Module 1 - Paper

Name: Alexander Josh E. Hilario

Course/Section: GED101/B14

What is graphically represented here depicts the different factors that influences me as an
individual. Each component is an integral piece that shapes who I am today. Throughout my
whole entire life, I have always been influenced by my family, friends, peers, relatives, etc. They
are one of the prime factors that shapes my decision making, they give me advices on what to
do, how to think, plan, and react in every situation I could encounter. These group of people are
the pillars that has shaped my self-identity and enabled me to fundamentally understand how
the world works, if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Second factor that
influences me, is heredity which is mainly manifested in the physical self. Knowing what my
traits are and how I look like is also an essential part of me as an individual. Lastly, the third
factor that influences my self-identity is the environment I grew up in. Factors in the
environment such as the physical and communal elements has essentially shaped my
characteristics as a person. Based on personal experiences, I grew up in an environment where
being resourceful and resilient is an essential trait to have. Due to these various experiences,
consequently I became much more flexible and optimistic when dealing with wide variations of
problems.
The philosophical views that I have associated myself with are both empiricism and rationalism.
Though in general, I mostly use empiricism when it comes to making decisions. That is not to
necessarily say I don’t use both. Through empiricism, external factors such as my experiences
within the environment I grew up in and the group of people around me has shaped my
knowledge and perception of the real world. Being able to make quick decisions unconsciously
based on intuition is an outcome of this philosophical view. Through these sensory experiences,
empiricism enabled me to adapt and change as I grew up and make decisions based on what I
know. On the other hand, rationalism is also an integral part of my self-identity. When it comes
to making coherent cognitive decisions, I integrate facts and logic with my own experiences to
generate the best course of action. Rationalism enables me to think and assess logically on how
to approach a situation; it allows me to weigh in the consequences of my actions when making
decisions throughout my life. In essence, both empiricism and rationalism are the driving forces
of my actions. They work hand in hand in making the decisions and actions for myself. This set
of actions embodies who I am as an individual and figuratively represents my identity to others.

In general, I believe that my self-identity inherently comes from the different life experiences
that I gained from other people around me and the environment I adapt to. In the context of
social sciences, social factors, and communal, environmental elements have greatly influenced
my way of life. Throughout my childhood, my friends, family, and peers taught me how to
behave and act like an average person would do; just from empirical observation alone, I
learned that there are societal standards expected to be followed by everyone as a member of
society. These sets or patterns of behavior would then influence me and shape my self-identity
as a child to manifest personalities and characteristics that are acceptable to everyone in
society. In the later stages of my life, stress became a much more common culture in my
environment. Relative to my experiences, everything became much more difficult and a
struggle. As a result of this influence, this essentially enabled me to become more resourceful
and flexible in doing my tasks and manage my time wisely. Fundamentally, I believe that our
society's social and environmental factors strongly influence our own actions, characteristics,
and the decisions that we make as individuals. Through the life experiences we gain from the
people around us and the environment we live in. I believe that we as individuals create our
own choices and our self-identity.

Overall, throughout this learning experience, I learned the many different dimensionalities
about self-identity and how the various factors throughout our lives shape who we are as
individuals today. I’ve learned how the philosophical views of the self, represent us in the
metaphysical and physical realm and how it drives us to think, act, and decide. In essence, I’ve
learned that having a clear understanding of one’s thoughts and behavioral patterns enables us
to set realistic goals and expectations for ourselves; To understand others and facilitate better
personal and professional relationships; To know our strengths and weaknesses; To know what
motivates us in making our decisions. Understanding the self enables us to understand the
state of mind and build on our areas of strength and identify areas where we would like to
make improvements.