Monday 25 May 2015

Incremental Theory vs Entity Theory of Self

After learning about incremental and entity theories of the self, I was curious to see which I was more similar to. An incremental theory of the self is defined in my cultural psychology textbook as the belief of knowing it is easy and possible to change as well as knowing that we are expected to change, and an entity theory of self is known as resistance to change and the view that our attributes stay the same (Heine, 2012).
While I was thinking about each theory, I came to the conclusion that I generally have an incremental theory of self. I like to think that as a young individual, I have plenty of room for improvement and changes in my life. Something that is and always has been important to me is doing my best at whatever task I am involved in, regardless of what it is. Although it would be great to perfect every skill or task I have ever had to perform, I have a realistic understanding that it simply is not possible. That being said, the next best thing would be to have consistent and constant improvements. I understand that I am always changing - physically through looks and body shape and size, and mentally as I gain knowledge and age. I am certainly not the same person I was 21 years ago when I was born, nor am I the same person physically or mentally that I was even a few years ago. I most definitely believe that we all as individuals are always changing and this is influenced by everything that is changing around us such as the environment, new trends, and aging.
The fact that I have an incremental theory of self may be influenced by the society I grew up in, or even by the way my parents raised me. I was always encouraged to do my best and put in the most effort I could, which often resulted into a personal competition to do better the next time. Sometimes I also competed with my brother, which isn't uncommon among siblings. Whatever it was that influenced this drive certainly pushed me to find room for improvements and come to the realization that there is always room for improvement.

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