Outline of self

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the human self:

Self – individuality, from one's own perspective. To each person, self is that person. Oneself can be a subject of philosophy, psychology and developmental psychology; religion and spirituality, social science and neuroscience.

In general

Human
Human condition
Individuality (selfhood) – state or quality of being an individual; particularly of being a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs or goals, rights and responsibilities. The exact definition of an individual is important in the fields of biology, law, and philosophy.
Person – being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of property, or legal responsibility.
Personhood – status of being a person. Defining personhood is a controversial topic in philosophy and law and is closely tied with legal and political concepts of citizenship, equality, and liberty. According to law, only a natural person or legal personality has rights, protections, privileges, responsibilities, and legal liability.
Philosophy of self
Psychology of self
Religious views on the self

Components of self

Personal identity

Personality

Personality traits

Personality trait

Big Five personality traits

Virtues

Virtue– characteristic of a person which supports individual moral excellence and collective well-being. Such characteristics are valued as a principle and recognized as a good way to be. This list is necessarily incomplete.

Virtues of self-control Ambition – self-control regarding one's goals Ataraxia– Concept in Hellenistic philosophy Brahmacharya– Motivated abstinence from worldly pleasures Calmness– Mental state of inner peace Chastity– Ethic concept of temperance related to sexuality Contentment– Emotional state Continence – self-control regarding unwise inclinations Diligence– Carefulness and persistent effort or work Discipline– Self-controlPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces Endurance– Ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time Equanimity– State of psychological stability and composure Forbearance or Patience– Ability to endure difficult circumstances Good temper– Term used to indicate the mixture of the innate aspects of the personality Kshama– Sanskrit term meaning patience or forgiveness Kshanti– Buddhist concept of patience, forbearance and forgiveness Moderation– Process of eliminating or lessening extremes Prudence– Ability of a person to regulate itself with the use of reason Renunciation– Act of rejecting something previously endorsed Restraint– Aspect of inhibitory controlPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Sobriety– Condition of being unaffected by alcohol Temperance– Cardinal virtue of control over excess Thrift or Frugality– Being frugal in the consumption of consumable resources
Virtues of self-efficacy Adhiṭṭhāna– Resolute determination, in Buddhism Aptitude– Ability; competence to do a certain kind of work at a certain level Assertiveness– Capacity of being self-assured without being aggressive to defend a point of view Boldness– Vigour and valour in action Confidence– Feeling of trust in someone or something Conscientiousness– Personality trait of being orderly and following the rules Courage– Ability to deal with fear Craft– Skill performed manually Creativity– Forming something new and somehow valuable Determination– Positive emotional feeling Dhrti– Yama (ethical rule) in Hinduism Drive– Person's desire for significant accomplishment Enthusiasm– Intense enjoyment, interest or approval towards something Ganbaru– Japanese phrase for perseverance Grit– Psychological concept Hardiness– Ability to endure stress without negative health effects Health– Desirable level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being Liberty– Philosophical and political concept Perseverance – ability to work steadily despite setbacks or difficulties Persistence– Personality trait in psychology Physical fitness– State of health and well-being Preparedness– Precautionary measures in the face of potential disasters Prosperity– Concept of economies regarding wealth, health, happiness, community and spirit Resilience– Ability to mentally cope with a crisis Self-cultivation– Development of one's virtues Self-directedness– Adaptability of one's own behavior to achieve personally chosen goals and values Self-help– Self-guided improvement Sisu– Finnish concept Tenacity Vīrya– Buddhist term Vitality– Capacity to live, grow, or develop Workmanship– Skill at performing a task
Virtues of regard and respect Accountability– Concept of responsibility in ethics, governance and decision-making Asteya– Non-stealing, a virtue in Indian religionsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Authenticity– Concept in existential psychology and philosophy Empathy– Ability to understand or feel what another is feeling Fair-mindedness– Principle of justice holding that decisions should be based on objective criteria Faithfulness, Fidelity, Fides Filial piety– Virtue and practice in Chinese classics and society at large Gratitude– Feeling or attitude in acknowledgement of a benefit that one has received or will receive Hospitality– Relationship between the guest and the host, or the art or practice of being hospitable Hrī– Buddhist term Humanitas– Latin noun Humanity– Virtue linked with basic ethics Humility– Quality of being humble Listening– Hearing what others are saying, and trying to understand what it means Loyalty– Faithfulness or devotion to a person, country, group, or cause Obedience– Yielding to instructions from an authority figurePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Politeness– Practical