PERSONAL DEVELOPEMENT

MODULE 1: KNOWING ONESELF

Welcome to the first module of the subject Personal Development this will be your guide to
understand to conduct self-exploration and simple disclosure. In this module, you will learn to:
a. explain that knowing oneself can make a person accept his/her strengths and limitations and
dealing with others better; (EsP-PD11/12KO-la.1.1) and b. Share his/her unique characteristics,
habits, and experiences ( (EsP-PD11/12KO-la.1.2).

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

a. demonstrate knowing oneself,
b. appreciate and value themselves,
c. list down strengths and weaknesses and;
d. compare and contrast ideal self and self-image.

Personal Development

Before we discuss how to know one’s self, we have to

define first the concept of the “SELF”. In philosophical
terms, it is the being, which is the source of a person’s
consciousness. It is the agent responsible for an
individual’s thoughts and actions. Based on this
definition, the “self” is an intangible entity that directs a
person’s thoughts, actions, experiences, beliefs, values
and principles. The self includes a person’s lifepurpose,
meaning and aspirations.
Knowledge of the Self
The main entry focused on knowledge of one's own mental states. Yet “self-knowledge” can
also be used to refer to knowledge of the self and its nature. Issues about knowledge of the self-
include:

(1) how it is that one distinguishes oneself from others, as the object of a self-attribution;

(2) whether self-awareness yields a grasp of the material or non-material nature of the
self;

(3) whether self-awareness yields a grasp of one's personal identity over time; and

(4) what sort of self-understanding is required for rational or free agency.

These issues are closely connected with referential semantics, the mind-body problem, the
metaphysics of personal identity, and moral psychology, respectively.

Humanist psychologist, Carl Rogers believed that there were three different parts of self-
concept:

Self-image, or how you see yourself. Each individual's self-image is

a mixture of different attributes including our physical
characteristics, personality traits, and social roles. Self-image doesn't
necessarily coincide with reality. Some people might have an inflated
self-image of themselves, while others may perceive or exaggerate
the flaws and weaknesses that others don't see.

Self-esteem, or how much you value yourself. A number of factors

can impact self-esteem, including how we compare ourselves to others
and how others respond to us. When people respond positivelyto our
behavior, we are more likely to develop positive self-esteem. When
we compare ourselves to others and find ourselves lacking, it can have
a negative impact on our self-esteem.

Ideal self, or how you wish you could be. In many cases, the way we
see ourselves and how we would like to see ourselves do not
quite match up.

According to Carl Rogers, self-image and ideal self can be congruent or incongruent.
Congruence between the self-image and ideal self means that there is a fair amount of
overlap between the two. While it is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve perfect
congruence, greater congruence will enable self-actualization. Incongruence between the
self-image and ideal self means there’s a discrepancy between one’s self and one’s
experiences, leading to internal confusion (or cognitive dissonance) that prevents self-
actualization.

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 Since our approach to personal development is holistic, we will integrate the various
definitions of self from the philosophical, spiritual and psychological realms, but we will focus
and give more emphasis on its psychological definition.

If the self is defined as the cognitive and affective representation of one’s entity, it is
defined in terms of human characteristics such as behavior and thought.
In psychological term, personality is referred to as the set of behaviors, feelings,
thoughts and motives that identifies an individual.

Personality is the essence of who we are and is the embodiment of one’s physical,
psychological, cognitive, effective and spiritual self. Therefore, when we speak of the self, we
will describe it in personality terms.

The Self, in contemporary literature and even

common sense, is commonly defined by the following
characteristics: “separate, self-contained, independent,
consistent, unitary, and private”. When we talk about
the self, being “separate,” it means it is distinct,
different and unique from others. It has its own
uniqueness that defines him/her from others. It has an
identity of its own, even twins, may it be fraternal, is
very much distinct from the other.

When we are talking about “self-contained,” we describe its existence as having its own
independence. It may exist with or without others; it is self-containing of its own thoughts,
characteristics and volition.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

One’s own development and growth within the context of the three aspects of human
development. It is also influenced by:

1. HEREDITY (nature)

The inborn traits passed on by the generations of offspring from both sides
of the biological parents’ families.:

Examples of how heredity influences human development

PHYSICAL

Hair color Eye color Gender

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 Height Tone of voice Weight

EMOTIONAL

MENTAL

Memory IQ Language Acquisition

2. ENVIRONMENT (nurture)

The world outside of ourselves and the experiences that result from our contact and
interaction with this external world.

3. MATURATION

Natural progression of the brain and the body that affects the cognitive, psychological and
social dimensions of a person.

Examples of how maturation influences human development:

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 Learning to walk Learning to talk Social groups

Preparing for marriage and family life Decision Making

Let us distinguish the difference between Personal and Personality

PERSONAL PERSONALITY

 belonging or relating to a particular  Set of emotional qualities

person
 Attractive qualities
 made or designed to be used by one
person; and  Distinction or excellence; social
 of, relating to, or affecting a
traits
particular person

(Examples) (Examples)
 This is just my personal opinion.
 I want to share my personal  He has a very pleasant personality
experience.  We all have different personalities.
 We do not accept personal  She has met many television
checks. personalities.

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PSYCHOLOGY

It is the study of human thinking and behavior, serves as a foundation for personal
development.

There are two proponents of Humanistic Theory:

1. ABRAHAM MASLOW-theorized the 5 stages of human development based on a

hierarchy of needs, he termed as “self
–actualization”.

2. CARL ROGERS – theorized that “the individual has within himself the capacity and
the tendency, latent if not evident, to move forward toward maturity.”

MARTIN SELIGMAN

A noted psychologist and president of the American

Psychological Association, realized how psychology, after the
Second World War, puts more emphasis in diagnosing,
treating, and preventing psychological disorders and
therefore focusing on a disease model of human nature.

MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI

Positive psychology also created a balance between

what humanistic psychology emphasized that human nature is
basically good, while adding that human nature includes both
the positive and the negative aspects.

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 Psychologist Costa and McRae (1992) developed a
categorized scheme that described personality. Based on their
research, they discovered the existence of five universal and
widely agreed upon mentions of personality. They called it the
Big Five or Five Factor Model. For it to be easilyremembered,
it uses the acronym OCEAN.

These dimensions may be described using its most positive traits:

Openness to experience – curiosity, interest, imagination and

creativity to new ideas.

Conscientiousness – planning, organizing, hard-working,

controlling, persevering and punctuality.

Extraversion – sociable, talkative, active, outgoing and fun-

loving.

Agreeableness – friendly, warm, trusting, generous, and kind-

hearted.

Neuroticism – calm, relaxed and comfortable.

There are different ways to measure personality. One is by

observing people’s behavior. This is quite limited as other people may not be able to observe
all aspects of personality such as loneliness, which is internal and is observed by others very
subjectively.

Personality can be measured using different kinds of test like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
It is developed the Myers-Briggs personality model based on four preferences of individuals.

These are:

E or I (Extraversion or Introversion) is how an individual prefers to channel his or her energy

when dealing with people, whether it is inward(introversion) or out-ward (extraversion).
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S or N (Sensing or INtuition) is how one prefers to process information, whether through the
use of uses such as being able to describe what one sees, or intuitively like dealing with ideas.

T or F (Thinking or Feeling) is how an individual prefers to make decisions, either thinking

or using logic and analysis or feeling which uses the cognitive senses based on values or beliefs.

J or P (Judgement or Perception) is how an individual prefers to manage one’s life, whether

through judging which means a planned and organizes life versus perception, which has a more
flexible approach to living.

SELF-AWARENESS

Self-awareness of the traits possessed and the characteristics

that need to be worked on will give a great impact into becoming
the best version of ourselves. This contributes to one’s personal
effectiveness in dealing with others and in working towards
success. A well-developed personality is the one that builds on
the strength and works on the weaknesses.
One tries to learn more about the new ways and shows good
and admirable behavior behind whatever situation they are in. To be effective, you have to
set your personal goals, you have to plan your actions and be reflective from time to time.

Here are some of the personal qualities that could give great impact to one’s personality:

1. Knowing yourself

A person who knows oneself has the sense of direction and knows
one’s purpose in life. Knowing oneself is recognizing one’sstrengths
and weaknesses, including the fears, knowing one’s desire and
thoughts in life, likes and dislikes, habits and individualities as well
as the things one can tolerate in dealing with others and in handling
situations.

2. Being confident

Self-confidence is shown in one's personal judgment, ability, and capacity

in responding to situations. It is shown in one's personal way ofcarrying
oneself, showing one’s ability, and capacity in facing others without fear
and hesitation. With self-confidence one can carry out the things one
wishes to do. This trait is being developed from experiences of having
mastered a particular emotion or activity.

3. Being courteous

A courteous person receives good impression and earns respect.

Courtesy leads to progress, for one gets the support of many who feels
the politeness of a person.

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4. Being properly dressed

Proper dressing earns respect. It is important that one should always

consider the occasion, the time, the climate and the season in
choosing what dress to be worn. It reflects the soundness of mind
and it tells how ready we are facing the day. The way you

are dressed is the way you’ll be addressed.

5. Being sensitive and know your body language

Sensitive people are cautious in their way in dealing with others and
in handling situations. They easily notice certain details others may
accept or ignore, and they can be very creative in giving opinions and
in showing their gestures or actions.

6. Having a positive outlook

A positive attitude includes understanding life’s troubles and

challenges. It means being optimistic or having a positive mind in
looking for the good in things, rather than being a negative-minded
with tendency to focus on the bad in things. Positive thoughts and
actions create happy community and a better world.

7. Being tactful in giving your opinions

A person’s tact or carefulness would tell many things about him or

her; the emotional intelligence, respect, self-awareness,
thoughtfulness, compassion, delicacy, honesty, diplomacy, and
courtesy in dealing situations. Being careful in everything is shown
when one can give difficult feedback, and communicate sensitive
information, with the right thing and doing the right action to preserve
a relationship.

8. Being a good listener

Being a good listener enriches one's understanding and increases

one's capacity for considering others and situations. It levels up one's
awareness with the outside world by improving one’s thinking while
listening. With good listening, comes the right words, actions and
interactions in our day-to-day lives.

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 9. Being friendly

Meeting and knowing new people help develop a healthy mental image. Your interaction with
others leads to manifestations and mastery of the five features of personality; honesty, delicacy,
right attitude, kindness and mindfulness. Start smart with the people you know. Be the friendly
you.

10. Being humble

Being humble means giving the way to understand others more. Itdoesn't
mean one thinks less of oneself. It simply means the person think of
oneself less with a strong sense of valuing the relationship above anything
else. Being humble means showing a high level of self-esteem but not
bragging oneself to others. With humility, one can still feel better, because
one fully knows how to handle oneself well during situations.

As we immerse ourselves in ‘Knowing Ourselves” in the process, it is

necessary to know some similar aspects and topic that pertains in the
study of self. This may include individuals in seeing our “self” as a
growing person inside the society.

Having Self-knowledge stems from the actual self. It derives from our
social interactions of society that provide insight into how others react
to us. It is the same as gaining feedbackfrom others. The reaction of
other people is an essential aspect of gaining actual-self or our self-
image. Even our social roles are adjusted, on how we view ourselves
today, and how ideally (ideal self) what we would like to be in the
future.

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