False-Self, True-Self
Discover The False-Self Concept And Move Past Repressed Feelings
D.W. Winnicott’s False-Self theory stands the test of time in the first of the following three-part series.
It is never too late to be what you might have been. ― George Eliot
When you think about the concept of the “False-Self,” what images come to mind?
Donald W. Winnicott, an English pediatrician, and psychoanalyst first introduced the theory of False-self and True-Self in 1960. Since then, an overwhelming body of work exists on the topic.
In the following three-part series, we will first focus on False-Self theory, beginning with the meaning of the term, followed by origins in childhood, how we cultivate awareness of the False-Self, and conclude with the activation of desire for personal change.
We will delve into the transition to the True-Self in future stories, the meaning behind the concept, and modern interpretations of the theory.
The Meaning Of False-Self
Before Winnicott coined the theory of False-Self and True-Self, the basic ideas already existed in psychological, philosophical…
