Understanding the Self

If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a
transformation. -Jiddu Krishnamurti

 The root of all change starts with self-understanding.

 If you do not understand yourself, your efforts will be lost, and spent on things that are actually not
under your control.
Self-understanding is a journey.
Self-understanding is the key to the successful resolution of any emotional problem which is one of the
biggest challenges of the youths today.
Our goal:
 to learn
 to reflect
 to have a realization
 to improve
THE SELF FROM THE VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES
I. PHILOSOPHY
II. SOCIOLOGY
III. ANTHROPOLOGY
IV. PSYCHOLOGY

I. PHILOSOPHY
 Greek word PHILO means LOVE
 Greek word SOPHIA means WISDOM
LOVE FOR WISDOM
the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge,
values, reason, mind and language.
the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence, especially when
considered as an academic discipline.
the discipline that looks for reasoned answers to certain very abstract questions, usually left
unasked in everyday life

THE EARLY PHILOSOPHERS HAD THE IDEAS THAT THE PROPER WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF THE
MAN – THE SELF IS TO FIRST INQUIRED AND DISCOVER THE TRUE NATURE OF MAN.

SOCRATES
Socrates, was one of the mankind greatest teachers in Athens 469 BC. He confined his teaching in
the street of Athens than in the classroom.

He introduced the
SOCRATIC METHOD or DIALECTIC STYLE of teaching.
 a method of inquiry by answering questions with another question.
Socratic Method consist of 2 processes:
1. IRONIC PROCESS - is to make the seeker of knowledge, clear his mind for action. It removes from his
mind prejudice and leads to the humble and sincere confession of ignorance.
2. MAIEUTIC PROCESS – draws truth out of the pupil’s mind which is done by means of dialogue or
conversation.

-To find yourself, think for yourself. -Socrates

-“An unexamined life is not worth living” -Socrates
The Human Self is a combination of a living BODY and living SOUL.
  SOUL rules the body - uses the BODY as an instrument of perception.
PLATO
THEORY OF IDEALISM
The Ideal Perfect Man
1. REASON – Intellect and will
2. PASSION – Drives and emotions
3. APPETITE – Sensual part
TRIPARTITE SOUL
1. REASON – our divine essence that enable us to think deeply, make wise choices and achieve a
true understanding of eternal truths.
2. PASSION – Our basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness and empathy
3. APPETITE – our basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst and sexual drive.

“Excellence is not a gift, but a skill that takes practice. We do not act ‘rightly’, because we are
‘excellent’, in fact we achieve ‘excellence’ by acting ‘rightly’”. -Plato

IMMANUEL KANT
Man can create for himself the good and the rational being.
He attests that moral obligation is universal and excuses no one.
Moral Obligation is called DUTY.
SELF is DIVIDED INTO 2:
1. INTERNAL SELF – composed of psychological states and informed decisions e.g. EMOTIONS
2. EXTERNAL SELF- made up of ourselves and the physical world where the representation of
objects act on. e.g. family
For kant, essence of morality is found in the motive from which action is done.
Rules for happiness: something to do, something to love, something to hope for. -Immanuel Kant

CONFUCIUS
The GREAT CHINESE PHILOSOPHER
FAMILY is the bases of IDEAL GOVERNMENT

Man must have the virtue of: -

 Kindness
 Uprightness
 Decency
 Wisdom and faithfulness
 THE GOLDEN RULE “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.”

POLITICIAN RULERS should be exemplary models of the citizens.

If RIGHT PRINCIPLES prevail throughout the country, there is no need to change the government.
“The Man who says he can, and the man who says he cannot... Are both correct.” -Confucius

ST. AUGUSTINE
He considers the BODY as “SLAVE” to the “SOUL”.
The SOUL makes war with the BODY.
To love God means to love one’s fellowmen, and to love one’s fellowmen means never to do any
harm to another.
Take care of your body as if you were going to live forever; and take care of your soul as if you were
going to die tomorrow. -St. Augustine
RENE DESCARTES
I is defined as a THINKING THING.
It signifies the comprehension of the existence of the self as a reality beyond doubt.
COGITO ERGO SUM – I think, Therefore I am
“Conquer yourself rather than the world” -Descartes

DAVID HUME
Careful analysis on the notion of self.
“A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence” -David Hume

JOHN LOCKE
Human mind at birth is a blank paper or tabula rasa
“What worries you, masters you” -John Locke

SELF
A person who knows his/her feelings, emotions, memory, and experiences.
SELF SCHEMA
Are mental concepts by which are organizes one’s world
Self-schema that makes self-concept will assist one to organize and recall one’s
experiences.

