Divine Word College of Bangued

Bangued, Abra
College Department

GE 1 MODULE 1 L1 Introduction SELF: CONCEPT and NATURE

Intended Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this self-learning material, you should be able to:
1. Explain the nature, concept, and meaning of the self.
2. Understand the importance of self-awareness.
3. Develop a pleasant and wholesome attitude towards oneself.

INTRODUCTION
The content of this module includes the basic nature, identity, concept and meaning of the self. It aims to gather
some of your thoughts and feelings about who you are and how you perceive yourself because self-knowledge will
enable you to better appreciate your uniqueness and empower you to build on your areas of strength and accept
your weaknesses as part of your existence, know that your flaws/weaknesses will not make you less of a person.

The question “Who am I?” is the most recurring question in our life. How many times have you questioned your
existence or purpose? Oftentimes, you rely on others to answer this question for you. You depend on others too, to
describe you. Your sense of identity affects everything about you, from the choices you make to the values you live
by. When your sense of identity is compromised by outside factors, you lose grip of yourself and start comparing
yourself to others. But each one of us hold different identities. You will miss the chance to experience your authentic
sense of self which leads to unhappiness. Therefore, answering the question 'Who am I?' can lead to a solid self-
concept and self-understanding. You will appreciate who you are and understand the people around you. When you
are confident about yourself because you know and experience your authentic self, you will relate well with others
and live your life to the fullest.

MOTIVATION

Self-Examination:

Look at yourself in the mirror and answer the following questions in your SCRAPBOOK.

1. How can you describe yourself based on your perspective or point of view?
“I am _____________________________________________________________________________.”

2. What aspects of yourself do you feel good about? Why?

3. What aspect of yourself do you believe you have to improve? Why?

PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION

Self is perhaps the broadest term. It has been used in many different ways, referring to many parts of a whole set of
experiences and thoughts. Sometimes it is used to refer to the whole set. Some related terms are ego, identity, self-
concept, self-schema. Because the term self has many meanings, different theorists have used it in different ways,
and this varying usage generates some confusion. It’s not always safe to assume that what one writer means by
“self” is the same as what another writer means by it.
Your self is the totality of you, including your body, your sense of identity, your reputation (how others know you), and
so on. It encompasses both the physical self and the self that is constructed out of meaning.
Self-Concept: Your Idea(s) About Yourself. The self-concept is the individual’s beliefs about himself or herself,
including the person’s attributes and who and what the self is. The self-concept includes many things that might not
be part of one’s identity. For example, a person’s self-concept might include many personality attributes, such as
being friendly or talkative.

GE 1: Understanding the Self

This module is a property and is exclusively used by the DWCB College Department. Any duplication and reproduction, storing in
any retrieval system, distribution, posting or uploading online as well as transmitting in any form or means (photocopying& electronic
sharing) of any part, without prior written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited.
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 Divine Word College of Bangued
Bangued, Abra
College Department

Identity: Who You Are. Identity is a definition placed on the self. Your sense of identity refers to your
knowledge of who you are. Identity always answers the question, “Who are you?” Self-concept, in contrast, may
contain answers to other questions like “What kind of person are you?” and “How good are you?” Identity may
contain material that is not part of the self-concept, because identity is not fully contained inside the person’s own
mind. To use an extreme example, newborn babies do not have self-concepts, but they do have identities: They
belong to a certain family, they soon have a name, and so on. The concept of identity rests on two notions,
sameness (continuity) and difference.
Identity means
a. being the same person, you were yesterday or ten years ago; and also
b. being different from someone else.
The task of eyewitness identification is to decide which person in the police lineup is the person who committed some
crime. This means identifying someone as being the same person who performed some other deed and
differentiating that person from other, innocent people. Likewise, a campus identification card links your identity
across time (you have the same card for a period of time) and differentiates you from other people (for example, you
are permitted to use campus facilities that others may not use).
The most important person to yourself is you. It is therefore important to become aware of your inner space
which includes your personality, strengths, weakness, attitudes, motivational feelings, values, emotions, and feeling
and beliefs. When you know yourself well, it will be easier to understand others. It will be easier to make meaningful
relationships and behave appropriately. Self-awareness is also important in personal development. It allows you to
identify your strengths and weaknesses, which empowers you to actualize your potentials to the fullest and to value
yourself more, thus helping you reach your goals. Self-awareness is attained through self-assessment which is
composed of personal observations and self-reflections or introspection.
When you get to a certain level of self-awareness you can develop your personal limits and use your strengths to
build up relationships. Self-awareness is not only about the mindfulness, but it is going beyond your personality,
strengths, and weakness. Understanding about the mindfulness, personality, weakness, and strengths enables you
to surpass work related stress, personal stress and overcome independent difficulties. Reflection helps to review of
the past time and make space to choose the right decisions in the future circumstances.

