LA SALETTE OF ROXAS COLLEGE, INC. BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT S.Y.

2020 - 2021

PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
Lecture Notes
Weeks 1 & 2
WEEK 1: Knowing Oneself
“What I am looking for is not there. It is in me”
Helen Keller
(Even we know our self, we can’t just find a word that describe who we really are. It is just within our
self.)

In order to open yourself in knowing your personality you must first know the following KEY POINTS
before we start our lesson.
 The self is the union of elements that make up your unique traits or personality, and these
essentially distinguish you from others.
 By understanding your strengths and weaknesses, you are more empowered to realize your
potential to the fullest.
 By becoming more aware of yourself, you are equipped to make wiser decisions about crucial
issues in life.
 A healthy relationship with others begins with a healthy relationship with self.

SELF – The sum total of who a person is. It is a person’s central inner force, common to all human
beings and yet unique in each, which is the deep source of growth.

SELF-CONCEPT
A person’s subjective description of who the person thinks he or she filtered by your own
perceptions. It is also our cognition to our self, what we think and know about our identity, personality,
and individuality. When you recognize that you hate rudeness, this is part of your self-concept. You
know who you are and what makes you different from the other people.
Examples:
 You may have a great singing voice, but you may not believe in it enough to think of
yourself as a singer.
When we think we are worthless and talentless, we end up identifying ourselves to the thought
and behave in such way that the thought holds true. When we are brought up to thin that we are
special again and again, we may tend to have an overly bloated self-concept that may lead to self-
entitlement.

According to Rogers, there are three different components of self-concept namely;

1. SELF-IMAGE/ACTUAL SELF- (Descriptive) This refers to the characteristics that we believe we
possess; it may include the roles we perceive we inhabit, the words we use when we describe
ourselves, and how we believe others perceive us. It is also involves how others see us (e.g.
personality traits, strengths and limitations).
2. SELF-ESTEEM/SELF-WORTH- This focuses in our attitude towards ourselves; (evaluative) depends
on what we perceive to be worthwhile and/or valuable. It goes beyond our self-image to
include the value or importance we place on our perceived characteristics and is emotionally
inclined.
Example:
 Based on your grades in PE, you may perceive that your kinesthetic abilities are poor.
3. IDEAL SELF- This refers to how we want to be or how we would like to be, idealized image that
we have developed over time and based on what we have learned and experienced. It can
change over time. One’s goals and ambitions today may differ from the goals and ambitions
you had when you were in primary school. For example, when you were in preschool you want
to be a doctor, over time your perception and aspiration changes and now that you were
about to enter college, you want to be an engineer.

SELF-KNOWLEDGE means knowing your motives when you act. This is often linked to self-concept. But
understanding because of your suppressed emotions is part of your self-understanding or self-
knowledge. There are 3 components of self-knowledge namely;
 ATTITUDES – learned predispositions to respond favorably or unfavorably toward
something (Likes Dislikes)
 BELIEFS – the ways which we structure reality (True – False)
 VALUES – enduring concepts of what is right and wrong (Good – Bad)

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 LA SALETTE OF ROXAS COLLEGE, INC. BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT S.Y. 2020 - 2021

SELF-AWARENESS
 SUBJECTIVE SELF-AWARENESS – ability to differentiate the self from the social and
physical environment
 OBJECTIVE SELF-AWARENESS – ability to be the object of one’s own thoughts and
attention – to be aware of one’s state of mind and that one is thinking
 SYMBOLIC SELF-AWARENESS – uniquely human ability to think about oneself and use
language (symbols) to represent oneself to others.

WEEK 1: HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT

Do you have any insights about what does being a whole person means? Have you heard this 5
areas of personal development? If you do then you have an advantage to our next lesson, and we
will be journeying with the other to understand the changes that happens to you as you grow and
develop. Remember, knowing is never enough if it is not applied to life that will direct you to an
attitude with a positive outbreak in life. If the last lesson was about what parameters individuals need
to level up, this lesson is about how to level up.

DO THE ACTIVITY 6

What does your output say? Have you noticed something about your answers?
To understand the result of your activity, let’s talk about the three factors; thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors and how do they affect to each other.

THOUGHTS. The caption above says that, what we think affects how we feel and act. Everything starts
in our thoughts or what we think. It may be in our conscious or subconscious state of mind, but, in
most cases, it happens subconsciously. Like for example, when you see a picture of a Manga with
Alamang or Suka, you are subconsciously thinking that you like some of it, then you feel like craving
and salivating and as a result you want to go to the market and buy some mangga with alamang to
satisfy your craving or, when not available, you may find another food to satisfy you.

