Self-Image and Self-Concept
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How to Navigate
Click to return to the previous page
A button that flashes is interactive — click it to learn more.
Click to go to the next page
Click to flip the card and read the back
Click to show more information
Take a moment to familiarise yourself with these buttons — you’ll see them throughout the course. They’ll help you navigate more easily and make the most of your experience.
A quick note
Continue
The self-concept: who am I really?
Your self-concept is the mental and emotional picture you have of yourself. It’s the overall image you build from your experiences, your relationships, and your successes or failures.
Continue
According to psychological research, the self-concept has three dimensions:
The Perceived Self
The Ideal Self
The Real Self
What you believe others think of you.
What you truly are, here and now.
What you would like to be.
e.g. “I am shy, but curious.”
e.g. “People see me as cold or distant.”
e.g. “I wish I were more confident.”
Continue
The Selves in Tension: Understanding Self-discrepancy
This process helps reduce the tension between who you are, who you want to be, and what you believe others perceive. This is what psychologists call incongruence: a gap between your real identity and the image you feel you must present in order to be accepted or valued.
This discomfort may show up as self-doubt, lower self-esteem, or difficulty finding your place within your relationships. In these situations, psychologists don’t recommend denying these gaps or trying to force the different selves to become identical. Instead, they encourage gradually bringing them closer together by developing a more accurate and gentle awareness of yourself.
According to researchers, the three selves — the real self, the ideal self, and the perceived self — are fragments of identity that develop gradually, shaped by other people’s views, social expectations, and past wounds. When the gap between these selves becomes too wide, it can create a form of inner dissonance — a sense of being misaligned, ungrounded in your identity, or lacking coherence.
Continue
Self-image: Your Inner Mirror
Your self-image is the way you see yourself or evaluate yourself in different areas (physical, intellectual, emotional, social, moral). It can be positive, negative, or unstable depending on situations and relationships. Your self-image is your inner mirror — sometimes accurate, sometimes distorted by judgments, comparisons, or external expectations.
Continue
Key Influences
According to psychological research, self-image is shaped by:
Social comparison (especially with peers during adolescence)
Life experiences (successes, failures, criticism, encouragement)
Media and social media, which often create unrealistic standards.
Significant relationships (parents, friends, teachers, mentors)
Continue
Example: You might feel “terrible” at sports not because you truly are,but because you’re comparing yourself to someone who’s exceptionally good at it.
Continue
Key Point
Continue
Self-Esteem: How You Treat Yourself From Within
Self-esteem is the value you assign to your own being.
It stems from your self-concept, but it’s the emotional dimension of it:
how you feel about who you are, and how you treat yourself based on that perception.
Continue
In psychology, a healthy level of self-esteem is understood to rest on three pillars:
Self-acceptance
Self-confidence
Self-respect
Continue
Self-Acceptance
Recognising your strengths and your limitations.
“I’m not perfect, but I’m learning.”
+example
+description
Continue
Self-Respect
Treat yourself with both kindness and high standards.
“I deserve to be treated well — including by myself.”
+example
+description
Continue
Self-Confidence
Believing in your ability to grow.
“I can improve over time.”
+example
+description
Continue
True self-esteem doesn’t come from compliments, but from the alignment between what you believe and how you live.
Continue
The Traps of Self-Image
Even though self-image is a natural part of us, it can be shaped by distortions that weaken self-esteem.
Psychology identifies several common distortions that skew how we perceive ourselves:
Continue
Excessive social comparison Defining yourself through others. e.g. “I’m useless compared to X.”
Constant self-judgement Being harsh with yourself when you make mistakes. e.g. “I’m such an idiot.”
Borrowed identity Conforming in order to be accepted. e.g. “I go along with the group — otherwise they won’t accept me.”
Perfectionism Never feeling “good enough.”
e.g. “If it’s not perfect, it doesn’t count.”
Continue
Key Point
Continue
Towards a more accurate self-image
Developing a healthy self-image doesn’t mean seeing yourself as “amazing”, but seeing yourself with realism and kindness. Psychologists suggest three approaches:
Look at yourself the way a researcher examines their data: without judgement, with curiosity.
Work on gradually bringing your real self and your ideal self closer together — without comparing yourself to others.
Neutral self-observation
Gradual adjustment
Compassionate feedback
Ask trusted people how they see you.
It can help you bring your inner self-image closer to how you’re actually perceived.
“I’m afraid to speak — that’s not a flaw that defines me, it’s simply a fact I need to acknowledge, a piece of data about myself that I’m noting.”
“I want to be more organised, so I’m starting by tidying up for five minutes a day.”
Continue
These three practices — observing, adjusting, and listening — help you build a self-image that’s more stable, more realistic, and more compassionate.
Continue
In summary
Self-concept
Definition: Your overall view of yourself (real, ideal, perceived). Main purpose: Understanding your personal identity.
Self-image
Definition: How you see yourself in everyday life
Main purpose: Accepting yourself and adjusting with realism.
Estime de soi
Definition: The emotional value you give yourself
Main purpose: Developing a healthy inner relationship
To know yourself is to learn to see yourself as you are, to accept yourself without self-deception, and to love yourself.
Continue
Activities to Check Understanding
Continue
Continue
Continue
Continue
Continue
Continue
Continue
Continue
Well done!
You have completed this session!
Start
Key Point
Your self-image is still developing during adolescence. The goal is to build it with objectivity so that it becomes coherent, stable, and true to who you really are — beyond judgments.
Key Point
Your self-image isn’t a fixed truth — it’s a construction shaped by your experiences and your environment. It can evolve, become clearer, or find better balance as you develop a more accurate awareness of who you are.
