The Pedestal Paradigm
I introduce you all to my creation, for my statistics project, the Pedestal Paradigm. Only Cooley’s concept is his, everything else, including the analytical text, is my own. It’s still in its infancy, but it will hopefully flourish and gorw into something that actually has potential to fly. I will keep you all posted with our findings as we collect and interpret the data. Enjoy.
Synopsis
Charles Horton Cooley famously introduced a sociological concept known as the looking-glass self, where he explains that the “self,” or individual’s identity, is molded through perceptions of us by others in society.[1] Ranging from peers to parents, these adopted images of ourselves influence most, if not all, aspects of personality development. Cooley’s looking-glass self comprises of three pillars that solidify the concept in its entirety:[2]
1) We imagine how we must appear to others.
2) We imagine the judgment of that appearance.
3) We develop our self through the judgments of others.
The role judgment plays in self-development is a significant one and leads to sensitivities and paranoia revolving around insecurities that may or may not be scrutinized, and judged, by society. Thus, an inadvertent consequence of this complex leaves individuals vulnerable to the potentially harsh scope of the ones possessing the perspectives that mold and shape us. It is this vulnerability that leads individuals to fabricate a sense of self that exists not because it is genuinely who they are, but who they are expected to be. The individual will develop defense mechanisms such as false interests, opinions, and actions in order to protect him or herself from negative criticisms and attention. Progressively, a systematic dysfunction of the self can develop and, as a result, often lead to a skewed sense of self-worth that is unrealistic, which we’re calling, the pedestal paradigm.
The pedestal paradigm is a condition in which individuals place their standards and self-value on a metaphorical pedestal, believing they are worth more than they are in actuality (example: “It’ll take a $1,000,000 for me to eat that,” when, if offered, $5,000 would be enough). This statistics project will attempt to exploit this heightened sense of self-worth and establish an average adjusted value applicable to the populace suffering from the pedestal paradigm.
[1] McIntyre, Lisa. The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2006.
[2] Yeung, King-To, and Martin, John Levi. “The Looking Glass Self: An Empirical Test and Elaboration.” Social Forces 81, no. 3 (2003): 843-879.
