An alter ego can help you achieve things that you normally feel incapable of. But how to create and trigger your own alter ego? Learn the easy tricks in this complete guide.
When it comes to making decisions, often as basic as waking up early to run, resisting the third drink, ornot texting the ex who you want to break ties with – it seems like there are two people living in the same body.
A part of you, the ‘beast in you’, goes to bed sure of hitting the track at 6 A.M, or is prepared to not take more than one drink.
But the part that is confronted with the option of slippingback under the covers or allowing the next Negroni is the feeble willed Hedonist You, who can’t fathom what the beast version of you was thinking last night.
The Beast Called ‘Alter Ego‘
If only you could discipline yourself to bring the two versions of youinto line, life might run smoother. But the problem is when the moment of truth comes, that beast in you isnowhere to be found.
This elusive Beast is what we call the ‘Alter Ego’.
Yet there’s a lot more to an Alter Ego than just that. Although the idea of ‘Alter Ego’ may seem very simple, using it at the right time for the right reasons is what makes it complicated.
Once understood correctly, we can each become very powerfully creative individually in how we play with our Alter Ego to our advantage.
And that is where this article chips in. Keep your reading glasses on, and you’ll be enlightened upon the subject of Alter Ego Psychology ranging from its explanation to implementation and hows and whys related to it.
So, let’s begin!
Read also: 5 FREE Raikov Effect MP3 Downloads For ‘Brain Hacking’ Into a Genius
Different Variants of Alter Ego
Anytime you hear or read about alter ego definition, it is indeed going to fall in one of the five undermentioned realms.
1. Second Persona – The Other You
This persona resides beneath your exogenous personality and is commonly the mishmash of many sub-personalities. This personality is totally different from your conscious personality, establishing itself as a supplementary by-product of your initial ego formation process.
2. Ideal Persona – The Ideal You
This refers to the persona that you loved and admired from a very young age, one that you’ve alwaysidealize and wished to be like. Some aspects of this ego may also be evident in the ‘Other You’that is hidden within yourself.
3. Dark Persona – The Negative Side of Your Soul
Psychologists believe that intrinsically we have both good and dark sides within our very selves, constantly at war. This persona resonates with the dark side of our personality and refers to the negative part of our being.
4. Dependable Persona – A trusted friend of Yours
A personality that is very similar in traits and characteristicsto your outer nature. It’s like the voice inside your head with which you often talk in an attempt to understand yourself.
5. Purpose Built Personality – The Alter Ego
This refers to the personain which you create a new variant of yourself as your Alter Ego.
So Which Version of Alter Ego is Most Significant in terms of Impact?
Each of the perceptions mentioned above has its own perspective, pros, and cons. We do not need to focus on all of them.
Our fifth alter ego definition from above is practically the most important in our daily lives, as it essentially demonstrates that we are capable of subverting and reasserting our Alter Ego.
The alter ego, therefore, is thesecond self that iscreated by an individual — typically to live as a better version of oneself.
Why Create an Alter Ego?
An alter ego can help in many ways. Here are some of the significant advantages of having an Alter Ego:
- It helpsyou get out of your comfort zone;
- Alter Ego makes you feel empowered and do things that you otherwise might not have accomplished.
- Alter Ego helps you channel your genius for good.
- An alter Ego distances you from the dark and negative side of yourself.
- Alter Ego can make life more fun.
Who Has Successfully Manifested an Alter Ego?
Examples of effective manifestations of the Alter Ego can be found everywhere in today’s society. In fact, some examples may come as a surprise to you.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is the Alter Ego of a commongirl, Stefani Germanotta.
Believe it or not, the constructive development of the alter ego has turned an every day simple girl Stefani Germanotta into the peerlesssuperstar, the Lady Gaga.
Beyonce
Another perfect demonstration can be seen in how Beyonce constructed her alter Ego, Sasha Fierce.
A portrayal of herself that is far more sensual and even more violent, at least in her performances.
In fact, Beyonce has also gone on to build more than one of these alter egos to boost her career and performances.
This brings me to the fundamental question; Can everyone someone create an alter ego for him/herself? If yes, how?
Read on, and by the end of the next part, you’ll be wise on the subject.
How to Create Your Alter Ego?
Below is a stepwise guide on how to create a customized Alter Ego for yourself.
1. Set Goals – Define an Objective for Your Alter Ego
Before creating an alter ego, you must know why do you want to do it. This will help you clear your head in defining the persona that you want to create.
