THE HUMAN PERSON

The task of education is to help the Filipino develop his potential, contribute to the growth of the Philippine culture,
and by controlling the environment and making use of human and non-human resources, build appropriate structures and
institutions for the attainment of a “just and humane society”.

A. Understanding self-concept and its dynamics

 Self-concept refers to our conscious or unconscious perceptions and feelings about ourselves with regard to our
worth as persons.
 Self-concept begins during our early development, how we are told about who we are and what worth we have. In
the process, we acquire a picture of ourselves and we begin to qualify our experiences according to this view of
ourselves.
 Inferiority complex and superiority complex are symptoms of a poor self-concept a person with superiority complex
tries hard to exhibit his worth to others by overstressing his strength. In truth he is not really sure of his worth. A
person who believes in his worth does not feel the need to prove himself to others.
A person with an inferiority complex overstresses his weaknesses. He suffers from extreme feelings of negative
self-worth. These feelings are so strong and deeply etched in his personality that he is unable to recognize his
strengths and potentials.

ROLES OF SELF CONCEPT

i. Self-concept serves a s a mirror because it reflects the picture of ourselves, either positive or negative. we are
happy or miserable depending on the mirror image that our self-concept presents to us.
ii. Self-concept filters our experiences so that we interpret them according to our pre-existing perception of
ourselves.

THREE DIMENSIONS OF SELF CONCEPT

1. SELF IMAGE. This refers to all our perceptions and feelings about our worth with regards to physical and social
appearance. Our physical appearance includes our genetic inheritance and physical attributes. Our social
appearance includes our name, roles, status and titles. A person with a positive self-image recognizes some of his
physical and social limitations but does not all these to deter him from feeling good about how he appears. He has
learned his limitations and therefore, feels at home with himself.

2. SELF CONFIDENCE. This refers to all perceptions and feelings about our worth with regards to our capabilities.
This involves our ability to do things, to achieve, and to develop more competencies. Self-confidence paves way to
productivity because the person believes in his potentials. He allows these potentials to develop by trying. He is not
afraid by making mistakes. He does not fall into the trap “being perfect”. The development of his abilities is measured
within his own standard of development.

3. SELF ESTEEM. This refers to all our perceptions and feelings about our worth with regards to our lovability. This
relates to our basic ability to love and be loved. A person with high self-esteem believes he is lovable. He does not
reject and put down himself even when others seem to reject him. He does not subject his lovability to conditions.
If other persons love him, he celebrates in it. But he does not let the love of others be a factor in determining his
lovability. A person with high self-esteem can love more freely and spontaneously.

B. The Human Person as a Multi-Dimensional Being

 Individual is distinguished between the person as self and the person in community.
1. As an individual/self. He is not just body and soul, but he is an embodied spirit.
i. As physical (made of matter). Man must maintain health and harmony with nature.
ii. As intellectual (gifted with mind, the faculty of knowing). Man must constantly search for the truth. He
seeks knowledge that would transform society and the world.
iii. As moral (endowed with the faculty of freely choosing and loving). Man must go out to others and, in
fact to all humanity in love.
iv. As spiritual (capable of higher concerns and of rising above the material), he must cultivate a sense of
spirituality in consonance with his nature and respond to God in faith.

2. As person in the community

i. As social (living in community). Man must cultivate the sense of social responsibility, aware of his
unique participation in the pursuit of the welfare of the family and the common good of the larger society
so that society can, in turn look after the common good and well-being of the inhabitants.
ii. As economic (bound to concerns of livelihood). Man has the obligation to help achieve economic
efficiency for the community.
iii. As political (member of the nation). Man must foster the sense of nationalism and patriotism by which
he identifies with the people and joins hands with them in the pursuit of common goals. As a member
of the world community, he must cultivate a sense of global solidarity for the emerging concerns and
problems of one country can no longer be considered isolation of others.
 C. The Filipino and His Value System

C.1. Definitions
 A value is something that is freely chosen from alternatives and is acted upon, that which the individual celebrates
as being part of his creative integration in development as a person.

 Value clarification is the process by which we help a person to discover values through behavior, feelings and ideas
and through important choices he has made and is continually, in fact, acting upon in and through his life.

