Empowerment of Authentic-Self

English psychologist Donald Winnicott explained the definition of “True self” and “False self.” The true self refers to our capability of authentic self-expression which lead us to secure connection to our reality. On the other hand, the false self refers to our incapability of recognition/ expression of our authenticity. When the false self is developed, we tend to obliviously choose our emotions/behaviors based on others’ preference/needs of us, which contributes to the detachment of our genuine experience of the world. The false self is attributed to various conflicts and difficulties in our interpersonal relationships, our relationship to self, and the relationship to the environment.

According to Winnicott, the relationship with our caregiver in our early developmental phase determines the growth of the true-self or the false-self within us. He described that the true self is developed when our caregiver is sensitive enough for our spontaneous gesture and needs, whereas when our caregiver is not capable for the sensitive adjustment to our needs, the false self tends to develop.

If "false self" is overly developed in our childhood, is it impossible for "true self" to be developed in our later life? The answer is no; it is very possible to support the growth of our "true self" in our adulthood. In order to do so, we need to be our own "caregiver,"  who can accept and validate our spontaneous expression. In other word, it is important that we become capable to empower the growth of our "true self" by ourselves.  We aim to empower the development of the true self which will allow a secure connection to yourself and to the world.