Perceiving My Selves
The purpose of this exercise is to explore how you perceive yourself, how you think others perceive you, and how you would like to be perceived (ideally). In some instances and for some people, these three perceptions will be the same; in most cases and for most people, however, they will be different.
Following this brief introduction are nine lists of items (animals, birds, colors, communications media, dogs, drinks, music, transportation, and sports). Read over each list carefully, trying to look past the purely physical characteristics of the objects to their “personalities” or “psychological meanings.”
For each of the nine lists, indicate the one item that best represents how you perceive yourself—not your physical self, but your psychological and philosophical self. Mark these items MM (Myself to Me).
In each of the nine lists, select the one item that best represents how you feel others perceive you. By “others” is meant acquaintances—neither passing strangers nor close friends, but people you meet and talk with for some time—for example, people in this class. Mark these items MO (Myself to Others).
In each of the nine lists, select the one item that best represents how you would like to be. Put differently, what items would your ideal self select? Mark these items MI (Myself as Ideal).
For Discussion. After all nine lists are marked three times, discuss your choices in groups of five or six in any way you feel is meaningful. Your objective is to get a better perspective on how your selfperception compares with both the perceptions of you by others and your own ideal perception. In these discussions, state as clearly as possible why you selected the items you did and specifically what each selected item means to you at this time. Welcome suggestions from group members as to why they think you selected the items you did. You might also wish to integrate consideration of some or all of the following questions into your discussion:
- How different are the items marked MM from those marked MO? Why do you suppose this is so? Which is the more positive? Why?
- How different are the items marked MM from those marked MI? Why do you suppose this is so?
- What do the number of differences between the items marked MM and the items marked MI mean for personal happiness?
- How accurate were you in the items you marked MO? Ask members of the group which items they would have selected for you.
- Would you show these forms to your best samesex friend? Your best oppositesex friend? Your parents? Your children? Explain.
Animals BirdsColors
bear chicken black
deer eagle blue
fox ostrich gray
lion owl pink
monkey parrot red
rabbit swan white
turtle turkey yellow
Communications Media Dogs Drinks
book boxer beer
film doberman champagne
fourthclass mail greyhound milk
radio husky prune juice
special delivery mutt water
telephone poodle wine
television St. Bernard hot chocolate
SportsTransportation Music
auto racing bicycle rap
baseball jet plane__country/western
boxing horse and wagon folk
bullfighting motorcycle jazz
chess RollsRoyce opera
ice skating van popular
tennis Volkswagen rock