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

NO MAN IS AN ISLAND
This phrase expresses the idea that human beings do badly when isolated from others.
We need to be part of the community in order to thrive.

Society is part of human life.

it has a great impact and contribution of who we are.
its influences can effect our behaviors and attitudes.

SOCIALIZATION
 describes the process by which people learn the attitudes, values, and behaviors that are
appropriate and expected by their culture and community.
 typically occurs through the observation of and interaction with the people we are surrounded by.
socialization also shapes our self image, or how we view ourselves.

CHARLES HORTON COOLEY

Looking Glass Self Theory
our view of ourselves comes not only from our direct contemplation of our personal qualities, but
also from our perceptions about how we are being perceived by others.
3 STEPS:
1. how do we appear to others?
2. what must others think of me?
3. revise, how we think about ourselves.
CRITICAL ASPECT OF THIS THEORY:
we are not actually being influenced by the opinions of others, but instead, we are being influenced
by what we imagine the opinions of other people to be.
 according to this theory, we might develop our self identities based on both correct and incorrect
perceptions of how others see us.

2 IMPORTANT DIMENSIONS OF THIS EVALUATION:

1. SELF-ESTEEM - Is the belief that one is good and valuable to others.

PROCESS OF INTERACTION, a person observes others behavior for pieces of information how
they are appraising him.

2. PERSONAL EFFICACY - a person believes that he can rise above obstacles or challenges and
eventually achieves his goal.

GEORGE HERBERT MEAD

sociologist from the late 1800’s
THEORY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIORISM

CONCEPT OF SELF – “me” and “I”

Mead’s theory of the social self is based on the perspective that the self emerges from social
interactions, such as:
a) Observing and interacting with others,
b) Responding to other’s opinions about oneself,
c) and, internalizing external opinions and internal feelings about oneself

3 Activities that develop the self:

1. Language develops self by allowing individuals to respond to each other through symbols,
gestures, words, and sounds.
2. Play develops self by allowing individuals to take on different roles, pretend, and express
expectations of others. Play develops one’s self-consciousness through role-playing.
3. Games develop self by allowing individuals to understand and adhere to the rules of the activity.
Self is developed by understanding that there are rules in which one must abide by in order to win
the game or be successful at an activity.
SELF HAS 2 SIDES/PHRASES:
1. The “me” is considered the socialized aspect of the individual.
The “me” represents learned behaviors, attitudes, and expectations of others and of society
2. The “I”, therefore, can be considered the present and future phase of the self.
The “I’ represents the individual’s identity based on response to the “me”

SOCIALIZATION
Agents of Socialization:

1. FAMILY

2. MEDIA

3. PEERS

4. RELIGION

5. SPORTS

6. SCHOOL

THE SELF FROM THE VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES –

PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
In psychology, the notion of the self refers to a person's experience as a single, unitary,
autonomous being that is separate from others, experienced with continuity through time and
place

I AM WHO – refers to your identity

I AM WHAT – refers to what you have acquired from the external reality (skills,
talents, success)

The self according to psychologists:

CARL ROGERS (1959)

The theory of personality also used the terms, the “I” as the one who acts and decides
while the “me” is what you think or feel about yourself as an object. (ex. I am generous)
He captured the idea in his concept of self-schema, or our own organized system or
collection of knowledge about who we are (Gleitmann, Gross, and Reisberg, 2011)

1. The schema is not limited to the example above. It may include your interests, your work,
your course, your age, your physical characteristics, etc.
2. As you grow and adapt to the changes around you, THEY ALSO CHANGE.
3. But they are not passive receivers, they actively change and affect how you see, think and
feel about things(Jhangians and Tarry, 2014).
4. When someone states your name, even he is not talking about you, your attention is drawn
to him;
5. If you have a provincial language and you hear someone using it, it catches your attention;
6. If you consider yourself a book-lover, a bookstore may always entice you out of other stores
in a mall.

SIGMUND FREUD
believed that events in our childhood have a great influence on our adult lives, shaping our
personality.
Ex. Anxiety originating from traumatic experiences in a person’s past is hidden from
consciousness and may cause problems during adulthood.
Freud later developed a more structural model of the mind comprising the entities ID, EGO
and SUPEREGO.