application of good manners or etiquette so as not to offend others Pride– Positive effect from the perceived value of a person Reciprocity– Repayment in kind Respect– Feeling of regard for someone or something Reverence– Attitude of deep respect tinged with awe Self respect– Human emotional needPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Solidarity– Unity of feeling or action on a common interest Tolerance– Allowing or permitting something that one disapproveslow others to lead a life based on a certain set of beliefs differing from one's own Truthfulness/Honesty– Moral quality of truthfulness Social virtues: Affection– Feeling or type of love Agreeableness– Personality trait Ārjava– Hindu philosophical conceptPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Charisma– Charm that can inspire devotion in others Civility– Polite act or expression Cleanliness– Abstract state of being clean and free from dirt Compromise– Negotiation strategy Conviviality– Basic form of human interaction Cooperativeness– Personality trait Courtesy– Gentle politeness and courtly manners Etiquette– Customary code of polite behaviour Eutrapelia– Ability of a person to have pleasant conversation Interpersonal attraction– Study of the attraction between people that leads to friendship or romance Intimacy– Physical or emotional intimacy Leadership– Quality of an individual or group influencing or guiding others Playfulness– Voluntary, intrinsically motivated recreation Rapport– Close and harmonious relationship Sense of community– Psychological concept Sharing– Joint use of a resource or space Social engagement– Degree of participation in a community or society Social intelligence– Capacity to know oneself and to know others Social responsibility– Ethical framework Social skills– Competence facilitating interaction and communication with others Sportsmanship– Ethos of fairness and enjoyment in sports Sympathy– Feeling of pity for the distress of another Tact Teamwork– Collaborative effort of a team to achieve a common goal Thoughtfulness Trustworthiness– Assumption of and reliance on the honesty of another partyPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Unpretentiousness
Virtues of kindness Agape– Greek word for love Ahimsa– Ancient Indian principle of nonviolence Altruism– Concern for the well-being of others Charity– Voluntary giving of help to those in need Caritas– One of the seven theological virtues Christian Charity– One of the seven theological virtues Dāna– Concept of charity in Indian religions Clemency– Forgiveness of a crime by the government Compassion– Movement or motivation to help others Daya Forgiveness– Renunciation or cessation of resentment, indignation, or anger Generosity– Liberality in giving Gentleness– Personal quality Helpfulness– Voluntarily prosocial behaviourPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Karuṇā– Sanskrit term translated as empathy, compassion or mercy Kindness– Type of behaviour Love– Strong, positive emotional/mental states Philanthropy– Private efforts to increase public good Service– Selfless service and volunteering in Indian religionsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Sevā– Selfless service and volunteering in Indian religions
Specific Cardinal virtues– Virtues of mind and character Nine Noble Virtues– Moral and situational ethical guidelines in certain groupings of Odinism and Ásatrú Prussian virtues– Ethical code associated with Prussian society Seven virtues– Seven virtues in Christian tradition Southern chivalry– 19th-century cultural concept of the Southern U.S. Spanish chivalry– Knights in Medieval Spain Theological virtues– Christian ethics
Intellectual virtues Attention– Psychological focus, perception and prioritising discrete information Awareness– Perception or knowledge of something Critical thinking– Analysis of facts to form a judgment Curiosity– Quality related to inquisitive thinking Deliberation– Process of thoughtfully weighing options, usually prior to voting Emotional intelligence– Capability to understand one's emotions Episteme– Philosophical term referring to systems of understanding (i.e. knowledge) Epistemic virtues– Concept in philosophy Flexibility– Extent to which a person can cope with changes Foresight– Behavior-based backcasting & forecasting factors Imagination– Creative ability Insight– Understanding of a specific cause and effect in a specific context Intellectual courage Intellectual humility– Recognition of the limits of one's knowledge and awareness of one's fallibility Intelligence– Human capacity or ability to acquire, apprehend and apply knowledge Intuition– Ability to acquire knowledge without conscious reasoning Inventiveness– Concept in patent lawPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Judgement– Evaluation of circumstances to make a decision Justice– Cardinal virtue Knowledge– Awareness of facts, or competency Logic Open-mindedness– Receptiveness to new ideas Openness– Personality trait Originality– Aspect of created or invented works being new or novel Perspicacity– Great discernment or insight Philomathy– Lover of learning Philosophy– Study of general and fundamental questions Phronesis– Ancient Greek word for a type of wisdom or intelligence Prajñā– Buddhist term often translated as "wisdom" or "intelligence" Problem solving– Process of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles Rationality– Quality of being agreeable to reason Reason– Capacity for consciously making sense of things Rhetoric– Art of persuasion Seny– Form of wisdom in Catalan culture Scholarship– Body of principles and practices used by scholars and academics to make their claims Skepticism– Doubtful attitude toward knowledge claims Sophia– Personification of wisdom in philosophy and religion Understanding– Ability to think about and use concepts to deal adequately with a subject Wisdom– Combination of wit and virtue Wit– Form of humour