Ask yourself the following questions can help a great deal in this.
- Why do you want tocreate an alter ego?
- What objectives are you trying to achieve?
- Do you want to createan alter ego for fun, or there is a seriouspurpose behind it?
The answers to these questions will have an impacton your decision-making when you start creatingyour alter ego.
For example, if you want anom de plume for a piece of artworkthat might beconsidered controversial, just picking a fake name would do.
Conversely, if you are a musician and want to enhance your creative range by adopting a scintillating new persona, you might need tocreate a detailed story and personality for your character.
Remember! There is no such thing as an ‘over-thought outAlter Ego’. Unless you begin to blur the psychological line between your alter ego and your true self, feel free to create an alter ego in as much detail as you deem fit.
2. Personify Your Alter Ego – Give It a Voice and Personality
The personality of youalter Ego is the most critical element in it. How does it talk or act even behave?
More often than not,alter egos are equipped with attributes that their creators lack. The creators, by assuming analter ego, try to overcome the difficulties caused by the imperfections of intrinsicpersonalities.
For instance, if you’re a shy and introverted person, you might want toassume a snarky and confident Alter Ego at a party full of people you don’t know.
You need to ask yourself, will your alter egobe just like you, except for the name? Or is it going to be a distinctcharacter with a public persona different from yours? Make a choice for your Alter Ego based on your goals.
Let me explain this with an Example, if you’re writing a semi-autobiography, your ego-insert character should probably talk and act like you do.
However, if you want tocreate a superhero alter Ego for yourself, you would need your character to be exuberantly dashing and gaudy-more than any average person.
3. Give Your Alter Ego a Distinctive Appearance – Looks Matter
How wouldyour alter ego looklike? Do you want it to be unassuming or memorable, or you want it to stand out in a crowd?
You must ensure that your alter Ego’s appearance goes with its personality. Even so, if your alter ego is a larger than life figure like a superhero or robocop, you might consider designing a costume for it that must reflect its superhuman stature.
Quick Tip
If you’re planning to imitate your alter Ego in real life, keep your looks in mind while designing thecharacter.
Make sure that you can realistically mimic your alter ego persona by changing clothes, orusing makeup, etc. Like, if you’re a 400-pound professional weight lifter, your slender computer hacker alter Ego might have to live in the realm of fantasy, forever.
4. Craft a Fitting Origin Story for your Alter Ego
Providing your Alter Ego withaninspiring (yet befitting) personal history givesa sense of realism to its otherwise assumed persona.
The background story of your character can be vague or detailed, ordinary, or remarkable; there are no hard lines.
It shouldjust belogical and genuinely reflect the Alter Ego’s personality and appearance.
Ask Yourself the following Questions to come up with a good origin story:
- Where did the alter Ego come from?
- What kind of life has ithad?
- What were the experiences that shaped it?
- Who did they know and have a relationship with in the past?
- Pick a Name – Aliases are Important
This part is fun but needs some serious consideration, nonetheless. A nice, catchy name can transform your Alter Ego from being justinteresting to trulyphenomenal.
Make a list of names, including the ideas that you think are stupid or eveninappropriate. These may lead you to a genuinely inspiring name.
Then think of names that are befitting your alter Ego’s goal. For instance, if your alter ego is a spy in American midwest, you would like to have a common name like ‘Mark Stevens’ and not an over the top name like ‘Xavier Rex Riviera’ that attracts the unwanted attention of people.
Picking a name for your alter ego
Below are a couple of Tips to Pick the Right Name for your alter ego.
Names that Resonate with the Alter Ego’s Role / Personality
Its good idea to chose a name for your alter ego that reflects itsrole or personality. Rapper Nas occasionally refers to himself as “Nas Escobar”, it is a reference to drug kingpin Pablo Escobar and a reflection of his devious side.
Anagram or Acronym that Somewhat Relates to Your Real Name
Your alter ego can be an anagram or acronymof your realname or some other word or phrase. Remember the Harry Potter Series?
In those books the villain creates the anagram “I am Lord Voldemort”, merely by rearranging the spelling of his name, Tom Marvolo Riddle.
It can also make an implicit reference to your real name just like Jennifer Lopez usimg the Acronym J. Lo or Lola.
