Final Chapter 2 Self Awareness PDF

Self-Awareness 27
ASPECTS OF THE SELF

I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this chapter, the students are expected to:
1. Gain better understanding of oneself;
2. Understand the different aspects of the self; and
3. Identify one’s strengths, weaknesses, limitations, abilities and potentials;
II. CONTENT
Topic: Aspects of the Self
Materials: Readings on: Aspects of the Self

Worksheet on: Self-Concept Inventory
My Window of the Self
Identifying my Strengths
III. MOOD SETTING

Take a look at your own self-concept and answer the following self-concept inventory.
Give yourself a rating using the scale: 1 - very weak; 2 - weak; 3 - somewhat strong; 4 -
very strong
Self-Concept Inventory*
______ 1. I have a strong sex appeal.

______ 2. I am proud of my physical figure.
______ 3. I am physically attractive or beautiful.
______ 4. I exude with charm and poise.
______ 5. I am easy to get along with.
______ 6. I can adjust to different people and different situations.
______ 7. I am approachable; other people are at ease and comfortable with me.
______ 8. I am lovable and easy to love.
______ 9. I am a fast learner, I can understand with one instruction.
______ 10. I am intelligent.
______ 11. I have special talents and abilities.
______ 12. I can easily analyze situations and make right judgments.
______ 13. I can be trusted in any transaction.
______ 14. I have a clean conscience and carry no guilty feelings.
______ 15. I have integrity and good reputation.
______ 16. My friends and classmates can look up to me as a model worth emulating.
______ 17. I can express my ideas without difficulty.
______ 18. I talk in a persuasive manner that I can easily get people to accept what I say.
______ 19. I can express my ideas in writing without difficulty.
______ 20. I am a good listener.
Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

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______ 21. I am emotionally stable and not easily rattled when faced with trouble.
______ 22. I am logical and rational in my outlook and decisions.
______ 23. I feel and act with confidence.
______ 24. I am a mature person.
Plot and interpret your scores in the table below
Physical Human
Dimensions Appearance Relations
Intelligence Character Communication Maturity
Numerical
Score
Interpretation
Guide for Interpretation:
Numerical Score Qualitative Value

14 - 16 Strong
10 - 13 Somewhat Strong
9 - below Weak
*Adapted from a loose handout
IV. LECTURETTE
The Self
Benjamin Franklin once said, “there are three

hardest things in this world; diamond, steel,
and the know one’s self. Figuratively, he said
that journeying to get to know one’s self is
never easy. Interestingly, even some
nonhuman animals, including chimpanzees,
orangutans, and perhaps dolphins, have at
least a primitive sense of self (Boysen &
Himes, 1999 as cited in Jhangiani & Tarry,
n.d.). Meanwhile, Socrates, a Greek Self-Concept: Who am I? © Evergreen Bible
philosopher, stressed the need to “know
thyself.” He further explained that an unexamined life is not worth living. Learning about
one’s self, though very difficult, is vital and necessary. Roy F. Baumeister, in his work
about The Self in Social Psychology said that “no topic is more interesting to people than
people, for most people, moreover the most interesting person is the self.”
The self is defined as a separate, self-contained, interdependent, consistent, unitary, and

private. It could also mean that the self is distinct form other selves (Alata et al., 2018); it
is unique and has its own identity separate from another person. There are no two

Self-Awareness 29
individuals who are exactly alike. Even identical twin may have varied characteristics that
are distinct compared to one another. The self is represented by several aspects of the self.
Aspects of the Self

The most important aspect of yourself is yourself because it is you who know who you are,
your gender, whose feelings and memories you experience (Myers, 2010). It is defined by
our self-concept which is the answer to the question “Who am I?” It is conceived as a
collection of multiple and context-dependent selves. Based on the theory of William James,
the self has a hierarchy of aspects composing only of the material self, social self and the
spiritual self which he referred to as the “empirical self” (Lundin, n.d.). However, other
perspectives about the self include the physical self, intellectual self and the emotional self.
First is the material self. This included not only our physical self but all our possessions –
clothes, home, property, even money. Many individuals put a strong emphasis on the
physical aspect of the self. The body is tangible, obvious, and we respond to it easily
(Wong-Fernandez et al., 2016). Next is the social self which is defined by our roles as a
student, friend, or family member. It may actually be the “social selves” as one has to
respond to or many roles at different angles. I might have a somewhat different social self
for my parents, my teachers, my classmates, my church, and my friends. Myers (2010)
identified influences to the social self that include • the roles we play the social identities
we form, the comparisons we make with others, our successes and failures, how other
people judge us, and the surrounding culture.
Another aspect of the self is the emotional self which is the seat of our feelings and
emotions. Our emotional aspect is our ability to experience life deeply, to relate to one
another and the world on a feeling level. It's the part of us that seeks meaningful contact
and connection with others which overlaps with the social self. Developing the emotional
level of our being allows us to feel the full range of the human experience (i.e., with the
five senses), and find fulfillment in our relationships with ourselves and each other
(Balancing Mind, Body and Soul, n.d.).
Next aspect of the self is the intellectual self which is the conscious part that is referred to
as the mind. This is also related to the physical self because we experience our thoughts
through our body particularly the brain. It may be important to some that their mind be
prominent and well-educated (Wong-Fernandez et al., 2016). The mind is important, as it
is the part of the self that directs the other two aspects. The mind dictates what to do to the
body and the feelings. A saying goes, “what the mind can conceive, the body can achieve.”
If people store destructive thoughts in his mind, the entire body ay react and will result to
adverse effects affecting all the other aspects of the self. For this reason, many have
regarded the intellectual self as the “unifying self” or the most important aspect of the self.
Going back to William James’ theory about the self, he placed the spiritual self at the top
of the hierarchy. He regarded this as the most intimate part of the self. It is the inner
subjective part. William James did not restrict the definition of the spiritual self in the sense
of a “soul” of a theological sense (Lundin, n.d.). But rather, it is the most intimate version
of the self because of the satisfaction experience when one thinks of one’s ability to argue

