【明報專訊】The theory of "Self-concept", proposed by American psychologist Carl Rogers, is about one's perception of themselves, which includes their evaluation of their manners when dealing with people, their abilities and their values. According to Rogers, our self-concept is established during our puberty. A self-concept is made up of the "ideal self" (the person he or she wants to be) and the "actual self" (his or her image of himself or herself at the moment). A person has a better self-concept when his or her ideal self and actual self match, and a poorer self-concept when there is a great discrepancy between them. Those with a better self-concept have a higher chance of self-actualisation.

The building of an ideal self

Our society have a set of expectations of young people about their academic performances, careers and behaviour. During their journey towards emotional growth, young people often turn these expectations into their self-images – as well as goals. When they fail to achieve these goals in their lives, their "ideal self" and "actual self" come into conflict, which could affect their self-esteem. Furthermore, some young people who are weighed down by the expectations and pressure from their families and peers will have difficulty building up their self-concepts.

Sense of identity X Role models

Psychologist Erik Erikson believes that young people trying to develop their sense of direction and identity not only seek the approval of their peers, but also look beyond their families for role models in order to build up their self-images. Some young people therefore tend to dress or behave like pop idols and stars. In recent years, dressing like Korean stars has become fashionable in Hong Kong.

Plastic surgery

People with a positive self-concept are able to think critically, knowing that no one should be judged on their appearances or their bodies. That said, thanks to the popular assumption that "being slim brings you beauty and confidence", weight loss products and therapies have become popular, with cosmetic surgery also being increasingly common.

In South Korea, which has a booming plastic surgery industry, there are TV shows inviting people to undergo plastic surgery. Such TV shows home in the message that being ugly makes one the target of bullying and leads to the loss of self-esteem, and that after having plastic surgery, these people enjoy a new lease of life – not only have they extricated themselves from their plights, but they have also been offered new opportunities because of their man-made beauty.

Steve Chung, an assistant lecturer at the Social Science Faculty of the CUHK and an expert of Korean culture, says that due to intense competition in Korean society, the importance of beauty is deeply ingrained in children from an early age. Some parents offer their children plastic surgery as a gift. Plastic surgery is justified in Korean society. Cynthia Figueroa, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Florida, says that while plastic surgery is not a panacea for those who have a low self-esteem, it does have a positive psychological effect on many people.