The true self and psychological health: Emerging evidence and future directions

A variety of philosophical and psychological perspectives converge to suggest that a happy and meaningful life is the product of living in accord with one’s true self. This idea similarly appears throughout literature, film, and folk wisdom. The current paper examines both theoretical and lay conceptions of the true self and reviews the empirical evidence that supports its role in psycholog-ical health, with a particular emphasis on current research that demonstrates that both the accessi-bility and ease of thinking about one’s true self-concept is associated with the experiences of meaning and satisfaction. The merits of different approaches to defining the true self, measurement issues, and directions for future research are discussed. He recognizes that it rests within himself to choose; that the only question which matters is, ‘‘Am I living in a way that is deeply satisfying to me, and which truly expresses me?’ ’ Carl Rogers, On Becoming a Person, 1961 (119) Theorists and laypeople have long pondered the question of what constitutes a life well lived. As suggested in the quote above, the answer is often rooted in the idea that happi-ness is achieved, in part, by living in accord with one’s true self. This idea appear