So Characteristics of the
True Self and the False Self

Charles L. Whitfield, M.D.

• Authentic Self

• Unauthentic self, mask

• True Self

• False self, persona

• Genuine

• Ungenuine, "as-if" personality

• Spontaneous

• Plans and plods

• Expansive, loving

• Contracting, fearful

• Giving, communication

• Withholding

• Accepting of self and others

• Envious, critical, idealized, perfectionistic

• Compassionate

• Other-oriented, overly conforming

• Loves unconditionally

• Loves conditionally

• Feels feelings, including appropriate, spontaneous, current anger

• Denies or hides feelings, including long-held anger (resentment)

• Assertive

• Aggressive and/or passive

• Intuitive

• Rational, logical

• Child Within, Inner Child; ability to be childlike

• Overdeveloped parent/adult scripts; may be childish

• Needs to play and have fun

• Avoids play and fun

• Vulnerable

• Pretends always to be strong

• Powerful in true sense

• Limited power

• Trusting

• Distrusting

• Enjoys being nurtured

• Avoids being nurtured

• Surrenders

• Controls, withdraws

• Self-indulgent

• Self-righteous

• Simplifies

• Complicates; is "rational"

• Wants to be real, connect, experience, create and love

• Wants to be right, control and win.  Tells us the opposite of what we want and need.

• Non-defensive, though may at times use ego defenses

• Defensive

• Connected to its Higher Power

• Believes it is Higher Power

• Open to the unconscious

• Blocks unconscious material

• Remembers our Oneness

• Forgets our Oneness; feels separate

• Free to grow

• Tends to act out unconscious often painful patterns repeatedly

• Private self

• Public self