Be Descriptive and Detailed – Devil Lies in Details
Consider giving your character sort of depth by giving him or her unique attributes. Real people have peculiarities and oddities, so if he or she does, your character might well seem more real.
You might like to choose details that match your character’s role or public persona. Agrizzled mercenary Alter Ego, for example, may walk with a slight limp as a result of an old anomalous injury.
Conversely, you maypick traits that contradict the background in an interesting way. Like you could give a mercenary Alter Ego a childish enthusiasm like playing tiddlywinks.
Note: Good alter egos, like real people, are complex and often contradictory.
So much for the creation of alter Ego. If you follow the above steps carefully, you’ll undoubtedly create an alter ego that best suits your personality and requirements.
The Alter Ego, however, wouldn’t be of much use if you are not sure how to adapt and trigger it at the right time.
You’ll read more of that in the next paragraph.
How to Trigger Your Alter Ego?
Step 1: Practice Makes the Man Perfect – Put Your Alter Ego into Practice
Now that you have designed a distinctive Alter Ego, it’s time to walk a mile in thoseshoes. Practice speaking, acting and behavinglike the personality of your alter ego.
If carefully crafted, and relentlessly practiced, your character might even become more known than yourself.Practice triggering your Alter Ego at times where it’s needed.
You may fail to adopt it at times or trigger it unnecessarily at others, but you’ll learn to perfect it gradually with practice.
Step 2: Use a Costume and Materials to Trigger Your Alter Ego
Wearing a costume matching your alter Ego’s personality can trigger that adopted persona to take over.
Just like with Batman or Spider man, an outfit can help you transition into your adopted Alter Ego. Try to gather clothing and other material related to the personality of your alter ego (thrift stores can be of help because of their low prices and differently styled clothing).
Step 3: Stay in Your Character
If you commit to your performance, your alter ego may seem more “real” and authentic. Flip-flopping between your new identity and old one may appear artificial to the people.
Set your character hours or even days, simply hang around the house, running your everyday routine wearing your alter ego-personality.This way, you are going to ease into this new character seamlessly.
Step 4: Adopt the Habits of Your Alter Ego’s Personality
Try to change your daily habits and routines to match your Alter Ego’s. If, for example, your character grooms him or herself differently than you do, make these changes in your own life.
Respected method actors such as Daniel Day Lewis are famous for adopting the habits of their characters.
To prepare himself for his role in ‘The Age of Innocence,’ Lewis bathed himself in cologne and put on his 1870s clothing ashe ran his daily errands.
The Final Word For ‘How to Create an Create and Trigger Your Alter Ego’
It has been proven that your success in any field has a lot to do with the way you think about yourself.
If you believe you’re an excellent blogger, you’re going to act like one. If you think you’re good at basketball and believe it, you’re going to act like you are and perform actionsthatprove it.
So, how to create and trigger your alter ego?
As part of the crating analter ego, be clear about your abilities and then find ways to define them with proof and clear descriptions.
Figure out a way to articulate your skills, so your mind is super clear about your goals and believesthat you have the ability to achieve them.
Name it, define it, and, most importantly control it, if you want to become incredibly powerful and accomplish amazing results!
Questions about how to create and trigger your alter ego?
Do you have any questions about how to create and trigger your alter ego?
I’m here to help. You can contact me by sending an email to[emailprotected]
Feel free to share!
Feel free toshare my articleorlink my post! I would love to share this knowledge with as many people as I can, so that everyone can live a life free from fears and negativity.
Click on the share button below to share on Facebook or Twitter.
FAQs
How do you trigger an alter ego? ›
A positive trigger is something non-trauma related and is pleasant enough to cause an alter to come forward and experience happy emotions, such as a special toy, cute puppies, or a favorite ice cream flavor. A positive trigger, in some instances, can be used to bring forth an alter.
Is it possible to create alter ego? ›One way people can create a temporary alter ego is through illeism, which is defined as “the act of referring to oneself in the third person.” It might seem odd to talk about yourself in the third person, but athletes, politicians, and business figures do it all the time.
Can I create an alter? ›She became frightened often and didn't like to be alone. Because of this, Colette created an alter. We came to call this personality, "Mother." Any one of a person's alter personalities can create a new alter.
What is Beyonce's alter ego? ›But Beyoncé isn't the only name she's known by; in the early days of her solo career the singer created a new alternative identity for herself — Sasha Fierce.
