On the doggedness of self-enhancement and self-protection: How constraining are reality constraints?
On the doggedness of self-enhancement and self-protection: How constraining are reality constraints?
Self-enhancement and self-protection are constrained by reality. But to what extent? Broader constraints, often considered powerful, such as East-Asian culture, religion, mind-body practices, and prison environments are not particularly effective deterrents. Narrower constraints, also considered powerful, such as self-reflection and mnemic neglect, are not very helpful either. Deliberate and systematic laboratory efforts, both at the intrapersonal level (e.g., explanatory introspection, salience of one’s faults) and the interpersonal level (e.g., accountability, relationship closeness), can boast success in constraining self-enhancement and self-protection strivings, but the success is mixed, difficult to implement, and probably short-lived. The doggedness (potency and prevalence) of self-enhancement and self-protection are due to the functions or social benefits with which they are associated or confer: psychological health, goal pursuit and attainment, leadership election, and sexual selection. These functions are traceable to our species’ evolutionary past.
culture, mind-body practices, reality constraints, religion, Self-enhancement, self-protection
1-21
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Sedikides, Constantine
(2018)
On the doggedness of self-enhancement and self-protection: How constraining are reality constraints?
Self and Identity, .
(doi:10.1080/15298868.2018.1562961).
Abstract
Self-enhancement and self-protection are constrained by reality. But to what extent? Broader constraints, often considered powerful, such as East-Asian culture, religion, mind-body practices, and prison environments are not particularly effective deterrents. Narrower constraints, also considered powerful, such as self-reflection and mnemic neglect, are not very helpful either. Deliberate and systematic laboratory efforts, both at the intrapersonal level (e.g., explanatory introspection, salience of one’s faults) and the interpersonal level (e.g., accountability, relationship closeness), can boast success in constraining self-enhancement and self-protection strivings, but the success is mixed, difficult to implement, and probably short-lived. The doggedness (potency and prevalence) of self-enhancement and self-protection are due to the functions or social benefits with which they are associated or confer: psychological health, goal pursuit and attainment, leadership election, and sexual selection. These functions are traceable to our species’ evolutionary past.
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Accepted/In Press date: 19 December 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 30 December 2018
Keywords:
culture, mind-body practices, reality constraints, religion, Self-enhancement, self-protection
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 429590
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/429590
ISSN: 1529-8868
PURE UUID: cb218e4d-f32b-4ad5-8a07-760c696db4d1
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Date deposited: 29 Mar 2019 17:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:09
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