CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE

A. PHILOSOPHY

SOCRATES
 FATHER OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY

SOCRATIC METHOD
 Ask question and discuss possible answers.
 He believed that man is composed of body and soul

SOUL
 Is the person’s core identity, his/her unique spirit that makes one distinct

He also believe on the dualism of reality that the nature of man is comprising with the a
Body which is imperfect and changeable and Soul that is perfect and unchanging.
 Our body can change and have imperfections but our soul is perfect and
unchanging or not going to change.

“Know thyself”
 Inscribed on the frontispiece of the Temple of Delphi. This assertion, imperative
in the form, indicates that man must stand and live according his nature.

Socrate’s motto in life/ perspective in life:

“ The unexamined life is not worth living.”
 Our decisions in life either its bad or good, it is still worth it when you
experience it because it is adventure and our life is worth it.

PLATO
 GREEK PHILOSOPHER

 He also believed that man is composed of body and soul.

 Soul exist before birth after death.
 Soul is composed with 3 Souls or called TRI-PARTITE SOUL
1. REASON (mind/nous) – Our divine essence that enables us to think
deeply, make wise choices, and achieve a true understanding of eternal
truths.
.> thinking about the decisions if it is right or wrong.

2. APPETITE (desire) – our basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and
sexual desire

3. SPIRIT (honor, emotion) – our basic emotions such as love, anger,

ambition, aggressiveness, and empathy

SAINT AUGUSTINE
 Christian Theologian

 Human self is an immaterial soul that can think.

 After the death of the soul of those who most love the forms would rise to
contemplate the eternal truths.
 Emphasized the importance of the will, the ability to choose between good
and evil.
 The fundamental religious duty is to love and serve God.

RENE DESCARTES
 Founder of Modern Philosophy.

 The is an essential distinction between mind(soul) and body.

“I think, therefore I am.”

  The first thing a person can be certain is his own existence.
“I”
 Archetyopa pronent of the rationalist view of knowledge.

“We need reason in order to evaluate our thoughts and actions.”

 Before we’re going to do something, we have a reason to do it.

TRIADIC EXISTENCE : a mind in a body in the world.

 He believed that being human starts with the self.
 Knowledge is a product of the rational mind.

Mind and body interact, but they are separate.

JOHN LOCKE
 British philosopher and physician

 Archetypal advocate of the empiricist view of knowledge.

 Believed that humans by nature are good.
 People are naturally reasonable and moral.
 Behavior is learned, people are either influenced to do good or bad.

“ We are like chameleons, we take our hue and the color of our moral character
from those who are around us.”

RATIONALIST
 The view that reason is the primary source of all knowledge and that only our
reasoning abilities can enable us to understand sense experience and reach
accurate conclusion.

EMPIRICIST
 The view that sense experience is the primary source of all knowledge and
that only a careful attention to sense experience can enable uus to understand
the world and achieve accurate conclusion.

RATIONALISM
Rationalism is a theory based on
the claim that reason is the
source of knowledge.
Rationalists believe in intuition.
Claims that individuals have
innate knowledge or concepts.
EMPIRICISM
Empiricism is a theory based on
the claim that experience is the
Source of knowledge.
Empiricists do not believe in
intuition.
Claim that individuals have no
innate knowledge

SIGMUND FREUD
 Austrian neurologist/psychologist

The Mental Iceberg

 Through conscious self also has important role to play in our lives, it the
uncouncious self that holds the greatest fascination that has dominant
influence in our personalities.

Example in ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO

ID – “I need to eat right this second!”
EGO – “ You can’t do that because you’re in the middle of an important meeting.”
SUPEREGO – “Eating during a important meeting is rude and inappropriate.”

UNCONSCIOUS
  Defined as reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of
conscious awareness.
 Freud believed that the unconscious continues to influence behavior even
though people are unaware of there underlying influences.
“Pleasure Principle”

CONSCIOUS
 The conscious mind involves all of the things that you are currently aware of the
thinking about. It is somewhat akin to short-term memory and is limited in terms
of capacity. Your awareness of yourself and the world around you are part of
you consciousness.
“Reality Principle”

DAVID HUME
 Scottish philosopher and historian.
 He claimed that there cannot be a persisiting idea of the self.

All ideas are derived form impressions.

 Impressions are subjective, temporary, provisional, prejudicial and even
skewed and therefore cannot be persisting,

Impression – direct experience

Idea – imagination

As long as we only derive our knowledge from sense impressions, there will never be
the “self”

All we know about ourselves are just bundles of temporary impressions.

Hume harshly claimed that there IS no self.

IMMANUEL KANT
 Prussian metaphysicist

 Believes that man is a free agent, capable of making decisions for

himself. As a free agent, man is gifted with a reason and free will.

“The busier we are, the more acutely we feel that we live, the more conscious
we are of life.”
Ex. You’re sleeping for 15 hours then you don’t know that there is pulis or you
don’t know about your homework. Unlike when you’re awake early you know
all the happenings and you’re updated.

GILBERT RYLE
 British philosopher

“The self is the way people behave.”