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and discriminate, of one’s moral sensibility and conscience, of our unconquerable will
which is more pure than all other sentiments of satisfaction (Green, 1997 as cited in Alata,
2018).
Most of us claim full knowledge of ourselves. Yet, when we take a closer look into who
we really are, we usually discover something unfamiliar or conflicting about ourselves.
With this, it is important to know ourselves and the various aspects of the self before we
can identify ourselves as a unified whole and develop our own integrated self.
V. ACTIVITY
The following are the lyrics of 2 different songs about self-awareness. Sing or go through
the lines of the song and reflect.
Sino Ako Reflection

popularized by Regine Velasquez - Alcasid from the movie Mulan
Sino itong nasa salamin Look at me,
Kaharap ko ngunit 'di tumitingin I may never pass for a perfect bride, or a
S'ya ba'y nalulumbay at napapagod pa perfect daughter.
Sa pakikipaglaban at pagtitiis Can it be,
I'm not meant to play this part?
S'ya ba'y ako o ako ay sya Now I see, that if I were truly to be
Sadyang hindi ko makilala myself,
Nasa'n na ba ako sa yugtong ito I would break my family's heart.
Ako'y humihiling ng awa at pagmamahal
Who is that girl I see, staring straight back
'Di ko ninais na ako'y magka-ganito at me?
Ngunit kailangan kong hanapin ang tunay Why is my reflection someone I don't
na ako know?
Somehow I cannot hide?
Sino ako sa puso mo Who I am, though I've tried.
Sino ako sa buhay mo When will my reflection show, who I am,
Hanggang kailan maghihintay inside?
Hanggang kailan mangangarap How I pray, that a time will come,
Na magpakailanman ay kasama ka I can free myself, from their expectations
On that day, I'll discover someway to be
'Di ko ninais na ako'y magka-ganito myself,
Ngunit kailangan kong hanapin ang tunay and to make my family proud.
na ako They want a docile lamb,
No-one knows who I am.
Sino ako sa puso mo Must there be a secret me,
Sino ako sa buhay mo I'm forced to hide?
Hanggang kailan maghihintay Must I pretend that I am someone else for
Hanggang kailan mangangarap all time?
Na magpakailanman ay kasama ka When will my reflection show, who I am
inside?

Self-Awareness 31
When will my reflection show, who I am

Sino ako? inside?
VI. PROCESSING
1. What message did each of the song convey?
2. Do they have the same meaning? Are they different? Explain.
3. How did lack of awareness affect the outlook in life of character in the song?
4. What message can you draw from the story?
5. Do you agree with Benjamin Franklin in saying that to know oneself is one of the
hardest things?
VII. ABSTRACTION AND FIRMING UP

Understanding the self is a key to become more self-aware of one’s strengths, weaknesses,
capabilities and potentials. Though it is not easy, it is the responsibility of the person to
know himself or herself because he or she is the best person to describe who he or she is.
As simple as answering the question “who am I?” or by completing the “I am” phase
defines our self-concept. Aside from that knowing the different aspects of the self leads us
to a more complete picture of the self as a whole and integrated unit.
If we look at ourselves, our multi-faceted characteristics is like a window of many panels.

Each of the panel represents an aspect of ourselves. By doing self-evaluation, a process of
assessing one’s own capacities and qualities to achieve personal clarity and self-awareness,
illustrate yourself using symbols, human figures or objects in the different aspects of
yourself. Use the table below”
My Window of the Self
Physical Self Material Self

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Social Self Emotional Self
Intellectual Self Spiritual Self
In relation to your illustrations depicted above, complete the following statement

integrating the different aspects of yourself.
I am ___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Processing:
1. What is your understanding of the “self”?

Self-Awareness 33
2. What are the things that would define your...

a. material self?
b. physical self?
c. social self?
d. emotional self?
e. intellectual self?
f. spiritual self?
3. If you are going to arrange the different aspects of the self into a hierarchy, what
would be you order of arrangement? (assign a number in each box, use 1 as the
highest and 6 as the lowest)
VIII. EVALUATION
Identification. Read the following statement and determine the aspect of the self that is
described in each sentence. Before each number, write the letter of your choice Choose the
best answer from the following choices:
a. material self c. social self e. intellectual self
b. physical self d. emotional self f. spiritual self
______ 1. I am a Filipino.
______ 2. I am an antique collector.
______ 3. I exercise regularly.
______ 4. I am a church volunteer.
______ 5. I easily get upset when things went out of my way.
______ 6. I usually have hard times making decisions.
______ 7. I usually introspect to know my deep seated thoughts and feelings.
______ 8. I have found my purpose in life.
______ 9. I am broken hearted.
______ 10. I love to travel and visit many places.
______ 11. Singing makes me feel happy.
______ 12. I take daily dose of vitamins.
______ 13. I am a student of SLSU.
______ 14. I am on a diet right now.
______ 15. I have formed the habit of saving money.
IX. ASSIGNMENT
Identifying My Strengths
To be answered by a family member:
Please read the following descriptions of 24 positive character attributes given below.
Select the ONLY FIVE (no less, no more) you find most often characterize me by placing
a check mark in the corresponding box.

