Self-Perception is Influenced By How Others See Them
I thought the reading Double-Consciousness and the Veil, written by W.E.B. Du Bois, was by far the most powerful of the readings for this week. Through realizations in his early life, W.E.B. Du Bois constituted he was different and that he lived life under a 'veil'. The veil consists of separate parts: their skin, how white people fail to see blacks as fellow Americans, and how blacks struggle to view themselves differently than how society paints them. The main concept of this writing, double consciousness, derives from this society. They view themselves not only from their own perspective but also from the perspective of the society that oppresses them. Their self-perceptions are affected by how others see them.
Their actions, behavior, and mental processes are altered through their interactions with those who see them negatively. This makes it hard for a black person to juggle their two identities: as black and as American. Thus, they develop a scattered identity that they feel is difficult to combine. I believe that this writing sufficiently portrays the intricate effects we all have on each other socially. Someone may think that what they say or how they act towards someone only affects them to a small extent, however, this could not be further from true. The idea of the looking-glass self helps explain how wrong this is. How we are treated can dictate how we see ourselves and can have major implications in life. Looking back on the history of the US, black people have been dehumanized and treated unjustly which has, in turn, caused them to form negative self-perceptions and has made them feel as if they do not belong.
In everyday life, it is extremely important to know the possibly profound effects that our words and even jokes can have. As humans, it seems impossible for us to block out external opinions about ourselves from others to the point where it does not affect our self-perception whatsoever. Contemporary examples of these concepts are seen in everyday life. An example of double consciousness in everyday life stems from the racial inequality that still takes place in our present-day society. In the news, and in society, black men are displayed and perceived as criminals or 'thugs'.
Order custom essay Self-Perception is Influenced By How Others See Them with free plagiarism report
450+ experts on 30 subjects
Starting from 3 hours delivery
They are the subjects of unfair treatment by the police seen all over Twitter, Facebook, etc. This all helps form the perceptions white Americans have of black people. Black children see how society perceives their race and it, in turn, helps form how they perceive themselves. If they see that society constantly paints them as a criminal, they may feel that they must embrace it. Thus, the idea of a double-consciousness is evident as the black child sees himself not only through his eyes but also the eyes of society.
Cite this Page
Self-Perception is Influenced By How Others See Them. (2023, Feb 13). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/self-perception-is-influenced-by-how-others-see-them/
Run a free check or have your essay done for you