The self is basically our behavior. This concept provided the philosophical
principle, “I act therefore I am” or “You are what you do.”

In short, the self is the same as bodily behavior.

PAUL and PATRICIA CHURCH LAND

“The self is the brain”

Stated that the self and brain I one. Basically if there is no brain, there would
be no self.

The physical brain and not the imaginary mind, gives people the sense of self. The
mind does not really exist because it can not be experienced by the senses.

MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY
 French philosopher.

“The self is embodied Subjectivity.”

 We have different opinion about our self.

This concept explained that all the knowledge of ourselves and our world is
based on subjective experiences. It is more on how we view and give pereptions.
The self can never be truly objectified.
Objective based on facts.
Subjective is based on personal opinion.
Ex. On test
Multiple choice is objective
Essay(personal opinion essays) is Subjective

CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE

B. SOCIOLOGY

In the sociological views of understanding the self, social situations become a great
deal in defining the individual’s self-concept and self-esteem as well.

“NO MAN IS AN ISLAND.”

so·cial·i·za·tion
noun
1. the activity of mixing socially with others.
"socialization with students has helped her communication skills"

2. to the process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable society.

"preschool starts the process of socialization"

Socialization
 The interactive process through which people learn
 Basic skills
 Values
 Beliefs
 Behavior patterns of a society
 Within socialization, a person develops a sense of self
 Conscious awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates
you from other members of society.

Theories of Socialization

John Locke
 English philosopher from the 1600’s.

Insisted each newly born human being is a tabula rasa

 When we say Tabula rasa it means “blank slate”

 “blank slate” is
 No personality
 Newborns could be molded into anything with training.

TABULA RASA
 Means empty slate
 From Latin 1525 – 35
 Add info: Starting from scratch with no preconceptions, it can suggest open-
ended or open-minded,
  Example: “If we can start from a tabula rasa, then anything is possible.”
 Part of speech : noun.

Tabula rasa definition is - the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state
before receiving outside impressions.

Example:
Use the noun tabula rasa to describe the chance to start fresh, like when a student's
family moves and she gets to begin the year at a brand new school with a completely
blank slate. An opportunity to begin again with no record, history, or preconceived ideas
is one kind of tabula rasa.
Dahil sa mga tao sa paligid natin kaya tayo nakakakuha ng knowledge

Charles H. Cooley
 Developed idea of looking glass self
 The interactive process by which we develop an image of ourselves based
on how we imagine we appear to others.

Ex: Other people act as a mirror reflecting back the image we see with their
reactions.
 Fear = ugliness

Looking Glass Theory

3 Steps

1. We imagine how we appear to others.

2. Based on the other’s reactions, we attempt to determine whether they view us as

we see ourselves.

3. We use our perceptions of how others judge us to develop feelings about

ourselves.

Kung ano yong pinapakita mo sa tao ganun din yong magiging tingin nila sayo.

George Herbert Meade

 Believed that we not only see ourselves as others see us, but actually take
on the roles of others.

Called role-taking
1. Socialization process that allows a person to anticipate what others expect of us.

2. Mead believed that social experience depends on our seeing ourselves as others
do, or, as he coined it, “taking the role of the other.” (puting oneself in someone
else shoes)

Three Stages
 Children develop skills that are necessary in order to role-take through social
interaction

1. LANGUAGE ( 0 month – 2 years )

 Children lack sense of self.
 Therefore, they can only imitate the action of others.

The Preparatory Stage

 Children imitate significant others to learn meaning behind symbols,
gestures, and language.

2. PLAY (2 -6 years )
 Children learn to play and act out roles
 Can play “house” or role play

The Play Stage

 Children begin “Role-taking” in which they mentally assume the
perspective of another and respond from that view-point.

3. GAME (After 7 years)

 Children can play games with specific rules
 Children can anticipate actions of others
 Children can outmaneuver other players

The Game Stage

 Children are now aware of their position in relationship to other
numerous social postions in society.

Meade’s “generalized other”

- Mead says a person first individualizes significant others
 Mom
 Dad
 Sister
 Brother
- As we grow older
 People internalize attitudes, expectations, and viewpoints of society
 Generalized other

The “I” in “Me”

“I”
 The unsocialized, spontaneous, self-interested component of personality.
 Very large role in children
“Me”
 The part of our self that is aware of the expectations and attitudes of
society.
 Very large role in adults

Madami na tayong view point from different people, hindi lang sa pamilya natin.

I – medyo ego centered, gusto natin tayo lang ang masusunod wala tayong pakialam sa
ibang tao.

Me – May awareness na sa ibangtao, kinoconsider na ang feelings ng ibang tao

CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE

 C. ANTHROPOLOGY 
“Past is in the past” or “Past is always related to the future.”
Personally, pipiliin ko ang “Past is always related to the future.” Dahil an gating nakraan ang
nagiging simula at nagiging gabay rin sa atin upang matuto tayo at maging better version tayo
ng sarili natin ngayon. Kung masaya ka sa nakaraan, maaring magbigay aliw rin ito sa
kasulukuyan mo at kung may nagawa kang mali sa nakaraan mo maaring maging aral na to
sayo upang hindi mo na muling gawin sa iyong kinabukasan at mapatawad mo na ang iyong
sarili. Ang pagkakamali sa nakaraan ay paniguradong mababanggit sa kasalukuyan kaya’t
mahalagang malaman ang pagkakamali upang hindi na muling mainis o maguilty sa sarili.