Other List of emotions Acceptance– Person's assent to the reality of a situation Akrodha– Important virtue in Indian philosophy and Hindu ethics Amor fati– Latin phrase meaning 'love of fate' Aparigraha– Philosophy that holds that no one or anything possesses anythingPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Auctoritas– Roman prestige; contrast with power, imperium Autonomy– Capacity for control, discretion or political self-governance Awe– Emotion comparable to wonder Balance Benevolence Candor Cautiousness Chivalry– Traditional ideology and code of conduct of knights Citizenship Civil courage Commitment– Commitment to do or not do somethingPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Consideration Decorum– Principle of classical rhetoric, poetry, and theatrical theory Dependability– Measure in systems engineering Detachment– Philosophy of avoiding unnecessary painPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Dignitas– Ancient Roman virtue Discernment– Ability to obtain sharp perceptions Duty– Commitment or expectation to act Elevation (emotion)– Emotion elicited by witnessing virtuous acts Fairness Faith– Belief in the teachings of a religion Freedom Flourishing– Positive psychological and social functioning Giri– Duty as one of the Japanese values Glory– High renown or praise Good faith– Intention to be fair, open, and honest Goodness Gravitas– Ancient Roman virtue Happiness– Positive emotional state Heroism– Person or character who combats adversityPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Honor– Concept of worthiness and respectabilityPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Hope– Optimistic state of mind Humor– Tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusementPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Hygiene– Practices performed to preserve health Impartiality– Principle of justice holding that decisions should be based on objective criteria Independence– Condition of a nation with self-governance Individualism– Political and social philosophy emphasizing the individual Innocence– Absence of guilt, also a legal term, and a lack of experience Integrity– Moral virtue and practice Interest– Feeling that causes attention to focus on an object, event or process Jing (philosophy)– Confucianist concept Joy– Feeling of happiness Li– Concept of rite in Chinese philosophy Magnanimity– Virtue of being great of mind and heart Magnificence– Word which means to do something great Meekness– Personality trait of being docile and avoiding violence Mindfulness– Buddhist concept of mindfulness or awarenessPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Modesty– Dress or behavior to avoid sexual attraction Moral courage– Courage to take action for moral reasons Morality– Standard, doctrine or system of conduct Mudita– Sympathetic or vicarious joy in Sanskrit and Pali Nimrata– Sikh virtue of humility or benevolence Nonattachment– Philosophy of avoiding unnecessary pain Nonviolence– Principle or practice of not causing harm to others Openness– Philosophical concept emphasising transparency and collaboration Optimism– Positive mental attitude Orderliness Parrhesia– Rhetoric practice Patriotism– Love and attachment to one's country Peacefulness– State of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence Philotimo– Greek notion of duty and honor Pietas– Ancient Roman virtue Piety– Religious devotion or spirituality Pity– Sympathetic sorrow evoked by the suffering of others Poise– Display of elegant movement, poise, or balance Potential Punctuality– Doing something at or before a previously designated time Purity Religion Remembrance– Greek goddess of memory Responsibility– Concept in ethics Righteous indignation– EmotionPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targetsPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces Righteousness– State of being morally correct and justifiable Sadaqah– Charity in Islam Saddhā– Important element of the teachings of the Buddha Santokh– Contentment, one of five virtues that is promoted in Sikhism Satya– Sanskrit word and a virtue in Indian religions Shaucha– Cleanliness in Indic religions and yoga Self-esteem– Human emotional need Self-reliance– Political and social philosophy emphasizing the individual Self-transcendence– Psychological concept: expansion of personal boundaries Sensitivity– Process that distinguishes sensory information from an organism's body and environmentPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Silence– Spiritual practice Sincerity– Virtue of honest and genuine communication Sophrosyne– Ancient Greek concept of an ideal of excellence of character and soundness of mind Śraddhā– Sanskrit term, meaning faith; used in Hinduism Spirituality– Philosophical and theological term Stability Subsidiarity– Principle of social organization Taste– Personal and cultural pattern of choice and preference Tranquility– Quality or state of being calm, serene, and worry-freePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Trust– Assumption of and reliance on the honesty of another party Uniqueness– State or condition wherein someone or something is unlike anything else in comparison Unity Upekṣā– Concept of equanimity in Buddhism Virtus– Masculine virtue in Ancient Rome Vigilance– Concept and field of study in psychology Wealth– Abundance of financial assets or possessions Yi– Concept in Confucianism Zest– One's thirst and excitement for living

