Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR BRANCHES AND
CAMPUSES
SANTA ROSA CAMPUS
City of Santa Rosa, Laguna
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
(GEED 10023)
COMPILED BY:
JONNA V. GRUEZO
Faculty
TABLE OF CONTENTS
UNIT 1 – DEFINING THE SELF
Lesson 1 The Self from various Philosophical Perspective
Lesson 2 The Self, Society and Culture
Lesson 3 The Self as a Cognitive Construct
Lesson 4 The Self in Western and Eastern Thoughts
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2-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
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9-12
12-13
13-15
15-16
16-18
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20-21
21-22
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UNIT II – UNPACKING THE SELF
Lesson 5 The Physical and Sexual Self
Lesson 6 The Material and Economic Self
Lesson 7 The Spiritual and Religious Self
Lesson 8 The Political Self
Lesson 9 The Digital Self
UNIT III – MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF
Lesson 10 Learning to be a Better Learner
Lesson 11 Setting Goals for Success
Lesson 12 Less Stress, More Care
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UNIT 1 – DEFINING THE SELF
OVERVIEW:
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable
confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”
- Norman Vincent Peale
For a more meaningful understanding of the self. Numerous studies have been
conducted and various approaches have been developed from concepts about it. Philosophers
from ancient to contemporary times sought to describe the essential qualities that compose a
person’s uniqueness.
Sociology sees the self as a product of social interaction, developed over time through
social activities and experiences. Anthropology views self as a culturally shaped construct or
ideas. Psychology sees the self as having characteristics or properties that can be used to
describe it.
Different culture and varying environment tend to create different perceptions of the self.
And one of the most common distinctions between cultures and people is the Eastern vs.
Western dichotomy. Eastern and Western civilizations have always sought to understand the
self. Their views, however, stand on different perspective.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: After successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Differentiate the views of self from the various philosophers across time and places.
2. Define society and culture.
3. Compare the self from the views of the eastern and western thoughts.
COURSE MATERIALS:
Lesson 1. THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE
Self is either the cognitive or the affective representation of the individual.
Different perspective in the explanation of self are the following:
1. Socrates
One of the very few individuals who shaped western thought. Socrates was known for
his method of inquiry in testing an idea. Known as the Socratic Method, whereby an idea is
tested by asking a series of questions to determine underlying beliefs and the extent of
knowledge to guide the person toward better understanding. One of his most-quoted
phrases is “the unexamined life is not worth living”. According to him, self knowledge or the
examination of one’s self, as well as the question about how one ought to live one’s life, are
very important concerns because only by knowing yourself can you hope to improve your
life. He added self-knowledge would open your eyes to your true nature and the state of
your inner being determines the quality of your life. Socrates believed that the goal of life is
to be happy, the virtuous man is a happy man.
2. Plato
Plato supported the idea that man is a dual nature of body and soul. He is best known
for his “theory of forms” that asserted the physical world is not really the real world because
the ultimate reality exists beyond the physical world. According to him, the soul is indeed the
most divine aspect of the human being. He added that there are three components of the
soul;
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a. The rational soul (reasoning), forged by reason and intellect has to govern the affairs
of the human person.
b. The spirited soul (feeling), which is in charge of emotions should be kept at bay.
c. The appetitive soul (sensual), in charge of base desires like eating, drinking, sleeping
and having sex.
3. St. Augustine
Also called St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the Latin Fathers of the Church, one of the
Doctor of the Church and one of the most significant Christian thinkers. He adopted Plato’s
view that the self is an immaterial but rational soul. Augustine agreed that man is of a
bifurcated nature. He believed that the human being was both a soul and body. The body is
bound to die on earth and the soul is to anticipate living eternally in a realm of spiritual bliss
in communion with God.
4. Thomas Aquianas
Adapting some ideas from Aristotle, Aquinas said that indeed, man is composed of two
parts;
• Matter – hyle in Greek, refers to the common stuff that makes up everything in the
universe.
•
Form – morphe in Greek, refers to the essence of substance or thing.
To Aquinas, what makes a human person a human person is his soul. The soul is
what animates the body, it is what makes us human.
5. Rene Descartes
Father of modern philosophy, conceived of the human person as having a body and a
mind. The first thinker to emphasize the use of reason to describe, predict and understand
natural phenomena based on observational and empirical evidence. He thought that the
only thing that one cannot doubt is the existence of the self, a thing that thinks and
therefore, that cannot be doubted. His famous line “cogito ergo sum”, “I think therefore I
am”. The fact that one thinks should lead one to conclude without doubt that he exists. The
self for Descartes is a combination of two distinct entities;
• Cogito - the thing that thinks, which is the mind.
•
Extensa – or extension of the mind, which is the body.
A thinking thing is a thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses, that
imagines and perceives.