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Wisdom & Knowledge – strengths which involve acquiring and using knowledge
Creativity: Thinking of novel and productive ways to do things
Curiosity: Openness to experience]: Taking an interest in all of ongoing experience
Open-mindedness: Thinking things through and examining them from all sides
Love of learning: Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge
Perspective: Being able to provide wise counsel to others
Courage – emotional strengths which involve exercise of will to accomplish goals in
the face of opposition, external or internal
Bravery: Not shrinking from threat, challenge, or pain
Persistence : finishing what one starts, persisting a group of action in spite of
obstacles
Integrity : speaking the truth and presenting oneself in a genuine way
Vitality / Zest : approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things half-
way or half-heartedly, living life as an adventure, feeling alive and activated
Humanity – interpersonal strengths that involve tending and befriending others
Love: Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and
caring are reciprocated; being close to people
Kindness: Doing favors and good deeds for others; helping them; taking care of
them
Social intelligence :Being aware of the motives and feelings of self and others;
knowing what to do to fit into different social situations; knowing what makes other
people tick
Justice – strengths that underlie healthy community life
Citizenship :Working well as member of a group or team; being loyal to the group;
doing one’s share
Leadership: Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and
at the same time maintain good relations within the group; organizing group
activities and seeing that they happen
Fairness: treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice;
not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others; giving everyone a fair
chance
Temperance – Strengths that protect against excess
Forgiveness & Mercy: forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting the
shortcomings of others; giving people a second chance; not being vengeful
Humility / Modesty: Letting one’s accomplishments speak for themselves; not
seeking the spotlight; not regarding oneself as more special than one is
Prudence: Being careful about one’s choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or
doing things that might later be regretted
Self-regulation [self-control]: Regulating what one feels and does; being
disciplined; controlling one’s appetites and emotions
Transcendence – Strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and
provide meaning
Appreciation of beauty and excellence: Noticing and appreciating beauty,
excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to arts to
mathematics to science.

Self-Awareness 35
Gratitude: Being aware of and thankful for the good things; taking time to express
thanks
Hope / Optimism: Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it;
believing that a good future is something that can be brought about
Humor / Playfulness: Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people,
seeing the light side; making (not necessarily telling) jokes
Spirituality: Knowing where one fits within the larger scheme; having coherent
beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of life that shape conduct and provide
comfort
To be answered by a friend:
obstacles
them
people tick
doing one’s share

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chance
provide meaning
thanks
comfort
To be answered by the person (self-evaluation):
obstacles

Self-Awareness 37
them
people tick
doing one’s share
chance
provide meaning
thanks
comfort

Self-Awareness 38
Summary of My Strengths
Family Member Friend Self-evaluation
1. 1. 1.
2. 2. 2.
3. 3. 3.
4. 4. 4.
5. 5. 5.
Adopted from: Alberts, H., & Pennock, S. F. (n.d.). Positive psychology coaching:
Workbook for client. Retrieved from http://positivepsychologyprogram.com.html
X. REFERENCES
Alata, E. P., Caslib, Jr. B. N., Serafica, J. J., & Pawilen, R. A. (2018). Understanding the
self. Quezon City: Rex Bookstore, Inc.
Alberts, H., & Pennock, S. F. (n.d.). Positive psychology coaching: Workbook for client.
Retrieved from http://positivepsychologyprogram.com.html
Balancing Mind, Body and Soul. (n.d.). Four aspects of the “self”. Retrieved from
http://www.balancingmindbodysoul.co.uk/spiritual-development/the-four-
aspects-of-self
Jhangiani, R., & Tarry, H. (n.d.). Principles of social psychology. Retrieved from
https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/chapter/the-cognitive-self-the-self-
concept/
Lundin, R. W. (n.d.). Theories and systems of psychology (5th ed.). Lexington, MA: D. C.
Health and Company.
Myers, D. G. (2010). Social psychology (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.
Wong-Fernandez, B., Quiba, C. C., Que-Legaspi, E. X., Rafanan, M. R., & Velasquez-
Garcia, Z. (2016). Personal development. Quezon City: Sunshine Interlinks
Publishing House, Inc.
Jhangiani, R., & Tarry, H. (n.d.). Principles of social psychology. Retrieved from
https://open textbc.ca/socialpsychology/chapter/the-cognitive-self-the-self-
concept/

Self-Awareness 39
BUILDING SELF-IMAGE
At the end of this chapter, the students are expected to:
1. Define self-image;
2. Appreciate the ways to enhance one’s self-image; and
3. Establish positive self-image.
II. CONTENT
Topic: Building Self-Image
Materials: Readings on: Building Self-Image

Worksheets on: How do you project your self-image?
Accomplished assignment on Identifying my Strengths
III. MOOD SETTING

How Do You Project Your Self Image?*
What positive and negative qualities do you project in your behavior and relationships?
Find it out by doing the following exercise. Rate the qualities that apply to you. Score and
write 2 if the statement is always true to you; 1 if occasionally true and 0 if never true.
______ 1. I maintain a pleasant disposition even if things do not happen as I expect them.
______ 2. I am not ashamed of my weakness. I act the way I am and not bothered if others
will notice my limitations or weaknesses.
______ 3. I am not obsessed with gaining attention and approval for what I do.
______ 4. I am at peace with myself. I can sleep easily without sleeping pills.
______ 5. I am proud of being me, even with my weaknesses and limitations.
______ 6. I have the courage and determination to get what I want and to take calculated
risks. I am not afraid of failures for I always learn from my mistakes.
______ 7. I am aware of and proud of my personal assets, capabilities and talents.
______ 8. I am always tense and nervous especially in a crowd of people or when asked to
make a presentation.
______ 9. I prefer to be alone than in a group or crowd.
______ 10. I hesitate to look at others straight on the eye.
______ 11. I speak with soft, uncertain voice especially when faced with people in
authority or influence.
______ 12. I often have sloppy and shabby appearance.
______ 13. I hesitate to extend my hand for a handshake.
______ 14. I am shy and inhibited.
______ 15. I easily give up when faced with challenges and difficult situations.

