REAL AND IDEAL SELF

 THE REAL AND THE IDEAL SELF.

The real self is is who you actually are; the self image. while the ideal self is what you would like to be.

For instance, being a student studying for a B.A in Education is what you really are at the moment but in future you might want to be a teacher and that's the ideal self.

Or, you want to cut weight and shape up. In real sense, you have not done anything about it but you have idealized an image of your perfectly built body after working out.

These two concepts are contradictive because if your ideal self if far way different from the real self, you are more likely to feel  and most likely a failure. But when these concepts are alike, one is most likely to have an accurate self-concept hence a sense of self-worth.

Although these concepts based on our experiences overtime, they are beneficial as they help us shape up and work towards whom we want to be. They also help us accept ourselves as well as be satisfied with whom we actually are in real life.

To actually, actualize, achieving similarity between whom you are and whom you would want to be is highly recommended. Because it is at this time, that you value and appreciate yourself hence put in more efforts to actually work hard and be productive. We say" happiness starts within oneself" this cant happen when you are unhappy with whom you are.

According to Carl Rodgers, to have an healthy, self image one should:

- adjust their real self with the ideal identity they have of themselves.

- Pay more attention to messages about one's real self

- as well as create a more attainable ideal identity that is attainable.