ANTHROPOLOGY
 Greek word anthrōpos, meaning “human being” and logia, "study"

- is the study of all aspects of the human condition

- the science of human beings especially : the study of human beings and
their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character,
environmental and social relations, and culture.

For example, everyone needs to eat, but people eat different foods and get food
in different ways. So anthropologists look at how different groups of people get
food, prepare it, and share it.
 Like in PH, adobo. Kimchi in Korea. Sashimi in Japan.

- is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior,

human biology, and societies, in both the present and past, including past human
species.
 Evolotion of man

THE FOUR SUBFIELDS

ARCHEOLOGY
- Artifacts
 the scientific study of historic or prehistoric peoples and their
cultures by analysis of their artifacts, inscriptions, monuments, and
other such remains, especially those that have been excavated.
 Inscription is words or letters that have been written or carved
into something, or the act of writing words or letters into something. 
Example :
Colosseum and Greek Parthenon

BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
 also known as physical anthropology, is a scientific discipline concerned
with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings, their extinct
hominin ancestors, and related non-human primates, particularly from an
evolutionary perspective.

LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY
 study the many ways people communicate across the globe. They are
interested in how language is linked to how we see the world and how we
relate to each other

CULTURAL ANTHRPOLOGY
 how people in different places live and understand the world around them.
They want to know what people think is important and the rules they make
about how they should interact with one another
.
 THE SELF AND THE PERSON IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

  Anthropology considers human experience as an interplay of “nature’ referring to

the genetic inheritance which sets the individual’s potentials, and “nurture” referring to
the sociocultural environment.
Therefore it could be understood that both biological and cultural factors have
significant influence on the development of self-awareness among individuals within
society. 

THE CULTURAL CONSTRUCTION OF SELF AND IDENTITY

 Culture is derived from the Latin word “cultura” or “cultus” meaning care or
cultivation.
 Culture is similar to caring for an infant. Because an infant has a
prolonged dependency, he or she has to be taken care of by the people
around him or her. The infant has to learn from them so he or she can better
adjust while growing up in his or her immediate cultural environment . 

Throughout one’s life he or she functions according to the cultural context where he

or she is situated. As one grows old, he or she learns many things about the
environment and realizes what makes him or her different from other people. As an
individual interacts with people and makes sense of how he or she functions in the
context of his or her social and cultural background, he or she learns that he or she has
both personal identity (the way he or she sees himself/herself as an
individual) and collective identity (the way he/she sees himself/herself as member of a
certain group). 

Identity
Identity refers to “who the person is,” or the qualities and traits of an individual that
make him/her different from others. There are many ways to distinguish people.
An example Is identifying them in a geographical context or based on where they come
from. People from the West are different from the people of the East because
they are located in opposite sides of the world. Identity also refers to how a person sees
and expresses oneself. 

TWO WAYS IN WHICH THE CONCEPT OF SELF IS VIEWED IN THE DIFFERENT

SOCIETIES

1. Egocentric View 
2. Sociocentric View

1. EGOCENRIC VIEW

The self is seen as an autonomous and distant individual Each person is defined

as replica of all humanity but capable of acting independently from others

2. SOCIOCENTRIC VIEW

The self is contingent on a situation or social setting. This is  a view of the self
that is context-dependent which emphasizes that there is no intrinsic self that
can possess enduring qualities. 

FORMING OF CULTURAL IDENTITY

Cultural identity is the identity of belonging to a group. It is part of a person's self-
conception and self-perception and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social
class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.

Arnold van Gennep believes that changes in one’s status and identity are marked by

three-phased rite of passage: separation, liminality and incorporation. Separation
phase. People detach from their former identity to another.

Examples is in a wedding where the bride walking down the aisle to be “given away” by
the parents to the groom implies the separation from one’s family to become part of a
new one. 

Liminality phase. 

A person transitions from one identity to another. Example, the wedding ceremony

itself is the process of transition of the bride and groom from singlehood to married
life. 

Incorporation phase. 

The change in one’s status is officially incorporated. Example, the wedding

reception and parties that celebrate the wedding serve as the marker that officially
recognize the bride and groom’s change towards being husband and wife. 

PROPERTIES OF CULTURAL IDENTITY

Jane Collier and Milt Thomas combined the ethnography of communication and
social construction in order to frame the properties of cultural identity. These properties
refer to the manner in which members of a group communicates their identity.

1. Avowal and Ascription.

 Avowal is how one articulates or expresses his/her views about group
identity. It is how one presents oneself to another. 
 Ascription is how others perceive an individual. It is how one refers to
others. This may include stereotypes.
Example: How Asians are viewed by Europeans.