A self-aware person is one who:

• Is aware of one’s strength and limitations: one knows what he can do well and what he is not good at.
• Has a clear idea of one’s priorities: one knows what is important for him and does not waste his time going
after things he does not believe in.
• Is aware of differences in attitudes, values and beliefs are the primary causes of conflicts.
• One is aware of his fears and anxieties and the defenses he usually employs to protect his sanity.
• One has relatively stable and strong self-image and is not unduly perturbed by what others say about
oneself.
Self-awareness will help you harness or utilize your strengths and cope with your weaknesses. It will enable you to
accept that your weaknesses do not make you less of a person. Knowing yourself then will fuel confidence which will
allow you live your life fully.

SUMMARY

Self is the totality of you. Your ideas about yourself is your self-concept which includes many things that might not
actually be part of your identity. While Your sense of identity refers to your knowledge of who you are, your identity is
the same person you were yesterday or ten years ago but different from another person. Self-awareness is knowing
your inner space which includes your personality, strengths, weakness, attitudes, motivational feelings, values,
emotions, and feeling and beliefs and it is attained through self-assessment which is composed of personal
observations and self-reflections or introspection. Self-awareness will then help you to maximize your strengths and
accept your weaknesses.

GE 1: Understanding the Self

This module is a property and is exclusively used by the DWCB College Department. Any duplication and reproduction, storing in
any retrieval system, distribution, posting or uploading online as well as transmitting in any form or means (photocopying& electronic
sharing) of any part, without prior written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited.
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 Divine Word College of Bangued
Bangued, Abra
College Department

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY

In a separate sheet of bond paper, do the following:

My Strengths and Weaknesses

A. List five adjectives that describe your strength?
1.________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________
5._________________________________________________________________________
B. List five adjectives that describe your weakness?
(Examples: shy, lack self- confidence, poor in language skill, etc.)
1. _________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________________
C. What do you wish to change among your traits? Why?
D. What do you wish to improve about yourself? Why?
* It is important that you answer the questions honestly. Make your statements clear and on point though. Use
examples. Since you are talking about yourself, use “I” in your statements.

References:
A. Books

Brawner, Dalisay G., Arcega, Analisa F. (2018) Understanding the Self, C&E Publishing, Inc., Quezon City,
Philippines
Villafuerte, Salvacion L.; Ph.D, Quillope, Al F. Ph.D, Tunac, Rudjane C.;MA, Borja, Estela I.; MAEd (2018).
Understanding the Self, NIEME Publishing House CO.LTD. Cubao, Quezon City Philippines

B. Online
https://www.scribd.com/document/158917772/Self-Concept-Self-Esteem-and-Identity
R O Y F. B A U M E I S T E R
https://www.scribd.com/document/363428137/Self-Awareness-and-Self-Development

GE 1: Understanding the Self

This module is a property and is exclusively used by the DWCB College Department. Any duplication and reproduction, storing in
any retrieval system, distribution, posting or uploading online as well as transmitting in any form or means (photocopying& electronic
sharing) of any part, without prior written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited.
3