Choosing a Healthy Role Model

During our lives, choosing someone to emulate and become inspired by but how do we know when we’re choosing the right one? A role model to others typically has passion, trustworthiness, kindness, a clear set of values, and selflessness about them. Having a wide variety of respectable traits makes a person a good role model for all. 

Do We Need Role Models? 

Having an inspirational figure from a young age encourages “vicarious reinforcement,” meaning, as children we often want to recreate the behaviors that we see in front of us. If a child has a healthy role model in their life and pays attention to how others react around them, they will most likely take on those qualities that are admirable. The same thing also goes for adults and teenagers!

For example, if we see a peer do something that causes a negative reaction amongst people, we automatically take note of that and either consciously or subconsciously decide that we should not do that behavior as well. This vicarious reinforcement happens most prominently as a child but follows us throughout adulthood. Additionally, having a quality role model also means that we build our self-esteem and how we see ourselves. 

There are many benefits to having a role model in our life, especially because it allows us to become more ethical leaders as we begin to grow up. We treat people with a certain level of fairness or respect because that’s what the person we have looked up to does. Although a role model may not be needed for physical survival, it is needed for emotional development and building healthy connections with others and ourselves. 

How Do I Choose A Good Role Model? 

It’s never too late to choose a role model! Think about what qualities are important to you in a person. Do you value highly religious individuals? Do you look up to those that fight for human rights? Do you see how a boss or teacher treats others who are different? Noticing these behaviors can greatly aid you in choosing a role model that helps you become the best version of yourself. 

Another great way of choosing a role model can be to focus on what you’d like to improve. Think about what you’d like to learn more about. For example, have you always wondered how to become a more confident version of yourself? Or, how to practice more patience? By looking up to those that have those qualities you’d like to work on you can see real-life examples and then implement them into your life. 

When we speak with our students about role models, we explain to them the difference between a good role model and a bad one. Additionally, all of our staff work their hardest to encapsulate the qualities that will be a good example to our Eva Carlston students. Our team is dedicated to giving our students not only a positive environment but positive interactions with people who are older than them and in a position of authority.