What are the powers of alter ego? ›An alter ego is a persona that you create for yourself to help you overcome self-doubt, fear, and other obstacles that may be holding you back. By adopting this persona, you can tap into a more confident, capable version of yourself.
How many alters can front at once? ›A person living with DID may have as few as two alters or as many as 100. The average number is about 10. Often alters are stable over time, continuing to play specific roles in the person's life for years.
What is the alter ego rule? ›Alter ego is a legal doctrine whereby the court finds that a corporation lacks a separate identity from an individual or corporate shareholder. The court applies this rule to ignore the corporate status of a group of stockholders, officers, and directors of a corporation with respect to their limited liability.
What are the three types of alter ego? ›In fiction, a character's alter ego can take several forms—a hidden identity, a secondary personality, or a secret life being led in addition to a normal life.
What is a super alter ego? ›The concept of the superhero alter-ego is one that has sparked debates for the ages. The idea that these super-characters use other identities to keep their heroic exploits under wraps adds layer upon layer to the psychology of the superhero, as well as giving rise to drama, comedy and, above all, plot twists.
Is an alter ego the real you? ›An alter ego (Latin for "other I", "doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a different personality.
Is alter ego a disorder? ›
Dissociative identity disorder.
Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, this disorder is characterized by "switching" to alternate identities. You may feel the presence of two or more people talking or living inside your head, and you may feel as though you're possessed by other identities.
Sudden mood swings: When someone is in a splitting episode, it can cause rapid and dramatic changes in mood, unstable emotions, and impulsive behavior. They might instantly become furious or thrilled, even if they felt the opposite way before.
How do I find my alter ego? ›- STEP 1: Live in Context. To build an Alter Ego and live as your heroic self, you need to get specific as to which particular field you want to improve. ...
- STEP 2: Identify the Frustration. ...
- STEP 3: The Flipside. ...
- STEP 4: Find Your Superpowers. ...
- STEP 5: The Activation Event.
Jo Calderone is a fictional male alter-ego to Lady Gaga created in 2010.
What is Batman effect? ›The Batman effect is an active cognitive strategy that moves us forward with confidence as we stay in the stressful situation but with our alter-ego leading the charge. So long as we choose our alter-ego wisely (make sure it's not Deadpool or the Hulk), we'll usually find better ways forward then ever before.
What is an alter ego mask? ›Think of your special mask as an alter ego—a version of yourself you've always wanted to be! An alter ego is a version of you, but with a different personality. What version of yourself do you want to be?
Is alter ego stronger than Ultra Instinct? ›Strength. With Ultra Ego being the tool of Dragon Ball Super's Gods of Destruction and focusing on intent and wills, Ultra Ego is likely the superior form in terms of strength. While Ultra Instinct is still quite strong and respectable, that form relies more on dodges and counters to succeed.
What are the dangers of an alter ego? ›Alter Ego can also be dangerous because the person can have very different views on things. The person's views can be so different that they can be in conflict with each other. This can lead to the person having a lot of inner conflicts and being very unhappy.
How do alters get their names? ›The names of the alters often have a symbolic meaning. For example, Melody might be the name of a personality who expresses herself through music. Or the personality could be given the name of its function, such as “The Protector” or “The Perpetrator”.
Can you talk to your alters if you have DID? ›Open communication is important when managing DID. For those with co-conscious alters, communication is similar to talking with any other person, just without the presence of a separate physical body. It may be difficult, however, when you have alters or parts of you that you are not conscious of.
Is an alter ego a split personality? ›
Dissociative identity disorder was previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), sometimes incorrectly called "split personality", it is characterized by the presence of more than one sense of identity within a single human body. These alternate identities are commonly known as alters or dissociated parts.
What is the defense of the third person? ›“Defense of others” is a defense to liability for an alleged crime that is in defense of a person other than oneself. It refers to a person's right to use reasonable force to protect a third party from another person who threatens to use force on the third party.
What is the affirmative defense to alter ego? ›The key affirmative defense to alter ego allegations is found in California Corporations Code, Section 317. This section generally provides for corporate indemnification of corporate agents, such as officers, directors and employees, who are parties to threatened or pending litigation against the corporation.
What is the personality of alter ego? ›An alter ego can be thought of as a person's clone or second self. A professional alter ego might be a trusted aide who knows exactly what the boss wants done. A personal alter ego might be a close friend who is almost like a twin. Alter ego can also refer to the second, hidden side of one's own self.