6. John Locke
Locke believed that the self is identified with consciousness and this self consists of
sameness of consciousness, usually interpreted to mean that the self consists of memory;
that the person existing now is the same person yesterday because he remembers the
thoughts, experiences or actions of the earlier self.
7. David Hume
Hume is identified with the “bundle theory” wherein he describe the self as a bundle or a
collection of different perceptions that are moving in a very fast and successive manner. He
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believed that human intellect and experiences are limited and the self is merely made up of
successive impressions.
• Impressions – these are perceptions that are the most strong and enter the senses
with the most forces. It is directly experienced. The basic objects of our experience
and sensation.
•
Ideas – are copies of impression. These are the less forcible and less lively
counterparts of impressions.
Self, according to Hume is simply a bundle or collection of different perceptions.
8. Immanuel Kant
Kant’s view of the self is transcendental, which means that self is related to a spiritual or
nonphysical realm. For him, self is not in the body, the self is outside the body and it does
not have the qualities of the body. It is also the seat of knowledge acquisition for all human
persons. According to him there are two components of the self;
• Inner self – the self by which you are aware of alterations in your own state.
•
Outer self – it includes your senses and the physical world.
9. Gilbert Ryle
For Ryle, what truly matters is the behavior that a person manifest in his day to day life.
He suggests that the self is not an entity one can locate and analyze but simply the
convenient name that people use to refer to all the behaviors that people make.
10. Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Merleau-Ponty says that the mind and body are so intertwined that they cannot be
separated from one another. The living body, his thoughts, emotions and experiences are all
one. He argued that the body is part of the mind and the mind is part of the body. According
to him, the body acts what the mind perceives as a unified one.
Lesson 2. THE SELF, SOCIETY AND CULTURE
Society – a group of people who share a common culture, occupy a particular territorial
area and feel themselves to constitute a unified and distinct entity.
Culture – that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law,
customs and other capabilities and habits acquire by man as a member of society.
The self is commonly defined by the following characteristics;
1. Separate – self is distinct from other selves
2. Self-contained – its distinctness allows it to be self-contained with its own thoughts,
characterisitcs and volition
3. Independent – in itself it can exist, it does not require any other self for it to exist
4. Consistent – it has a personality that is enduring
5. Unitary – it is the center of all experiences and thoughts that run through a person
6. Private – it sorts out information, feelings and emotions and thought processes within the
self
Social constructionists argue of a merged view of the person and their social context where
the boundaries of one cannot easily be separated from the boundaries of the other. Social
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constructivists argue that the self should not be seen as a static entity that stays constant
through and through. Rather the self has to be seen as something that is unceasing flux, in
constant struggle with external reality and is malleable in its dealings with society. The self is
always in participation with social life and is truly multifaceted.
Two Sides of Self(social self)
Mead proposed two interactive facets of the self.
• Me – is the product of what the person has learned while interacting with others and with
the environment. It exercises social control over the self.
•
I – is that part of the self that is unsocialized and spontaneous. It is the individual’s
response to the community’s attitude toward the person.
According to Marcel Mauss, every self has two faces.
• Moi – refers to a person’s sense of who he is and a person’s basic identity.
•
Personne – is composed of the social concepts of what it means to be who he is and
has much to do with what it means to live in a particular institution, a particular family, a
paricular religion and a particular nationality.
Lesson 3. THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT
Self – the sense of personal identity and of who we are as an individuals.
1. William James was one of the earliest psychologists to study the self and
conceptualized the self as having two aspects.
• I – is the thinking, acting and feeling self.
•
Me – is the physical characteristics as well as psychological capabilities that make
who you are.
2. Carl Rogers theory of personality also used the same terms.
• I – the one who acts and decides.
•
Me – is what you think or feel about yourself as an object.
•
Ideal Self – is the person that you would like yourself to be.
•
Real Self – is the person you actually are.
When your real self and ideal self are very similar you experience
congruence, but when there is a great inconsistency between your ideal and
real selves you experience incongruence.
3. Carver and Scheier identified two types of self.
• Private Self – your internal standards and private thoughts and feelings.
•
Public Self – your public image commonly geared toward having a good
presentation of yourself to others.
Other concept similar to self are;
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•
Identity – is composed of personal characteristics, social roles and responsibilities as
well as affiliations that define who one is.
•
Self Concept – is what basically comes to your mind when you are asked about who
you are.
•
Self Awareness – when we are aware of our self concept. It can keep you from doing
something dangerous.
•
Self Esteem – our own positive or negative perception or evaluation of ourselves.
•
Deindividuation – the loss of individual self awareness and individual accountability in
groups.
•
Actual self – is who you are at the moment.
•
Ideal self – is who you like to be.
•
Ought self – is who you think you should be.
However one cannot fully discount the effects of society and culture on the formation of the
self, identity and self concept. Social interaction always has a part to play in who we think we
are. This is not nature versus nurture but instead a nature and nurture perspective.
