Do Mindful People Have a Stronger Sense of Self?
Mindful people might be happier because they have
a better idea of who they are, suggests a new study.
We all experience moments of self-doubt. Maybe we’re faced with
a choice that leaves us confused about what we want; a conversation where we
feel inauthentic and disconnected; or a mistake that makes us question who we
are deep down.
The antidote to this internal conflict is a strong sense of
self, what researchers call “self-concept clarity.” When we know who we are, we
experience greater self-esteem and independence. That helps us cultivate better
relationships and a sense of purpose in life.
But where does this inner confidence come
from? In the past, that’s largely been a mystery to psychologists. But a recent study provides a clue: It may partly stem from the
non-judgmental awareness that is mindfulness.
Researchers at the University of Utah
recruited over 1,000 undergraduate students, ranging in age from 18 to 53, to
complete questionnaires about three traits:
·
Mindfulness: Their tendency to be aware of their
thoughts and feelings and to respond to them in deliberate, non-reactive,
non-judgmental ways.
·
Self-concept clarity: How
stable, clear, and unconflicted their views of themselves are.
·
Well-being: How much they feel
a sense of self-acceptance, autonomy, and control over their environment; the
quality of their relationships; and their experience of personal growth and
purpose in life.
The results showed that more mindful students reported higher
well-being—and that a stronger sense of self partly accounted for that link.
Delving deeper into the data, the researchers found that some
aspects of mindfulness were more crucial than others. Students who were
more non-judgmental about their thoughts and feelings tended
to report a particularly clear sense of self; on the other hand, those who were
better at observing the present actually had slightly lower
self-concept clarity.
“Being non-judgmental may increase the likelihood of accepting
the self, which may increase the willingness of more mindful individuals to
explore and examine the self—ultimately, being more familiar or friendly with
themselves,” explains lead author Adam W. Hanley. In other words, if we don’t expect to
beat ourselves up for our flaws, we
may be more willing to take a clear look in the mirror.
(Participants skilled at observing didn’t have
deeper self-knowledge, Hanley speculates, because the questions about observing
focused on their ability to notice external states—everyday
smells, the sun on their face—rather than internal ones.)
How might mindfulness and a strong sense of self work together
to make us happier?
Besides reducing the uncertainty and conflict of self-doubt,
they may also have positive benefits—by allowing us to confidently pursue the
goals and relationships that are most authentically important to us. (In fact, mindfulness was recently linked to acting in line
with your values.)
Also, if mindful people notice change and improvement in
themselves, they can shed ingrained beliefs that are no longer true—like “I’m
not successful enough” or “I’m too shy.”
This study is part of the latest wave of mindfulness research,
where psychologists explore not just its benefits (i.e., greater well-being)
but what exactly brings about those benefits. It doesn’t prove that
mindfulness causes us to develop a stronger sense of self, but
it does show a link between “trait mindfulness” (an individual’s baseline of
mindfulness), well-being, and sense of self. If future research confirms these
findings, that might encourage more mindfulness practices and meditations to
specifically target self-doubt and internal conflict, designed for people who
struggle with those issues.
“The self has been suggested to be a core mechanism of stability
in a world of continuous change,” says Hanley. “A clearly conceived self can be
used to guide behavior in consistent, personally meaningful, and fulfilling
ways.”
By Kira M. Newman
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/do_mindful_people_have_a_stronger_sense_of_self?utm_source=Greater+Good+Science+Center&utm_campaign=d11014e4ba-GG_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_03_15&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ae73e326e-d11014e4ba-51482775
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