A sense of belonging is a basic human need. Abraham Maslow (1943) ranks “belonging” as third in human needs in his model “Hierarchy of Needs”. The more an individual feel that they fit in and connect with others, the more satisfied they were with their lives. Our relationships with family and friends provide love, security and support, gives connection and meaning to our lives. Having a healthy social life and positive relationship will boost our physical and mental health, increase our self-esteem and gives us a sense of belonging. Some of us find a sense of belonging from our family, some find belonging from friends or in a church while others find a sense of belonging on social media. People with more friends have higher self-esteem and …show more content…
This is of our perceptions and sometimes can be wrong because it is based on our assumptions. We then react accordingly to what we imagined they feel about us based on the judgements made. Cooley believed that although we are not consciously aware of it, we often try to conform to the image that we imagine other people expect from us. He said that throughout our lives, we continue to change in accordance to other’s perception of us. This concept offers insight into our own thinking and also how we shape our identity based on how others perceived of us. Cooley believed that we should develop a self-image that is based more on our own evaluations rather than what we believe others perceive of us. As stated by Carl Rogers (1959), self-concept has three components which is self-image, self-esteem and ideal-self. Ideal-self is what we ideally wish to be like. Rogers (1959) had confidence in human potential and suggested that people will continue to put effort and develop their personal capabilities until they achieved their state of “ideal self” which he called “the fully-functioning …show more content…
Self-image is how you see yourself and how you think others see you. Image is about one’s perception. How you see yourself is often different from how others see you. You see yourself either in a positive way or in a negative way depending on your level of self-esteem and beliefs about yourself. When the self-image is positive, you accept and appreciate your body. When the self-image is negative, the person tends to focus on their shortcomings and faults. This will affect your thinking, your behaviour and how you interact with others. People will respond to you either positively or negatively according to how assured or confident you