Publisher's Synopsis
"The Created Self" takes readers to as yet unexplored regions in the modern psyche's preoccupation with self-invention. We are largely works in progress and, as we constantly reinvent ourselves, the challenge becomes one of coordinating change with the integrity and unity of the self.;Using the insights of William James and evolutionary psychology as a springboard, the psychologist Robert Weber elucidates the nature and meaning of our shifting selves, the motivations and methods for self-change. He proposes an ecology of the self based on three distinct but interdependent spheres: the body, the persona and the spirit. Our bodily selves can be cosmetically nipped and tucked, and through new reproductive technologies extended in ways previously undreamed of. Our personas, comprising both our self-image and the image we present to others, are constantly assuming multiple roles in the course of our daily lives. And finally the modern changing self finds spiritual fulfilment in myriad cultures, both sacred and secular, as we craft beliefs to suit our individual and communal needs.