 A person is continually developing his values; values can never be static but must be continually re-chosen as the
person grows in his world. As a person grows in his identity and interdependence, he is continually choosing values
and fashioning his hierarchy of values.

C.2. Categories
 Choosing
- The value must be chosen freely, there must be no coercion, the person makes a free choice and is totally accountable
for the choice he makes.
- The choice must be made from alternatives
- The consequnces of each alternative must be judged.

 Prizing
- This means that a person who choses a value must be happy about what he has chosen and hold it as something dear to
him.
- He must cherish and be happy with the choice and is willing to affirm the choice publicly.

 Acting
- there must be a commitment in action which would change one’s behavior and which would make evident to other people
that there is a value present. If something is really a value, it would be acted upon and acted upon repeatedly.

C.3. Related Values. Human Dignity is the overarching value; all other values are pursued because of the inner worth of
the human person.
 Health - implies physical fitness and cleanliness
 Truth - implies the tireless quest for knowledge in all its forms. It is not enough to discover data and know facts, but
one must develop creative and critical thinking to meet the challenges of the modern world.
 Love - implies the quest for personal integrity and the development of self-worth, honesty and personal discipline which
are marks of a mature person and a useful citizen.
 Spirituality - is the cultivation of faith.
 Social responsibility -means strengthening the family as the foundation of the nation and a basic autonomous social
institution.
 Economic efficiency - is achieved by man through work, the exercise of human mastery over the resources of nature
and creative imagination in the solution of complex problems.
 Nationalism and Patriotism - means the love of country and the people as a distinct political unit bound by a common
history, commited to a common cause, and share a common destiny.

C.4. Value Orientattion of Filipino Adolescents (Based on the study of Wilma Reyes)
 The values of the subjects cluster around six themes: pananampalataya sa Diyos, buhay, pamilya, sarili, kapwa at
edukasyon.
 Youth consider faith in God as the most important value in life because this is the center of life itself. This is the
animating force of life.
 The family is considered as a significant part of their own life. Self and life are not complete without family.
 The self is seen not as a separate entity but always related to other people.
 From the values of pananampalataya, buhay, pamilya and sarili spring the love for kapwa. Everything is meaningless
unless it is shared with the kapwa.
 Education is considered important because an educated person is well respected in our society and social mobility is
directed towards having good jobs and economically stable conditions.

The Challenge of Leadership for the Youth of Today

A. Concept of Leadership. Leadership is the process of influencing individuals or groups to achieve goals. It is related
to direction, interaction, initiation, persuasion, motivator, reinforce, cheerleader, facilitator, coach, nurturer, and
delegator.
Leadership is a planned process that results in the following:
1. Challenging people to work collaboratively toward an ever-expanding vision of excellence in the achievement of
organizational and personal/professional goals and objectives.
2. Creating a threat-free environment for growth so that the creation talents and skills of each person are used to the
best advantage.
3. Encouraging and building working relationships that are individually and organizationally satisfying, unifying and
strengthening in the realization of mutually determined goals and objectives.
4. Optimizing available human resources.

B. Characteristics of Leadership
1. Goal orientation. The leader sees the bigger picture, and understands the purpose of life and work of the group or
organization. To lead implies that the leader has foresight and a sense of direction.
 2. Enablement. Effective leaders seek to enable others to experience life in its fullness.
3. Concern. Leaders must show concern for person. Human beings are the most important resource leaders have.
Without people, material and financial resources are worthless.
4. Self-Development. Leaders must develop a healthy self-image and a positive attitude.

Psychological traits of leaders.

a. Capacity; intelligence, alertness, verbal facility, originality, judgment.
b. Achievement; scholarship, knowledge, accomplishments
c. Responsibility; dependability, initiative, persistence, aggressiveness, self-confidence, desire to excel.
d. Participation; activity, sociability, cooperation, adaptability, humor
e. Status; socio-economic position, popularity
f. Situation; mental ability, skills, needs and interests of followers, objectives to be achieved, and tasks to be
performed

