Description

INTRODUCTION Regarding evolving of sense of self G. W. Allport (1961) wrote in detail in his famous book, "Pattern and Growth of Personality". According to Allport, "the psychology of personality harbors an awesome enigma - the problem of the self'. The self is something of which we are immediately aware. We think of it as a warm, central, private region of our life. As such it plays a crucial part in our consciousness, in our personality and in our organism ........ A complete theory of personality cannot shelve this difficult problem of the subjective nature of the self but must face up to it". In fact, the problem of self is difficult and illusive. There seem.to be three main reasons, of which, the first might be, the term self is used in great many ways by a great many theorists. Taking clue from the term ego many researchers- employed the term ego, instead of self. At least till the date, there is no clear and consistent distinction made between ego and self. These two are treated as equivalent. Secondly, though each of us are aware about the self, we cannot just tell what we are aware of; some thoughts and acts seem to us more self relevant than others. But there is no sharp dividing line. Thirdly, the subject opens up profound philosophical dilemmas concerning of man, of freedom and immorality. The self develops during the childhood itself We do not know what an infant's conscious experience may be like. William James (190 1) called it, a big blooming, buzzing confusion. Probably, William James may be right, however, one thing is quiet certain, the young infant is not aware of himself "as a self'. He does not separate "me" from the rest of world, and it is precisely this separation that is the,