2. Modes of Expression

The use of core symbols (expressions of a group’s cultural beliefs and theories

about the world around them), names, labels and norms (expected standard
of behavior) that a cultural community share and follow in order to show that they
belong to a particular group, demonstrates shared identity.

Example: Filipino’s are religious because 80% of our population is Roman

Catholic

3. Individual, Relational and Communal Identity

 Individual refers to how an individual interprets his cultural identity based
on his experiences. 
 Relational refers to how individuals interact with one and another (what is
the appropriate behavior)
 Communal identity is the use of communication in the creation, affirmation
and negotiation of shared identity. The actions and interactions of the
group, their communal practices reflect the identity of the group

1. ENDURING AND CHANGING ASPECTS OF IDENTITY.

The cultural identity changes due to several factors which are social,
political, economic and contextual.

2. AFFECTIVE, COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF IDENTITY

This refers to emotions fully attached to cultural identity in particular situations.

3. CONTENT AND RELATIONSHIP LEVELS .  

This refers to the interaction between two or more individuals. The message
exchange carries information/content. The participants of the conversation
interpret the choice and meanings of the words based on their experiences.

4. SALIENCE OR PROMINENCE. 

Salience is defined as the state of being important or conspicuous.

 This is the degree to which an identity is demonstrated in a situation and refers to
how much a person’s cultural identity stands out and attracts attention. This is
influenced by the extent of similarity or difference between two individuals. 

CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE

D. PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY 
 the scientific study of the mind and behavior
 scientific discipline that studies mental states and processes
and behaviour in humans and other animals.

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY
An approach is a perspective (i.e., view) that involves certain assumptions (i.e.,
beliefs) about human behavior: the way they function, which aspects of them are worthy
of study and what research methods are appropriate for undertaking this study.

BEHAVIORIST PERSPECTIVE
They view people (and animals) as controlled by their environment and specifically
that we are the result of what we have learned from our environment. The behaviorist
perspective is concerned with how environmental factors (called stimuli) affect
observable behavior (called the response).

The behaviorist perspective proposes two main processes whereby people learn from

their environment: namely classical conditioning and operant conditioning. 
I

PSYCHOANALYSIS PERSPECTIVE
Focuses on the importance of the unconscious mind. It dictates that behaviour is
determined by your past experiences that are left in the unconscious mind (people are
unaware of them.

Psychoanalysis was founded by Sigmund Freud. Freud believed that people could be

cured by making conscious their unconscious thoughts and motivations, thus gaining
"insight". The aim of psychoanalysis therapy is to release repressed emotions and
experiences, i.e. make the unconscious conscious.
HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE
 Centers on the view that each person is unique individual, and has the free will to
change at any time in his or her life.
 It suggests that we are each responsible for our own happiness and well-being
as humans. We have the innate (i.e., inborn) capacity for self-actualization, which
is our unique desire to achieve our highest potential as people.
COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE
 The cognitive perspective is concerned with “mental” functions such as
memory, perception, attention, etc. It views people as being similar to computers
in the way we process information (e.g., input-process-output)

BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
 states that all thoughts, feeling & behavior ultimately have a biological cause. It is
one of the major perspectives in psychology and involves such things as studying
the brain, genetics, hormones, and the immune and nervous systems  
WILLIAM JAMES
 He was an American philosopher and psychologist, and the first educator to offer
a psychology course in the United States. James is considered to be a
leading thinker of the late nineteenth century, one of the most influential
philosophers of the United States, and the "Father of American psychology".

THE CONCEPT OF SELF (ME-SELF & I-SELF)

 Distinguished two understanding of the self represented by the self as “Me”, and 
the self as “I”. “Me” corresponds to the self as an object of experience (self as
object) or the self as known, “I” refers to the self as a subject of experience (self
as subject) or the self as knower that is considered to be pure ego and the
consciousness itself.
 Me –self as object of experience
 I –self as subject of experience

I SELF

 Refers to the self that knows who he or she is

 Thinking, acting, and feeling self
(everything in your mind is the “I” self).
 Reflects the soul of a person or what is now thought of as the mind and is called
the pure ego

ME SELF

 the empirical self (experience)

 refers to describing the person’s personal experiences and further divided into
sub- categories

MATERIAL SELF
 is the component of “Me” that we tend to be most affected with, as we
invest our selves within these things such as clothes, family, and home. 

SOCIAL SELF
 on our interactions with the society and the reactions of others that are analyzed
in order to contribute to our idea of a social self
SPIRTUAL SELF
 most intimate self, it is who we are at our core and something that is
permanent: personality, core values, conscience. 
 Concerned about the experience of the self.

SELF- CONCEPT
REAL & IDEAL SELF
 People tend to create an idealized self - an imaginary picture of self having an
unlimited power or qualities which the actual self  - who we actually are, has
failed to fulfill. Underlying both the idealized and actual self  is the real self, which
is revealed only when a person starts to find ways to deal and resolve anxiety
and conflicts.

