Understanding the self

Do you AGREE or DISAGREE?

 We can be whatever or whoever we want to be.

Agree. The Lord gave us the freedom of what we wanted to be in our lives. When I stopped
schooling, it is a choice. When I realized to continue, it is again my choice since I wanted to
become a policeman someday.

 Our tendencies are completely controllable.

Agree. The freedom of choice is a manifestation that who we are is within our control. We might
have different circumstances in life, say some are born rich, others are poor, but to become rich
from being poor is a completely within our control.

 We are what we are right now because we want to be like this.

Agree. Our destiny is a matter of choice. When I got married so early, I have to take the
consequence to take the responsibility of a father. And now, I realized to continue my education
to provide a better future to my family, so even it is hard, I have to accept it.

 There are still many things that we haven’t discovered about ourselves

Agree. Life is full of surprises. There are lot of things that we still need to discover as we grow
old.

 Our parents (or family members) can only influence us while we are in the growing up years.

Agree. Parents are there when we are in our formative years. But as time passed by and we are
exposed to other people more often than our parents, their influence will also diminish.

SLIDE 17
SELF vs. IDENTITY

I am myself. I am living to what I am expected to do as a human being. But in the course of being myself,
there are things that I do that show my identity as a person which distinguishes me from the others.

SLIDE 21
You now being are asked to describe a particular person using only one word (e.g., Your Best Friend),
how will you describe him/her?

My Best Friend is:

… with a secret name “Mr. Strict Man”. I describe him as strict man because he always keeps on
reminding me of what shall I do, be it in my personal or career life. He does not want to waste time in
doing things the right way. He is the man who believes in me and pushes me to my limits in order to
reach my goals in life. At first I find him very pushy and irritating, but now I am doing good in school, this
made me realized that he just wanted me to achieve in life.

SLIDE 22
My Best friend is “Mr. Strict Man”. He can be described as follows:

a. Physical – he is well-dressed and very professional

b. Emotional – he is more mature than I am since he speaks more of his experiences in life that
motivates me as a person

c. Social – he is very exposed to people who are known in their place but according to him, they
are just his acquaintances, and his best friend is me because I am true to myself and he wanted
to achieve just like him

d. Intellectual – he is intelligent since he is a law graduate and pursuing to pass his bar
examinations and I am praying for him. I wanted to be as successful as him in the future

e. Spiritual – he is a religious person. He always tell me that I have to do things for the glory of God
and everything will follow as to the fulfilment of my dreams.

SLIDE 24
Do you think it’s fair to describe a person using only a few words?

For me, no amounts of words can truly describe a person. His description that I can give are only those
that are manifestly obvious to me.

SLIDE 31
Module Assessment

Check your workbook:

• Exercise No. 1 . The Factors of My Self (pg. 8)

• Exercise No. 2. The Factors of My Self and Others (pg. 9)

SLIDE 34
Do you AGREE or DISAGREE?

 Different Philosophers hold the same views about the Self.

 Philosophers have used empirical and rational lens in explaining the self.

 Philosophy of the Self as explained by modern philosophers are more relevant than the
standpoint of ancient philosophers.

 Philosophical views of the self are useful guide to a better life.

SLIDE 45
Philosophy of the Self

 Do you agree with what these philosophers have concluded about the self?

 Do you see how their explanations of the self apply to you in the present?

 If you are to choose one particular philosophy of the Self, what would it be and why?

Slide 46
Module Assessment

• Exercise No. 1 . How Do I See My Self.

• Exercise No. 2. How Do I See My Self and Others.

SLIDE 49
Do you AGREE or DISAGREE?

 Philosophy and Science share the same views about the Self.

Disagree. Philosophy is the way we think and science is the knowledge. Relating to one’s self,
the way we think is different from the knowledge that we have.

 Science encompasses biological evolution of self.

Disagree. Science covers only the physical development of an individual and not the way he
thinks.

 Science explains how environments and contexts shape the self.

Agree. The way we think is greatly influence by the environment where we live in and this also
what makes ourselves as persons, on how we think.

 Science makes use of systematic methodologies in conceptualizing the self.

Agree. Science helps explain why we behave like this and that. These scientific explanations will
help us in conceptualizing the person we have to be.

 The physical aspect of the self is the only scientific standpoint that matters.

Disagree. Scientific standpoint is not only concern on our physical aspect as a person but also
concern with the other aspects such as social, emotional and intellectual aspects. These aspects
are now being studied in science which only shows that science matters in other aspects than
our physical aspect.

SLIDE 60
Science of the Self

 Do our physical bodies define who we are?

Partly yes, but not totally. Physical bodies define us in terms of our physical appearance
reflecting our well-being as a person. If we are healthy, it is manifested in how we look
physically. This also affects our self-esteem or emotional well-being.

 Do our societal identities change?

Yes. Our society is one of the biggest contributor to our identity as an individual. As the
saying goes, “tell me who your friends and I will tell who you are.”

 To what extent does society shape our self and identity?

Society sets the standards on how we behave in the society. But how we make the
difference is establishing our identity.

SLIDE 61
Module Assessment

• Exercise No. 1 . My DNA (Diversity, Nature-Nurture, and Anatomy (pgs. 24 – 26)

• Exercise No. 2. My RNA – Relations and Nature/Nurture Analysis (pgs. 27 – 28)