In 1902, sociologist Charles Horton Cooley coined the concept the “Looking Glass Self,” which he describes as an interactive process where our perceptions of ourselves are determined by how we believe others see us. We first imagine how we appear to others. Then, others react to us and we interpret those reactions and adjust our self-image accordingly.

This activity uses the Looking Glass Self to enable participants to reflect on how they view themselves in relation to how they believe others perceive them. They will first draw two self-portraits—one that represents how they see themselves and the other that represents how they believe others see them—and write labels surrounding those portraits to further capture their perceptions. Then, they will debrief and reflect in small groups and as an entire group.