Red Cross Foreign Experts, Michael and Kathyrn Uno, visited our Cuiying Honors College as part of their Life Education Project On 16th November. They gave a fascinating lecture entitled, “Self-image: Am I Who Other’s Say I Am?” to a packed classroom.

Dr. Kathy Uno started by emphasising each of our uniqueness, and then defined self-image as “the way we see ourselves” or “the mental picture of ourselves we carry around”.She went on to describe three pillars that form the foundation of a healthy self-image (a sense of belonging, a sense of worth and a sense of significance).

Professor Mike Uno gave a vivid description of how African hunters will trap a monkey by making a small hole in the top of a coconut and filling it with orange. They monkey is only trapped because it will not let go of the orange in the coconut. He described four traps that we can fall into in our thinking about ourselves, performance, blame, approval and shame. He encouraged us to “let go” of harmful beliefs about ourselves that keep us trapped and to replace them with positive thoughts. They concluded the lecture by telling the story of a puppet who has an unhealthy self-image, who eventually learns that he is special.

Afterwards, Mike and Kathy were asked how to help a student who feels shy. They gave some very practical advice about preparing what you would like to say, before you talk to others. Students queued up to talk to them after the lecture, eager to learn more.