Lesson 1.

1
INTRODUCTION TO UNDERSTANDTING THE SELF

Introduction:

 This subject is not purely about psychology.

 It deals with the possible understanding or knowledge about the self from
the various social sciences:

1) Philosophy 6) Biology
2) Sociology 7) Digital
3) Culture 8) Economics
4) Psychology 9) Politics
5) Spiritual

What is Self? Are you what you are named for?

 Before we even had to be in any formal institution of learning, among
the many things that we were first taught as kids is to articulate and
write our names.
 Growing up, we were told to refer back to this name when talking about
ourselves.
 Our parents painstakingly thought about our names.
 Should we be named after a famous celebrity, a respected politician or
historical personality, or even a saint?
 Our names represent who we are. It has not been a custom to just
randomly pick a combination of letters and number (or even
punctuation marks) like zhjk756! to denote our being.
 Human beings attach names that are meaningful to birthed progenies
because names are supposed to designate us in the world.
 Thus, some people get baptized with names such as "precious,"
"beauty," or "lovely."
 Likewise, when our parents call our names, we were taught to respond
to them because our names represent who we are.
 As a student, we are told to always write our names on our papers,
projects, or any output for that matter.
 Our names signify us.
 Death cannot even stop this bond between the person and her name.
 Names are inscribed even into one's gravestone.
 A name is not the person itself no matter how intimately bound it is with
the bearer.
 It is only a signifier.
 A person who was named after a saint most probably will not become
an actual saint.
 He may not even turn out to be saintly!
 The self is thought to be something else than the name.
 The self is something that a person perennially molds, shapes, and
develops.
 The self is not a static thing that one is simply born with like a mole on
one's face or is just assigned by one's parents just like a name.
 Everyone is tasked to discover one's self.
 Have you truly discovered yours?
REFERENCE:
Alata, E., Caslib, B., Serafica, J., Pawilen, R. (2018). Understanding the Self. Manila, Philippines. Rex Book
Store.