descartes first explored the perception of self-concept that Sigmund Freud influenced. William James explored self-esteem with an influence from Carl Rogers. Self-concept was influenced by biological and environmental factors, including social interactions. Self-concept is differentiated from self-image, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-awareness. Self-concept and self-esteem are closely related concepts describing an individual’s perceptions of themselves. Both concepts are essential for an individual’s mental and emotional well-being; Self-concept is a cognitive construct that reflects an individual’s beliefs and attitudes about themselves, while, Self-esteem is an emotional construct that reflects how an individual feels about themselves. A healthy self-concept and high self-esteem are essential for a person’s overall well-being. A negative self-concept and low self-esteem can lead to mental and emotional health problems.

After looking at my self-concept and who I am, I know I am a forty-six-year-old male and know that I am a son, brother, father, husband, friend, and a Christian from a small town in SouthWest Oklahoma in the United States. In addition to this, I know and am aware of what jobs, careers, and education I have, have had, or am currently working on. All of this is part of who I am. All these have a role in who I am and are part of what makes me who I am. All of this also has to do with how I see myself. How I look at myself as well as what I feel my self-worth is, is part of self-esteem. As a son, I know where I sit as a child within the family. As a brother, I know that on my mothers’ side, I am the second child of three, and on my fathers’ side, I am the oldest child of three. In addition to my mother and father, with my grandparents on my dads’ side, I am seen as the youngest because they raised me. As a father, I know what my role is and what I must do. As a husband, I know what I should do. As a friend, I know that friends are like family. Lastly, I am a Christian, which is the most important part of my identity. All of these are my perception of who I am.

Self-esteem is how I feel about who I am. When looking at how I feel about myself, this includes my self-perception. I have good perceptions of myself, but I also have or have had some bad perceptions of myself. As a son, I can be proud of where I have come from and of my family heritage or line. My father has never been one to express emotion or his feelings outwardly. He left this job to my stepmom, whose love showed through her feelings and actions. My biological mom was not around much when I was young, and therefore, there was a lot of hurt that I had to overcome. I was the middle child around my mother, being a brother. I was the Oldest when I was around my dad.  I was perceived as the youngest or only child when I lived with my grandparents because my dad and his brother were already grown and out of the house. As a father, I tried to  my best but failed, and the kids were placed in different homes. Today, I work every day, am bettering myself, righting my wrongs, and am still a part as a dad. As a husband, my first marriage went up in flames, and the second time around, I learned what true love and truth are. As a friend, I know that some people are more than friends, meaning that they are like family. While I also realize that others are truly not what they claim to be. Lastly, I know I am a Christian who is a sinner and who has sinned. I know that as a person, I’ve failed at different things or in different areas in my life. In Romans 6: 23, I know that the wages of sin are death and that the gift of God is having eternal life in Jesus Christ. By the grace of God, God sending Jesus to spread his message and to be crucified and die on the cross for my sins, I am saved. I am saved by grace in the blood of Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 (ESV) I know who I am, what I am worth, and it is not a perception of me, but a fact because of what Jesus did on Calvary for me. John 3:16 (ESV) In Romans 12:3 (ESV), By grace, God gave me the ability not to think of myself more highly than I am but to think with faith and with sober judgment. In Timothy 1:7 (ESV), God gave me a spirit not to fear but of power, love, and self-control. Philippians 4:13 (ESV) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 2:3 (ESV) Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, count others more significant than yourselves.”

References

Holy bible: English standard version. (2004). Amer Bible Society.

Sabates, A. M. (2013). Social psychology in christian perspective: Exploring the human condition (Illustrated ed.). IVP Academic.