C. Leadership Styles
1. The Three Elements. Leadership involves an inter-relationship among three elements:
i. The qualities, skills and needs of the leader.
ii. The needs and expectations of the group.
iii. The demands or requirements of situations.
This inter-relationship suggests that no style of leadership serves best for all situations. The best style is the one
most appropriate in a given situation.
2. Leadership is Situational. Leadership styles change from group and from situation to situation. Exercising
strong directive power provides effective leadership when group lack a sense of direction or purpose. When
groups have clear direction and function well, non-directive styles of leadership work more effectively. Groups
sometimes need reorientation. At other times, they need encouragement.
3. Leadership as a Program. There are two major parts of the leadership process: task-oriented and relationship-
oriented. Leaders need an awareness of both parts and they also need to strike a balance between them because
they can easily and unknowingly overemphasize one of more of these aspects. To overemphasize the task results
in short-time effectiveness and longer-range human problems. Overemphasis on maintenance or relationship
results in groups so involve with their feelings that they neglect the task.
4. Leadership Dilemma. Leaders find themselves within a societal and organizational environment of constraints
and challenges, of limitations and freedom. The basic dilemma of leadership lies between what they believe
desirable and what they can actually do in practice. Effective leaders ask themselves questions such as:
 How democratic can I be?
 How authoritarian must I be?
They struggle with series of dilemma
 Competition is healthy, but we must cooperate.
 We must get the job done and be efficient but I must listen to all points of view.
 We are pushed for time, but I want teamwork in decision-making and this takes time.
 I can see opportunities for quick results is one-personal decisions but shared responsibility motivates
better and brings about longer lasting solutions.
5. Leadership Patterns
i. Telling - Leaders identify problems, consider options, choose one solution, and tell their followers what to
do. Leaders may consider members’ views, but members don’t participate directly in decision-making.
ii. Persuading – Leaders make decisions and try to persuade group members to accept them. They point
out that they have considered the organization goals and the interests of group members. They even
point out how members will benefit from carrying out decisions.
iii. Consulting – Group members have opportunities to influence the decision-making from the beginning.
Leaders present problems and relevant background information. Leaders invite the group to suggest
alternative actions.
iv. Participating – Leaders participate as members in the discussion and agree in advance to carry out
whatever decision the group makes.
v. Delegating – Leaders define the boundaries within which to solve problems or accomplish tasks. Then,
they turn it over to the group to work out solution or to implement the tasks.
D. Factors Affecting Leadership Styles
1. Personality of Leaders
i. Value systems: This refers to the belief and upbringing of the leader, which eventually have effect on
how he directs, leads and decides.
ii. Confidence in Group Members. Leaders differ in the amount of trust they have in other people. Leaders
may have more confidence in their own capabilities than in house of group members.
iii. Leadership Inclinations: Directive leaders issue orders and resolve problems easily. Some leaders
operate best in a team role where they continually share functions with subordinates.
iv. Feelings of Security in Uncertain Situations: Leaders who release control over the decision-making
process reduce the predictability of outcomes.
2. Personality of Group Members. Leaders also need to understand individual differences of each individual within
the organization.
3. Nature of the Task. Critical pressures on leaders include the following:
i. The Problem Themselves: Do members have the needed knowledge> Do the complexities of the
problems require special experience, competence, or a one-person solution?
ii. The Pressure of Time: The more leaders felt the need for immediate decisions, the more difficult it is to
involve other people. Situations may arise needing immediate decisions, but some organizations operate
in a state of crisis.
4. Nature of the Environment
 i. Structure of the Organization: Organization have values and traditions that influence the behavior of the
people who work in them.
ii. Outside Pressures: These pressures include the social, economic, and political situation.

5. Comparing Leadership Styles

 AUTHORITARIAN
- generally strong willed, domineering and aggressive. They also have their own way which for them , seems the only way.
- look upon subordinates as subjects than as persons, and the best subordinates follow directions without questions.
- not ready to listen to views and suggestions of others, if they offer different opinions.
- do not encourage equal relationships. They do not allow themselves to get close to employees.
- have business like and task oriented attitudes. The job comes first.
- blame poor results on the inability of others to carry out instructions correctly.

 DEMOCRATIC
- generally concerned with maintaining group effectiveness as with completing the task to be done.
- encourage members in their group to express their ideas and feelings because they believe that such climate leads to
greater creativity and commitment.
- seek the help of the group in removing resistance or resolving the conflicts.
- encourage joint decision making as well as shared goal setting.
- set policies without explaining the reason and proposing them to their groups, when they can, for suggestions and
criticisms.
- believe that responsibility for getting a job done depends as much on the group.
- allow group members as good deal of freedom in their work, once they have shown their ability to do it.
- keep looking for better ways to do things and are open to change when convinced to such changes seemed called for and
would lead to greater effectiveness.
- believe in the effectiveness of the group work.

