Lesson 1 Knowing Oneself PDF

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: An Overview Personal Development: a lifelong process of self- improvement and growth that involves acquiring new knowledge, skills and experiences to enhance our potential, performance, and over all well-being. According to Dennis Waitley (2001), it is the belief that we are w...

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: An Overview Personal Development: a lifelong process of self- improvement and growth that involves acquiring new knowledge, skills and experiences to enhance our potential, performance, and over all well-being. According to Dennis Waitley (2001), it is the belief that we are worth the effort, time, and energy needed to develop ourselves. Personal Development in Adolescence: the process of growth and maturation that occurs during teenage years, including physical, cognitive, emotional, and social changes that shape an adolescent’s personality, behaviors, and attitudes. In other words, one’s self is not a fixed thing, but a living, changing, and ever developing aliveness. Questions to Ponder! Who am I? Why is knowing the self so important? The transition from childhood to adolescence is widely recognized as a defining journey for an individual. Adolescence: a critical period marked by the continued development of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional abilities. According to Erikson (1982), it is during this time that adolescents grapple with self- doubt and endeavour to unravel the mystery of their own identity. Socrates, a prominent figure of in Western philosophy, believes that self-knowledge should be the foundation of all knowledge, and that true wisdom begins with confronting our own ignorance. To him an unexamined life is not worth living. Plato a renowned Greek philosopher and a student of Socrates, believes that self- knowledge is the key to unlocking the essence of all knowledge. In psychology, the concept of the “Self” is a collection of characteristics used to describe oneself. Fundamental Ingredients of Self- Concept:  Self- ideal: a collection of images, emotions, and thoughts representing the person we aspire to be, embodying our idealized version.  Self- image: the mental pictures we hold of ourselves as we engage in various activities or performances. Its serves as an inner reflection that influences and guides our external behaviour and performance.  Self- esteem: our emotional evaluation and perception of ourselves, representing how we feel about ourselves. Personality: the word personality originated from the Latin word persona, which referred to a theatrical masks used by Roman actors in ancient Greek dramas to portray a fabricated appearance. Despite its long history, there is currently no single universally accepted definition of personality among theorists. It is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior (Feist, Feist, & Roberts, 2013).  Traits: contribute to individual differences in behaviour, consistency of behaviour over time, and stability of behaviour across situations. Traits may be unique, common to some group, or shared by the entire species, but their pattern is different for each individual.  Characteristics: are unique qualities of an individual that include such attributes as temperament, physique, and intelligence.  Psychologist who focus on the study of personality use the terms to refer to “psychological qualities that contribute to an individual’s enduring and distinctive patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.” (Cervone and Pervin, 2024).  by enduring: the qualities are at least somewhat consistent across time and situation of one’s life  by distinctive: personality features differentiate persons from one another.  Larsen and Buss (2005), define personality as a set of psychological traits and mechanisms within individual that are organized and relatively enduring and that influence his or her interactions with, and adaptations to the intrapsychic, physical and social environments.  Psychological traits: are characteristics that describe ways in which people are similar or different from each other. (Larsen & Buss, 2005)  Psychological mechanisms: the process of personality; fundamental processes that help explain human behavior and personality. It is important to note that personality with its traits and characteristics is organized and relatively enduring. Nature Vs Nurture It has been discovered that personality is not solely determined by a singular cause, but rather by the interplay of both genetic or hereditary (nature) and environmental factors (nurture). Personality has also been recognized as influential in one’s interactions with the environment. Our ancestors had to develop strong personalities as part of the “survival of the fittest” paradigm. Prenatal conditions and hormonal factors also impact the shaping of our personality in the future. There is also social environment (nurture) which refers to friends, family, classmates, and even strangers. On the other hand, adaptation connotes that our personality has adaptive functions (Larsen and Buss, 2005). Personality has the inner or mental environment within the mind which pertains to one’s memories, dreams, desires, and fantasies (Larssena nd Buss, 2005). Finally, the definition of personality would be incomplete without the emphasis on the environment (one’s physical and social environment). It is important to note that understanding the concept of personality, is a way of gaining insight into ourself. References:  Feist J. & Feist, J.G., Roberts, T.(2018). Theories of Personality (9th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc.  Llaneza-Ramos, M. L. (n.d.). *Personal Development: A Journey to Self-Awakening for Senior High School* (Revised ed., 1st ed.). C&E Publishing, Inc.  Erikson, E. H. (1982). The life cycle completed: A review. New York: Norton