Personal Development Lesson 1: Knowing Oneself

Study Notes

Personality encompasses behaviors, feelings, thoughts, and motives that define an individual.
It's the essence of a person, combining physical, psychological, cognitive, affective, and spiritual aspects.
In the Philippines, personality is described with traits like “mabait" (kind), “masipag" (hardworking), “matapang" (brave), reflecting local cultural values.

Trait theory identifies personality types based on specific traits that differentiate individuals.
Costa and McRae developed the Big Five personality model, also known as OCEAN:
- Openness to Experience: Curiosity, imagination, and creativity.
- Conscientiousness: Planning, organization, and perseverance.
- Extraversion: Sociability, talkativeness, and outgoing nature.
- Agreeableness: Friendliness, warmth, and generosity.
- Neuroticism: Emotional stability; calmness versus anxiety.

Recognizing personal strengths leads to empowerment and informed decision-making.
Awareness of limitations serves as a launch point for self-development, encouraging the establishment of positive attitudes.

Paul Ekman identified six basic human emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust.
The term 'emotion' denotes variations in arousal, mood, and expressive behavior.
Feelings arise from the brain's interpretation of emotions, often linked to physical sensations. For example, seeing a snake can trigger fear, leading to the feeling of being afraid.

Attitudes reflect thoughts and feelings toward others, shaped by personal values and beliefs.
Behavior is the action stemming from attitudes, highlighting the connection between thought and action.
Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, “The ancestor of every action is a thought,” linking attitudes to behaviors in practical situations like education and religion.