Self-Awareness 40
______ 16. I have a tendency to monopolize a conversation and I love to talk about myself
all the time.
______ 17. I am suspicious and tend to give meaning to what people do or say.
______ 18. When tense or upset I resort to drinking, drugs and smoking.
______ 19. I am prone to always agree or say “yes” even when not in agreement.
______ 20. I am jealous of some peers, brother/sister and others.
______ 21. I feel inferior compared to others.
______ 22. I always think I can do better than others.
______ 23. I nurture feelings of remorse, guilt or torture.
______ 24. I have a tendency to compare myself to others.
______ 25. I idolize sports hero, actor or someone else.
______ 26. I dislike myself.
______ 27. I am impatient and easily irritated.
______ 28. I have a tendency to indulge in gossips.
______ 29. I easily pass judgment on others.
______ 30. I always feel sick.
Plot and interpret your scores in the table below
Self-Image Score Interpretation

Positive self-image
Negative self-image
Guide for Interpretation

Positive Self Image Negative Self Image
Score Interpretation Score Qualitative Value
13-14 High 40-46 High
10-12 Average 30-39 Average
9-below Low 29-below Low
*Adapted from a loose handout
IV. LECTURETTE
What is Self-Image?
Self-image is the idea, conception, or
mental image that a person has about
oneself. Some authors refer to it as
synonymous to self-concept or self-
esteem. This may be how you see
yourself physically or your opinion
of who and what you are. In the last
module, it is defined as self-concept.
Self-image affects your self-esteem
and confidence (Perera, 2014).
Self-Image: What is most important is the way you see yourself.
Others define self-esteem as the © www.brucemuzik.com

Self-Awareness 41
sense of respect or favorable image of oneself or the so called self-confidence.
Self-image is how you perceive yourself. It is a number of self-impressions that have built
up over time. This is about your probable answers to the questions: What are your hopes
and dreams? What do you think and feel? What have you done throughout your life and
what did you want to do? (Mountain State, n.d.; Perera, 2014) These self-images can be
very positive, giving a person confidence in their thoughts and actions, or negative, making
a person doubtful of their capabilities and ideas, just like in the mood setting that you did.
You will see yourself in a positive or negative way according to your level of self-esteem.
You may have a negative view of yourself and if so you are probably highly critical of
yourself.
How you see yourself is vital because this will affect your behavior, your thinking and how
you relate to others. People respond to you either positively or negatively according to how
confident you are. Your confidence in relationships depends on the image you have of
yourself (Perera, 2014). Surprisingly, your self-image can be very different from how the
world sees you. Your view of yourself is shaped by your unique thoughts and beliefs and
you will have a distorted view. There are people who strangely developed bad self-image
despite of outwardly having it all (intelligence, looks, personal and financial success).
Conversely, others who have had a very difficult life and multiple hardships may also have
a very positive self-image. This is the irony of self-image.
Some believe that a person's self-image is defined by events that affect him or her (doing
well or not in school, work, or relationships.) Others believe that a person's self-image can
help shape those events. There is probably some truth to both schools of thought: failing at
something can certainly cause one to feel bad about oneself, just as feeling good about
oneself can lead to better performance on a project. But it cannot be denied that your self-
image has a very strong impact on your happiness, and your outlook on life can affect those
around you. If you project a positive self-image, people will be more likely to see you as a
positive, and capable person (Mountain State, n.d.).
Concern for Self-Image: Potentially Dangerous

Have you ever seen a politician who publicly display a character of being good and self-
righteous? This how self-image can be dangerous for a person. Myers (2010) explained
that we help maintain our positive self-images by associating ourselves with success and
distancing ourselves from failure. For example, you got a perfect score in quiz in Rizal
class versus a professor who gave you a 3.0 on your math exam.” Blaming failure or
rejection on something external, even another’s prejudice, is less depressing than seeing
oneself as undeserving. Researches in social psychology, a field of psychology that is
concerned with human thoughts, feelings and behavior pertaining to people, situations,
places and perceptions, have focused on ways people maintain positive self-image: Some
of these are as follows (as cited in Myers, 2010):
 False Consensus Effect. We have a curious tendency to enhance our self-images

by overestimating or underestimating the extent to which others think and act as we

Self-Awareness 42
do. We find support for our positions by overestimating the extent to which others
agree. It is the tendency to overestimate the commonality of one’s opinions and
one’s undesirable or unsuccessful behaviors.
 Self-Handicapping. Recall that we eagerly protect our self-images by attributing

failures to external factors. People might handicap themselves by partying. They
are self-deflating have a ready excuse. Handicaps protect both self-esteem and
public image by allowing us to attribute failures to something temporary or external
(“I was feeling sick”; “I was out too late the night before”) rather than to lack of
talent or ability.
 Self-Presentation. This is the act of expressing oneself and behaving in ways

designed to create a favorable impression or an impression that corresponds to
one’s ideals. This refers to our wanting to present a desired image both to an
external audience (other people) and to an internal audience (ourselves). This is a
result of our fear of the disapproval of others.
 Self-Serving Bias. As we process self-relevant information, a potent bias intrudes.

We readily excuse our failures, accept credit for our successes, and in many ways
see ourselves as better than average. This is the tendency to perceive oneself
favorably.
 Confirmation Bias. This helps explain why our self-images are so remarkably
stable. People seek friends who bolster their own self views. This self-verification
is the tendency to search for information that confirms one’s preconceptions. Self-
affirming protects and supports our sense of integrity and self-worth.
It is therefore important that your self-image be both positive and realistic. Having a self-
image that is unrealistic can be a drawback, whether that self-image is negative or positive.
Sometimes having an occasional negative thought or criticism about oneself can encourage
change, hard work, growth and success. Sometimes having too positive an image of oneself
can encourage complacency, underachievement, and arrogance. Finding the balance
between feeling positive about oneself, but having realistic goals is important. To attain
this, consider the following ways to positively build your self-image.
Practical Ways to Improve Self-Image (Mountain State, n.d.)

