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The “I” and the “Me”

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Critical to understanding the difference between conformity and creative thinking and acting is Mead’s distinction between two aspects, or phases, of the self—the “I” and the “me.” The “I” and the “me” are subprocesses involved in the larger thinking process. An individual sometimes displays more of the “I” aspect of the self and sometimes more of the “me” aspect. In any given instance, the relative mix of “I” and “me” determines the degree to which an individual acts creatively (more “I”) or more as a conformist (more “me”).

The “I” is the immediate response of an individual to others. It is that part of the self that is unconscious, incalculable, unpredictable, and creative. Neither the person nor the members of the group know in advance what that response of the “I” is going to be. As a result of the “I,” people often surprise themselves, and certainly others, with the unexpected things they say and do. Mead greatly values the “I” for various reasons, including the fact that it is the source of new and original responses.

The “me” is the organized set of others’ attitudes and behaviors adopted by the individual. In other words, the “me” involves the acceptance and internalization by the individual of the generalized other. To Mead, the “me” involves a conscious understanding of what a person’s responsibilities are to the larger group. The behaviors associated with the “me” also tend to be habitual and conventional. We all have a “me,” but conformists have an overly powerful “me.” It is through the “me” that society is able to dominate the individual. In fact, Mead defines “social control” as the dominance of the “I” by the “me.”

Nevertheless, people and society as a whole need both “I” and “me.” For the individual, the “me” allows for a comfortable existence within various social groupings. The “I” lends some spice to what might otherwise be a boring existence. For society, the “me” provides the conformity needed for stable and orderly interaction. The “I” is the source of changes in society as it develops and adapts to the shifting environment.

Essentials of Sociology

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