ID: Instincts
1. Operated at an unconscious level according to the pleasure principle (gratification from
satisfying basic instincts)
 2. The id comprises two kinds of biological instincts or drives: EROS and THANATOS

EROS or life instinct - helps the individual to survive; it directs life sustaining activities
such as respiration, eating, and sex. The energy created by the life instincts is known as
libido.
THANATOS or death instinct - is viewed as a set of destructive forces present in all
human beings. When this energy is directed outward onto others, it is expressed as
aggression and violence.

Freud believed that EROS is stronger than THANATOS, thus enabling people to survive rather than self-
destruct.
3. Children are ruled entirely by the ID. Satisfying basic needs for food, drink, and comfort is
the utmost importance.
4. This aspect of personality does not change as people grow older. It continues to be
infantile, instinctive, and primal.
5. It isn’t in touch with reality or logic or social norms. It strives only to satisfy an
individual’s most basic urges and needs.
6. The animalistic nature of man.

EGO: Reality
1. The Ego develops from the Id during the infancy. It’s goal is to satisfy the demands of the id
in a safe and socially acceptable way.
2. It follows the reality principle as it operates in both the conscious and unconscious mind.
3. The ego eventually emerges to moderate between the urges of the id and the demands of
the reality.
4. The ego must cope with the competing demands presented by the id, the superego,and the
reality.

SUPEREGO: Morality
1. The superego develops during early childhood (when the child identifies with the same sex
parent) and is responsible for ensuring moral standards are followed.
2. The superego operates on the morality principle and motivates us to behave in a socially
responsible and acceptable manner.
3. the superego can make a person feel guilty if rules are not followed.

How the ID operates:

 When you are hungry, the pleasure principle directs you to eat. When you are thirsty, it motivates
you to drink.
 But, of course, you can’t always satisfy your urges right away. Sometimes you need to wait until the
right moment or until you have the accessto the things that will fulfill your needs.
 When you are unable to satisfy a need immediately, tension results. The id relies on the primary
process to temporarily relieve the tension.
The primary process involves creating a mental image through:
 1. Daydreaming
2. fantasizing
3. hallucinating
o When you are thirsty, you might start fantasizing about a tall, cold glass of ice water.
o When you are hungry, you might start thinking about ordering your favorite dish from
your favorite restaurant. By doing this, you are able to cope with the tension created
by the id's urges until you are realistically able to satisfy those needs.

How do the id and ego interact?

 Freud compared their relationship to that of a horse and rider.
 The horse provides the energy that drives them forward, but it is the rider to guides these
powerful movements to determine direction. However, sometimes the rider may lose control
and find himself simply along for the ride. In other words, sometimes the ego may simply
have to direct the id in the direction it wants to go.

THE SELF FROM THE VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES – ANTHROPOLOGICAL OR CULTURAL

PERSPECTIVE

THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE SELF

Anthropology is a science and philosophical description of the life form “homo sapien” the
thinking man.
(Ocampo, 2006) The focal point of anthropology as scientific endeavor deals with a man in the
physical, cultural, and existential features with the purpose of gaining a deeper understanding of
man’s place in the world.

CULTURE
According to the British Anthropologist, Edward Taylor, who proposed that culture is a
system of human behavior and thoughts.
It is the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that the
members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are
transmitted from generation to generation through learning. Undoubtedly, it has a
great impact on the development of a person, his beliefs, his viewpoints and even on his
behaviour. We Filipinos, do have a very colorful culture. This is because of our rich history
brought about by countries who colonized us.

Language – is the strongest unifying element of culture.

Tower of Babel - A narrative in Genesis, an origin myth meant to explain why the world's peoples
speak different languages

CULTURAL INFLUENCES THAT SHAPE THE SELF

Since culture covers all aspects of human endeavor, it is essential to classify them into three (3) major
components:

I. THE MATERIAL COMPONENT

This pertains to all tangible materials that are inherited from previous generation. This is the
most obvious component because of its physical nature.

