Well, time for me to ramble about pure nonsense, as per usual. Will it be related to the post? Not really...
Self just refers to the characteristics, attributes, and behaviours (whether they be conscious or unconscious), that makeup you as a person. It sits at the centre of all of your emotions. The self can be divided into two categories:
- "I" Self: self as a subject
- "Me" Self: self as an object
Your "Me" self includes things, such as your autobiographical memories, your self-esteem, your concept of yourself, and your prospects. It's the aspects of you that arise when you think about the self as an object of cognition. Your "I" self includes things, such as the possession of your body and conscious will. Think of it as what separates you from your environment. All of the things you are subjectively experiencing right now feel like they are occurring within a single person. You are a single entity interacting with the world around you.
It has been argued that self-perception is just an extension of social perception, with us viewing ourselves through the lens of others. Going by this, there is no such thing as independent self-perception. We learn about ourselves, from our attitudes to our character traits, through observing our own behaviours, especially in situations of uncertainty.