CHAPTER II

UNPACKING THE SELF

Lesson 2:
To Buy or Not to Buy? That Is the Question!
Lesson 2:
To Buy or Not to Buy? That Is the Question!
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Explain the association of self and possessions;
2. Identify the role of consumer culture to self and identity;
and
3. Appraise one’s self based on the description of material self.
ACTIVITY
Debit Card Challenge

A very wealthy person gave you a debit card and told you to use it as
much as you want to make yourself happy. What are you going to do
with it? Make a list of what you want to have. Write as many as you
want.
ANALYSIS
Answer the following questions:
1. How do you feel as you do the Debit Card Challenge?
2. Which among the items on your list you like the most? Why?
3. If ever you were given the chance in real life to have one among the list,
which would you choose? Why?
4. Does your choice differ from your answer in question number 2? Why or why
not?
5. Let your classmate read your list. Ask him/her to give or write a quick
impression of yourself based on the list you showed him/her.
6. Is the quick impression of your classmate has some truth about who you are?
ABSTRACTION
•Material Self
-William James, understanding the self can be examined through its different
components:
(1) its constituents; (2) the feelings and emotions they arouse—self-feelings; (3) the
actions to which they prompt—self-seeking and self-preservation
-The constituents of self are composed of the material self, the social self, the spiritual
self, and the pure ego.
-The material self, according to James primarily is about our bodies, clothes,
immediate family, and home.
-The more investment of self-given to the particular thing, the more we identify
ourselves to it. We also tended to collect and possess properties. The collections in
different degree of investment of self, becomes part of the self.
• We Are What We Have
- Russel Belk posits that “…we regard our possessions as part of ourselves. We
are what we have and what we posses.”
- As we grow older, putting importance to material possession decreases.
- Material possession gains higher value in our lifetime if we use material
possession to find happiness, associate these things with significant events,
accomplishments, and people in our lives.
- The possessions that we dearly have tell something about who we are, our
self-concept, our past, and even our future.
• APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT
Debit Card Challenge List
1. Go back to your Debit Card Challenge List. Put a mark on the left side of
each item with the following categories:

B – if the item is related with your body

C – if the item is related with clothes

F – if the item is related or intended to your family

H – if the item is related with home

2. Answer the following questions:
• Which among the categories you have the most in your list?
• What do you think these things tell you about yourself?

3. Make a reflection paper about material self. You may use your
answers from the above questions in making your paper.
Collage Making
Create a collage of your treasured possessions including your current
clothing style. You may use symbols or pictures of your treasured
possessions. Put a short note why you treasure each item.
•Lesson 3:
Supernaturals: Believe It or Not!
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1.Identify various religious practices and beliefs;

2.Understand the self in relation with religious beliefs; and

3.Explain ways of finding the meaning of life.

ACTIVITY

Art Recall
Recall:
When was the first time you realized that there is a higher being than
yourself? How old were you then? What made you believe that there is a
higher being?
Draw:
Make a poster about the instance or situation that made you believe in
the existence of a higher being.
ABSTRACTION
• Religion
1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being, such as spirit and gods
2. A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of
reverence and awe
3. The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on
supernatural beings as well as physical beings and objects
4. The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of
sacred object to communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence
or control events
5. The articulation of worldview and moral codes through narratives and
other means
6. Provide the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of
social control within a community
• Ritual
- Performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred law
- A specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by all known
societies; as a way of defining or describing humans
- Ritual has the characteristics of:
1. A feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in
relation to the sacred
2. Dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the
language of myth
3. Is symbolic in relation to its reference
Some World Religious Beliefs and Practices
• Buddhism
Beliefs:
Life is not a bed of roses. Instead, there are suffering, pain, and frustration. This reactive
cycle can be broken through the practice of mediation, acquiring more wisdom and
deeper understanding, and acceptance of things as they are.
Customs and Practices:
Samatha is practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of loving kindness;
Vipassana practices aim at developing insight into reality. Acquiring wisdom is by studying
Buddha’s teaching, the Dharma.
Buddhist celebrations are Parinirvana Day in February; Buddha Day (Wesak) in May;
Dharma Day in July; Padmasambhava Day in October; and Sangha Day in November.
• Christianity
Beliefs:
Christians believe in Trinitarian God, one God in three personas: God the Father
(Creator), God the Son (Savior), and God the Holy Spirit (Sustainer). Eternal life
after death will be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Bible is a
selection of books, which is divided into two ‒ the Old Testament and New
Testament.
Customs and Practices:
The Sacrament of Baptism symbolizes the birth in Christian World. The Sacrament
of Communion is an act of remembrance of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial love.
Christmas and Resurrection (Easter) are the two major celebrations in Christianity.
• Hinduism
Beliefs:
Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth,
governed by Karma, a concept where the reincarnated life will depend on
how the past life was spent. Vedas are sacred scriptures of Hindus.
Mahabharata and Ramayana are two other important texts of the Hindus.
Customs and Practices:
Diwali is the Festival of Lights. Navrati is the festival of nine nights, which
celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Hindus have set dates to honor
particular manifestations of God.
• Islam
Beliefs:
Islam means “willing submission to God.” Muslims believe in Allah, who is their “One
God”, in the unity and universality of God, that Mohammed is the last and final prophet
sent by God. The Holy Book of Islam is called the Quran.