Vices

Anger – emotional response related to one's psychological interpretation of having been threatened. Often it indicates when one's basic boundaries are violated. Some have a learned tendency to react to anger through retaliation. Anger may be utilized effectively when utilized to set boundaries or escape from dangerous situations.
Jealousy– emotion, and the word typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something of great personal value, particularly in reference to a human connection. Jealousy often consists of a combination of emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness and disgust.
Laziness– disinclination to activity or exertion despite having the ability to do so. It is often used as a pejorative; related terms for a person seen to be lazy include couch potato, slacker, and bludger.
Selfishness –
Seven Deadly Sins Lust– emotion or feeling of intense desire in the body. The lust can take any form such as the lust for knowledge, the lust for sex or the lust for power. It can take such mundane forms as the lust for food as distinct from the need for food. Gluttony– over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste. In some Christian denominations, it is considered one of the seven deadly sins—a misplaced desire of food or its withholding from the needy. Greed– also known as avarice, cupidity, or covetousness, is the inordinate desire to possess wealth, goods, or objects of abstract value with the intent to keep it for one's self, far beyond the dictates of basic survival and comfort. It is applied to a markedly high desire for and pursuit of wealth, status, and power. See also, Greed (deadly sin). Sloth– spiritual or emotional apathy, neglecting what God has spoken, and being physically and emotionally inactive. It can also be either an outright refusal or merely a carelessness in the performance of one's obligations, especially spiritual, moral or legal obligations. Sloth can also indicate a wasting due to lack of use, concerning a person, place, thing, skill, or intangible ideal that would require maintenance, refinement, or support to continue to exist. Wrath– also known as "rage", may be described as inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. Wrath, in its purest form, presents with self-destructiveness, violence, and hate that may provoke feuds that can go on for centuries. Wrath may persist long after the person who did another a grievous wrong is dead. Feelings of anger can manifest in different ways, including impatience, revenge, and self-destructive behavior, such as drug abuse or suicide. Envy– emotion which "occurs when a person lacks another's superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it" Pride– inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris.
Vanity– excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others.

Harmful traits and practices

Personal experience

Personal life

Self-preservation and self-maintenance

Individual rights

Individual rights– much of the western world values the concept of individual rights. These rights vary from culture to culture, and by very definition, from person to person, and appear mainly in individualist societies. In considering the self, the most intimate legal relation would be what is codified as 'sui juris', or what laws have a purposed place so far as they are derived of the self. In such cultures, it is generally considered that each and every individual has the following rights:

Security rights– protect people against crimes such as abuse, murder, massacre, and torture Security of person– liberty, including the right, if one is imprisoned unlawfully, to the remedy of habeas corpus. Security of person can also be seen as an expansion of rights based on prohibitions of torture and cruel and unusual punishment. Rights to security of person can guard against less lethal conduct, and can be used in regard to prisoners' rights.
Bodily and property rights– encompass "ownership" of your own body and choosing what to do with it, as well as the fruits of the labour that spring forth from using your own body. ("Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself," per John Locke, Second Treatise on Civil Government) Self-ownership– moral or natural right of a person to have bodily integrity, and be the exclusive controller of his own body and life. Also known as "sovereignty of the individual", "individual sovereignty", and "individual autonomy".
Liberty rights of the Classical era– protect freedoms in areas such as belief and religion, association, assembling, movement, and other self-determination (as an individual person), privacy from government and others, and freedoms from other paternalist meddling generally, whether by governments or others; also encompasses security, bodily and property, political, and due process rights, many group rights, some welfare rights, and (especially outside of the US in the Classical era) equality rights, as all of those categories appear in this list
Political rights– protect the liberty to participate in politics by expressing themselves, protesting, voting and serving in public office
Due process rights– protect against abuses of the legal system such as imprisonment without trial, secret trials and excessive punishments; often overlaps with the bodily rights, listed above
Equality rights– guarantee equal citizenship, equality before the law and nondiscrimination in regards to one's eligibility for all of the other rights in this list
Welfare rights (also known as economic or social rights)– require the provision of education and protections against severe poverty and starvation; generally an expansion of positive liberties
Group rights– provide protection for groups against ethnic genocide, and self-determination (as a group) and the ownership by countries of their national territories and resources; may overlap with the bodily and property rights, and Social equality rights, listed above