o Thus, the use of ballpens and papers, the wearing of Barong Tagalog, the use of chalks and
blackboards, or even the use of scissors and needles are examples of the material
component of culture.
o Other modern material objects which apparently become part of the Filipino culture, include
the wearing of jeans, the use of cellphones, the access to electronic mail, the use of
computer-assisted teaching presentation, and the use of electrical equipment such as
 electric fan, air-condition, washing machine, the internet communication and many more,
which make life easy and convenient.
II. THE COGNITIVE COMPONENT
Is composed of society’s values and norms which guides and regulates behavior. In
other words, it consists of the values, beliefs, and rules by which society directs people’s
interactions.
II. THE NORMATIVE COMPONENT
Insofar as the legal emphasis of culture is concerned, social norms are classified into two:
formal and informal social norms
a. Formal Norms – refers to what has generally been written down and involves strict rules
for punishments to offenders. Examples: Law and the school admission requirements
b. Informal Norms – refers to the generally understood customs or standards of behavior but
is not precisely recorded nor have any specific sanctions or punishments for the violators.
Example: - it is disgrace for a woman to be pregnant outside of marriage, but the people could not
impose punishment to such offense except ridicule, gossiping, and to some extent ostracism.

SOCIAL NORMS are also classified as FOLKWAYS and MORES (pronounced as mo-
rays). Insofar as their relative degree of importance is considered.
 FOLKWAYS are the general rules, of customary and habitual ways and patterns of
expected behavior in the society. They are more popularly known as customs,
traditions, or conventions. It governs everyday behaviour but there is only little
concern for any form of violation.
Example: It was improper to take food with a bare hand during meals, specially in public but
now it is tolerated. / The practice of raising one’s hand to take turns speaking in a group.
 MORES on the other hand, refers to the special folkways that are generally
emphasized because they deemed necessary for the welfare of the society. They
are the totality of the ideas and aspirations that embody the most cherished
principles of the people. They are highly mandaratory and compulsive.
Example: Wearing of face mask and social distancing

MECHANISM OF CULTURAL CHANGE

CULTURAL CHANGE happens because no society is in a constant state. Society continuously

evolves from one period of time to another. Such evolutionary characteristics maybe too minute
that is almost unnoticable, or too abrupt, that is suddenly changes the lives of the people.

Everything changes! Our lives are about centering ourselves, and responding well in a world og
change. -Robert Ricciardelli

For a situation to be considered as a CULTURAL LAG, one must take into account both social need and
the CULTURAL GOAL.

As mentioned above, every cultural goal is anchored on social need. The moment a cultural goal is no
longer needed but remains a cultural practice, such is the situation of the cultural lag.

CULTURAL LAG refers to the notion that culture takes time to catch up with technological
innovations, and the resulting social problems that are caused by this lag.

The second mechanism of cultural change is cultural borrowing, discovery or inventions.

CULTURAL BORROWING is a situation where one society borrows the culture of another society
and uses it as a new part of the culture.
o Most of the societies that experienced colonization have cultural borrowing. In the case of the
Philippines, Filipinos’ mode of dressing and speaking is mostly culturally borrowed from the
Spaniards and Americans.
o The second is discovery and invention, a situation where a particular item was discovered or
invented which eventually becomes part of the culture.
 It must be emphasized that not all cultural changes are beneficial to the people. Some are found to be
detrimental, although, it takes time on the part of the people to realize the detriment effect of such cultural
item.

XENOCENTRISM – is the preference for the cultural practices of other cultures and societies
which can entail how they live, what they eat, rather than of one’s way of life, which from a
nationalist’s point of view, lead to the rapid loss of national identity.
Example: In the Philippines, it is often assumed that American products are superior to those produced
locally

 Everyone lives in a certain society under specific given culture. The person’s thought and
behavior are guided by the kind of culture. It is culture that humanizes the self, it is culture
that assists a person-on the-self to realize his possibilities. It induces the self to act the
human way. Culture holds all that the self thinks of and all that he treasures as a member of a
certain society that distinguishes him from other creations.
 Customs, beliefs, traditions, values and norms define the character of the person-the self’s
behavior and actions. The self perceives things and judges them based on his own ideas and
beliefs or ways of life one displays.

KEY IDEAS:
1. Culture is a way of living thus it provides infinite role in the development of self and cultural
identity.
2. Cultural change directly affects individual and group as well as self-concept.
3. Culture humanizes the self. The self adheres to the cultural standards (particularly
normative set by each society)
4. Ethnocentrism and xenocentrism are indicators of the influence of culture to the self.
5. Assimilation, acculturation and amalgamation directly affect the formation of sense of self.