Symbolic interactionism posits that our sense of self is not an inherent psychological construct but is continuously formed through social interaction. Charles Cooley’s 'looking-glass self' suggests that we perceive ourselves based on how we believe others see us. We imagine how we appear to others, imagine their judgment of that appearance, and develop our self-feeling in response. This process implies that the self is inherently social and fragile, dependent on the feedback of the community. Critics suggest that this model grants too much power to the social environment, leaving little room for an autonomous individual who can resist social definitions. If the self is merely a reflection of the social mirror, then genuine dissent becomes an anomaly that the theory struggles to explain.