CORE 12_ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

TOPIC KNOWING ONESELF: Understanding oneself during middle and late adolescence
MODULE # 1

I. OVERVIEW

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” ---- Aristotle.

Do you know yourself already? Do you know your strengths and
weaknesses? Did you ever ask yourself the question “who I really am?”
Humans as we are, we need to have the knowledge of ourselves in
order to at least depend on the idea that I am what I am. In this module,
you will further learn more about yourselves and the different kinds of
selves.

This module was designed and written to help the learners to master the topic on Knowing
Oneself. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many different learning situations.
The module consists of activities and exercises that address key concern in personal
development and for senior high students to better understand them and the significant
people around them as they make important career decisions as adolescents. Using the
experiential learning approach, each activity invites students to explore specific themes in
their development through personal reflections, sharing, and lectures in acknowledging
relevant concepts, theories, and tools in different areas in psychology.

A. Learning Competency

Learners will be able to:

✓ Conduct self-exploration and simple disclosure.

B. Specific Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, learners are expected to demonstrate an understanding of:
✓ Explain that knowing oneself can make a person accept his/her strengths and
limitations and dealing with others better. EsP-PD11/12KO-Ia-1.1

✓Share his/her unique characteristics, habits, and experiences. EsP-PD11/12KO-Ia-1.2

✓ Maintain a journal EsP-PD11/12KO-Ib-1.3

 KNOWING ONESELF:
Understanding oneself during
middle and late adolescence

LESSON OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, the student is expected to be able to:

1. Explain that knowing yourself can make you accept your own self-concept, personal
effectiveness, strengths, and limitations, and in dealing with others better, and your
uniqueness through discussions.

2. Determine how characteristics, habits, and experiences becomes unique to every person
through reflection.

3. Share your own unique characteristics, habits, and experiences in composing song.

II.LET’S BEGIN

Imagine yourself looking into a mirror. What

do you see? Do you see your ideal self or your actual
self? Your ideal self is the self that you aspire to be. It
is the one that you hope will possess characteristics
like that of a mentor or some other worldly figure.
Your actual self, however, is the one that you see. It
is the self that has characteristics that you were
nurtured or in some cases, born to have. The actual
self and the ideal self are two broad categories of self-
concept. Self-concept refers to your awareness of
yourself. It is the construct that negotiates these two
selves. In other words, it connotes first the
identification of the ideal self as separate from others
and second is that it encompasses all the behaviors
evaluated in the actual self that you engage in to reach the ideal self.

It is believed that the words “Know Thyself” which were written at the entry of the oracle at
Delphi by seven Greek philosophers, statesmen and lawgivers became the cornerstone of
Western philosophy.

> For Socrates, the most important thing to pursue was self -knowledge and admitting one’s
ignorance is the beginning of true knowledge.

>For Plato, one of Socrates’ students, the beginning of knowledge is self- knowledge.

>Other ancient philosophers from other culture saw the wisdom in knowing oneself.
> The ancient Hindu writings Upanishads confirmed “Enquiry into the truth of the “Self” is
knowledge”.

>The Persian poet Rumi ruminated “Who am I in the midst of all this thought traffic?” and

> The American poet Walt Whitman celebrated his “Self” as a “simple and separate person.”

The actual self is built on self-knowledge. Self-knowledge is derived from social

interactions that provide insight into how others react to you. The actual self is who we are.
It is how we think, how we feel, look, and act. The actual self can be seen by others but
because we have no way of truly knowing how others view us, the actual self is our self-image.

The ideal self, on the other hand, is how we want to be. It is an idealized image that
we have developed over time based on what we have learned and experienced. The ideal self
could include components of what our parents have taught us, what we admire in others,
what our society promotes, and what we think best interests us.

How to know oneself? We must define first the concept of the “Self”. In philosophical terms,
it is the being which is the source of a person’s consciousness. It is the agent responsible for
an individual’s thoughts and actions. Based on this definition, the “Self” is an intangible entity
that directs a person’s thoughts and actions. It is outside the physical realm of the person.

The “Self” is the essence of a person: his thoughts, feelings and actions, experiences, beliefs,
values, principles, and relationships. The “Self’ includes a person’s life purpose, meaning and
aspirations.

If the “Self” is defined as the cognitive and affective representation of one’s identity,
it is then defined in terms of human characteristics such as behavior and thought.

Personal Effectiveness

Personal effectiveness means making use of all the personal resources-talents, skills,
energy, and time to enable you to achieve goals.

Our personal effectiveness depends on our innate characteristics-talent and experience

accumulated in the process of personal development. Talents first are needed to be identified
and then developed to be used in a particular subject area (science, literature, sports, politics,
etc.)

Experience includes knowledge and skills that we acquire in the process of cognitive and
practical activities.

Knowledge is required for setting goals and defining an action plan to achieve them and risk
assessment.

Skills also determine whether real actions are performed in accordance with the plan. If the
same ability is used many times in the same situation, then it becomes a habit that runs
automatically, subconsciously. Here are some skills that will greatly increases the efficiency of
any person who owns them.

1. Determination. It allows you to focus only in achieving a specific goal without being
distracted by less important things or spontaneous desires. It may be developed with the help
of self-discipline exercise.

