{"id":150827,"date":"2012-03-21T16:50:20","date_gmt":"2012-03-21T14:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/espirited.com\/every-step-towards-the-true-self-is-very-important\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T07:27:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T05:27:03","slug":"every-step-towards-the-true-self-is-very-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/espirited.com\/en\/every-step-towards-the-true-self-is-very-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Authenticity is the Ultimate Self-Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

The primary goal of humanistic psychology<\/strong> is to facilitate the expression of a person’s true, authentic Self<\/b> in their life.<\/p>\n

According to this view, the true Self is located beneath two more superficial layers\u2014the positive and negative self-images. At the very top is the positive but false self-image. This is The Mask (The Persona)<\/b>\u2014the part you allow others to see. Beneath it lies the negative self-image\u2014the so-called Shadow<\/b>. It contains not only what we hide from others but often what we hide from ourselves. Beneath both of these, at the very core, lies the Authentic Self<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The vast majority of people live inauthentic lives, however rigid and unfree that may be, because we are afraid to drop the mask and see what lies beneath. This, however, is not only a less than fulfilling life; it is a life lacking in truth.<\/p>\n

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*”To experience the true or authentic self, you must release parental and societal prescriptions of who you ought to be. It requires a certain amount of courage to do so\u2014the courage to be who you are. Connecting with the True Self does not mean you are constantly in a state of bliss or happiness. It simply means you are free to experience life with all its joys and pains and that you do not hide behind rigid defenses and facades. Approaching the true Self can feel threatening and scary because, to reach it, you must own and express things you fear will not win you love and which you usually try to hide.<\/p>\n

…every step toward the true Self, no matter how hesitant at first, is important.”* \u2014 Howard Sasportas<\/b><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Authenticity as the Ultimate Self-Love<\/b><\/h3>\n

Being real is the most important manifestation of self-love<\/b>. This is because it encompasses all parts of us, including the ones we do not like. When we are authentic and dare to express our uniqueness, it becomes easy to respect the truth of others, even if it differs from our own.<\/p>\n

And that respect is felt by them as love.<\/p>\n

Kameliya Hadzhiyska<\/b><\/p>\n

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Note: The quotations are translated from Bulgarian and are not presented as verbatim citations.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Connecting with the True Self does not mean that you are constantly in bliss or happiness. It simply means that you are free to experience life with all its joys and pains and that you are not hiding behind rigid defenses and facades. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":140224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[648],"tags":[678,655,673],"class_list":["post-150827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-emotional-intelligence","tag-humanistic-psychology","tag-the-lessons-of-love","tag-various-psychotherapies"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t