ALTER EGO: MEANING, EXAMPLES AND HOW TO CREATE IT (PSYCHOLOGY) - PSYCHOLOGY - 2024

The alter ego is a concept used to refer to a second personality or identity possessed by an individual. It would be a set of behaviors, emotions, beliefs and thoughts different from those normally shown by the person.

The concept began to be used in the 18th century, when the famous hypnotist Anton Mesmer discovered that some people have a totally different way of behaving when they are in a trance than during the waking state. However, the term "alter ego" did not catch on until later.

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In the 19th century, it began to be used more frequently in the field of psychology. This was due to the discovery and research on dissociative identity disorder, which causes an individual to present several personalities that change in a cyclical way.

Later, the term began to be used in contexts other than the clinic. For example, in the field of art and literature, it is frequently used to refer to a character that reflects parts of the author's identity.

It can also refer to a conscious effort on the part of an individual to change some of their behaviors radically.

Meaning

Depending on where we are, the term "alter ego" can have slightly different meanings. However, it always refers to a second identity held by a person, which is easily distinguishable from the original.

The motives that can lead an individual to create an alter ego are very varied. This second personality can be caused by a mental disorder, such as dissociative identity disorder; however, this is not the only cause, not even the most common.

According to research, people can create an alter ego as a way to express their most hidden desires. Whether consciously or unconsciously, an individual can imagine an idealized version of herself, which she will see as free from the problems or faults she finds in her own identity.

For example, an author who has failed to fulfill all of his dreams might imagine a character for one of his books based on what he really wants.

This character would become an escape route for the writer, who would use it to imagine achieving all his goals or living the kind of existence that is not available to him in the real world.

Is it always harmful to have an alter ego?

The idea of ​​having a second personality or even trying to create one may sound very strange to most people. However, unless the appearance of an alter ego is the result of a psychological disorder, research suggests that having an alternate identity could even be beneficial.

In fact, some experts are beginning to recommend consciously creating an alter ego to help people overcome their fears or difficulties in their life.

This is part of a type of approach known as 'gamification', which seeks to get individuals to face what happens to them in their day-to-day life as if it were a game.

Thus, when a person creates an identity separate from his own, he can try to assume it at times when he feels blocked or does not know what to do.

For example, someone shy could invent an alternate personality that is talkative and self-confident, and adopt it at times when they need to cope with a social situation.

To what extent is it possible to fully assume a second identity? For most people, the process of creating an alter ego will never go from something similar to playing a role. However, even this can be helpful for some individuals who find themselves unable to cope with the challenges of their day-to-day life.

Alter ego in psychology

Unfortunately, the appearance of an alter ego does not always have to be beneficial. In the case of multiple personality disorder or dissociative identity disorder, the fact that an individual radically changes the way they behave frequently is a symptom of a much more serious problem.

Multiple personality disorder is characterized by the appearance of several identities in a single person, of which at least two of them take control of the individual on a regular basis. Each of these personalities has a different way of acting, thinking and interacting with the world.

As if that were not enough, each of these identities has a memory that it does not share with the others. Thus, when one of the personalities carries out an action, the rest are not able to remember it. This is known as "wasted time," and it can lead to all kinds of problems in life.

It is not known exactly why multiple personality disorder occurs, but it is generally related to other problems such as borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or extreme anxiety. It also seems to have a special relationship with traumatic events in childhood or youth.

Dissociative identity disorder causes all kinds of serious problems in the lives of those who suffer from it. Unfortunately, not much is known at the moment about it and the best way to treat it.

How to create an alter ego?

Regardless of the difficulties associated with multiple personality disorder, having an alter ego can be beneficial for some people for the reasons mentioned above.

Therefore, in this section we will study how it is possible to create an alternative identity that helps you face your day to day more effectively.

Decide why you want an alter ego

What do you want to achieve by creating an alter ego? Would you like to be more daring, outgoing, or improve your self-confidence? Do you want to create a character that helps you get more clients, or a wider social circle?

These types of questions will help you decide what will be the main motivation for your new identity. Because you are creating it to help you, it needs to have a mission; a purpose for which it was designed.

Make a list of the traits you need

Once you are clear about why you are creating your alter ego, it is necessary that you reflect on how it will have to be to fulfill its objective.

For example, if what you want is a new identity that helps you work more in your business, it would have to have traits such as discipline, perseverance or the ability to self-motivate.

The good news is that you can be as imaginative as you want at this point. The idea is to create an idealized version of yourself, which can overcome the challenges that you do not think you are capable of facing. So don't worry if something you come up with doesn't seem too realistic.

Give it an identity of its own

If you just make a list of the traits that you would like to possess, you are not actually creating an alter ego. Therefore, before you can start using it to achieve your goals, you will need to start seeing it as someone other than yourself.

To achieve this, one of the most effective things you can do is give it a proper name. Apart from this, imagine how it would behave in various situations: how would it move? How would you talk or interact with others?

If it is easier for you, you can base your alter ego on someone who inspires you. It can be both a person you know, a famous person or even a fictional character. The idea is to choose someone who has almost all the traits that you want to include in your new personality.

Famous examples

In our popular culture, there are many examples of people adopting a second identity at certain times. Next we will see some of the best known.

Superheros

If you are a fan of Marvel movies or DC comics, you may have noticed that almost all superheroes have a secret identity and one with which they fight crime.

Batman, for example, is a businessman by day and a vigilante by night; Spiderman is the heroic version of Peter Parker, a simple high school student.

In most superhero stories, the alter ego is a variant of the character that is characterized by being more confident in himself, fighting crime and carrying out all kinds of feats.

Fight club

In the famous movie "Fight Club", almost the entire plot revolves around the protagonist's dual personality. The story treats each of them as if they were different characters.

On one side is the narrator, a bored man with all kinds of problems and a bland life. On the other, we have Tyler Durden, a character with extreme confidence in himself, great plans and a whole group of followers. At the end of the movie, we find out that the two are actually the same person.

Famous with alter egos

Many are the singers and actors who create different personalities to explore new creative paths or express certain emotions.

Will Smith, for example, rose to fame thanks to his alter ego "The Fresh Prince"; and Eminem, the well-known rapper, always talks about his alternate version "Slim Shady", a violent and dark character.

References

1. "The power of alter egos" in: Medium. Retrieved on: September 27, 2018 from Medium: medium.com.
2. "Alter ego definition" in: Health Guidance. Retrieved on: September 27, 2018 from Health Guidance: healthguidance.org.
3. "Alter ego" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: September 27, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.
4. "How to create an alter ego (and why you should want to)" in: Daring to Live Fully. Retrieved on: September 27, 2018 from Daring to Live Fully: daringtolivefully.com.
5. "Dissociative identity disorder" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: September 27, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.