2. Self-Confidence. It appears in the process of personal development as a result of getting

aware of yourself, your actions and their consequences. Self-confidence is manifested in
speech, appearance, dressing, gait, and physical condition. To develop it, you need to learn
about yourself and your capabilities, gain positive attitude and believe that by performing
right actions and achieving right goals you will certainly reach success.
3. Persistence. It makes you keep moving forward regardless of emerging obstacles-
problems, laziness, bad emotional state, etc. It reduces the costs of overcoming obstacles. It
can also be developed with the help of self-discipline exercise.

4. Managing Stress. It helps combat stress that arises in daily life from the environment and
other people. Stress arises from the uncertainty in an unknown situation when a lack of
information creates the risk of negative consequences of your actions. It increases efficiency.
In the actively changing environment.

5. Problem-solving skills. They help cope with the problems encountered with a lack of
experience. It increases efficiency by adopting new ways of achieving goals when obtaining a
new experience.

6. Creativity. It allows to find extraordinary ways to carry out a specific action that no one has
tried to use. It can lead to decrease or an increase of costs. But usually, the speed of action is
greatly increased when using creative tools.

7. Generating ideas. It helps you achieve goals using new, original, unconventional ideas. For
generating idea, you can use a method of mental maps which allows you to materialize,
visualize and scrutinize all your ideas, which in turn contributes to the emergence of new
ideas.

Build on Your Strengths and Work on Your Weaknesses

Instead of giving up or indulging in self-pity, take action. Go for speech lessons, get skills
upgrading, attend personality development sessions or whatever appropriate remedies to
your perceived weakness. Instead of simply focusing on your weaknesses, recognize your
own talents and abilities, build on them and utilize them to your greatest advantage. This is
where you can build your name and popularity.

YOU NEED TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR FUTURE

There are three kinds of people in the world. The moviegoer, the actor, and the scriptwriter.

The moviegoer-This person is watching the movie of their life and praising some scenes while
criticizing others. They don't do anything else but that. She spends the entire day saying, "I
like this, but I don't like that." The moviegoer believes she has no control over their lives other
than to comment on them. Moviegoers are the most pitiful, unhappy individuals on the
planet.

The Actor- this person does not only watch the movie of her life. She realizes she’s the actor.
She is aware that she is the Actor, and that she has influence over a significant portion of her
life. She can actually make or break the movie but in the end, she cannot change whatever is
planned to be the ending. In short, this person will just only go with what life gives.

The Scriptwriter- This person actually creates the movie of her life. She has control over
everything that she does. She seeks to make the movie of her life beautiful.

Questions:

Who are you among these three?

Do you merely watch your life?

Do you act out a script that you feel has been handed to you?

Do you write the script and make your life beautiful?

III. WE’RE ON OUR WAY

Activity 1: My Banner- The Treasure Within Me

Directions: In a separate sheet of paper, replicate the diagram and write down the following:

1 and 2 two things I do very well

3 and 4 my two greatest achievements in life

5 what in myself am I proudest of

6 my happiest moment

7 positive words that my friends use to describe me.

8 a personal goal that I have already achieved.

9 three blessing for which I am most thankful to God.

10 three of my positive qualities.

11 difficulties, challenges, and problems that I was able to solve and overcome.

IV. HOW FAR HAVE WE GONE

Activity 2: Reflection

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, write your reflection regarding your banner by
answering the questions below.

1. What do you consider as your weaknesses, abilities, and talents?

2. What are the remedies you will take to improve or compensate for your weakness?

3. How can you further enrich your assets and strengths?

4. Where and how do you use it to your best advantage?

RUBRICS
 4 3 2 1
Ideas were Ideas may be Ideas were Ideas were
clearly evident, but the present but poorly
Development organized, on organization of vague developed
of Ideas point and thoughts need
supported with to be
valid reasons strengthened
Well written Well written Awkward Poor writing
and fully and most points writing style with little to no
elaborated elaborated with and points are specific details
Elaboration points with clear details general. Errors
clear and are also present
accurate
information

V. WE’RE ON OUR WAY

Activity 3: The Importance of Me!

Direction: Compose a song of two stanzas about “The Value of Oneself”. Write your
composition on a separate short coupon bond.

_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________.

_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________.

RUBRICS

4 3 2 1
Ideas were Ideas may be Ideas were Ideas were
clearly evident, but the present but poorly
Development organized, on organization of vague developed
of Ideas point and thoughts need
supported with to be
valid reasons strengthened
Well written Well written Awkward Poor writing
and fully and most points writing style with little to no
elaborated elaborated with and points are specific details
Elaboration points with clear details general. Errors
clear and are also present
accurate
information
VI. REFERENCES
Source: Roldan, Amelia S. (2003). On Becoming a Winner: A Workbook on Personality
Development and Character Building. AR Skills Development and Management Services
(SDMS), Paranaque City, Metro Manila

Source: Angelita Ong Camilar-Serrano- DBA (candidate). (2016). Personal Development.

Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing Inc., Cabildo St.,

Source: Sanchez, Bo. (2006). Life Dreams Success Journal: Your Powerful Tool to Achieve and
Surpass Your Dreams One Step at a Time. Shepherd’s Voice Publishing Intramuros, Manila

Knowing Oneself (slideshare.net)

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