FEELINGS/EMOTIONS. How we feel affects what we think and do. People act out because of so many
emotions. People may throw tantrums when they don’t like or avoid a certain scenario. They may cry
when they see a loved one in their casket at a funeral viewing. They will laugh when they see
something funny, or by just seeing a funny person.

BEHAVIOR. What we do affects how we think and feel. For whatever we do, the result may direct us
to either positive or negative thoughts that may affects how we feel. Like when we do something
terrible to others and later on realized that we are mistaken by our actions, we may feel being guilty,
remorseful, or embarrassed at the end.
This explains your activity, that whatever you think, how you feel in the situation, affects your
behavior.

Life seems to have become a bewildering maze at times. Thus, you try to reflect on your
common beliefs. Amidst these developments, it helps recognize how the different physiological,
cognitive, emotional, spiritual, and social developments are in a dynamic relationship. By recognizing
such changes, you can understand and evaluate your thoughts.

WHAT IS HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT?

HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT refers to “self-actualization” of intellectual, mental, physical,
emotional, and social abilities in an individual so that he or she is capable of facing the demands
and challenges of everyday life.

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 LA SALETTE OF ROXAS COLLEGE, INC. BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT S.Y. 2020 - 2021

What comprises a holistic person?

1. Physical Development - the physical attributes including the five senses. This pertains to the
maturing of the body and its systems along with its functions. In your stage of development
which is adolescence, physical changes are more prominent that is why you need to take
good care and keep it well because your body is your key instrument in working out with your
plans in life. To this, you need to do something to make your body physically fit and healthy.
Here are the basics needs for you to take good care of yourself;

a. Watch what you eat. Nutritious food gives you energy and good health. The kind of food you
eat does not only affect your health. It also affects your mood, mental well-being, and energy.

b. Keep yourself fit and strong. EXERCISE! When you regularly exercise, you burn more calories
and you maintain a healthy weight. If overweight, you are prone to health problems like
hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular diseases. Being underweight, on the other hand,
makes you at risk for developing problems like osteoporosis.

c. Avoid abuse of your body.

 REST! Sleep gives the body the much needed opportunity to recover energy
spent on your activities. Lack of sleep may result to fatigue, irritability, or
inefficiency in performance.

 AVOID SMOKING AND DRINKING LIQUOR! Yes, it is tempting, it gives temporary

pleasure that never give good result. When alcohol consumption affects your
normal and effective functioning (in doing school work, relating with people, or
doing activities), it creates problem in your life. Too much intake of alcohol can
dull your sensation, affect your judgment and bodily coordination. Just like
alcohol, long-term smoking may result in lung problems, cancer, and/or heart
and respiratory diseases, and the worse of it, even non-smokers (second-hand
smoker – individuals who inhaled the smoke of your cigarettes), are affected and
may developed cancer. YOU DO NOT ONLY PUT YOURSELF AT RISK, YOU ALSO
RISK THE LIFE OF OTHERS.

 AVOID DRUG ABUSE! Drugs that are not prescribed and abused by many, like
marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, may affects your physiological
functioning that harms the body, alters behaviors, and changes mood that is
damaging to relationship, school performance, and quality of work outputs.

2. Cognitive Development – is the emergence of the ability to think and understand. It changes
one’s mental abilities, learning capacity, memory, reasoning, thinking process and language.
As a learner hoping to have a good career someday, the development of your cognitive skills
is important. Your ability to learn will greatly determine the height of literacy you can attain
and work you can achieve. To do this, you need to develop the following skills;

REMEMBERING ORGANIZATION MNEMONICS

Keep repeating something, Thing of a way to connect your idea Acronyms and rhymed words
it increases your chances with something special or important are kinds of mnemonics that
of remembering it. that will help you to easily retrieve helps you remember a process.
the information from your memory.

a. Critical Thinking. Discerning judgment based on standards. It requires the ability to reason
out, infer, analyze, interpret, and explain. You also need to discern facts from opinion. To
think critically, you have to avoid personal biases that cloud you mind.

TRY answering the Riddler’s Question on page 37 of your Personality Development

book. This is an example of activity which can boost your critical thinking.

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 LA SALETTE OF ROXAS COLLEGE, INC. BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT S.Y. 2020 - 2021

b. Problem-solving. Finding solution to a difficult problem. This also based on your critical
thinking ability.

