Mariano 1

Mariano, Patrick Aaron L.

March 18, 2022

RZL110 – A31

How does society impact the character of a person?

Our modern society today was slowly molded into place by the previous civilization.

Our history determines our beliefs, but as we continue to grow, we adapt to our current

situation and evolve our thinking to improve how our society functions as a whole. This

would’ve been more easier if all of us shared the same thought process, but outside of

that ideal reality, we tend to follow the path that was thrown into us by the different

people that we come across as we grow. But how exactly does this shape us to be the

person we are? Additionally, how did society affect the character of Jose Rizal?

When the Spanish people came to the Philippines, the Chinese people were already

there and had already made their own small community. But as the Spaniards colonized

our country, they saw the Chinese people as a threat, so they tried restricting their

actions by segregating them from society, and the only way to overcome this situation

was for them to convert to Catholicism in order to gain access back to the community.

(Wickberg, 1966)
 Mariano 2

What was shown here is that people frequently conform to a group’s norms in

order to gain the acceptance of our members. In a modern-day scenario, supporters of

a political party wear their team’s shirts and colors in order to feel part of the same

group and to show the other group that you are already supporting a cause. Friends

may also dress similarly to their peers in order to feel more at ease and to emphasize

their shared ideas. However, if you somehow show them that you oppose their views,

they would react to it quickly, and they’ll see you as an outsider trying to go against

them.

In this situation, the Chinese people had no other choice but to abide by the

Spanish rule. They even resorted to co-producing with the native Filipino people in

order to get the same benefits the Filipino people are having. Society leads them to

follow a new path in order to survive at the time that they have their decks stacked

against them, so they respond at some degree of compliance.

When attempting a attain a common purpose, group conformity can also promote

collaboration. When an individual has a minor influence over a larger group, they can

persuade that group to work collaboratively. By way of illustration, political aspirants

seek new volunteers to advocate their community in ways that a single person acting

alone cannot.

Cooperation, however, can lead to the conformity of viewpoints, likely to result in a

phenomenon known as groupthink. When this happens, members of a group adopt

agreed-upon views and actions to pursue a specific goal, but they reject criticism from
 Mariano 3

people who criticize or doubt the group’s behavior. (Ellwood, 1910) This is exactly what

is happening to us right now, and this is the type of behavior that we usually see on

social media. People tend to hold on to how they view the world without questioning its

imperfections, and when they hear other people’s criticism towards their views, they

immediately react to it instead of giving a response, the two of which are relatively

different approaches.

This lack of critical thinking can also have a negative impact on a group’s

performance because it makes it difficult to assess their own actions and respond to

change. Furthermore, group conformity promotes a sense of unity within society. Laws

preventing conflict and thievery help to protect all members of a community. Such

rules, however, rely on people adhering to the norms of the larger population by

functioning as law-abiding citizens.

Dr. Jose Rizal was different; he manifested a higher sense of virtue as a Filipino.

Even though he was a fifth-generation Chinese mestizo, he dissociated himself from any

Chinese relations. This implies that he refuses to be controlled by the system, and he

wishes not to follow the same pattern that led the Chinese and his fellow Filipino people

to become puppets of the Spaniards. He immediately saw what was happening to the

society, and his curiosity got the better of him, so he tried to do something about it

instead of giving in to it.

Fortunately, he was not alone, as the birth of Filipino consciousness was already

present at the time and needed only a kickstart in order to move forward. At the time
 Mariano 4

of the existence of the friar lands, his family suffered great loss due to the conflicts of

land ownership in the hacienda. It might be due to this that his family awakened their

Filipino consciousness, which in turn also helped Rizal in awakening his own, as he was

influenced by them. His family members were the people that truly nurtured him to be

what he is, a virtuous and religious man. The influence that his family gave to him is

what truly contributed to the development of his Filipino consciousness.

The way we are being brought up in our present times, we aren’t really just

influenced by our own family members; we are more likely to be influenced by other

people or by personalities that we see today, especially on social media. That is how

our present society works. Some of us rely on information provided by other people,

and if it satisfies our morality, we immediately join the ranks of these people without

even questioning the imperfections; as long as we share the same thought and we are

in great numbers, we think we are on the right path.

To conclude, a person’s character is shaped by the pattern created by our society.

We use the influence of other people to develop our own traits, which could result in

either positive or negative. Culture is also one of the leading factors, as people of the

same culture naturally share the same values most of the time. But even if all this is

true, we shouldn’t let ourselves be shaped by what we see or hear around us. We

should also be the judge of our own selves, so that we may understand the society

much better, and hope to be able to contribute for the betterment of everybody.
 Mariano 5

Works Cited:

Wickberg, Edgar. “The Chinese in Philippine Life.” New Haven, Conn: Yale University

Press, 1966.

Ellwood, Charles A. "The psychological view of society." American Journal of Sociology

15.5 (1910): 596-618.

Perez, Arnel G. "Rizal Law and The Philippines in the 19th Century as Rizal Context."