Looking-glass self

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The looking-glass self is a concept introduced by American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley in Human Nature and the Social Order (1902). The term describes the process by which individuals develop their self-concept based on their understanding of how others perceive them. According to Cooley, individuals form their self-image by imagining how they appear to others, interpreting others’ reactions, and internalizing these perceptions. This reflective process functions like a mirror, wherein individuals use social interactions to observe themselves indirectly. Over time, these imagined evaluations by others can influence and shape one's self-assessment. Sociologist Lisa McIntyre, in The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology, further elaborates that the looking-glass self encapsulates the tendency for individuals to interpret and understand their identities through the lens of others' perceived judgments.

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