The following tips are suggested to help you improve your self-image. Some of this are
already done through the discussion of the previous modules. There are more of this in the
succeeding modules.
 Try the powerful method of self-introspection.
 List things you like about yourself – include appearance, personality and skills.
 Make changes that will help you. For example, clothes, appearance, hair style and
behavior.
 Get exercise –you will look and feel better. There are also more psychological
benefits of exercise.

Self-Awareness 43
 Never be ashamed of your body, learn to appreciate and look after it.
 Remember compliments and note them down.
 Change negative thoughts to positive ones by focusing on the positive and
forgetting the negative things that happen to you.
 Question whether your view of yourself is accurate and why you see yourself like
you do.
 Accept the things about yourself that are true and learn to think about them in a
positive way.
 Take yourself less seriously and lighten up. Use humor and laughter. Accept
criticism constructively so you can move forward and improve yourself.
 Don’t be limited by your internal image, step outside of it and break free, it
doesn’t have to control you or keep you down. Acting differently will change how
others respond towards you and will help change your attitude towards yourself
and your abilities
 Take on all the challenges positively.
 Try to do this as much as possible and observe how you thrive in achieving a
better and positive self-image.
V. ACITIVITY
Identifying My Strengths
Bring out your assignments, Identifying My Strengths. Go into groups of five and share
with your group the responses of your friend and family member and compare it with your
own identified strengths. Use the processing questions (see processing question 1-3).
VI. PROCESSING (questions 4-6 will be facilitated by the teacher)

1. Were you surprised to learn about some strengths you didn’t know you had?
2. Were you disappointed if no one mentioned a strength you consider important?
Why?
3. Which positive qualities about you were mentioned by both persons you asked?
4. How can you make people more aware of your strengths?
5. How does it feel to learn what people like about you? Are they consistent in what
they see or what they know about you?
6. If there were differences, what have been the cause?

Self-image refers to our conception of ourselves. Others refer to it as self-concept which
affects one’s self-esteem or confidence. It can be positive or negative. Positive self-image
can boost a person’s self-confidence while a negative one may leave a person being
doubtful of his own abilities. People usually rely on success to build up their self-image,
because of this, they are excessively concerned about their self-image which may endanger

Self-Awareness 44
a person to develop self-defeating behaviors such as self-handicapping. Because of this,

one should strike a balance between maintain a positive and realistic positive self-image.
Excessive self-image may lead to arrogance while negative self-image may encourage self-
growth and motivations to strive for success. To achieve this balance, there are practical
ways to deal with it.
Read and reflect (the teacher may ask the students to look at a mirror while reading this):
Mirror Image of the Self*
One day, my friends and I visited a young friend who has

an unusual way of decorating his house. In every room on
every table, he had a mirror. There was one on his kitchen
table, one on his dining room table, one on his desk, and
even one on his knee-high coffee table. He had the usual
one in the bathroom, of course. I thought to myself, “Does
this person just like his appearance? or Does he have some
other purpose for all those mirrors?”
After all, a mirror can tell us different things whenever we look into it. When we stare at
the mirror, do we like what we see, do we like ourselves? Well, there’s really nothing
wrong with that. Or do we take a questioning look in that mirror and admit that there is
room for improvement? Then, that is a good sign.
When we look at our mirror image, does it surprise or shock us? Or depress or amuse us?
Or make us indifferent or disappointed?
As the saying goes, “Mirrors don’t lie.”
Processing:
1. What does the story want to convey?
2. Who could be our mirrors?
3. Are the significant people in your life like mirrors which don’t lie? Why?
*Adapted from: Revitalized Homeroom Guidance Program. (1998). A guidance resource

manual on the growing Filipino adolescent. Bureau of Secondary Education-
Department of Education, Culture and Sports.
VIII. EVALUATION
Matching Type: The following are social situations where self-image is be observed.
Identify which phenomenon is experienced in each of the situation. Write your answer in
the space provided before each number.
______ 1. Your classmate failed in an exam. He said it’s a. false consensus effect
common to fail, but you don’t agree with him.

Self-Awareness 45
______ 2. I feel my political stand is correct since my Facebook b. self-handicapping

post is liked, commented and shared.
______ 3. When going out, my mother will always have her c. self-presentation
make-up full packed.
______ 4. You heard a woman saying, “I lie, but doesn’t d. self-serving bias
everyone?”
______ 5. “I’m really not a failure—I would have done well e. confirmation bias
except for this problem.”
______ 6. While playing scrabble, your brother said “it’s because
of my verbal dexterity,” but when he lose, he said it’s
because “Who could get anywhere with a Q but no U? ”
______ 7. “Our group got a high mark because of my idea”
______ 8. “See, I’m right, ma’am nod at me.”
______ 9. Uploading the best “selfie” in Facebook
______ 10. “I was informed too late the night before the exam.”
IX. ASSIGNMENT
After learning about the self and self-image, you have now a more solid concept of
yourself. But sometimes, it is still hard to open up and share about yourself if people don’t
even know the simple day-to-day things in your life. Learning the likes, dislikes, recreation
activities and the deeper details that others have in their live can be the beginning of a more
supportive and positive relationship among your classmates, peers, friends and family
members.
Through this activity, you can share about your life and to share these thoughts with others.
You may share things about your family or your like and dislikes, etc. The class will benefit
from this activity in getting to know more about one another. This is called:
Book about Me*
You can draw or cut pictures and provide explanation to create a “book about me.” If there
is enough time some students may share in class. Alternative to that, students may
exchange their “books.” The book shall contain the following (ideally, one page for each):
1. What I look like
2. Things I do well
3. My favorite foods are
ME
4. What my family looks like
5. May favorite place to go on vacation
6. What I am most proud of
7. My favorite thing to do on a rainy day
8. My favorite things to do with my family are
9. Things that make me sad
10. Things that make me happy

