15 December 2016

The distinction proposed here between the ideal self and the ought self is reflected in various distinctions suggested in the literature (e.g., Colby, 1968; James, 1890/1948; Piers & Singer, 1971; Rogers, 1961; Schafer, 1967). In an extensive discussion of the difference between moral conscience and personal ideals, Schafer (1967) cogently argued that "ideals and superego morality have been confined together when each should long ago have had a place of its own" (p. 131). A classic literary example of the difference between the ideal self and the ought self is the conflict between a hero's "personal wishes" and his or her "sense of duty." A current real-world example is the conflict some women have between their own wishes to be successful professionals and some other persons' beliefs that they ought to be housewives and mothers.

When we speak of human experience, we mean two interrelated processes. On the one hand, we, like all other living beings, adapt to the world, on the other hand, (which is our totally human trait), we change the environment. As a simple example we can use the Earth that has been looking completely different since the human race began its expansion. Naturally, when dealing with our internal world, we’ve the same two options: to change or to adapt. 0