Which is an example illustrating the looking-glass self?

• A. Believing others see you as competent because you imagine their response
• B. Solving math problems
• C. Working to increase wealth
• D. Adopting a political stance

Answer: (A)

The looking-glass self is the idea that our sense of self develops from imagining how we appear to others and how they judge us, with those imagined judgments shaping how we feel about ourselves. In this example, you believe others see you as competent because you imagine their response. That shows you’re using an imagined social reflection to form your self-view, which is exactly what the looking-glass self describes. You’re not responding to your own internal standards alone or to external goals like solving a problem, accumulating wealth, or adopting beliefs; you’re shaping self-perception based on how you think others would judge you.