Name: Brezuela, Ma.Paula Jean D.

Course & Section: BEED 1A

Date: Oct 19, 2023

Subject: Understanding the Self

Final Exam Essay

Task: Write a 1300 essay on the Article of Kitayama. Apply your understanding and learning from
our class.

Word Count: 1300

From what I acknowledge from Fr. Cirilo's lesson and advice throughout our session of the subject
- Understanding the Self. Understanding the Self in my own definition is that this subject can allow
us to be aware of our own complexities and differences. It allows us to be aware of how our
actions, thoughts, words and mind can be affected by a lot of things or influenced by it without our
knowledge.

I learned in this subject that I can know myself better, how to overcome challenges and obstacles
that strayed into my path and what else I can do with the right mindset to get into things. I learned
that by understanding myself better, I can have better communication and relationships with
other people in my surroundings. As I mentioned in my previous essays, I struggled to form solid
friendships in my elementary school years, the one that will not crumble easily because of
quarrels in personal issues. I'm glad to find solid friendships right now and take what I learned in
this subject into my heart and mind.

Additionally, I learned in this subject that I somehow manage to overcome my past struggles that I
often think about or my current struggles that gives me a headache. The juggle between school ,
family and community. In school, in my experience, you don't need to achieve the highest honor or
feel pressured to be a consistent honor student. I already experienced this as I let down other
expectations of me at that time but right now I learned to relax, take it easy and not pressure
myself to the point of blowing off. I need to study but for my own sake not for others to gawk at
and criticize when they feel like doing it. In my family, I learned that even though we are not
seeing each other these days, they always got my back. In my community, I learned to be patient
and to talk to other people, get along with them and understand them. I know that if I step out of
the school environment that we will encounter a much bigger world than the environment we
have always been surrounded with.

I often look back on the lessons Fr. Cirilo taught us. Such as when I first entered Fr. Cirilo's class I
expected a lot of things and when he proposed the question "Who am I?" I'm really baffled at that
time and began to question do I really know who am I, not just my basic information that everyone
can learn but this self of mine that made up of the thoughts that has been cultivated through time,
the mind that been changed and tempered as time pass by, and lastly my personality that had
been shaped as I grew and matured as years goes by.

I acquired knowledge of the different philosophers of different views of self in their own definition
and understanding. First is Socrates' view of self and the famous line “Know Yourself" is one of the
famous quotes that has been around in many centuries. This quote was viewed from his inner life
and I quite agree with this quote. If you don't know yourself, then how can you understand others
and how to interact and build relationships with them. Gaining self-knowledge necessitates
comprehending your own feelings, thoughts, convictions, principles, and conduct. It involves
knowing what inspires you, what you hold as significant in life, and what you look for in
interpersonal relationships. Continuously fostering self-awareness and introspection is vital to
gaining a better understanding of your own mind.

Second is St. Thomas Aquinas' view of self and his quote “Experience is the Key" and I quite agree
with this. Every experience that you gain every single day will be accumulated and someday will
be used in certain situations you might encounter. This experience will result in learning to
achieve outcomes that promote learning, growth, and/or improved ability to work effectively.

As I further delved into the topics that Fr. Cirilo taught us, we can see the interesting theories
about how the human mind works and the difference of development in each person. Even though
I'm quite fascinated and taken with Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory, I quite agree with
Erik Erikson's of Psychosocial Development. Throughout my research on this theory, I discovered
that while Sigmund Freud's theories have undoubtedly had a significant impact on the field of
psychology, many modern psychologists and researchers have moved away from his approach in
recent years. Freud's emphasis on childhood experiences and the role of the unconscious mind in
shaping behavior and personality has been criticized for its lack of empirical evidence and its
focus on pathology rather than growth.

In contrast, Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory has gained popularity and relevance in the field.
Erikson's approach emphasizes the importance of social and cultural influences in shaping our
development and identity. He proposed that we go through eight stages of psychosocial
development throughout our lives, each with its own unique set of challenges and opportunities
for growth.

Erikson's theory has been praised for its focus on the positive aspects of human development, as
well as its recognition of the importance of social connections and relationships. In today's
increasingly interconnected world, Erikson's emphasis on the role of culture and community in
shaping our development feels especially pertinent.

Overall, while Freud's approach may have fallen out of favor with many modern psychologists and
researchers, Erikson's views continue to be widely studied and applied in the field of psychology.

Now in the article about the big five, these five traits are extroversion vs. introversion,
neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience. According to what I
understand and my experience in this matter, the Introverts are shy people and don't interact
with other people much or they don't have much energy to socialize with others. I'm also a shy
person and don't like to interact much but don't want to be left out in my group of friends. It's
contradicting but I like my friends who will respect each other's boundaries and personal space.
But If I continue my course as a future educator, I will do my best and be an extrovert in my
chosen profession. This profession needs to interact with my students, parents and fellow
teachers.

The Extroverts are the opposite of the Introverts, they are people who have much energy to
interact and socialize with other people . They are the people who love to bond with others such
as their friends, peers and family. In my case, I slowly taught myself to expose myself and interact
with other people, not to be shy and nervous easily. If I don't have this, how can I face my future
students who may be shaped by my advice and teachings that I taught them.

When considering the five personality traits, I identify more with Introversion. Although I may
appear outgoing in certain situations, this is often just a facade to fit in with those around me. In
reality, I prefer to relax and recharge my energy when alone.
I struggle with Neuroticism, especially when stressed or in high-emotion situations. I find it
difficult to control my emotions and actions at times, which can be a challenge.

in terms of Agreeableness, I have learned to be more cautious about giving too much of myself to
others. I have had negative experiences in the past where I put others' needs before my own and
ended up feeling alone and unsupported. I have learned that it is okay to prioritize my own needs
and those of my loved ones.

When it comes to Conscientiousness, I am able to adapt my attitude and behavior to fit the
situation at hand. As a young teen, I was very serious and focused on academics, which sometimes
clashed with my more extroverted friends. However, I have learned to adjust my approach as
needed.

Finally, I have a strong desire for Openness to Experience, and enjoy exploring and discovering
new things. However, I also recognize the importance of being mindful and not exploring topics
that may be inappropriate or sensitive.

Now in the article by Markus Kitayama , I understand that our cultural influences extend beyond
our culture and customs. Kitayama said in the article that our upbringing, cognition and emotions
can be affected by our cultures. In my opinion this is true to some extent. Collectivist societies
prioritize group harmony and conformity, which leads to an interdependent self. An example of
this is Asian countries who value family and community. Meanwhile, individualistic cultures
prioritize self-expression and personal achievement, which fosters a more independent self. An
example of this is European countries who value individual choice and independence.

These countries mentioned have differences in different aspects such as in the Philippines, many
couples don't take into consideration family planning which will result in many offspring. I've seen
many struggling couples that have this problem, they don't plan how many children they will have
and suffer the poverty that comes along with it. The marriage aspect, because the Philippines is a
religious catholic country, we don't have a divorce but we do have an annulment. The problem
with this is that this consumes a large amount of money and time. The skin aspect, throughout the
decades, Filipinos’ adored the porcelain or white skin of other countries and hoped to have that
type of skin. The beauty industry in skin whitening products is getting popular because of this.