What's the difference between alter ego and doppelganger? ›Alter ego refers to a one character with two opposing sides. Foil refers to two characters that are juxtaposed in order to highlight the differences in their nature. We mostly use the term doppelganger to refer to two people who bear an uncanny physical resemblance.
What is the ultra ego? ›Ultra Ego is the strongest form Vegeta has appeared in. Ultra Ego changes its users ki to become the same as that of a God of Destruction and its users power grows without limit through instinct as their fighting spirit increases.
Are alter egos healthy? ›Adopting an alter ego like Sasha Fierce, or simply thinking of yourself in the third person can help you stick to your goals — whether it be a new exercise routine, carrying out a business plan, or staying clean.
Is The Joker an alter ego? ›The Joker (Burtonverse)
Jack Napier is an alter-ego associated with the Joker, sometimes used as the character's real name. This is a tribute to the actors Jack Nicholson and Alan Napier. It has been used by several incarnations of the Joker, although usually as an alias and not a secret identity.
Ego states develop as a way to cope with severe traumatic events in childhood. When a child is in distress, repeatedly, the child does not develop a healthy sense of self or ego. Instead, the ego splits off into different states that are connected to the 'fight-flight-freeze' response.
Do narcissists create alter egos? ›The narcissist has a fake, substitute Ego. This is why his energy is drained. He spends most of it on maintaining, protecting and preserving the warped, unrealistic images of his (False) Self and of his (fake) world. The narcissist is a person exhausted by his own absence.
What is a fictive alter? ›
fictives are alters that are or are based off of fictional people or characters. fictives, while they already come from a media, can also have IRLs of different characters from different sources(but they dont have to)
What trauma causes splitting? ›It is often seen in Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) who suffer from Complex PTSD or childhood trauma. Having Trauma Splitting, or Structural Dissociation, means we are split into different parts, each with a different personality, feelings, and behaviour. As a result, we feel completely different from moment to moment.
What is a locked alter? ›headmates. Coiner. Jubilee System. A frontlocked alter or headmate is one that is unable to leave front (or is "locked in front"). This is normally for a long period of time (months to years or even forever).
What is a fragmented alter? ›Fragment: A fragment is an alter that is not fully differentiated or developed. Fragments may exist to carry out a single function or job, to hold a single memory or emotion, or to represent a single idea.
What are alters of God? ›An altar is a raised area in a house of worship where people can honor God with offerings. It is prominent in the Bible as "God's table," a sacred place for sacrifices and gifts offered up to God.
Can alters hate each other? ›Alters can be friends, family, or foes. Alters can like, and even love each other, but sometimes there is hate or dislike within the system. When this happens, it can feel chaotic.
What is inside of an alter? ›During Mass, it serves as a table to hold a copy of the Bible and the consecrated bread and wine that are distributed to worshipers. One to three cloths cover the altar, and a cross and candles may be placed on or near it.
How long does alter ego last? ›| Single-Player | Polled | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Main Story | 12 | 8h 52m |
| Completionist | 5 | 9h 50m |
| All PlayStyles | 17 | 9h 15m |
Dissociative identity disorder.
Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, this disorder is characterized by "switching" to alternate identities.
These differences between alters are often quite striking. A person living with DID may have as few as two alters or as many as 100. The average number is about 10. Often alters are stable over time, continuing to play specific roles in the person's life for years.
How do you know what your alter ego is? ›
- STEP 1: Live in Context. To build an Alter Ego and live as your heroic self, you need to get specific as to which particular field you want to improve. ...
- STEP 2: Identify the Frustration. ...
- STEP 3: The Flipside. ...
- STEP 4: Find Your Superpowers. ...
- STEP 5: The Activation Event.
Hifumi explains that Alter Ego is the only "girl" that ever listened to him about his personal interests (heavily implied to be inappropriate) and he feels comfortable around "her".
How do I know if I am dissociating? ›Symptoms of a dissociative disorder
feeling disconnected from yourself and the world around you. forgetting about certain time periods, events and personal information. feeling uncertain about who you are. having multiple distinct identities.
Summary. There are a variety of triggers that can cause switching between alters, or identities, in people with dissociative identity disorder. These can include stress, memories, strong emotions, senses, alcohol and substance use, special events, or specific situations. In some cases, the triggers are not known.
Can you have 400 alters? ›They have both been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder , formally known as multiple personality disorder, and between them have over 400 personas, called 'alters'.