CARL ROGERS

 He is widely regarded as one of the most eminent thinkers in psychology. He is

best known for developing the psychotherapy method called client-
centered therapy and for being one of the founders of humanistic psychology

 Rogers belief, humans have one basic motive, that is to be self actualized. To

achieved such motive, individual’s real self (actual behavior) and ideal
self (i.e. who you would like to become) must be in a state of congruence. When
the environment is right, one may reach his / her full potential. People, according
to Rogers, are inherently good and creative, it is only when poor self
concept overriding the valuing process that they become destructive. Such that,
when gaps between the real and ideal self exist that unhealthy personality arises.
 Congruence of real self and ideal self -> self-actualization
 Incongruence -> unhealthy behaviors and personality
SELF ACTUALIZATION

 one basic motive, that is the tendency to self-actualize - to fulfill one's potential

and achieve the highest level of 'human-beingness' we can.

“As no one else can know how we perceive, we are the best experts on ourselves.“
– Carl Rogers

KAREN HORNEY
 Karen Horney was a German psychoanalyst who practiced in the United States
during her later career. Her theories questioned some traditional Freudian
views. This was particularly true of her theories of sexuality and of the instinct
orientation of psychoanalysis.
 Karen Horney believed that people experiences anxiety, and by such experience
that they develop strategies to be able to reduce and cope with the anxiety. Thus,
people tend to create an idealized self - an imaginary picture of self having an
unlimited power or qualities which the actual self  - who we actually are, has
failed to fulfill. Underlying both the idealized and actual self  is the real self, which
is revealed only when a person starts to find ways to deal and resolve anxiety
and conflicts.
 Idealized self –imaginary self
 Actual self –who we actually are
 Real self –underlies both idealized and actual selves; revealed when anxiety
is resolved

Donald W. Winnaicott
TRUE VERSUS FALSE SELVES

 The “True Self” is a sense of being alive and real in one's mind and body,
having feelings that are spontaneous and unforced. This experience of aliveness
is what allows people to be genuinely close to others, and to be creative
  True self –unshaped self

 The "False Self" is a defence, a kind of mask of behaviour that complies

with others' expectations. Winnicott thought that in health, a False Self was
what allowed one to present a "polite and mannered attitude" in public.
 False self –developed to protect inner and vulnerable true self

SELF AS PROACTIVE AND AGENTIC

Social Cognitive Theory

 Self as proactive and agentic: capable of controlling one’s own life
 People as viewed by the Social Cognitive Theory, are capable
of controlling their own lives. They are proactive, and reflective,
and influential to their own actions to produce desired consequences.
 Social cognitive theory, used in psychology, education, and communication,
holds that portions of an individual's knowledge acquisition can be directly
related to observing others within the context of social interactions,
experiences, and outside media influences.

 The agent self resides over everything that involves decision making, self-

control, taking charge in situations, and actively responding. As such, people
has the power to choose which option is to be selected, or what action is to
be done. Our capacity to distinguish those that we are capable
of accomplishing, and those that are not describes the quality of self-
efficacy a person has. Some may manifest with high self efficacy, and some
will be associated with low self efficacy.

 Agent self
 resides over everything that involves decision making, self-control, taking
charge in situations and actively responding.
 Power to choose

 Self-efficacy
 capacity to distinguish which we are capable of doing
 CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE
E. THE SELF IN WESTERN AND ORIENTAL / EASTERN THOUGHTS
I. Individualistic vs. Collective Self

In ancient times, Plato notion of reality is dual, soul leaves the body and the body
may be thrown on oblivion. Descartes on the other hand is on the same stand with
Aristotle’s Hylemorphic Theory believing that man comprises matter (body) and form
(soul) which are equally important and that the two must exist and dependent with each
other. The difference comes with the discussion of Descartes that the body gathers
information through our senses and one’s reason processes all the information, making
sense with the experiences of the body.

To solve the issue of the duality of the self, Descartes fused the body and soul as
residing in a person’s pineal gland. Although western thought stands to make the
psyche collective, its nature is still dual. Such duality becomes the reason why one
strives for the perfection of self. Such that, when we study and achieved a good future
and eventually achieved this, then we can say that perfection of the soul is achieved.
But if one fails to attain what the soul strives to become, then the self is wasted, as the
ideals of the soul is to achieve the ultimate goodness (arete)

The eastern thoughts also wants to attain perfection of the self through
meditation and enlightenment, hence, the “dualism” matters is not an issue. For the
eastern, people only possess a “One Self” and has no separation of the body and soul.
The self in the oriental thought is collective, while on the other hand, the self for the
western people is individualistic.

Western culture is Individualistic

 Self image: “I”
 Orienatation is inwards
 Individualism are separated and independent units.

Eastern culture is Collective

 Self image: “We”
 Orientation is towards others
  Individuals are interdependent with each other.

II. The Self According to Buddhism

Buddhism philosophy believes that the religion is a way of life and to live a
moral life, to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and to develop
wisdom and understanding is its main teaching.

