Personal fable
Encyclopedia
The personal fable is a term coined by David Elkind
(1967) that is used in psychology
to describe a form of egocentrism
normally exhibited during early adolescence
, and it is characterized by an over-differentiating of one's experiences and feelings from others to the point of assuming those experiences are unique from those of others. A person might believe that he is the only one who can experience whatever feelings of joy, horror, misery, or confusion he might encounter.
and ideas of playing the central part in one's personal fable, adolescents may become preoccupied with what others in their peer groups think of them. Because adolescents become so involved with others' opinions, they believe that an imaginary audience
is scrutinizing them wherever they are. No matter where they go in public
, they think that their outward behavior and appearances will always be watched like an actor
on stage, and that all eyes will be fixated on them—such that every facial blemish
or misstep will be noticed. So, a teenage person might spend hours putting on makeup to hide acne
only to give up and assume everyone will think they are ugly, or another teenage person might also give up when they think their mouthwash
is not working and that everyone will notice their horrible breath.
David Elkind
Professor David Elkind is an American child psychologist and author. His groundbreaking books — The Hurried Child, The Power of Play and Miseducation — informed early childhood education professionals of the possible dangers of "pushing down" the elementary curriculum into the very...
(1967) that is used in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
to describe a form of egocentrism
Egocentrism
Egocentrism is a personality trait which has the characteristic of regarding oneself and one's own opinions or interests as most important or valid...
normally exhibited during early adolescence
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
, and it is characterized by an over-differentiating of one's experiences and feelings from others to the point of assuming those experiences are unique from those of others. A person might believe that he is the only one who can experience whatever feelings of joy, horror, misery, or confusion he might encounter.
Examples
Examples of personal fable can be seen in the following typified assertions made by adolescents:- "Nobody understands me." c. mcl c c/l.,
- "My parents just don't know what I'm going through-- what do they know about what it's like being a teenager?"
- "You just don't know how it feels."
- "I just got dumped by the girl I love, and nobody could ever experience the crushing sadness I'm going through."
Imaginary audience
Evolving from the same egocentrismEgocentrism
Egocentrism is a personality trait which has the characteristic of regarding oneself and one's own opinions or interests as most important or valid...
and ideas of playing the central part in one's personal fable, adolescents may become preoccupied with what others in their peer groups think of them. Because adolescents become so involved with others' opinions, they believe that an imaginary audience
Imaginary audience
The imaginary audience refers to an egocentric state where an individual imagines and believes that multitudes of people are enthusiastically listening to him or her at all times...
is scrutinizing them wherever they are. No matter where they go in public
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
, they think that their outward behavior and appearances will always be watched like an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
on stage, and that all eyes will be fixated on them—such that every facial blemish
Blemish
Blemish may refer to:*A minor imperfection. For skin imperfection, see Acne vulgaris*Blemish a music album from David Sylvian released in 2003.*Blemish a Brazilian alternative rock band...
or misstep will be noticed. So, a teenage person might spend hours putting on makeup to hide acne
Acne
Acne is a general term used for acneiform eruptions. It is usually used as a synonym for acne vulgaris, but may also refer to:*Acne aestivalis*Acne conglobata*Acne cosmetica*Acne fulminans*Acne keloidalis nuchae*Acne mechanica...
only to give up and assume everyone will think they are ugly, or another teenage person might also give up when they think their mouthwash
Mouthwash
Mouthwash or mouth rinse is a product used to enhance oral hygiene. Some manufacturers of mouthwash claim that antiseptic and anti-plaque mouth rinse kill the bacterial plaque causing cavities, gingivitis, and bad breath. Anti-cavity mouth rinse uses fluoride to protect against tooth decay...
is not working and that everyone will notice their horrible breath.