Looking-Glass Self....Sociology?

Question

How common is the concept of Looking-Glass Self as taught by Cooley in society?

Here is the idea:

We see ourselves through the eyes of other people, even to the extent of incorporating their views of us into our own self-concept.

SAMPLE:

Teenagers are often strongly influenced by their peers and will go beyond conforming to changing their self-image to match.

Using this idea:

If you want someone to believe something about themselves, act towards them as if it were true.

My question: Does this really work?

Answer 1

i would say that, it would depend  on the person's attitude and self esteem.

if the person believes in him/her self then it will work,but if the person has low self esteem, its most likely not to work, as the person is most likely to under mind him/her self.But i would also like to add that, this would be best applied to young children and a few adults, not strong minded people.

Answer 2

yes, i believe so... it's in association.. you become what you closely associate yourself with.. it includes tv, reading materials, etc too.

Answer 3

NO

Answer 4

It depends on how easily influenced the person is. With my children, I can see that it is really effective. With adults, it's also effective but may take longer and depends on how much they trust me.

Yes, from my experience, it's true.