The Four Noble Truth and Eight Fold Paths as thought by the religion reminds
people that life should not focused on pleasure, instead should be lived in
contemplation. In addition, the nature and purpose of man is described through the
major teaching:

The Four Noble Truth

1. Life is suffering.
Life does not solely offer the kind of living a person sees it to be. Attached with the
pleasures is the reality that sufferings are included in life and can not be avoided.

2. Suffering is caused by craving and aversion.

Lack of contentment results to suffering. Human needs are never ending, and
getting what one wants does not guarantee happiness. Thus, to attain happiness,
wants should be modified.

3. Suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained. When one learns
to live each day at a time and is able to give up unnecessary cravings, then man
can possibly attain happiness and freedom.

4. Eight Fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering. Being moral,
being fully aware of thoughts and action, developing wisdom by understanding the 4
Noble Truth , and developing compassion for other will lead to the end of suffering.
End the suffering to reach happiness.

III. The Self According to Confucianism

Confucius philosophy of life stand with the idea that life is a living reality, a
blessing, a natural priceless right and opportunity to be with others to work together for
common good to attain happiness. Thus, the threat for social order is selfishness. In the
Confucian philosophy, the principle of ren characterized the self possessing
compassion for others. The self for Confucius is the person within the society who
exhibit refinement and compassion (Junzi). Such principle connotes that this new self or
MyJunzi is formed through education under the virtuous teacher as the role model
ideology
I was a "not gonna do it because I dont want to and im not good at it" person in my past
butMay focus
now, sa compassion
I believe towards
that trying the common
something good forIm
even though everyone to achieve
not good happiness.
at it is better than not
doing anything to step forward to new learnings or experiences at all. I believe that failure
is always making me weak, disappointed, and scared so I always trying to face the big
waves of the ocean and try to swim because for me, If I will not try to experience, learn,
and know something I will be a failure for not doing or at least trying it.

CHAPTER II: UNPACKING THE SELF

A. THE PHYSICAL SELF

As globalization arises, we watch and celebrate with both awe and

disappointment the many people who are famous because of their body change and
modifications. Fat people want to become slim, white people bake under the sun to get
a darker skin tone, not to mention LGBTs who even want to change their inner organs
such as famous celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner and Jazz Jennings. The younger
generation admire the courage of these people who are so brave to show who they
really are, but some lambaste their decisions.

Why do you think people would want to spend a great sum of money, go to a
great length and endure physical pain just to change a part of their physical self?
Obviously, these people would want to look better, so they adhere to what they believe
is the standard of what is beautiful or handsome. Through the efforts that they take, they
believe that this will boost their self-esteem and increase acceptance by other people.

THE SELF AS IMPACTED BY THE BODY

Physical Self refers to the body, this marvelous container and complex, finely tuned,
machine with which we interface with our environment and fellow beings. The Physical
Self is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of the person that can be directly
observed and examined.

The physical self is defined by the physical characteristics that are visible. These
characteristics are the defining traits and features of the body. Sex, height, weight,
complexion, hair and facial features

are among the common, physical features identified when one is asked to describe
another person. One’s gender is first mentioned, whether one is a male or female, then
he or she is described to be either tall, short, or average in terms of height. A person
can either be thin, fat or average and light, dark, fair or anything in between in terms of
complexion. One can have a brown, black or blonde hair which can either be long, short
, straight, curly, frizzy or he or she may even be bald. One’s nose can either be flat or
pointed; one’s eyes can be almond-shaped, hooded, deep-set, round, downturned or
chinky.

The physical aspect of the self does not include characteristics that are internal to the
self-such as kindness, generosity, loyalty, obedience and other similar qualities.

THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BODY IMAGE AND BEAUTY

When is a person considered beautiful? What is the socially accepted standard of

beauty? Usually, only the physical features such as the face and body figure are
considered as the bases of beauty.

The cultural implications of beauty are prominent in every culture and have a
strong influence on the way men and women are perceived. Across the world, different
cultural perceptions uphold an ideal of beauty that is linked to sexual appeal and social
status. The purpose of beauty is the feeling and consequences from being beautiful. In
ancient cultures, according to Julian Robinson, "the enhancement and beautifying of the
human form by various means appeared to be an inborn human trait-an essential part
of our genetic makeup and an expression of our psyche."

Both genders are aware of the societal need to embellish them, in order achieve
something that is closer to the ideal. People have endured some sort of process to
beautify ourselves, and in each culture the process varies. Robinson makes a valid
point, that "human beauty is an expression of this inventive and aesthetic nature, a
reflection of our inner sprit, a biological imperative sculpted into our soul by some
seemingly godlike life force, about which we can do little except accept its reality and
validity."

THE CONCEPT OF BEAUTY IN DIFFERENT CULTURES

"Beauty is not one's own, but a reflection of one's culture."

Across the globe, few people have difficulty recognizing someone who is considered
beautiful. Beauty is often sought after, revered, and sometimes interpreted as a
personal virtue. Standards of beauty are usually social markers determining cultural
status, social acceptance and suitability as a mate. However, beauty remains an elusive
notion. Scientists continue to study the biological and anthropological factors behind
physical attractiveness, while advertisers continue to employ ideals of beauty to sell
products. Countless people continue their quests to become or remain beautiful to
receive the benefits society offers for beauty. A physical aesthetic has remained
constant over time throughout the diverse cultures of the world. In this sense, beauty
has been regarded as a reflection of health, vitality, sexual allure and social appeal.
Although the specifics of what makes someone beautiful can differ across countries,
cultures and communities, the concept of beauty has existed for as long as there have
been people.

