From the author: The lecture was given at an intensive course in San Marino in 2009. Maleichuk Gennady IvanovichWho am I, what am I? When a person asks himself this question, it indicates that he is thinking about his identity. In psychology, there are a number of synonymous concepts that denote this phenomenon - identity, self-concept, self-image, persona. In the most general definition, identity is considered as the totality of a person’s ideas about his Self. Initially, this phenomenon attracted the interest of philosophers. Its origins are found in the philosophical works of Socrates, Plato, Protagoras, I. Kant, I. Fichte, G. Hegel, L. Feuerbach, F. Dostoevsky, P. Florensky, S. Kierkegaard, M. Heidegger, M. Scheler, A. Schopenhauer, P. Ricoeur, M. Foucault, V. Bibler, M. Bakhtin, A. Losev, M. Mamardashvili. The problem of identifying the “I” was solved in Western psychology by A. Adler, W. James, Z. Freud, C. Jung , K.Horney, J.Habermas, M.Heidegger, A.Freud, E.Erikson, in the domestic one - M.M.Bakhtin, V.V.Abramenkova, I.S.Kon, V.S.Mukhina. A number of researchers have noted the importance of the social environment and another person for the formation of identity. Thus, in philosophy, the importance of the Other was pointed out by M. Buber (I-Thou relationship), M. Bakhtin (dialogue). In psychology, K. Levin (the idea of ​​a field) and L. Vygotsky (the idea of ​​a cultural-historical environment) wrote about this. Common to the above-mentioned researchers is the idea that the Self requires an Other, a non-Self, that the Self exists only in a social context. Therefore, when defining identity, it is also necessary to talk about the Other as a condition for the emergence and existence of identity. The idea of ​​the need for the Other for the formation of the Self became especially widespread in psychoanalysis in the theory of object relations. According to theorists of this direction (M. Klein, R. Fairbairn, D. Winnicott, G. Guntrip, M. Balint), in the process of interaction, external objects that are significant in a person’s life are introjected into internal objects and become structural parts of the self. The internal object is a fragment of mental structure that arises from the experiences an individual has in the early years of his life in relationships with significant adults. [6] The Gestalt approach even identifies a separate structural and functional part - the Persona, in which all a person’s ideas about his Self, the world, and other people are concentrated. Ontogenetically, the first objects for the Self are significant others - primarily the mother. The mother acts as an intermediary between the child and the world, decoding, deciphering, on the one hand, the signals coming to the child from the environment, on the other, the signals coming from his I, his own needs. Through such interaction, the child separates himself from the symbiotic (psychosomatic) unity with the mother and the boundaries of his Self begin to form, initially somatic, and subsequently mental. From the entire information flow coming from the external and internal world, the child begins to emerge a certain configuration of his Self, an image of the Self, which represents the basis for his identity. Parallel to the formation of the image of the Self, the formation of the image of the Other - a generalized image of a person - takes place. Thus, the other person becomes a condition for the formation of self-identity and is its integral part. At the same time, the other person becomes the source of all identity problems. When we encounter problems in identity, we usually turn to the closest people - mom, dad, grandmother, grandfather... Identity as a dynamic property of a person can be considered as a structure and as a function, as a process and as a result Structural-dynamic analysis of identity involves identifying structural components and complexly integrated connections between them. Structurality and integrity, dynamism and staticity - these are the dialectical properties of identity. Only the presence of one and the other makes it possible to talk about the existence of true identity [3]. The following components can be distinguished in the identity structure: Self-conceptor the image of the Self, the concept of the Other, or the image of the Other. Self-concept is a system of a person’s ideas about his Self and attitudes towards it. The concept of the Other is a system of a person’s ideas about the non-I, the Other and relationships to it [3]. A similar picture of the structure of identity is offered by O. Kernberg. Using the term “representation”, he formulated a position about three structural elements of the Ego: • I-representation or image of I, I-concept; • Object-representation, concept of the Other; • A special affective Ego-state, reflecting the characteristics of the relationship I – Other [1 ,5].Self-presentation, or Self-representation (according to Kernberg) is a concept denoting the various ways in which an individual symbolizes the image of himself that he experiences (consciously or unconsciously) and the associated emotions [1]. Object-representation - combines the ways with the help of which the individual symbolizes the image of a significant Other that he experiences; Ego state is a concept that reflects the functional relationship between the Self and the object and the emotions associated with them. The composition of these affective ego states (according to Kernberg) determines the central sense of identity [1]. Identity is not a once and for all established structure. If this is so, then we are dealing with a pathology of