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01 Handout 1
The Self
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GE1706
from those I use when thinking about myself. I think about my brain as that and about myself as me. I think
about my brain as having neurons, but I think of me as having a memory. Still, I know that my memory is all
about the neurons in my brain. Lately, I think about my brain in more intimate terms— as me.”
G. Plato’s definition
Plato, like Descartes, believes that persons are immaterial souls or pure egos. On this view, persons have
bodies only contingently, not necessarily; so they can live after bodily death.
According to him, a person’s inner life or soul has three (3) distinct elements: the appetite, the spirited or
hot-blooded part, and the mind.
Plato's three (3) elements of the psyche are:
The appetite, which includes all our myriad desires for various pleasures, comforts, physical
satisfactions, and bodily ease.
The spirited, or hot-blooded part, i.e. the part that gets angry when it perceives (for example) an
injustice being done.
The mind (nous), is the part that thinks, analyzes, looks ahead, rationally weighs options, and tries to
gauge what is best and truest overall.
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B. Self-Discipline
the ability to control yourself and to make yourself work hard or behave in a particular way without
needing anyone else to tell you what to do
12 Ways You Can Develop Your Self-Discipline (Forbes Coaches Council, 2017)
1. Set priorities
Start each day by prioritizing tasks. Identify where your efforts are best spent, then dedicate appropriate
time for them. This will ensure you don’t end each day feeling defeated because efforts were wasted on
low-priority items.
2. Find an accountability partner
It can be a colleague, friend, or a peer. Make a shared document, then track progress and give each
other praise when warranted. Also, make sure you hold each other accountable. Don't let excuses fly.
3. Start with one non-negotiable
Focus on that one thing and make it a non-negotiable. As you begin to see results, you will find that it
becomes a habit and you can make something else your non-negotiable.
4. Know your pain tolerance
Determine what suffering you are willing to do to achieve your goal. Not all goals are worth suffering
for, and not all sufferings yield results. Start by asking, "What suffering am I willing to do today?"
5. Be consistent
If you make excuses — about your studies or having no time — you will have neither self- discipline
nor true happiness. So what's most important to you? Carve out a time to do this, every day for a
month. Whatever it is, start small. Commit, no matter what.
6. Take time to visualize
Self-discipline is like a muscle — the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. A starting point to get
you unstuck is to take time to visualize how great it will be to get things done, imagine and paint a
mental picture of the benefits and the sense of satisfaction you’ll have once it’s done.
7. Understand your personality
Self-awareness not only helps you understand how these situations affect your stress levels and quality
of life but also manage your natural reactions to achieve the best outcome, even if that means hiring a
workaround for what you hate to do.
8. Focus on the power of choice
Self-discipline is easy when you focus on the power you have to choose. When we exhibit behaviors
that are not aligned with our goals, we often overlook our power to choose and revert to our default
behaviors. Slow down and ask yourself what you are choosing in each moment when you are working
on greater discipline. It is okay to make "off-course" choices sometimes, just notice and learn from
them.
9. Eat at regular times
Eating at regular intervals regulates blood sugar levels, improves concentration, and helps with
decision-making. Fuel your body to have better self-discipline.
10. Remind yourself, so you don’t forget
Developing more self-discipline typically involves beginning or re-engaging in a new set of behaviors
or a new routine. Write it down, schedule it, or create a visual reminder of what you're trying to
accomplish, so it doesn't slip through the cracks of your busy day.
11. Set reminders
Self-discipline is hard. To stay focused, keep your goals top of mind. For example, if you want to start
going to bed earlier, willpower alone may not be enough to get you to shut off the next Netflix episode.
But setting a phone reminder for 10 p.m. with a message related to your goal.
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References:
12 ways you can develop your self-discipline. (2017). Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/12/01/12-ways-you-can-develop-your- self-
discipline/#6d2cf8f51a20
Churchland, P., (2013). Touching a nerve: the self as brain. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
David Hume. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.iep.utm.edu/hume/
Hume on personal identity. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil1020/Hume4.pdf
Kerns, T. (n.d.). Plato’s three parts of the soul. Retrieved from
http://philosophycourse.info/platosite/3schart.html
McLeod, S. (2008). Self-concept. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/self-concept.html Nimbalkar,
N. (2011). John Locke on personal identity. 2011 Jan-Dec; 9(1): 268–275. doi: 10.4103/0973-
1229.77443
O’Donnel, J. (n.d.). Augustine. Retrieved from http://faculty.georgetown.edu/jod/twayne/aug5.html
Personal identity. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.iep.utm.edu/person-i/
Piccirillo, R. (2010). The Lockean memory theory of personal identity: Definition, objection, response.
Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1683/the-lockean-memory-theory-of- personal-
identity-definition-objection-response
Revisiting Carl Rogers theory of personality. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://journalpsyche.org/revisiting-carl-
rogers-theory-of-personality/
Self-concept. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://resources.hwb.wales.gov.uk/VTC/2012-
13/22032013/hsc/eng/unit_2/hsc_u2_self_concept.htm
Self-discipline. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/self-discipline.
Self-examination. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/self- examination.
Self-examination. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-examination.
The self is embodied subjectivity: Husserl and Merleau-Ponty. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_11.xhtml#P70004
96877000000000000000000CF3
The self is how you behave: Ryle. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_09.xhtml
Whittemore, J. (n.d.). The self according to Rene Descartes. Retrieved from
https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-self-according-to-rene-descartes.html
Whittemore, J. (n.d.). Immanuel Kant's metaphysics of the self. Retrieved from
https://study.com/academy/lesson/immanuel-kants-metaphysics-of-the-self.html#transcriptHeader
Whittemore, J. (n.d.). Sigmund Freud’s layers of the self. Retrieved from
https://study.com/academy/lesson/sigmund-freuds-layers-of-the-self.html
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