One question: Why is the self perceived to be more coherent/variable than others?

[bb10lue]

I was reading a social psychology article about the tendency to evaluate oneself more favorably than others, and i think it'll be quite interesting to know everyone's opion on this, Why are ppl more motivated to see the self is more variable??????

 

[naughtymanolo]

its because we know ourselves best, e.g. when we make a mean/sugestive comment to another person we realize the intent of it as we said it for an intended purpose this can be misleaded or misnderstood by others who think the comment was made in a sheer negative mannor to cause the other person distress and hence have a negative opion of you. Also most people expect or find the worst in others untill they really know them and even then they do it.

 

[Sternchen]

...I'm not sure I understand the question. D'oh! This is probably why I did VERY badly in college when it came to these things :shame:

 

[bb10lue]

hmm...interesting!!

i remeber i read this somewhere a few weeks ago about "self-enhancement" / "above-average effect", it said that the self seen as better than others, self's behaviour attributed more to the situation, other's more to dispositions, self's behaviour explained more with reference to reasons, others more with reference to causes.....

Now im thinking of it, it does make some sense...

 

[bb10lue]

Maybe... its the desire to maintain favorable identity images,the need to maintain believability not only to public audiences but also to the private self, in other words, ppl want to make themselves to look more believable and trustworthy... so theres a fear of invalidity....

Does that make sense??.......