identity. Normally, identity is a dynamic functional formation, constantly changing. Dynamism presupposes the ability to change and develop. On the other hand (paradoxically), another condition for a healthy identity is stability. Stability gives a sense of stability of the Self over time. And this is one of the conditions for a healthy identity – a balance between dynamism and staticity. Dynamic-static are bipolar modalities of identity. Another condition for healthy identity is continual modalities: differentiation - diffusion and fragmentation - integrity. A high degree of differentiation involves awareness and highlighting of many sides or qualities of one’s self (man, professional, smart, persistent, etc.). A low degree of differentiation is the pole of diffuseness. An undifferentiated self-concept at the cognitive level will manifest itself in the fact that a person’s knowledge about himself will be fragmentary, fragmentary, and contradictory. Integrity means the experience of internal unity, despite the apparent heterogeneity of the qualities of the Self. Fragmentation presupposes the existence of separate, unintegrated aspects of the Self. Normally, we can assume a balance of dynamism and staticity, as well as a high level of differentiation and integrity. The idea of ​​another person will also have the same modalities. Normally, the image of the Other also presupposes the qualities of differentiation and integrity, with a balance of dynamism and staticity. An undifferentiated concept of the Other means that ideas about the Other will be fragmentary, while the assessment of others will be built according to the polar type “good - bad”, “friend - foe”, etc. A person with a healthy identity is in dynamic contact with himself and with others, capable of creatively adapting to changing situations. Let us schematically imagine the continuum of the Self-concept and the concept of the Other. Continuum of the Self-concept Differentiation of the Self-concept Diffusion of the Self-concept Integrity of the Self-concept Fragmentation of the Self-concept Staticity of the Self-concept Dynamism of the Self-concept Continuum of the concept of the Other Differentiation of the concept of the Other Diffusion of the concept of the Other Integrity of the concept of the Other Fragmentation of the concept of the Other Staticity of the concept of the Other Dynamism of the concept of the Other Pathology of identity occurs when the balance of the modalities of dynamism-staticity is disturbed, or a low degree of differentiation, i.e. diffuseness and low degree of integrity, i.e. fragmentation. The self-image becomes either excessively variable, static, diffuse, or fragmented. Let's imagine possible options for disrupted identity.1. Diffuse identity. Diffusion (according to the explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by S. Ozhegov) [4] – mutual penetration of particles of the same substanceto another when they come into contact. The image of the Self and the image of the Other with this type of identity violation is unstructured and blurred. A person has little idea or awareness of who he is, what he is like. Clients with a diffuse identity find it difficult to talk about the qualities of themselves and other people and give them very vague characteristics. And in real relationships, the boundaries between Self and Other are blurred. An example from a literary work is the character of the fairy tale of the same name Alyonushka. The content of her identity is determined by the situation of her interaction with another character in the fairy tale - Ivanushka. Either she acts as a caring mother, when after the death of her parents she must take care of her little brother, then as a wife persuading her husband not to drink, then as a sister saving him from an evil witch. In the clinic, examples of diffuse identity are hysterical personalities and unstable personalities. In persons with a diffuse identity, as a rule, aggression is blocked; the predominant emotion is resentment.2. Rigid identity. With this type of identity violation, the balance of dynamism - staticity towards staticity occurs. Dynamic – in action, movement, development. Static – one in which there is no movement or action. The self-image of such a person is overly static. As a rule, such people identify themselves with some social roles, which become hypertrophied and replace the whole self. Following certain rules and principles becomes especially important for them. Such people are characterized by emotional devastation. A typical example of this version of identity is the protagonist of the film "The Professional", played by Belmondo. The professional aspect of identity became the main one for the protagonist’s self, and he turned out to be incapable of creative adaptation, which ultimately cost him his life. Another artistic example is Captain Forestier, the hero of one of S. Maugham's short stories, who considered himself a gentleman and organized his life according to the principles of the gentleman's code, which also ultimately led to his death. In life, such people can be described as fanatics. In the clinic, these are paranoid and epileptoid individuals. One type of rigid identity is introjective (premature) identity. People with an introjective identity prematurely (unconsciously) formed their identity by “swallowing” introjects without assimilating them. In the formation of this type of identity, the role of significant others, who act as authorities for a person, is especially important. They decide for a person how to live, who to live with, who to be, what to wear, etc. People with an introjective identity are caught up in shoulds. As a rule, a person needs a lot of courage in order to break through the thickness of introjects to his own Self. In the clinic, an example of introjective identity is neuroses. The Other, his desires and needs replace the desires and needs of the Self. The Self in this case is Others, not Self. The leading experiences for such people are guilt, shame, and betrayal in case of violation of prohibitions. 