Self-Image and Self-Concept
Muriel Akahi
Created on November 20, 2025
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Transcript
Self-Image and Self-Concept
Start
How to Navigate
Click to return to the previous page
A button that flashes is interactive — click it to learn more.
Click to go to the next page
Click to flip the card and read the back
Click to show more information
Take a moment to familiarise yourself with these buttons — you’ll see them throughout the course. They’ll help you navigate more easily and make the most of your experience.
A quick note
Continue
The self-concept: who am I really?
Your self-concept is the mental and emotional picture you have of yourself. It’s the overall image you build from your experiences, your relationships, and your successes or failures.
Continue
According to psychological research, the self-concept has three dimensions:
The Perceived Self
The Ideal Self
The Real Self
What you believe others think of you.
What you truly are, here and now.
What you would like to be.
e.g. “I am shy, but curious.”
e.g. “People see me as cold or distant.”
e.g. “I wish I were more confident.”
Continue
The Selves in Tension: Understanding Self-discrepancy
This process helps reduce the tension between who you are, who you want to be, and what you believe others perceive. This is what psychologists call incongruence: a gap between your real identity and the image you feel you must present in order to be accepted or valued.
This discomfort may show up as self-doubt, lower self-esteem, or difficulty finding your place within your relationships. In these situations, psychologists don’t recommend denying these gaps or trying to force the different selves to become identical. Instead, they encourage gradually bringing them closer together by developing a more accurate and gentle awareness of yourself.
According to researchers, the three selves — the real self, the ideal self, and the perceived self — are fragments of identity that develop gradually, shaped by other people’s views, social expectations, and past wounds. When the gap between these selves becomes too wide, it can create a form of inner dissonance — a sense of being misaligned, ungrounded in your identity, or lacking coherence.
Continue
Self-image: Your Inner Mirror
Your self-image is the way you see yourself or evaluate yourself in different areas (physical, intellectual, emotional, social, moral). It can be positive, negative, or unstable depending on situations and relationships. Your self-image is your inner mirror — sometimes accurate, sometimes distorted by judgments, comparisons, or external expectations.
Continue
Key Influences
According to psychological research, self-image is shaped by:
Social comparison (especially with peers during adolescence)
Life experiences (successes, failures, criticism, encouragement)
Media and social media, which often create unrealistic standards.
Significant relationships (parents, friends, teachers, mentors)
Continue
Example: You might feel “terrible” at sports not because you truly are,but because you’re comparing yourself to someone who’s exceptionally good at it.
Continue
Key Point
Continue
Self-Esteem: How You Treat Yourself From Within
Self-esteem is the value you assign to your own being. It stems from your self-concept, but it’s the emotional dimension of it: how you feel about who you are, and how you treat yourself based on that perception.
Continue
In psychology, a healthy level of self-esteem is understood to rest on three pillars:
Self-acceptance
Self-confidence
Self-respect
Continue
Self-Acceptance
Recognising your strengths and your limitations.
“I’m not perfect, but I’m learning.”
+example
+description
Continue
Self-Respect
Treat yourself with both kindness and high standards.
“I deserve to be treated well — including by myself.”
+example
+description
Continue
Self-Confidence
Believing in your ability to grow.
“I can improve over time.”
+example
+description
Continue
True self-esteem doesn’t come from compliments, but from the alignment between what you believe and how you live.
Continue
The Traps of Self-Image
Even though self-image is a natural part of us, it can be shaped by distortions that weaken self-esteem. Psychology identifies several common distortions that skew how we perceive ourselves:
Continue
Excessive social comparison Defining yourself through others. e.g. “I’m useless compared to X.”
Constant self-judgement Being harsh with yourself when you make mistakes. e.g. “I’m such an idiot.”
Borrowed identity Conforming in order to be accepted. e.g. “I go along with the group — otherwise they won’t accept me.”
Perfectionism Never feeling “good enough.” e.g. “If it’s not perfect, it doesn’t count.”
Continue
Key Point
Continue
Towards a more accurate self-image
Developing a healthy self-image doesn’t mean seeing yourself as “amazing”, but seeing yourself with realism and kindness. Psychologists suggest three approaches:
Look at yourself the way a researcher examines their data: without judgement, with curiosity.
Work on gradually bringing your real self and your ideal self closer together — without comparing yourself to others.
Neutral self-observation
Gradual adjustment
Compassionate feedback
Ask trusted people how they see you.
It can help you bring your inner self-image closer to how you’re actually perceived.
“I’m afraid to speak — that’s not a flaw that defines me, it’s simply a fact I need to acknowledge, a piece of data about myself that I’m noting.”
“I want to be more organised, so I’m starting by tidying up for five minutes a day.”
Continue
These three practices — observing, adjusting, and listening — help you build a self-image that’s more stable, more realistic, and more compassionate.
Continue
In summary
Self-concept
Definition: Your overall view of yourself (real, ideal, perceived). Main purpose: Understanding your personal identity.
Self-image
Definition: How you see yourself in everyday life Main purpose: Accepting yourself and adjusting with realism.
Estime de soi
Definition: The emotional value you give yourself Main purpose: Developing a healthy inner relationship
To know yourself is to learn to see yourself as you are, to accept yourself without self-deception, and to love yourself.
Continue
Activities to Check Understanding
Continue
Continue
Continue
Continue
Continue
Continue
Continue
Continue
Well done!
You have completed this session!
Start
Key Point
Your self-image is still developing during adolescence. The goal is to build it with objectivity so that it becomes coherent, stable, and true to who you really are — beyond judgments.
Key Point
Your self-image isn’t a fixed truth — it’s a construction shaped by your experiences and your environment. It can evolve, become clearer, or find better balance as you develop a more accurate awareness of who you are.