The Shaping of Identity: Early Perceptions and Social Reflections

From our earliest childhood, we begin to perceive ourselves through the prism of those around us, laying the foundation for our self-awareness. The first impressions received from loved ones form the basis on which our personal image is later built. A child learns to see itself as others see it: all its traits are reflected in the evaluations and reactions of those around it, determining its initial definition of “self.” However, this process is not limited to external perception – psychological experience, which unites physical sensations, emotional responses, and social interactions, plays a key role in the formation of our identity. It is at this central stage that the integration of internal sensations with the influence of the external world gradually forms a complex and coherent personal image. The result is a dynamic and multifaceted “self” that evolves and is enriched through constant communication, self-analysis, and shared experiences.

“How do social expectations and the influence of the external world shape our understanding of our own identity before society determines who we should be?”

The formation of self-identity begins long before society establishes rigid standards and defines the specific roles a person should assume. Already in the early stages of life, external expectations and the dynamics of the surrounding world play an important role in how an individual begins to perceive themselves. For example, according to the text from file 1348_6739.txt, a child has not yet distinguished itself from its environment and perceives itself through the prism of others’ evaluations:

"Before it, images of relatives flicker by – yet it does not know their inner lives – it merely perceives them as living persons. At this stage, the child, not setting itself apart from its environment, regards itself in the same way that others regard it. It considers itself 'Vanya,' 'Mitya,' 'Nadya,' etc., by evaluating itself through the assessments of others, looking at itself with others’ eyes, and thinking about itself in others’ words; in short, the child is merely a member of a social bond, someone whom others call 'Vanya.' It thinks about itself because others think about it, and it forms its self-image exactly from what it hears from others. Without these 'others,' without a vibrant social environment, the child could not distinguish itself, and within that environment, it sees itself only as others see it."

This quotation indicates that the primary images received from loved ones become the basis for further self-perception—an individual learns to see themselves through the reactions and evaluations of those around them from the very beginning.

Furthermore, as noted in the material from file 1270_6349.txt, identity is involved in the process of interacting with the world on multiple levels – somatic, psychological, and social. Although this context addresses a broad range of factors, it is the psychological level that serves as the central stage, where the integration of internal and external experiences occurs:

"Identity is actively involved in processes on three levels of reality: somatic (the organism strives to preserve its integrity while constantly interacting with the external world), psychological (when the integration of external and internal experiences occurs in an individual’s consciousness and behavior), and social (identity influences the social fabric and the nature of community ties). The central level among these is the psychological, and identity has been most thoroughly studied from this perspective..."

Thus, even before society establishes strictly defined boundaries for individual behavior, personality is formed through external stimuli: the child perceives its qualities not objectively, but through the reflections of others’ views and expectations. This initial perception, based on the positions of others, creates a basic image of the “self” that is later enriched with more complex social, cultural, and psychological attributes.

Supporting citation(s):

"Before it, images of relatives flicker by – yet it does not know their inner lives – it merely perceives them as living persons. At this stage, the child, not setting itself apart from its environment, regards itself in the same way that others regard it. It considers itself 'Vanya,' 'Mitya,' 'Nadya,' etc., by evaluating itself through the assessments of others, looking at itself with others’ eyes, and thinking about itself in others’ words; in short, the child is merely a member of a social bond, someone whom others call 'Vanya.' It thinks about itself because others think about it, and it forms its self-image exactly from what it hears from others. Without these 'others,' without a vibrant social environment, the child could not distinguish itself, and within that environment, it sees itself only as others see it." (source: 1348_6739.txt)

"Identity is actively involved in processes on three levels of reality: somatic (the organism strives to preserve its integrity while constantly interacting with the external world), psychological (when the integration of external and internal experiences occurs in an individual’s consciousness and behavior), and social (identity influences the social fabric and the nature of community ties). The central level among these is the psychological, and identity has been most thoroughly studied from this perspective..." (source: 1270_6349.txt)