3. Situational identity. Situational – relating to a particular situation, limited to certain conditions. This version of identity is determined by excessive dynamism and, therefore, instability of the image of the Self and the image of the Other. People with situational identity are characterized by an unstable self-image; their identity is determined by the situation and the people they meet. The other becomes the condition of his existence. Such a person falls into a merging, codependent relationship. The environment completely determines a person. In pathological cases, we are dealing with the absence of the Self. An artistic example of this version of identity is Chekhov's Darling, who miraculously changed depending on the people with whom she lived. She had no thoughts, feelings, or desires of her own. She thought other people's thoughts, felt other people's feelings, wanted other people's desires. In the clinic, such individuals are called codependent.4. Fragmented identity. Fragmentary –fragmentary, incomplete. Holistic - possessing internal unity. With this type of identity violation, the image of the Self turns out to be torn, unintegrated. In a person there is a set of identifications that are outside the system, integrity. Individual identities (subpersonalities) live their own lives. A striking artistic example of this type of identity is the “double” of F. Dostoevsky. A clinical example of such an identity disorder is multiple personality disorder, dissociated disorders. In addition to variants of identity disorder, its levels can also be distinguished. The level of identity violation will be determined by the presence in the identity of the degree of differentiation, integrity and balance of the Self - concept and concept of the Other. Normally, both the Self-concept and the concept of the Other will be represented in the identity structure. In the case of a neurotic level of personality organization, the identity will be dominated by the concept of the Other, up to the complete absence of the Self-concept in severe cases. At a borderline level of personality organization in the identity structure, the concept of the Other will be poorly represented, up to its complete absence. At a psychotic level of personality organization, both the Self-concept and the concept of the Other will be at a low level of development, up to the complete absence of a psychotic episode. Since identity is an integral criterion of mental health, it can be assumed that the health-illness continuum will be determined by the identity continuum : from a high level of identity development to a low level, up to alienation from the Self. Qualitative substantive features of the client’s identity can be determined already in the situation of the initial interview with him, asking him questions about himself and about other people in his life. The ideas about the Self and Others obtained in this way are diagnostically significant for determining the levels and options of identity. For the level of the norm, a person’s mental healthy ideas about himself will be: 1. Differentiated and holistic. (First dialectical contradiction) (“I am different, I am this and that, but all this is I. I accept everyone.”) E. Yevtushenko has a poem that, in our opinion, very accurately reflects the phenomenology of the mature identity of a healthy person: “I am different, I am overworked and idle. I am more whole - and inappropriate. I'm all incompatible, uncomfortable. Shy and arrogant, evil and kind...";2. Stable and flexible. (Second dialectical contradiction). (I am who I am, I know who I am and what I am, but I can change, selectively rebuild myself). Similar ideas will be observed in relation to the Other person (the generalized image of the Other). A neurotically organized personality will be characterized by incomplete , diffuse ideas about one’s Self. In general, there will be a tendency towards polar ideas about the qualities of the Self. “I am good, I am bad, etc.” Such a person’s self-image will be overloaded with many introjects. Due to the inability to allow the existence of contradictory ideas about oneself in the self-image, the self becomes rigid, loses the ability to selectively respond to changes in the environment, that is, the ability to creatively adapt. The concept of self will be characterized by dissociation, due to which some aspects of the qualities of the self will be unconscious and not integrated into a holistic idea of ​​the Self. The behavior of such a person will be monotonous and stereotypical. Acceptance of the Self will be directly dependent on the opinions of other people who are significant to the Self. Self-esteem, due to this, will be unstable and situational. Ideas about the Other person will be characterized by similar trends. The image of the Other will be unstable, situational, or, conversely, very rigid. The perception of the Other will be dominated by projections. Accordingly, relationships with other people will be built in a stereotypical manner. A person with a borderline organization will also be characterized by a polar picture of his Self, just like a neurotic. But unlike a neurotic, she will», 2009.