Under the theory of symbolic interactionism, Goerge Herbert Mead argued that the self is
created and developed through human interaction. There are three reasons why self and
identity are social products.
1. We do not create ourselves out of nothing.
2. Whether we like to admit or not, we actually need others to affirm and reinforce who we
think we are.
3. What we think is important to us may also have been influenced by what is important in
our social or historical context.
We learn about ourselves, the appropriateness of our behaviors, as well as our social status
by comparing aspects of ourselves with other people. The more common types of comparing
ourselves with others are downward social comparison, where we create a positive self
concept by comparing ourselves with those who are worse off than us. Another is the upward
social comparison, which is comparing ourselves with those who are better off than us. Social
comparison also entails what is called self evaluation maintenance theory, which states that we
can feel threatened when someone outperforms us, especially when that person is close to us.
Lesson 4. THE SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN THOUGHTS
Western Concept of Self
Frank Johnson outlined four categories on how the term self is used in contemporary western
discussion.
• Anaylitical – by analytic meant the tendency to see reality as an aggregate of parts, the
self is an observer separate and distinct from external objects.
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•
Monotheistic – monotheism involved the tendency toward unitary explanations of
phenomena and a closed system view of self as modeled after a unitary, omnipotent
power.
•
Individualistic – individualism is a quality of western thinking where self-expression and
self-actualization are important ways of establishing who one is as well as in finding
satisfaction in the world.
•
Materialistic/Rationalistic – western thinking tends to discredit explanations that do not
use analytic deductive mode of thinking.
Western perspective always focus on looking toward the self. You compare yourself in
order to be better, you create associations and bask in the glory of that group for your selfesteem, you put primacy in developing yourself. Western thought looks at the world in dualities
wherein you are distinct from the other person. They talked more about their personal attributes
when describing themselves. The western culture is what we would call an individualistic
culture since their focus is on the person. They may seem to have loose associations or even
loyalty to their groups. Competition is the name of the game and they are more likely
straightforward and forceful in their communication as well as decision. Westerners also
emphasize more on the value of equality.
Eastern Concept of Self
• Confucianism can be seen as a code of ethical conduct, of how one should properly act
according to their relationship with others. It is also focused on having a harmonious
social life. Personality in the Confucian perception is an achieved state of moral
excellence rather than a given human condition. Self cultivation is the ultimate purpose
of life but the characteristics of a man of virtue or noble character is still embedded in his
social relationship.
•
Taoism is living in the way of the Tao or the universe. Taoism rejects the hierarchy and
strictness brought by Confucianism and would prefer a simple lifestyle and its teachings
thus aim to describe how to attain that life. The ideal self is selflessness but this is not
forgetting about the self, it is living a balanced-life with society and nature, being open
and accepting to change, forgetting about prejudices and egocentric ideas and thinking
about equality as well as complementarity among humans as well as other beings.
•
Buddhism is composed of the teachings of Buddha.
Eastern perspective sees the other person as part of yourself. Asians in general
talk about their social roles or the social situations that invoked certain traits that they
deem positive for themselves. They would rather keep a low profile as promoting self
can be seen as boastfulness that disrupts social relationship. Asian culture is called a
collectivistic culture as the group and social relations is given more importance than
individual needs and wants. Eastern or oriental persons look after the welfare of their
groups and values cooperation.
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ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENTS:
I. Identify and write the word/s of the correct answer.
_______________1. It refers to the common stuff that makes up everything in the universe.
_______________2. It is the thing that thinks.
_______________3. It is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals,
law, customs and other capabilities and habits acquire by man as a member of society.
_______________4. It refers to a person’s sense of who he is and a person’s basic identity.
_______________5. The sense of personal identity and of who we are as an individuals.
_______________6. It is the person you actually are.
_______________7. The tendency to see reality as an aggregate of parts, the self is an
observer separate and distinct from external objects.
_______________8. It is a quality of western thinking where self-expression and selfactualization are important ways of establishing who one is as well as in finding satisfaction in
the world.
_______________9. A group of people who share a common culture, occupy a particular
territorial area and feel themselves to constitute a unified and distinct entity.
_______________10. It is composed of personal characteristics, social roles and
responsibilities as well as affiliations that define who one is.
II. In your own words, answer the questions:
1. If you are who you are, then who are you that makes you who you are?
2. What are the influences of the society and your family in your development as an individual?
3. What are the top five adjectives that describe your self and discuss why is it so?
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UNIT II – UNPACKING THE SELF
OVERVIEW:
“Beauty is when you can appreciate yourself. When you love yourself, that’s when you’re
most beautiful.”
- Zoe Kravitz
Unpacking the self is a gradual unfolding, a growth process, in which the aspects that
surround the self and identity develop in an integrated and healthy way. To understand the self
requires one to understand the different aspects that make up the self and identity.
A positive view of self involves understanding that healthy, attractive bodies come in
many shapes and sizes. And that physical appearance says very little about our character of
value as a person.
