Epilogue: The Next Decade of Self-Presentation Research

Abstract

I began this book by calling for more ideas. Now it is time to call for more data. The contributors to this book have done their job. After reading these chapters, one cannot dismiss self-presentation as a minor or trivial matter of just trying to look good now and then. Self-presentation emerges from these pages as a pervasive, fundamental, and important part of modern life, and no aspect or view of the self can remain unaffected by self-presentation. These chapters have explored the various relations of self-presentation to self-concepts, to personal fulfillment and achievement, to personality traits and interpersonal styles, to cognitive styles and patterns, to self-protection, to self-completion, to self-regulation, to self-deception, and more. The ideas are here. To conclude, then, it is worth taking a moment to ask: What are some of the pressing issues and questions for empirical research?