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 %IDENTITY SELF CONCEPTION ACCEPTANCE ESTEEM REJECT 891026

     The   health  and  integrity  of  a  person   depends
critically upon the person's conception of the nature of a
person,  a  self;  and upon their particular conception of
their own nature.

     If  a  person's  conception of a self is  that  of  a
static  entity,  then creatively coping  through  personal
change is unlikely.  The person is likely to expect change
to  take  place  outside;   and to serve  the  purpose  of
accommodating others to self.

     If  a  person's  conception of a self is that  of  an
agent  to  please  others,   then  personal  integrity  is
unlikely,  because one cannot please all close others with
integrity within such a limiting self conception.

     If a person's conception of self is that of an entity
which must conform to achieve acceptability, then personal
integrity  and health is impossible,  because they are not
associated with such conformity.

     If  a person's conception of self is but a reflection
of  others'   perceptions  of their self,   then  personal
integrity  and  health  is  impossible,   because  others'
perceptions  collectively are unlikely to have  integrity.
Such  a  person cannot know themselves and cannot  have  a
unique personal identity.

     If  a  person's  conception  of self  is  that  of  a
follower of rules,  regulations, legalities,  injunctions,
commandments, etc.; then personal integrity and health are
impossible,   because  there is no such  formal  structure
which  adequately  serves to lead real humans  in  complex
communities to fulfill their unique potentials.

     Frustrations   and  dissatisfaction  with  self   and
others  originate  in dissonance between self  conceptions
and  self  perceptions.   The self  conceptions  and  self
perceptions may,  or may not,  be authentic.  They may  be
distorted  reflections  of images to be found in self  and
others.   Even so,  frustrations and dissatisfaction  with
self  and  other  originate  in  dissonance  between  self
conceptions  and self perceptions of whatever kind may  be
experienced by a person.

     People  assign,  accept,  conceive,  and may  fulfill
roles  in  the drama of life.  Their integrity and  health
depends  upon the integrity with which they act out  their
roles of whatever origin. If their role does not suit them
(fit  them)  as unique individuals,  they are likely to be
frustrated  and to act with less than  personal  integrity
and health. They are likely to be crippled and ineffective
persons.

     For  a  community  to  have integrity  and  to  enjoy
communal health, its members individually and collectively
need  to work to promote the personal health and integrity
of all members of the community.  This will entail dealing
honestly  with  distorted self conceptions  and  distorted
self  perceptions  which are often occasioned by  communal
expectations  and  demands  which  are  inappropriate   to
members  of  the community.  Honesty in  such  efforts  is
essential,  for without honesty there can be no  integrity
and no long-term health.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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