214 A Programmer’s Guide to the Mind
crumble, then self-confidence weakens. Now let us use this information
about self-confidence to look further at self-image.
There are two aspects to self image:
Perceiver mode knows facts about me—these are right or wrong.
These facts relate to Mercy experiences—which are good or bad.The problem is that there are two aspects to self-image, which we tend
to confuse. The first is how we feel about ourselves—whether we have a
good or a bad self-image. This is the Mercy emotion associated with the
Mercy memories which form me. The second is what we know about
ourselves. This is the set of Perceiver facts which describes me. I suggest
that it is these facts which are associated with self-confidence. We label
how we feel about ourselves in Mercy terms of good and bad, while what
we know about ourselves is related to Perceiver judgments of right and
wrong.
As I mentioned earlier, it is easy to confuse these two sets of labeling.
If we equate right with good and wrong with bad, then I suggest that we
will think that self-confidence goes together with a good self-image, and
that a lack of self-confidence means a bad self-image.A We may then deal
with problems of identity by tackling the wrong issue.
The reason for this confusion is that there are two ways of defining self-
image. We have seen how self-image can be based in Perceiver facts and
common sense. However, we know that emotional experiences can also be
used to program Perceiver 'facts,' and me certainly is associated with
strong Mercy emotions. Therefore, let us look at the type of self-image
which develops when Perceiver 'facts' about me are rooted in Mercy
feelings.
Perceiver facts about me can be learned in two ways:
Mercy feelings can impose 'facts' upon Perceiver thought.
Perceiver mode can look for experiences which are repeated.
These two methods of defining self-image are incompatible.A Remember that we are using the term self-confidence here to refer to
Perceiver facts about me, and not Contributor plans involving me. Thus, I
suggest that four different concepts about self are often mixed together:
First, Mercy feelings about me; second, Perceiver facts about me; third,
Contributor plans involving me; and fourth, Server skills possessed by me.
We are tackling the Perceiver and Mercy aspects of „self-confidence‟ first
because they are the primary factors; the other two extend from this
interaction.