selfalienation

Self-alienation is the subjective feeling of estrangement from one's own inner life, including emotions, values, or identity. It involves a sense that thoughts, feelings, or actions are not genuinely one's own, or are incongruent with one’s self-concept. The term is used across philosophy, psychology, and social theory, and may overlap with but is distinct from social or economic alienation.

In philosophy, self-alienation has been discussed in debates on authenticity and alienation. Hegel's account of self-consciousness and alienation in social life; Karl Marx's analysis of labor alienation fosters a sense of estrangement from one's human essence; existentialists such as Sartre and Heidegger emphasize living authentically versus "bad faith."

In psychology, self-alienation describes a disconnect between self and experience, sometimes linked to depersonalization, dissociation, or identity disturbance. It can result from trauma, chronic stress, cultural or role pressures, or internal conflict between values and behavior. It is not a clinical diagnosis by itself.

Impact and coping: Reduced well-being, sense of meaning, and motivation. Approaches include psychotherapy (e.g., psychodynamic, existential), mindfulness, values clarification, and social support; steps to align actions with core values can reduce self-alienation.

See also: Authenticity, alienation, depersonalization.