UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

MR. NILO S. LAPAD

INSTRUCTOR
 CHAPTER 8:
THE MATERIAL SELF
“I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is
best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind”.

– Albert Einstein
 MATERIAL SELF

• William James (1980)

- The self is everything that an individual
considers to be his or hers, not only his or her body and
material possessions but also his or her reputation and
beliefs.
 Basic Component of Material Self
1. BODY
– One of the task of adolescents is to accept and appreciate
physical characteristics of their body. Adolescents tend to worry
about their bodies and physical appearance. Generally, girls are
more concerned about the appearance of their body than boys.
2. CLOTHES
– Clothes represents the self. The style and brand of clothes
become significant symbols, particularly among adolescents. The
clothes they tend to wear are greatly influenced by their peer
groups because adolescents are anxious to conform to what their
peer groups find fashionable and attractive.
 Basic Component of Material Self
3. People
– an individual who has relationship with such as one’s immediate and
extended family members as well as close friends with whom one feels
psychologically connected.
Also includes:
House
Car
Pet
 The Role of Material Possessions on the Sense of Self and
Identity
Regardless of how much or how little material possessions people have,
they remain valuable because these possessions are symbolic of one’s
social status. Cars, house, gadgets, and clothes are to some the most
valuable possessions because they are the most visible in the eyes of
others. The more expensive they are, the more other people are impressed.
 Russell Belk (1988)
– in his work “Are We What We Own?” suggests that material
possessions act as an objective manifestation of the self. Material
possessions can be a reflection of hard work or success.
 Normally, people tend to measure success through the amount of
their material possessions. Owning material possessions becomes a
driving force in urging an individual to seek high level of
achievement in order to be able to acquire more possessions.
Defining the self by material possessions can also contribute to a
feeling of well – being, including a sense of personal growth and
purpose or meaning of life.
People tend to judge others through their material possessions.
Thus, the greater the material possessions, the more likely one will
be accepted and regarded well by other people. The important point
is that these components of the material self become a significant
reference of one’s sense of self and identity.
 Negative Effects of Material Possessions on One’s
Sense of Self and Identity
Materialism refers to giving more importance to material possessions
than intangible values. A materialistic person is one who is excessively
concerned with the acquisition of material possessions. The strong
desire for material possessions could lead to psychological dysfunction
or impairment in functioning such as compulsive buying disorder (CBD).
Russell Belk (1988)
– developmental evidence suggests that identification with material
things begins quite early in life but remains high throughout life as
people seek for happiness.
 Psychologists identify other social and cultural factors that
seem to be strongly implicated in the etiology of materialism.
People are exposed to images in television, internet, and
magazines that brag about the importance of material
possessions such as branded clothes, mobile phones, cars, and
the like. Lack or loss of these material possessions could lead to
anxiety, insecurity, and depression in people who are overly
materialistic. Thus, when a person is about to make a purchase,
he or she should ask himself or herself a very important
questions: DO I REALLY NEED THIS?
THANK YOU!