In the Philippines, we see our standard of beauty everywhere, in magazines, televisions

and billboard ads. Just as we have a unique cultural perception of beauty, so do other
cultures and peoples.

1. Face Tattoos

Tattooing the chin and lips of Māori women of New Zealand is

considered beautiful. Tattooing the chin and lips of Māori women
of New Zealand is considered beautiful. This tradition has been
around for centuries, and consists of patterns called Ta-Mako in
black or dark blue ink on the woman’s face. Ta-Mako tattoos are
also a public declaration of one’s membership in the Māori tribe.
This tradition has been around for centuries, and consists of
patterns called Ta-Mako in black or dark blue ink on the woman’s
face. Ta-Mako tattoos are also a public declaration of one’s
membership in the Māori tribe.

2. Decorated Skin

Instead of accessorizing with extravagant jewelry, women in India

turn to nose rings, bindis and henna to make themselves more
attractive for festivals and celebrations, like weddings. Brides in
particular will often wear a dot of red powder on the face known
as akumkum to look more beautiful.

3. Long Earlobes

To the Masai tribe of Kenya, long, stretched earlobes are the

ideal for both men and women. They are known to shave their
heads and use everything from elephant tusks to twigs to pierce
and stretch their lobes to become more attractive

4. Long Necks

Long, giraffe-like necks are the ultimate sign of beauty and

female elegance to the Kayan tribe. At 5 years old, Kayan
women start priming their necks with heavy brass rings. Each year, more coils are
added, pushing down their shoulders and creating the effect of a longer neck. The rings
in this centuries-old ritual can weigh up the 22 pounds.

1. Pale Skin
Women in many Asian countries avoid the sun at all costs
simply because pale skin is the ultimate sign of beauty and
desirability. Contrary to Western culture, where ladies are keen
to get a tan during the summer, tan is the least popular color –
especially in Korea. This is why a lot of women can be spotted
wearing hats with abnormally large visors that can protect their
entire faces from the sun.  Apart from covering their faces,
Korean women cover their bodies from head to toe, too – even
in the hottest months, in order to keep their skin from tanning.
Skin-whitening creams are also a major hit in this country, and
women tend to spend a great deal of money on such skincare
products that can result in an even paler complexion.

2. Full Figures

In Mauritania, females with full figures are

considered incredibly beautiful, and think women
are considered physically undesirable. Mauritanian
parents will even send their girls to “Fat camps,”
where the girls would eat up to 16,000 calories a
day to prepare for marriage. On top of that, stretch
marks are considered a bonus, and even more
beautiful.

3. Body Scars

Scarification of the body is a practice, specifically among

populations with dark skin too dark to show tattoos. The Karo
tribe of Ethiopia scar men and women’s torsos and chests to
assert social status. Men’s scars mark the number of
enemies killed in battles, while women’s scars represent
sensuality and appeal. Although less practiced today, some
indigenous groups with little contact with the modern world
continue these kinds of beauty rituals. 

4. Lip Plates

5. Suri people of Ethiopia find beauty represented in

women’s lip plates. When a girl reaches puberty,
her bottom teeth are removed to make way for a
piercing in the lower lip. Once the piercing is in
place, the lip is stretched around a clay plate.
When it is time to find a husband, this lip plate
guides the dowry process. Plates are seen as both
a sign of beauty and a measure of a woman’s
 value in cattle. Larger plates signal a more valuable and desired woman Foot
Binding
Despite being ban in the 1940’s, foot binding was a
huge part of Chinese culture. The process of foot
binding included breaking all of the toes and
bending them backwards against of the sole of the
foot, and then binding them in place with a tight
fabric wrapping. The result was small and petite
feet which is considered highly attractive in China.

6. Monobrows

While Filipino women always want their brows to be on fleek

by plucking or shaving, the women of Tajikistan embrace their
natural eyebrows, and will even draw on them to make it
appear that they have a monobrow. I guess monobrows are in
style in Tajikistan.

THE INFLUENCE OF MEDIA ON THE ADOLESCENT’S UNDERSTANDING OF

BEAUTY

Today's young people are bombarded by thousands of advertising messages a day.

These come not only via television and magazines but also websites, blogs, social
media, music videos, films, and even smartphones.
The way that people are portrayed in this advertising – both the words and the
pictures – has a big impact on the way adolescents view themselves and who they
aspire to be.
The mass media play a critical role in people’s self‐image by informing and reflecting
what people consider to be beautiful or attractive. One of the ways in which they do so
is through the common use of very thin and attractive models in print and other media,
often termed the ‘thin ideal’, which communicate the way that people believe they
should look in order to be attractive and desirable to others. There are different aspects
of appearance about which the media can convey beauty ideals, including hair, skin,
and facial features.
The media has increasingly become a platform that reinforces cultural beliefs and
projects strong views on how we should look, that we as individuals often unknowingly
or knowingly validate and perpetuate.

