A Comparison of Self-Acceptance in Beloved, Secrets and Lies, and Cuckoos Nest :: comparison compare contrast essays

Self-Acceptance in Beloved, Secrets and Lies, and the Cuckoo's Nest  Ã‚      â€Å"Self†-one of the words most commonly used, yet hardly ever defined. According to the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, the term self refers to a) a person’s nature, character, etc. in the sense of â€Å"his/her better self†, or b) a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality, e.g. one’s own self. To clarify the term self in regard to how an individual perceives himself/herself, I would like to make a distinction between the term â€Å"ego† and self.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Generally, ego is defined as â€Å"the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment† (1). I believe that the term ego has been slightly modified throughout the past few decades and now also functions as a synonym for self-importance. The ego is reflected within the capital spelling of the word I, referring to myself, as a separation from aspects of the human psyche that we do not include into our identification of ourselves. It is the ego that makes us feel connected to our name, to our families, and to our accomplishments in life, especially if they have provided us with social respect (and even disrespect, as I will explain later throughout my essay). In pressurizing situations, it is the ego that makes sure that we have the self-esteem to continue, confirming us that we are different from anybody else and that we have the individua l qualities and abilities to do anything we choose.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The self, on the other hand, is in my opinion what we really are, our nature/ character, not necessarily who we perceive ourselves to be. The self is based on a sense of understanding that every individual is on a journey; a lifelong experience. I believe that the self allows ourselves to feel compassion with ourselves no matter what we are going through in life, because we do not need to prove or accomplish something to be entitled to live. Connecting this with the definition given in the Random House Dictionary, stating that self describes a person’s nature, I believe that a strong sense of self is based on acceptance. This implies acceptance of ourselves at any given moment, and acceptance of the fact that all of our past experiences were necessary to bring us where we are right now.