Belk(1988) stated that “we regard our possessions as part of our selves. We are what
we have and what we possess.” Our wanting to have and possess has a connection with an
aspect of the self, the material self.
The spiritual self is the most intimate, inner subjective part of self. The ability to use
moral sensibility and conscience may be seen through the expressions of religion, its belief and
practices.
Nowadays, more people are becoming active in using the Internet for research ,
pleasure, business, communication and the social media. People assume different identities
while in the cyberspace and act differently when they are online and offline. People have online
identity and real identity.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: After successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Describe the different self within a person.
2. Enumerate different religions.
3. Discuss the characteristics of a digital self.
4. Compare natural and artificial methods of contraception
5. Name the Filipino markers.
COURSE MATERIALS:
Lesson 5. THE PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL SELF
Puberty – is the stage of development at which individuals become sexually mature. It is
the period of life when the reproductive organs grow to their adult size and become functional
under the influence of rising levels of gonadal hormones.
Diseases Associated with the Reproductive System
Infections are the most common problem associated with the reproductive system in adults.
1. Vaginal infection
2. Prostatitis
3. Urethritis
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4. Epididymitis
5. Orchiditis
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
STD’s are infections transmitted from an infected person to an uninfected person
through sexual contact. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites. Also known as
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).
1. Gonorrhea
2. Genital herpes
3. Human papillomavirus
4. HIV
5. AIDS
6. Chlamydia
7. Syphilis
8. Chancroid
9. Herpes simplex virus
10. Trichomonas vaginalis
Sexual Problems
- may be classified as physiological, psychological and social in origin.
1. Vaginal infections
2. Retroverted uteri
3. Prostatitis
4. Adrenal tumors
5. Diabetis
6. Senile changes of the vagina
7. Cardiovascular problems
8. Premature emission
9. Erectile impotence
10. Ejaculatory impotence
11. Vaginismus
The Erogenous Zones of the Body
Erogenous zones refer to the parts of the body that are primarily receptive and increase
sexual arousal when touched in a sexual manner. It describe areas of the body that are highly
sensitive to stimuli and are often sexually exciting. Some of the commonly known erogenous
zones are the mouth, breasts, genitals, anus, skin, neck, thigh, abdomen and feet.
Human Sexual Behavior
- Is defined as any activity – solitary, between two persons or in a group – that includes
sexual arousal.
Types of Human Sexual Behavior
1. Solitary Behavior – involving only one individual.
2. Sociosexual Behavior – involving more than one person. It could be heterosexual or
homosexual.
Human Sexual Response
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Refers to the sequence of physical and emotional occurrences when the person is
participating in a sexually stimulating activity.
Four Phases of the Human Sexual Response Cycle
1. Excitement phase
2. Plateau phase
3. Sexual climax/orgasm phase
4. Resolution phase
Roles of Hormones in Sexual Activity
The hypothalamus is the most important part of the brain for sexual functioning. The
pituitary gland secretes the hormones produced in the hypothalamus.
1. Oxytocin – also known as the love hormone.
2. Follicle-stimulating Hormone (FSH) – responsible for ovulation in females.
3. Luteinizing Hormone (LH) – stimulates the testes to produce testosterone.
4. Vasopressin – involved in the male arousal phase.
5. Estrogen and progesterone – typically regulate motivation to engage in sexual
behavior for female.
The Three Stages of Falling in Love
1. Lust – is marked by physical attraction.
2. Attraction – you begin to crave for your partner’s presence.
3. Attachment – involves the desire to have lasting commitment with your significant other.
Other Concepts
• Coitus – insertion of the male reproductive structure to the female reproductive organ.
•
Sexual Desire – it is the subjective feeling of wanting to engage in sex.
•
Sex Drive – represent a basic, biologically mediated motivation to seek sexual activity or
sexual gratification.
•
Brain – the largest sex organ controlling the biological urges, mental processes as well
as the emotional and physical responses to sex.
•
Sex – the process of combining male and female genes to form an offspring.
•
Sexual Orientation – is defined as an individual’s general sexual disposition toward
partners of the same sex, the opposite sex or both sexes.
•
Gender Identity – refers to one’s sense of being male or female.
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•
LGBTQ+ - is an umbrella term for a wide spectrum of gender identity, sexual
orientations and romantic orientations.
Family Planning
- allows both men and women to make informed choices on when and if they decide to
have children.
Natural and Artificial Methods of Contraception
Natural Method
Natural family planning method (NFP) is the method that uses the body’s natural
physiological changes and symptoms to identify the fertile and infertile phases of the menstrual
cycle. Also known as fertility-based awareness method.
1. Periodic abstinence
1.1. Rhythm (calendar)
1.2. Basal body temperature (BBT) monitoring
1.3. Cervical mucus (ovulation) or billing’s method
2. Use of breastfeeding or lactation amenorrhea
3. Coitus interruptus
Artificial Method
Hormonal contraceptives are an effective family planning method that manipulates the
hormones that directly affect the normal menstrual cycle so that ovulation will not occur.