Customs and Practices:

Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of Muslim life:
1. Shahadah – statement of faith: “There is no God but the one true God and
Mohammed is his messenger.
2. Salat – the prayer that is practiced five times a day.
3. Zakat – the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It comprises the
2.5% of a Muslim’s assets.
4. Hajj – the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are asked
to do the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
5. Sawm – the fasting. Muslims do fasting, from food, drink, and sexual act,
during the celebration of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the
Islamic lunar calendar. The fast is from dawn to sunset.

Eidul-Fitr is the celebration at the end of Ramadan, while Eidul-Adha is

celebrated with in the completion of the Pilgrimage, the Hajj.
• Judaism
Beliefs:
The Jews believe in the God of Abraham, in the coming of Messiah, the Savior. The sacred
scripture of the Jews is called the Torah or the Law.
Customs and Practices:
There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:
1. Rosh Hashanah – the New Year
2. Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement
3. Pesach – Passover
4. Shavuot – Pentecost
5. Sukkot – Tabernacles

The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset and is an important time when
families gather for the Shabbat meal.
• Logotherapy
- A psychotherapy introduced by Dr. Viktor Frankl
- The main belief is that “man’s primary motivational force is search for meaning.”
- Aids individuals to find personal meaning of life, whatever life situation they may be
- It uses the philosophy of optimism in the face of tragedy.

The Franklian Psychology has these basic concepts:

- Life has meaning under all circumstances.
- The main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
- Freedom to find meaning
Franklian Psychology aims to:
1. Become aware of spiritual resources;
2. Make conscious spiritual resources; and
3. Use “defiant power of the human spirit” and stand up against adversity.
Logotherapy Assumptions
1. The human being is an entity consisting of body, mind, and spirit.
2. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable.
3. People have a will to meaning.
4. People have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find
meaning.
5. Life has a demand quality to which people must respond if decisions are to
be meaningful.
6. The individual is unique.
Frankl’s Sources of Meaning
1. Purposeful Work. Each individual has his/her own future goal to achieve or a
task to perform; the meaning of life is unique to every individual.

2. Courage in the Face of Difficulty. To find meaning of life is to recognize suffering,

pain, and death as part of life and to have the courage to face these life
difficulties.

3. Love. “The ultimate secret on the spiritual foundation of life is that love is
salvation and joy eternity.” The ultimate factor to find the meaning of life is love.
APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT
1. Video Clip. Make a video clip with reflection on any of the following
topics:
a. Filipino rituals and ceremonies covering all regions of the Philippines
b. Filipino indigenous religious practices featuring five tribes from Luzon,
Visayas, or Mindanao
c. Modern day expression of spiritual being
Make sure to showcase the origin, meaning of each ritual and ceremony, and your
personal reflection.
2. Reflection Paper. Reflect on Viktor Frankl’s sources of the meaning of life.