The more we look at perfect images of others and then look to find those same
idealized characteristics in ourselves and don’t find them, the worse we feel about
ourselves. It’s a cycle that breeds discontent. With such strong societal scrutiny, it’s
easy to see how the focus on how we look can slide into the dark side – negative body
image. Body image is a multidimensional construct that refers to one’s perception of
and attitudes about the size and shape of one’s body. It has both a perceptual
component that refers to how we see our body size, shape, weight, physical
characteristics, performance, and movement, and an evaluative component, which
refers to how we feel about these attributes and how those feelings influence our
behaviors. Body dissatisfaction is experienced when one perceives that their body falls
short of the societal ideal in terms of size and/or shape, regardless of a person’s
objective size or shape. In other words, body dissatisfaction is influenced not only by
how we interpret societal ideals, but by how we perceive ourselves. Therefore, body
 dissatisfaction and perceptions of beauty are inextricably linked. Body dissatisfaction is
the number one risk factor for a number of unhealthy behaviors, including eating
disorders and chronic dieting. 

The connection between images of women in the media and

low self-esteem in girls

esteem in over 80% of girls

BODY IMAGE AND SELF ESTEEM

Self-esteem is all about how much you feel you are worth — and how much you feel
other people value you. It is how you value and respect yourself as a person. Self-
esteem affects how you take care of yourself, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Body image is how you view your physical self — including whether you feel you are
attractive and whether others like your looks. 

Body image and self-esteem directly influence one another. When you have healthy
body image, you feel comfortable about your body and know how to care for it.

Body image is an increasingly important topic in this day and age. Today’s society
displays immense pressures to be thin, fit, and beautiful. Images of waif-like models are
splashed across television and theater screens and in magazines, sending a message
that success, happiness, and belonging only come with unattainable beauty. The
constant measures of thinness and beauty lead people to scrutinize their own
appearance as well as those around them, usually resulting in viewing their own bodies
harsher than reality.

How people view themselves, or their body image, can vastly affect their self-esteem, or
overall feeling of worth. According to Jung and Lee (2006), the lower or more negative
one’s body image, the lower his or her self-esteem. In addition, the more optimistically
one feels about his or her appearance, the more optimistically he or she will feel about
him or herself overall.

An interesting component of body image is that studies show peoples’ image of their
body is not a reflection of their actual weight, but instead how they perceive their body
as a whole It is this perception of appearance that leads to their body image, and
subsequently, their self-esteem. In addition, there is often incongruence between one’s
perceptions of his or her body and his or her ideal figure. The greater the incongruence,
the more likely a person is to have lower self-esteem.

Inapi, Binully, Nagparetoke. A tale of plastic surgery :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhlSovnc-Wk

How do I know if I have a healthy body image and self-esteem?

 You see and think of yourself as a whole person, not a collection of specific body parts.
 You accept and celebrate the uniqueness of your natural body shape and size.
 You understand that a person’s physical appearance says very little about their character and value as a
person.
 You feel comfortable and confident in your body, and avoid worrying about food, weight, and counting calories.

It’s important to remember that each body is unique. Everyone’s family background and environment influence their size
and weight differently. There’s no such thing as a “one size fits all” body type that’s right for everyone.

When you feel good about yourself and who you are, you stand tall and naturally carry yourself with a sense
of confidence and self-acceptance that makes you beautiful and attractive regardless of your weight, size, or
shape.
Here are a few other things that you can try to increase your self-esteem:

 Make a list of the stuff you’re good at. It can be anything from drawing or
singing to playing a sport or telling a good joke. If you’re having trouble with your
list, ask your mom or dad to help you with it. Then add a few things to the list that
you’d like to be good at. Your mom or dad can help you plan a way to work on
those skills or talents.

 Give yourself three compliments every day. Don’t just say, “I’m so great.”
Be specific about something good about yourself, like, “I was a good friend to Jill
today” or “I did better on that test than I thought I would.” While you’re at it, before
you go to bed every night, list three things in your day that really made you happy
or that you feel thankful for.

 Remember that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size, or
color it is. If you are worried about your weight or size, you can check with your
doctor to make sure you’re healthy. Remind yourself of things about your body that
are cool, like, “My legs are strong and I can skate really well.”

 Remember that there are things about yourself you can’t change. You
should accept and love these things — such as skin color and shoe size —
because they are part of you.

 When you hear negative comments in your head, tell yourself to

stop. Remind yourself of things you’re good at and if you can’t think of anything,
ask someone else! You can also learn a new skill (for example, calligraphy, dance,
a musical instrument) so you can feel good about that!

By focusing on the good things, you do and all your great qualities, you learn to love
and accept yourself — the main ingredients for strong self-esteem! Even if you’ve got
room for improvement (and who doesn’t?), knowing what you’re good at and that
you’re valuable and special to the people that care about you can really help you deal
with growing up.