1. Oral contraceptive (pill)
2. Transdermal contraceptive patch
3. Vaginal ring
4. Subdermal implants
5. Hormonal injections
6. Intrauterine device
7. Chemical barriers
7.1. Spermicides
7.2. Vaginal gels and creams
7.3. Glycerin film
8. Diaphragm
9. Cervical cap
10. Male condoms
11. Female condoms
Surgical Methods
1. Vasectomy
2. Tubal ligation
Lesson 6. MATERIAL AND ECONOMIC SELF
Belk stated that “we regard our possessions as part of our selves. We are what we have
and what we possess”. The possessions that we dearly have tell something about who we are,
our self-concept, our past and even our future.
William James wrote in his book that understanding the self can be examined through its
different components. These components are;
1. Its constituents
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1.1. Material self – primarily is about our bodies, clothes, immediate family and home.
1.2. Social self - refers to how we perceive ourselves in relation to others. It involves
relationship building, empathizing and communicatiing.
1.3. Spiritual self
1.4. The pure ego
2. The feelings and emotions they arouse (self feelings)
3. The actions to which they prompt (self-seeking and self-preservation)
As James described self; “a man’s self is the sum total of all what he can call his”.
Possessions then become a part or an extension of the self.
Main Features and Characters in Consumer Culture
1. Consumer culture is a culture of consumption
2. Consumer culture is the culture of market society
3. Consumer culture is universal and impersonal
4. Consumer culture identifies freedom with private choice and life
5. Consumer needs are insatiable and unlimited
6. Consumer culture is a privileged medium for building personal identity and status
The Problem with Consumerism
1. It is intrusive
2. It is manipulative
3. It cannot provide many of the things that are important to us
4. It restricts our choices and lives
5. It affects our world view and characters
6. It is unsustainable
Avoid the Trap
1. Exercise intellectual independence
2. Consume less, live more
Consumerism – the consumption of material goods and services in excess of one’s basic
needs.
Consumer Culture – a social system in which consumption is dominated by the
consumption of commercial products.
Consumerist Society – one in which people spend a great deal of time, money and energy
to consume commercial products, goods and services.
Materialism – refers to giving more importance to material possession than intangible
values.
Lesson 7. THE SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS SELF
Religion – a set of cultural beliefs and practices of human beings in relation to that in
which they regard as holy, sacred, absolute, spiritual, divine or worthy of special reverence.
Spiritual – is defined as relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to
material or physical things.
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Religious Person – is someone who believes in a god or group of gods and consciously
adheres to the beliefs of his religion.
Spiritual Person – places little importance on beliefs and traditions and is more
concerned with growing and experiencing the Divine.
Contemplative Practice – a method to develop concentration, deepen understanding
and insight and cultivate awareness and compassion.
Examples of Contemplative Practices
1. Meditation - a practice where and individual uses a technique - such as mindfulness or
focusing the mind on a particular object, thought or activity - to train attention and
awareness and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.
2. Prayer - a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication,
thanksgiving, adoration or confession.
3. Yoga - a type of exercise in which you move your body into various positions in order to
become more fit or flexible, to improve your breathing and to relax your mind.
4. Journaling - is simply the act of informal writing as a regular practice.
The Four Dimensions of Religion
1. Beliefs – are generalized system of ideas and values that shape how members of a
religious group come to understand the world around them.
2. Rituals – are the repeated physical gestures or activities used to reinforce religious
teachings, elicit spiritual feelings and connect worshippers with a higher power.
Classification of Rituals
2.1. Imitative
2.2. Positive and negative
2.3. Sacrificial
2.4. Life crisis - the basic characteristics of life-crisis ritual is the transition from one
mode of life to another.
3. Spiritual Experiences – feeling of immediate connection with a higher power. It could
be a dream or vision where God speaks to a person or it could be a miraculous healing.
4. Unique Social Form of Community - frequently denominations, congregations,
churches, parishes, synagogues or missions are identified as religious communities.
The Major Religions
1. Judaism
It is characterized by belief in one transcendent God. The oldest of the
Abrahamic religion and the predecessor of Christianity and Islam. Torah is their sacred
scripture or the Law.
Five Major Festivals
1. Rosh Hashanah – new year
2. Yom kippur – day of atonement
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3. Pesach – Passover
4. Shavout – pentecost
5. Sukkot – tabernacles
2. Christianity
Is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus
Christ. Considered as the world’s largest religion. The word of God is written in the
Bible.
3. Islam
The religious faith of Muslims who worship Allah as the sole deity and believes in
Muhammad as his prophet. Islam means willing submission to God. Root word of Islam
is Salam which means peace. The holy scripture of Islam is the Koran.
