Possible Selves: Imagine the Possibilities

Some psychologists believe that a person’s self-concept is not a singular mental self-image, as Carl Rogers proposed, but a multi-faceted system of related images and ideas (Hermans, 1996; Markus & Kunda, 1986). This collection of related images about yourself reflects your goals, values, emotions, and relationships (Markus & Cross, 1990; Markus & Wurf, 1987; Unemori & others, 2004).

According to psychologist Hazel Markus and her colleagues, an important aspect of your self-concept has to do with your images of the selves that you might become—your possible selves. Possible selves are highly personalized, vivid, futuristic images of the self that reflect hopes, fears, and fantasies. As Markus and co-researcher Paula Nurius (1986) wrote, “The possible selves that are hoped for might include the successful self, the creative self, the rich self, the thin self, or the loved and admired self, whereas the dreaded possible selves could be the alone self, the depressed self, the incompetent self, the alcoholic self, the unemployed self, or the bag lady self.”

The Influence of Hoped-For and Dreaded Possible Selves

Possible selves are more than just idle daydreams or wishful fantasies. In fact, possible selves influence our behavior in important ways (Markus & Nurius, 1986; Oyserman & James, 2011). We’re often not aware of the possible selves that we have incorporated into our self-concepts. Nevertheless, they can serve as powerful forces that either activate or stall our efforts to reach important goals. Your incentive, drive, and motivation are greatly influenced by your possible selves, and so are your decisions and choices about future behavior (Hoyle & Sherrill, 2006; Robinson & others, 2003).

Imagine that you harbor a hoped-for possible self of becoming a professional musician. You would probably practice with greater regularity and intensity than someone who does not hold a vivid mental picture of performing solo at Carnegie Hall or being named Performer of the Year at the American Country Music Awards.

Dreaded possible selves can also influence behavior, whether they are realistic or not. Consider Don’s father, Kenneth. Although never wealthy, Kenneth was financially secure throughout his long life. Yet Kenneth had lived through the Great Depression and witnessed firsthand the financial devastation that occurred in the lives of countless people. Kenneth seems to have harbored a dreaded possible self of becoming penniless. When Kenneth died, the family found a $100 bill tucked safely under his mattress.

A positive possible self, even if it is not very realistic, can protect an individual’s self-esteem in the face of failure (Markus & Nurius, 1986). A high school girl who thinks she is unpopular with her classmates may console herself with visions of a possible self as a famous scientist who snubs her intellectually inferior classmates at her 10-year class reunion. As Hazel Markus and Paula Nurius (1986) explained:

Positive possible selves can be exceedingly liberating because they foster hope that the present self is not immutable. At the same time, negative possible selves can be powerfully imprisoning because their [emotional impact] and expectations may stifle attempts to change or develop.

Possible Selves, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, and Motivation

Self-efficacy beliefs are closely connected to the idea of possible selves. Performing virtually any task involves the construction of a possible self that is capable and competent of performing the action required (Ruvolo & Markus, 1992).

Thus, people who vividly imagine possible selves as “successful because of hard work” persist longer and expend more effort on tasks than do people who imagine themselves as “unsuccessful despite hard work” (Ruvolo & Markus, 1992). The motivation to achieve academically increases when your possible selves include a future self who is successful because of academic achievement (Oyserman & James, 2011). To be most effective, possible selves should incorporate concrete strategies for attaining goals. For example, students who visualized themselves taking specific steps to improve their grades—such as doing homework daily or signing up for tutoring—were more successful than students who simply imagined themselves doing better in school (Oyserman & others, 2004).

Applying the Research: Assessing Your Possible Selves

How can you apply these research findings to your life? First, it’s important to stress again that we’re often unaware of how the possible selves we’ve mentally constructed influence our beliefs, actions, and self-evaluations. Thus, the first step is to consciously assess the role that your possible selves play in your life (Oyserman & James, 2011).

Take a few moments and jot down the “possible selves” that are active in your working self-concept. To help you in this task, write three responses to each of the following questions:

After focusing on the short-term future, take these same questions and extend them to 5 years from now or even 10 years from now. Most likely, certain themes and goals will consistently emerge. Now the critical questions:

Finally, ask yourself honestly: What realistic strategies are you using to try to become the self that you want to become? To avoid becoming the selves that you dread?

How can you improve the likelihood that you will achieve some of your possible selves? One approach is to link your expectations and hopes to concrete strategies about how to behave to reach your desired possible self (Oyserman & others, 2004).

These questions should help you gain some insight into whether your possible selves are influencing your behavior in productive, constructive ways. If they are not, now is an excellent time to think about replacing or modifying the possible selves that operate most powerfully in your own self-concept. Why is this so important? Because to a large extent, who we become is guided by who we imagine we’ll become. Just imagine the possibilities of who you could become!