Chapter II

Knowing Oneself
Defining the “Self”

 Have you ever asked yourself this question? Who I am? If you have, you are not alone.
 Adolescence is the time when young people start to ask questions about themselves,
about their future, and even about their religious and political beliefs.
 During the adolescent stage of development, the young person grapples (deals/faces)
with his or her identity.
 “Know Thyself” has been familiar or popular to the Greek philosophers. In fact, it
became the cornerstone (foundation/basis) of Western philosophy.
 For Socrates, the most important thing to pursue was self-knowledge and admitting
one’s ignorance is the beginning of true knowledge.
 For Plato, one of Socrates’ students, the beginning of knowledge is self-knowledge.
 The ancient Hindu writings Upanishads confirmed, “Enquiry into the truth of the
“Self” is knowledge”.
 The Persian poet Rumi ruminated, “Who am I in the midst of all this thought traffic?”
 American poet Walt Whitman celebrated his “Self” as a simple, separate person.

Concept of “Self”

 In Philosophical terms, it is the being, which is the source of a person’s consciousness. It

is the agent responsible for an individual’s thoughts and actions. “Self” is an intangible
entity that directs a person’s thoughts and actions.
 In various contexts such as in psychology, sociology or religion, “Self” is the essence of
a person – his thoughts, feelings and actions, experiences, beliefs, values, principles
and relationships. The “Self” includes a person’s life purpose, meaning and aspirations.
 In Psychology, the term personality is referred to as the set of behaviors, feelings,
thoughts and motives that identifies an individual.
 Personality is the essence of who we are and is the embodiment
(image/representation) of one’s physical, psychological, cognitive, affective
(emotional), and spiritual self.

Personality

 Personality psychologists have different viewpoints.

 One definition states, personality refers to the unique and relatively enduring
(continuing, permanent) set of behaviors, feelings, thoughts and motives that
characterize an individual.
 Two key components of personality are highlighted in the definition – the uniqueness
of an individual’s thoughts, feelings and behavior; being relatively enduring or being
consistent, over different situations and over time.
 For example – a person who is considered as “friendly”. This person’s uniqueness is
manifested in his own brand of showing friendliness – readiness to give advice when
 needed, generosity to those in need. In terms of being consistent, as an adolescent,
this friendly individual develops friendships among his peers. Upon entering
adulthood, this same friendly individual is perceived by co-workers and peers to still
be his old friendly self as when he was in high school. This consistency through time
and the unique manner by which thoughts, feelings and behavior are expressed,
defines PERSONALITY.
 However, there will always exceptions to these two components. Consistency is more
likely to mean most of the time but not all the time. A friendly person can get nasty
or aggressive when provoked or cornered. Sickness can oftentimes change the
consistency of an individual’s personality. An example is Alzheimer’s disease. Studies
have shown that Alzheimer’s disease changes three of the five dimensions of
personality ( anxiety, extraversion, and openness).
 Gordon Allport, defines personality as a “pattern of habits, attitudes and traits that
determine an individual’s characteristics, behavior and traits”.

Nature, Nurture and Personality

 Personality is influenced by both nature (heredity or genetic make-up) and nurture

(environment).
 There is no single gene that creates a trait. It is always a complex combination of
genes, environmental exposure and experiences, and cultural backgrounds.
 Psychologists Costa and McRae developed a categorized scheme that described
personality. Based on their research, they discovered the existence of five universal
and widely agreed upon dimensions of personality – they called it Big Five or Five
Factor Model.
 Openness to experience – curiosity, interest, imagination and creativity to new
ideas
 Conscientiousness – planning, organizing, hardworking, controlling,
persevering and punctuality
 Extraversion – sociable, talkative, active, outgoing and fun-loving
 Agreeableness – friendly, warm, trusting, generous and kind-hearted
 Neuroticism – calm, relaxed and comfortable

Measuring Personality

 One is by observing people’s behavior.

 Using different kinds of tests like Rorschach Inkblot Test, the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator (MBTI) and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter.
 The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ( Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers)

Four Preferences of Individual

 E or I (Extraversion or Introversion) is how an individual prefers to channel his or her

energy when dealing with people, whether it is inward (introversion) our outward
(extraversion).
  S or N (Sensing or Intuition) is how one prefers to process information, whether
through the use of senses such as being able to describe what one sees, or intuitively
like dealing with ideas.
 T or F (Thinking or Feeling) is how an individual prefers to make decisions, either
thinking or using logic and analysis, or feeling which uses the cognitive senses based
on values or beliefs.
 J or P (Judgment or Perception) is how an individual prefers to manage one’s life,
whether through judging, which means a planned and organized life, versus
perception, which has a more flexible approach to living.

PERSONALITY TYPES

ANALYSTS
 ARCHITECT – imaginative and strategic thinkers, with a plan for everything.
 LOGICIAN – innovative inventors with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
 COMMANDER – bold, imaginative and strong-willed leaders, always finding a way
or making one.
 DEBATER – smart and curios thinkers who cannot resist an intellectual challenge.

DIPLOMATS
 ADVOCATE – quiet and mystical, yet very inspiring and tireless idealists.
 MEDIATOR – poetic, kind and altruistic people, always eager to help a good cause.
 PROTAGONIST – charismatic and inspiring leaders, able to mesmerize their listeners.
 CAMPAIGNER – enthusiastic, creative and sociable free spirits, who can always find
a reason to smile.

SENTINELS
 LOGISTICIAN – practical and fact-minded individuals, whose reliability cannot be
doubted.
 DEFENDER – very dedicated and warm protectors, always ready to defend their
loved ones.
 EXECUTIVE – excellent administrators, unsurpassed at managing things or people.
 CONSUL – extraordinarily caring, social and popular people, always eager to help.

EXPLORERS

 VIRTOUSO – bold and practical experimenters, masters of all kinds of tools.

 ADVENTURER – flexible and charming artists, always ready to explore and
experience something new.
 ENTREPRENEUR – smart, energetic and very perceptive people, who truly enjoy
living on the edge.
 ENTERTAINER – spontaneous, energetic and enthusiastic people – life is never boring
around them.

Explain:
1. How do you understand the “Self”?
 2. How does the “Self” relate to personality?
3. What are the two key components of personality?
4. What is personality traits?
5. What influences the development of a personality?

Elaborate:
1. On a clean sheet of paper, draw a symbol/s of what represents your “Self”. Share this
with your classmates.
2. Of the Big Five Dimensions or tendencies of personality, which ones are you most
inclined to have? Give some real-life situations that you went through to affirm these
choices.
3. Explain the quotation by Oscar Wilde: “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong
romance”.

Evaluate:
1. Hoes does knowing oneself better make a person accept his/her strengths and
limitations, and improve the way he/she deals with others?
2. Share some of your unique characteristics, habits and experiences with your
classmates.

Extend:
1. Write on your journal your thoughts and feelings about what you have discovered
and understood about you “Self”, your personality and personality traits, and your
reflection regarding the question, “Who am I?”