Five Pillars of Islam
1. Shahadah – statement of faith
2. Salat –the prayer that is practiced 5 times a day
3. Zakat – the monetary offering
4. Hajj – the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca
5. Sawn – the fasting
4. Hinduism
Considered as the world’s oldest religion. Hindus believed that existence is a
cycle of birth, death and rebirth, governed by Karma. Karma is a concept where the
reincarnated life will depend on how the past life was spent. The oldest ancient sacred
texts of Hinduism are called the Vedas.
Festivals
1. Diwali – the festival of lights
2. Navrati – the festival of nine nights
5. Buddhism
Refers to the teaching of Sidharta Gautama Buddha. Buddhism believes that life
is not a bed of roses. Buddhism does not believe in Divine realm or God as a
supernatural being, but instead follows the wisdom of their founder.
Meditation Practices
1. Samatha – is practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of lovingkindness.
2. Vipassana – aim at developing insight into reality.
Lesson 8. THE POLITICAL SELF
Who is a Filipino?
According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino citizens are “those whose fathers
or mothers are citizens of the Philippines, those born before January 17,1973, of Filipino
mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority and those who are
naturalized in accordance with law”.
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Strength of the Filipino Character
1. Pakikipagkapwa tao
2. Family orientation
3. Joy and humor
4. Flexibility,adaptability and creativity
5. Hardwork and industry
6. Faith and religiosity
7. Ability to survive
Weaknesses of the Filipino Character
1. Extreme personalism
2. Extreme family-centeredness
3. Lack of discipline
4. Passivity and lack of initiative
5. Colonial mentality
6. Kanya-kanya syndrome
7. Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection
Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan wrote that the strengths and weaknesses of the Filipino character
are rooted in the following.
1. The home environment
2. The social environment
3. Culture and language
4. History
5. The educational institution
6. Religion
7. The economic environment
8. The political environment
9. Mass media
10. Leadership and role model
Filipino Values and Traits
1. Hospitality
2. Respect for elders
3. Close family ties
4. Cheerful personality
5. Self-sacrifice
6. Bayanihan
7. Bahala na attitude
8. Colonial mentality
9. Manana habit
10. Ningas kugon
11. Pride
12. Crab mentality
13. Filipino time
Filipino Markers
1. Proverbs or salawikain - are often metaphorical and use formulaic language.
Collectively, they form a genre of folklore.
- is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth
based on common sense or experience.
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2. Superstitions
3. Myth and legends - a myth are symbolic narratives, unknown origin, traditional and
actual events with religious beliefs. The main characters in myths are usually gods or
supernatural heroes.
- a legend is a traditional story about the past, origin of the things and
phenomena. The main characters are usually kings or heroes.
4. Heroes and icons
How to be a Good Filipino
1. Be an active citizen
2. Study the Philippine history
3. Support local products
4. Speak the Filipino language
5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with dissent
Lesson 9. THE DIGITAL SELF
Lionel Trilling’s analysis of literature about the self and its relationship with others
distinguished sincerity and authenticity.
Sincerity refers to the exposure in public of what one feels privately. It is the virtue of one
who communicates and acts in accordance with the entirety of their feelings, beliefs, thoughts
and desires in a manner that is honest and genuine. Authenticity is a philosophical concept that
denotes the genuine, original, true state of human existence. An authentic person is one who
takes action based on some internal standard and takes responsibility for this freely chosen
action.
The social world of a western-influenced society, like the Philippines, consists of three
domains; family, school and neighborhood.
The emergence of the internet adds a fourth domain- the online life- to the social world.
Digital Self – the self that is constructed online.
Characteristics:
1. Oriented inward toward the world of thoughts and feelings
2. Narrative in nature
3. Retractable
4. Multiplicable
Self-presentation – people are able to present themselves online in the manner that they
want to.
Self-presentation Behavior – is any behavior intended to create, modify or maintain and
impression of ourselves in the mind of others.
Impression Management – is the attempt to control or influence any other people’s
perceptions.
Strategies:
1. Self-promotion – is a process in which a person actively says things of takes action
to show his competence to an audience.
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2. Ingratiation – is the process by which someone tries to win the approval or
acceptance of another.
3. Exemplification – involves strategic self-sacrifice so that observer may recognize
the dedication.
4. Intimidation – is a strategy that involves showing off authority, power or the potential
to punish in order to be seen by observer as someone who could be or is dangerous.
5. Supplication – is an approach where the individual exploits his weaknesses or
shortcomings to receive help or benefits.
Online Identity – is actually the sum of all our characteristics and our interactions.
Partial Identity – is a subset of characteristics that make up our identity.
Persona – is the partial identity we create that represents ourselves in a specific
situation.
Personal (individual) Identity – is the interpersonal level of self which differentiates the
individual as unique from others. The concept you develop about yourself that evolves over the
course of your life.
