What role, if any, do others play in the formation of the self?

Many of us would believe that social expectations, dominant paradigms and social interaction influence our sense of self. Social interaction provides a basis for comparison, which distinguish between others and I (the principle of 'how can we know what we are, without knowing what we are not?'). Social forces directly influence the way in which we view ourselves (e.g the appearance of our bodies). An extreme view, social constructionism, holds that the self …showed first 75 words of 769 total…

…showed last 75 words of 769 total…There can be no other source for my actions but me - they can't be my actions if another performed them. My actions are influenced, however, by what I perceive as the social judgement of my actions, the laws relating to said action, etc. - all social forces. Social forces have shaped my self-image to believe that an any given situation, I would perform a certain action - and thus this expectation is self fulfilling.