Self-Awareness 46
*Adopted from: Jones, A. (1998). 104 activities that build: Self-esteem, teamwork,
communication, anger management, self-discovery, and coping skills. Richland,
WA: Rec Room Publishing.
X. REFERENCES
Revitalized Homeroom Guidance Program. (1998). A guidance resource manual on the
growing Filipino adolescent. Bureau of Secondary Education-Department of
Education, Culture and Sports.
Jones, A. (1998). 104 activities that build: Self-esteem, teamwork, communication, anger
management, self-discovery, and coping skills. Richland, WA: Rec Room
Publishing.
Mountain State (n.d.) Positive self-image and self-esteem. Center for Independent.
Retrieved from http://mtstcil.org/skills/image-2.html
Myers, D. G. (2010). Social psychology (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.
Perera, K. (2014). Self-esteem secrets: 12 steps to success. USA: Motivational Press.

Self-Awareness 47
ENHANCING SELF-ESTEEM
At the end of this lesson, students are expected to:
1. Describe self-esteem as a concept;
2. Understand the how self-esteem declines and develops; and
3. Apply the approaches to enhance one’s self-esteem.
4.
II. CONTENT
Topic: Enhancing Self-Esteem
Materials: Readings on: Enhancing Self-Esteem

Worksheets on: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
Self-Affirmation Exercise: My own Eulogy
King/ Queen’s crown
III. MOOD SETTING

To complete your self-assessment about yourself, answer the following scale that will help
you gauge your self-esteem level. There is no right or wrong answer. Make honest
responses by putting a check mark on the column representing your answer.
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale*
Strongly Strongly
Statements Agree
Agree Disagree
Disagree
1. I feel that I am a person of worth, at least on
an equal plane with others.
2. I feel that I have a number of good qualities.
3. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a
failure.
4. I am able to do things as well as most other
people.
5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of.
6. I take a positive attitude toward myself.
7. On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.
8. I wish I could have more respect for myself.
9. I certainly feel useless at times.
10. At times I think I am no good at all.
Guide to Scoring YOUR SCORE: ______________

Scores are calculated as follows:
 For items 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7:
Strongly agree = 3; Agree = 2; Disagree = 1; Strongly disagree = 0

Self-Awareness 48
 For items 3, 5, 8, 9, and 10 (which are reversed in valence):

Strongly agree = 0; Agree = 1; Disagree = 2; Strongly disagree = 3
Interpretation
The scale ranges from 0-30. Scores between 15 and 25 are within normal range; scores
below 15 suggest low self-esteem.
*Adapted from: University of Mayland. (n.d.). Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Retrieved

from https://socy.umd.edu/quick-links/using-rosenberg-self-esteem-scale
IV. LECTURETTE
What is Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem is one important component of one’s self along with self-concept. Self-esteem
refers to a person’s evaluation of his or her self-concept or one’s personal worthiness
(Franzoi, 2009). Such evaluation signifies a degree of approval or disapproval of oneself.
It indicates the extent to which a person sees himself or herself to be significant, capable
and successful. Self-esteem and self-concept were sometimes used interchangeably,
though they vary in distinctions. Self-concept is the cognitive or thinking aspect while self-
esteem is the affective or emotional aspect of self (Huitt, 2009).
Self-esteem is still part of your journey towards self-awareness. Reviewing your lesson in
the last module, self-esteem and self-image are the two sides of a single coin. You may
recall that self-esteem is how you feel about yourself while self-image is about how you
see yourself and how you believe others see you. They are closely connected because if
you have a poor opinion of yourself your self-esteem will be low (Perera, 2014).
High versus Low Self-Esteem

High and positive self-esteem is vital and
necessary in your personal quest for
success (Dizon, 2008). In addition,
students who have higher self-esteem are
expected to have more confidence in
themselves. This self-confidence should
encourage you to use your abilities more
creatively. A research study (i.e., Zhang,
2001) cited that higher self-esteem is
associated with better academic
performance and with stronger
motivation for learning. It also positively
affects peer relationship. The
development of self-esteem has Why is self-esteem important? © Self-Esteem Project
something to do with both personal
factors and situational factors and it can be enhanced through training programs.

Self-Awareness 49
At the other extreme, individuals who have low self-esteem would tend to have less
confidence in what they do. People hope that self-esteem may hold the key to the
understanding and even in the solution of many social and political problems and achieving
wellbeing (Burger, 2005). In fact, there are research findings (as cited in Franzoi, 2009)
that individuals with low self-esteem are generally more unhappy and pessimistic; more
needful of social acceptance; less willing to take risks to benefit themselves; more likely
to encounter academic and financial problems; less likely to have successful careers; and
less likely to be physically healthy than high self-esteem individuals. Aside from
appreciating the benefits of having high and positive self-esteem, these research findings
will also help you characterize people who have high or low self-esteem.
How Self-Esteem Develops

Self-esteem is said to be maintained through social relationships. Through socialization
with your family, peers, classmates or friends, you also develop your self-esteem. This can
be through the following ways:
 Social Reflection.
Self-esteem is reinforced by identifying the self with an outstanding
accomplishment; people tend to claim the prestige. If you think of yourself as
someone who is success, you being to develop higher self-esteem because of your
reflections about yourself (Fronzoi, 2009).
 Social Comparison.
This is a process of evaluating one’s accomplishments by comparing them with
other. In this process the students’ self-esteem may either suffer when they are
outperformed or it may increase when they surpass other (Fronzoi, 2009).
 Social Acceptance.
Self-esteem is a product of one’s monitoring of social acceptance. This is called
self-esteem motive functions in order to maintain self-esteem, we look for social
acceptance and avoid social devaluation and rejection. Sociometer theory explains
that self-esteem motive does not function to maintain self-esteem itself, but work
to minimize the likehood of rejection or relational devaluation (Leary, 2000).
 Social Appraisals and Recognitions.