6. Effective Leadership
6.1 ACHIEVE THE TASK. Leaders primary responsibility involves accomplishing the tasks for which the group or
organization exists. Their main contribution toward achieving the required results lie in:
A. Determining the objectives: leaders must define the important objective they want and when they want it they should
state this accurately, briefly and clearly in writing.
B. Planning necessary activities: they must decide what to do to achieve the end results.
C. Organizing the program: they must make a checklist of all important things to do, then arrange those tasks in order of
priority.
D. Preparing a time table: leaders need to prepare a work schedule in which they set a time for the completion of each
step in the program.
E. Clarifying responsibilities and accountability: they must clearly define all delegated responsibility, authority and
relationships and then coordinate them.
F. Maintaining channels of communication: leaders must keep their associates and subordinates fully informed. They
must make it convenient for those associates to keep them advised on all pertinent matters.
G. Developing cooperation: leaders should thoroughly explain the results they want and their expectations of every
individual and group affected.
H. Establishing control points: leaders must determine where and when they will review progress made. They must
resolve problems, determine remedial actions and make necessary adjustments.

6.2 BUILD THE TEAM.

A. Group goals / objectives: all group members must clearly understand group goals. Teamwork also requires ownership
of team goals, therefore, members need to participate in setting team goals and commit to them.

B. Roles and responsibilities (who does what on team) : As group members work together, they also build expectations
of one another. Conflict over roles and responsibilities may occur because of differing opinions.

C. Group procedures or work progress: effective teamwork requires clear and agreed upon procedures in several key
areas:
C.1. Decision-making. Teams usually make decisions by consensus. However, leaders may reserve the right to
make the final decision after consulting with all or some part of the team, depending on the factors such as nature of
decision, who has more knowledge and whom does the decision most effect.
C.2. Communication. What should be communicated within the team, to whom, how frequently, by what methods?
C.3. Meetings. Group members generally complain among themselves that team meetings are dull, repetitive,
ineffective, too long, too frequent, dominated by a few, cover the wrong subjects, are ineffective, a waste of time.

D. Interpersonal relationships. When people have to work closely together to avhieve a common task, they naturally
develop feelings towards each other. The extent to which they mutually trust, support, communicate and feel comfortable
in resolving conflicts with one another greatly influences the way they work together.
D.1. Mutual trust. Teamwork requires trust and openness so that members can state their views and diffrences
openly without fear of retaliation.
D.2. Mutual support. When group members have a strong sense of belonging and of mutual support, they achieve
teamwork. Members get and give help from one another without setting conditions.
D.3. Communication. Members can freely say what they feel and how they react to each other. When they
communicate, they know the rest of the team listens and will work hard to understand.
D.4. Conflict resolution. The group’s ability to examine its process to improve itself characterizes teamwork. Group
members accept differences as inevitable and desirable. They don’t suppress them or pretend they don’t exist. They work
through them openly as a team.
E. Group leadership needs. Teamwork requires that they share leadership needs (such as initiating or clarifying) among
the groups so that all grow through the group existence. Leadership styles used by group leaders greatly affect the team’s
communication and work processes.
F. Using member resources. Teamwork requires the maximum use of the different resources of individuals in the group,
such as abilities, knowledge and experience. They accept and give counsel support to each other while recognizing
individual accountability and specialization.
G. Organizational environment. When groups have flexibility and sensitivity to each other’s needs, and they encourage
differences, and members don’t feel pushed to conform to rigid rules, they achieve teamwork.

6.3. Individual Development. For leaders to have a sense of satisfaction, leaders must see to it that they:
A. Have a sense of personal achievement in the jobs they do. When people can actually complete assignments, they
feel that they have achieved tangible results and are achievement-motivated to tackle the next assignment.

B. Receive adequate recognition for their achievement. Recognition reinforces feelings of worth, especially when
recognition comes from leaders who can influence the person’s future.

C. Feel they have worthwhile contributions toward the group objective, that they perform satisfactorily, that they
understand in what way they fail, and also receive adequate help to improve.