3. Social Development- is the manner by which an individual interacts with other individuals or
groups of individuals. It refers to the learned and developed ways of behaving in accordance
to social expectations. Developing socially acceptable behavior is continuous across one’s
lifespan with particular attention to childhood and adolescence.
An adolescence has four task to accomplish to become a well-adjusted adult. These task are
categorized as;
a. INDEPENDENCE. Middle adolescence are often hostile towards parents and
authority figures. In late adolescence, they start to gain confidence with change in
stature, increasingly turns to parents for advice and guidance in decision-making,
though this doesn’t mean they always do what the parent wants.

b. BODY IMAGE. Adolescents become aware of their physical development. Middle

adolescents are more at ease with the changes of their body and want to make the
most of their “new” body. Clothing, accessories, and weightlifting (going to gym),
dieting and others that can make their look “cool” is a big thing for them. With the
gain of confidence comes increased interest in the opposite sex. This often the onset
of dating and development of skills and behaviors related to sexual relationships.

c. PEER RELATIONS. Peers become extremely important during adolescents. As they pull
away from their family, adolescents are not strong enough to stand on their own.
Peer group exerts a huge influence over the teen.

d. IDENTITY. Identity development includes the abstract reasoning along with personal
values and morals. But in adolescence stage, they tend to be concrete and see
things in black and white, and because of limited ability to think abstractly, it makes
hard for a teen to see another’s point of view.

Healthy social development can help you:

 Develop Communication Skills. An ability to interact with others allows for more
opportunities to practice communications skills.
 Build self-esteem. When a person is unable to make friends, it can be frustrating or even
painful. A good circle of friends reinforces a person’s comfort level with her individuality.
 Strengthen learning skills. Studies show that children who have a hard time getting along
with classmates as early as a preschool are more likely to experience later academic
difficulties.
 Resolve conflicts. Stronger self-esteem and better language skills can ultimately lead to a
better ability to resolve differences with peers.
 Establish a positive attitude. A positive attitude ultimately leads to better relationships with
others and higher levels of self-confidence.

4. Psychological Development - how thinking, feeling and behaving interact in a person. It

involves how growth and emotions changes as adolescents that shows unpredictable
attitude, mood swings, and frantic emotional outburst which slowly subsides as they age
towards adulthood.

In adolescent period, bringing up the social and emotional sides of the brain requires teens to go
through experiences that allow provisions for positive relationships while exercising control of
emotions. Trust and security are fundamental parts of this, without which individuals may group up to
be unhinged.
Security found with your trusted As you explore the world, you may
adults experience setting your boundary
(parents/guardians/relatives) and private space in trusting
that leads to attachments and others especially in your parents.
a strong foundation for future However, giving chance in
emotion as you learn to be trusting them may help you find
confident and secure in your consolation and build positive
abilities and your sense of self. relationship.

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 LA SALETTE OF ROXAS COLLEGE, INC. BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT S.Y. 2020 - 2021

There are many ways to improve or maintain good emotional health.

 Be aware of your emotions and reactions. Notice what in your life makes you sad,
frustrated, or angry. Try to address or change those things.
 Think before you act. Emotions can be powerful. Give yourself time to think, and be calm
before you say or do something you might regret.
 Manage stress. Try to change situations, causing you stress. Learn relaxation methods to
cope with stress.
 Strive for balance. Find a healthy balance between work and play and between activity
and rest. Make time for things you enjoy. Focus on positive things in your life.
 Take care of your physical health. Your physical health can affect your emotional health.
Exercise regularly, eat healthy meals and get enough sleep. Do not abuse drugs or alcohol.
 Connect with others. We are social creatures. We need positive connections with other
people.

Emotional health is an important part of overall health. Emotionally healthy people are in control
of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They can cope with life’s challenges. Emotions are
responses that generate biochemical reactions in our bodies, changing the physical state.

5. Spiritual Development –is defined as discovering oneself beyond the ego known as the soul,
spirit, or the “inner essence” that is often disregarded or taken for granted (Llaneza-Ramos,
2017). It is when one experiences a glimpse of the “inner guide” of one’s beliefs and values as
one discovers the meaning of life. It also allows people to connect with a Higher Power that is
called by many names like "God, Buddha, Allah.” “We are Christians, we are committed to the
poor, we value people, we are partners, and are responsive.” As we grow spiritually, our
attitude toward life also changes for the better in many ways. Most of our problems stem from
our perceptions and expectations of ourselves and of the world. One will realize that this solves
half the problems of our life. Spiritual growth and development help us to imbibe humility.
Spirituality and inner peace is a way of life. It helps us to develop great strength and courage.
Spiritual growth and development help to make human beings better citizens.