If people will continually receive these, they can maintain and enhance their self-
esteem. Humans by nature are primarily motivated to maintain high self-esteem
that is why they constantly look for social recognitions. This view explains that as
one’s negative self-evaluation increases, the need for self-enhancement will also
increase (Franzoi, 2009).
 Social Identity.
This elaborates the significance of social identity to one’s self concept. Individuals
derive their social identity from groups to which they belong. Subsequently, this
forms a central aspect of their self-esteem that is partly determined by the social
esteem of their ingroups (Dizon, 2008). When you belong to a group, you draw

Self-Awareness 50
from them your confidence that fuels your self-esteem. Membership in a particular
group can raise one’s feelings of self-esteem and may make one feel good about
what others have achieved. To maintain a positive social identity, you might engage
in ingroup biasing, believing that your own group is better than the other groups.
Ways to Enhance Self-Esteem (Gohol, 2011).

The above-mentioned manners are seemingly automatic thoughts, behaviors, and feelings
of people to maintain their self-esteem which are actually unhealthy to practice. Instead of
doing those things there are more practical way to maintain and improve your self-esteem.
You just have to acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses. Psychologists suggest to
follow the following steps towards developing a high, positive and healthy self-esteem:
1. Set Realistic Expectations.

Nothing can kill our self-esteem more than
setting unrealistic expectations. Sometimes our
expectations are so much smaller, but still
unrealistic. For instance, “I wish my mom (or
dad) would stop criticizing me.” Guess what?
They never will! But that’s no reason to let their
criticism affect your own view of yourself, or
your own self-worth. Check your expectations
if they keep disappointing you. This may also
help you to stop the cycle of negative thinking
about yourself that reinforce our negative self-
esteem. When we make realistic expectations in
I love my self! © quotesgram.com our life, we can stop berating ourselves for not
meeting some idealistic goal.
2. Set Aside Perfection and Grab a Hold of Accomplishments… and Mistakes.

Perfection is simply unattainable for any of us. We revel in the idea of perfection, because
we see so much of it in the media. But that is simply an artificial creation of society. Instead,
grab a hold of your accomplishments as you achieve them. Acknowledge them to yourself
for their actual value. It may even help to keep a little journal or list of things you
accomplish. The key is to get to your smaller goals and move on from each one. It’s just
as important to take something away from the mistakes you make in life. Mistakes are an
opportunity for learning and for growth. Move away from self-pity or negative self-talk.
3. Explore Yourself.
“Know thyself” as mentioned in the earlier module, this encourages us to engage in self-
exploration. It isn’t just about knowing your strengths and weaknesses, but also opening
yourself up to new opportunities, new thoughts, trying out something new, new viewpoints,
and new friendships. It may be that we simply haven’t found everything that we do have
to offer — things we haven’t even considered or thought of yet. Learning what these are is
simply a matter of trial and error. It’s how people become the people they’ve always wanted
to become, by taking risks and trying things they wouldn’t ordinarily do.

Self-Awareness 51
4. Be Willing to Adjust your own Self-Image.

Self-esteem is useless if it’s based upon an older version of you that no longer exists.
Instead, evaluate yourself based upon what’s going on in my life right now, not some
distant past version of you. Keep adjusting your self-image and self-esteem to match your
current abilities and skills, not those of your past.
5. Stop Comparing yourself to Others.

This could be the best thing you could do for yourself. Nothing can hurt our self-esteem
more than unfair comparisons. The only person you should be competing against
is yourself. These comparisons are unfair because you don’t know as much as you think
you do about these other people’s lives, or what it’s really like to be them.
V. ACTIVITY
King/ Queen’s Throne: Affirmation Exercise*
When a king or queen sits on his throne, people bring him gifts, honor him with
compliments, and add to the power he already has. To be a king or a queen for a day or just
even for a little while would be wonderful. In this activity people get to be kings or queens
and gain power of a good self-esteem by hearing compliments and affirmations.
The class will form a circle seating on their chairs. Each student will have his or her time
be a king or queen. While being a king or queen, he or she will wear the crown and each
of his or her classmate will give him positive affirmation or compliments. Remember to
limit your words only with the positive ones. The process goes on and on until all students
had taken the chance to wear the crown.
*Adopted from:
management, self-discovery, and coping skills. Richland, WA: Rec Room
Publishing.
Psychological Association of the Philippines [PAP]. (2017). Katatagan Kontra Droga sa

Komunidad: A community-based relapse prevention program – Facilitator’s
manual. Quezon City: Psychological Association of the Philippines.

Self-Awareness 52
VI. PROCESSING
1. How did you feel when you were the king or the queen?
2. How does it feel to hear positive comments about yourself?
3. Why is it important to hear positive things from others?
4. Which do you often hear, positive or negative comments?
5. If you mainly hear negative comments, how can you put yourself in a situation
where you will hear more positive comments?

Self-esteem refers to one’s personal worthiness. It is important for a person to develop not
only high but also positive self-esteem in order to build healthy intra- and interpersonal
relationships. There are good benefits of having of having self-esteem at the positive end.
One of these is better academic performance which is important for you to become
successful in your college life. Also, people with a good and healthy self-esteem are able
to feel good about themselves for who they are, appreciate their own worth, and take pride
in their abilities and accomplishments. They also acknowledge that while they’re not
perfect and have faults, those faults don’t play an overwhelming or irrationally large role
in their lives or their own self-image. So one must prevent from doing social comparison
and ingroup biasing which may lead to negative consequences to one’s self and to others.
Read and reflect on this:

Gestalt Prayer
I do my thing, and you do your thing.