Social Identity – is the level of self whereby the individual is identified by his group
memberships. It is a person’s sense of who he is based on group membership.
Private – refers to mental events in a person that are inherently unobservable by others.
Public – are behaviors that are open to the observations of other people.
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ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENTS:
I. Write the word true if the sentence is correct, otherwise write the word false.
_______1. STD’s are infections transmitted from an infected person to an uninfected person
through sexual contact.
_______2. Hormonal contraceptives are an effective family planning method that manipulates
the hormones that directly affect the normal menstrual cycle so that ovulation will not occur.
_______3. Material self is about our bodies, clothes, immediate family and home.
_______4. Materialism refers to giving more importance to material possession that intangible
values.
_______5. Spiritual is defined as relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to
material or physical things.
_______6. Digital self is the self that is constructed online.
_______7. Religious person is someone who believes in a god or group of gods and
consciously adheres to the beliefs of his religion.
_______8. Impression management is the attempt to control or influence any other people’s
perceptions.
_______9. The religious faith of Muslims who worship Allah as the sole deity and believes in
Muhammad as his prophet is known as Islam.
_______10. Rituals are the repeated physical gestures or activities used to reinforce religious
teachings, elicit spiritual feelings and connect worshippers with a higher power.
II. Enumerate the following:
1. Majors Religion of the World
a.
b.
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c.
d.
e.
2. Family Planning Methods.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
3. How to be a Good Filipino.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
III. Answer the following in your own words.
1. Is physical beauty important? Why?
2. Describe how do you practice your faith?
3. How often do you stay online? Why?
UNIT III – MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF
OVERVIEW:
Knowing the self is not enough, since “who you are” is partly made up of your choices,
you must also have the ability to choose especially to be a better “you”.
Life as a college student is not easy. You need to learn how to manage your
responsibilities. Learning is not just about lectures and homework. Learning could also occur
outside the confines of a classroom. We use the term “learning” all the time in our everyday life.
What is important is that you learn how to learn these things.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: After successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Define metacognition.
2. List the types of metacognitive learner.
3. Differentiate growth and fixed mindsets.
4. Define self care.
5. Explain the effects of stress to a person’s health.
COURSE MATERIALS:
Lesson 10. LEARNING TO BE A BETTER LEARNER
Knowing the self is not enough. Who you are is partly made up of your choices, you
must also have the ability to choose especially to be a better you.
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Learning is an active process of engaging and manipulating objects, experiences and
conversations to build mental models of the world.
Metacognition – thinking about thinking. It is a learning strategy that you use to
understand and control your own performance.
Elements:
• Metacognitive Knowledge – what you know about how you think.
•
Personal Variable – is your evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses in
learning.
•
Task Variable – is what you know or what you think about the nature of the task as
well as what strategies the task requires.
•
Strategy Variable – refers to what strategies or skills you already have in dealing
with certain task.
•
Metacognition Regulation – how you adjust your thinking processes to help you
learn better.
Metacognitive Skills:
1. Knowing your limits
2. Modifying your approach
3. Skimming
4. Rehearsing
5. Self-test
Types of Metacognitive Learner
1. Tacit – are unaware of their metacognitive processes although they know the extent of
their knowledge.
2. Aware – know some of their metacognitive strategies but they do not plan on how to use
these techniques.
3. Strategic – strategize and plan their course of action toward a learning experience.
4. Reflective – reflect on their thinking while they are using the strategies and adapt
metacognitive skills depending on their situation.
• Self-appraisal – is your personal reflection on your knowledge and capabilities.
•
Self-management – is the mental process you employ using what you have in
planning and adapting to successfully learn or accomplish a certain task.
The goal of metacognition is for the students to be self-regulated learner. They should
have the capability to study things on their own as well as accurately evaluate their progress.
• Self-regulated Learning – is how student regulate their own emotions, cognition,
behavior and aspect of the context during a learning experience.
•
Self-regulation – is the process wherein you activate, take control of and evaluate
your own learning.
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Lesson 11. SETTING GOALS FOR SUCCESS
What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve.
One of the featured quotes about success is; “by taking the time to stop and appreciate
who you are and what you have achieved you actually can enhance everything about you. Selfacknowledgement and appreciation are what give you the insights and awareness to move
forward toward higher goals and accomplishments.”
Albert E. Bandura’s Self-efficacy
• Self-efficacy – refers to your belief in your capacity to perform necessary actions to
produce specific performance goals. It is the reflection of your confidence in the ability to
exert control over your own motivation, behavior and social environment. It is also the
people’s beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that
exercise influence over events that affect their lives.
•
Outcome Expectancy – is a person’s estimate that a given behavior will lead to certain
outcome.
•
Efficacy Expectation – is the conviction that one can successfully execute the behavior
required to produce the outcomes.
Those with a high sense of self-efficacy see a difficult task as a challenge that must be
conquered rather than a problem that must be avoided.