I am not in this world to live up to your expectations
And you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you, and I am I,
And if by chance we find each other, it’s beautiful.
If not, it can’t help.
Processing:
1. What is your understanding about poem?
2. What can you say about living up to the expectations of other?
3. How does this affect our self-esteem?
VIII. EVALUATION
Matching Type: Identify which phenomenon is exemplified in the following statements.
Write your answer in the space provided before each number.
______ 1. “I passed the entrance examination of SLSU, a. social reflection

I must be good.”
______ 2. “Wow! I got 100 likes in Facebook for my b. social comparison
profile picture.”

Self-Awareness 53
______ 3. “Taas noo, kahit kanino, ako ay Pilipino.” c. social acceptance

______ 4. “I have to live up to my parents’ expectations”
______ 5. “We only live in an old, dilapidated house, while d. social appraisal
they all live in an exclusive subdivision.”
______ 6. “I have to have a tattoo for my friends to like me.” e. social identity
______ 7. “Our family is known in the whole town.”
______ 8. “I am the only one in class who got a perfect score.”
______ 9. You feel elated whenever people say that you’re pretty.
______ 10. “I am an honor student.”
IX. ASSIGNMENT
Matt Valentine, a mindfulness and meditation teacher explained that people always prefer
to pretend as though we lived forever and do everything in our power to make that a reality.
We think our impermanence is a bad thing, but if you take the time to reflect on your own
death, even doing something as crazy as writing your own eulogy, it can provide you with
invaluable gifts.
Eulogy is a speech that praises someone who has died. In this assignment, you will be
writing your eulogy for yourself. It is a way to affirm yourself. By contemplating your own
impermanence, you can gain an incredible sense of perspective and clarity that can help
you decide what you want to do with your life as well as the urgency to move to your action
to follow your heart and accomplish those goals and dreams.
Self-Affirmation Exercise: My own Eulogy

Self-Awareness 54
How did writing your own eulogy help you appreciate yourself?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
X. REFERENCES
Burger, J. M. (2015). Personality: An Introduction (9th ed.). Singapore: Cengage

Learning Asia
Dizon, C. D. (2008). Physical education: A means to enhance students’ self-esteem? The

Summit, 1, 78-101.
Franzoi, S. L. (2009). Social psychology (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Companies.
Grohol, J. (2011). 6 Tips to Improve Your Self-Esteem. Psych Central. Retrieved from
https://psychcentral.com/blog/6-tips-to-improve-your-self-esteem/
Huitt, W. (2009). Self-concept and self-esteem. Educational Psychology Interactive.

Retrieved from http://www.edpsychinteractive.org/topics/regsys/self.html
management, self-discovery, and coping skills. Richland, WA: Rec Room P
ublishing.
Leary, M. R. (2000). Making sense of self-esteem. In M. H. Davis (Ed.), Social

psychology (pp. 30-32). USA: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill Companies.
Perera, K. (2014). Self-esteem secrets: 12 steps to success. USA: Motivational Press.
Psychological Association of the Philippines [PAP]. (2017). Katatagan Kontra Droga sa

Komunidad: A community-based relapse prevention program – Facilitator’s
manual. Quezon City: Psychological Association of the Philippines.
University of Mayland. (n.d.). Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Retrieved from

https://socy.umd.edu/quick-links/using-rosenberg-self-esteem-scale

Self-Awareness 55
Zhang, L. (2001, April). Thinking styles, self-esteem, and extracurricular experiences.

International Journal of Psychology, 36(2), 100-107.

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Self-Awareness 27

ASPECTS OF THE SELF

Materials: Readings on: Aspects of the Self

III. MOOD SETTING

______ 1. I have a strong sex appeal.

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

Plot and interpret your scores in the table below

Guide for Interpretation:

Numerical Score Qualitative Value

Benjamin Franklin once said, “there are three

The self is defined as a separate, self-contained, interdependent, consistent, unitary, and

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

Aspects of the Self

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

Sino Ako Reflection

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

When will my reflection show, who I am

VII. ABSTRACTION AND FIRMING UP

If we look at ourselves, our multi-faceted characteristics is like a window of many panels.

My Window of the Self

Physical Self Material Self

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

Social Self Emotional Self

Intellectual Self Spiritual Self

In relation to your illustrations depicted above, complete the following statement

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

2. What are the things that would define your...

To be answered by a family member:

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

To be answered by the person (self-evaluation):

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

Materials: Readings on: Building Self-Image

III. MOOD SETTING

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

Plot and interpret your scores in the table below

Self-Image Score Interpretation

Guide for Interpretation

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

sense of respect or favorable image of oneself or the so called self-confidence.

Concern for Self-Image: Potentially Dangerous

 False Consensus Effect. We have a curious tendency to enhance our self-images

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

 Self-Handicapping. Recall that we eagerly protect our self-images by attributing

 Self-Presentation. This is the act of expressing oneself and behaving in ways

 Self-Serving Bias. As we process self-relevant information, a potent bias intrudes.

Practical Ways to Improve Self-Image (Mountain State, n.d.)

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

VI. PROCESSING (questions 4-6 will be facilitated by the teacher)

VII. ABSTRACTION AND FIRMING UP

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

a person to develop self-defeating behaviors such as self-handicapping. Because of this,

Mirror Image of the Self*

One day, my friends and I visited a young friend who has

As the saying goes, “Mirrors don’t lie.”

*Adapted from: Revitalized Homeroom Guidance Program. (1998). A guidance resource

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness

______ 2. I feel my political stand is correct since my Facebook b. self-handicapping

Book about Me*

Personal-Social Responsibility and Wellness