Self –efficacy theory is based on the assumption that psychological procedure serve as a
means of creating and strengthening expectations of personal efficacy. Self-efficacy comes into
play when there is an actual or perceived threat to one’s personal safety or one’s ability to deal
with potentially aversive events.
Carol S. Dweck’s Fixed and Growth Mindset Theory
• Fixed Mindset – is where people believe that success is based on their innate abilities
and they have a fixed theory of intelligence.
•
Growth Mindset – is where people believe that success is based on hardwork, learning,
training and perseverance and they have a growth theory of intelligence.
Fixed-mindset individuals dread failure because it is a negative statement on their basic
abilities, while growth-mindset individuals do not mind or fear failure as much because they
realize their performance can be improved and learning comes from failure.
Edwin A. Locke’s Goal Setting Theory
• Goal – is a level of performance proficiency that one wishes to attain within a specific
time period.
Goal setting theory was based on the premise that much human actions is purposeful and it
is directed by conscious goals. It predicts that people will channel effort toward accomplishing
their goals, which will in turn affect performance.
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Principles of Goal Setting
Goals must have:
1. Clarity
2. Challenge
3. Commitment
4. Feedback
5. Task complexity
Smart Goals
S – specific
M – measurable
A – assignable/attainable
R – realistic/relevant
T – time related
Lesson 12. LESS STRESS, MORE CARE
Stress is often described as a feeling of being overwhelmed, worried or run-down. It can
affect people of all ages, genders and circumstances and can lead to both physical and
psychological health issues.
Stress – is any uncomfortable emotional experience accompanied by predictable
biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes.
- Is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or
very demanding circumstances.
- It is a mental and physical response to the demands of your environment.
Three Kinds of Stress
1. Eustress
2. Neustress
3. Distress
General Stress Syndrome Components
1. The alarm stage
2. The stage of resistance
3. The exhaustion stage
Stressor – any situation, activity or individual that gives you mental or emotional strain.
Types of Stressor
1. Catastrophic events
2. Major life changes/events
3. Daily hassles
4. Chronic strains
Social Stress – it is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse
or very demanding circumstances arising from the person’s social environment relationships.
Sources of Social Stress
1. Parenting
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Education
Peer pressure
Problems with work
Personal, physical and psychological health
Signs and Symptoms of Stress
1. Physical
1.1. Headache
1.2. Low energy
1.3. Insomnia
2. Cognitive/Perceptual
2.1. Forgetfulness
2.2. Attention deficit
2.3. Preoccupation
3. Emotional
3.1. Depression
3.2. Anxiety
3.3. Moodiness
Types of Coping
1. Problem-focused coping
2. Emotion-focused coping
3. Cognitive coping
Technique to Counter Chronic Stress
1. Relaxation response
2. Physical activity
3. Social support
The Need for Self-care and Compassion
Self-care – entails taking deliberate acts of looking after your mental, emotional and
physical health.
Compassion – is the felt response to perceiving suffering that involves an authentic
desire to ease distress.
Self-compassion Theory – entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves
when we suffer, fail or feel inadequate.
Self-care Therapy
1. Stop, breathe and tell yourself, this is hard and I will get through this one step at a time.
2. Acknowledge to yourself what you are feeling.
3. Find someone who listens and is accepting.
4. Maintain you normal routine as much as possible.
5. Allow plenty of time for a task.
6. Take good care of yourself.
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ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENTS:
I. Fill in the blanks, write the word/s of the correct answer.
1. Metacognition refers to _____________ about thinking.
2. _____________ variable refers to what strategies or skills you already have in dealing with
certain task.
3. Reflective _____________reflect on their thinking while they are using the strategies and
adapt metacognitive skills depending on their situation.
4. _____________refers to your belief in your capacity to perform necessary actions to produce
specific performance goals.
5. _____________is a level of performance proficiency that one wishes to attain within a
specific time period.
6. Growth _____________is where people believe that success is based on hardwork, learning,
training and perseverance and they have a growth theory of intelligence.
7. _____________ is any uncomfortable emotional experience accompanied by predictable
biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes.
8. _____________ any situation, activity or individual that gives you mental or emotional strain.
9. Self-_____________ entails taking deliberate acts of looking after your mental, emotional and
physical health.
10. Social _____________it is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from
adverse or very demanding circumstances arising from the person’s social environment
relationships.
II. Answer the following.
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1. Why is it important to set goals?
2. What are your short-term and long-term goals?
3. When was the last time you feel stress? How did you cope with the stress?
REFERERENCES:
• Alata, Eden Joy P., et. al. (2018). Understanding the Self. REX Bookstore.
• Monilla, Ma. Jocelyn G., et. al. (2018). Understanding the Self. C & E Publishing, Inc.
• Otig, Vergie S., et. al. (2018). A Holistic Approach in Understanding the Self. Mutya
Publishing House, Inc.
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