NGEC 1 – Understanding the Self PDF

NGEC 1 – Understanding the Self Lecture / First Semester L1: PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE John Locke (1633 – 1704) SELF English philosopher, political theorist, and Socrates (469 – 399 BCE)...

NGEC 1 – Understanding the Self Lecture / First Semester L1: PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE John Locke (1633 – 1704) SELF English philosopher, political theorist, and Socrates (469 – 399 BCE) physician Provided a change of perspective by focusing A person is a blank slate or tabula rasa at on the self. birth. Xenophon and Plato – documented his life and Experience fills this blank state and personal ideas identity/self is formed. Believed that it is the duty of the philosopher to Self cant be found in soul nor body but in one’s know oneself. consciousness. “Unexamined life is not worth living” The consciousness and the “self” that comes Saw a person as dualistic; every person is with it can be transferred from one person to composed of body and soul. another. ○ Physical body (imperfect and impermanent) David Hume (1711 – 1776) ○ Soul (perfect and permanent) Scottish philosopher and empiricist Argues that no self is beyond what can be Plato (428 – 347 BCE) experienced; we do not know others as we Soul has three components: haven’t seen or touch their souls, we know 1. Appetitive soul – desires and cravings them because we observe. 2. Rational soul – thinking, reasoning The self is a combination of experiences of a 3. Spirited soul – emotions; follow rules person. In The Republic, emphasized that all three We can categorize these experiences as: parts of the soul must work together to attain ○ Impressions – actual experiences justice and virtue. ○ Ideas – copies of impressions St. Augustine (354 – 430 CE) Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804) One of the most significant Christian thinkers Reason is the foundation of knowledge. Believed that there is this imperfect part of us, It is the self that organizes and synthesizes our which is connected with the world and yearns experiences into something meaningful for us. to be with the divine, and there is a part of us It is something that transcends or is above our that is not bound by this world and can consciousness. therefore attain immortality. Body must die for the soul to reach the eternal Ryle, Churchland, and Marleau-Ponty realm. Gilbert Ryle (1900 – 1976), defines self as observable behavior of a person. Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650) Ryle sees self as an entirety of thoughts, French mathematician, scientist, and emotions, and actions that relates to philosopher observable behavior. The person is composed: Maurice Jean Marleau-Ponty (1908 – 1961), ○ the cogito or the mind mind and body are interconnected to each ○ the extenza or the body (extension of other and cannot be separated. mind) Paul Churchland (1942 – ), eliminative Only thing that a person cannot doubt is the materialism, which claims old terms we existence of his/her “self” because even describe the mind are outdated, thus we need doubting proves we exist. to use more accurate and scientifically proven “Cogito ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am) terms based on neuroscience research. A person is their mind (thinking) and the body (a machine controlled by the mind). NGEC 1 – Understanding the Self Lecture / First Semester L2: SELF, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE Social Institutions Society is composed of people 1. Kinship/Family – most basic Culture is composed of ideas, behavior, and 2. Economics/Market – resources and services material possessions. 3. Politics/Government – peace and order Status – position in a society a. Executive – President ○ Ascribe status – inherited b. Legislative – Senate ○ Achieved status - personally c. Judicial – Supreme Court acquired/earned 4. Education/School – knowledge Culture is divided into material (tangible)and 5. Religion/Church – beliefs of the supernatural nonmaterial (beliefs). Norms – rules on what to do or what not to do The self or our identity is a result of the in certain situations. interaction and discourse between a person Values – ideal behaviors or principles that set and a society. the standard of what is acceptable from a person who is a part of a society. L3: SELF AS A COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT Institutions – sets of ideas, norms, practices, Self – the sense of personal identity and of or mechanisms organized and focused on who we are as individuals. addressing the needs of the community. Psychology – focuses on the individual; Socialization – lifelong process of learning the interested in the functions and processes of culture of a society. the brain, mind, and behaviors related to Theory of Symbolic Interactionism by mental functions. George Herbert Mead (1863 – 1931) – self is created, developed,and changed Our Self Within through human interaction. William James 3 reasons why self and identity are social Self as having two concepts: I and me products ○ I – thinking, acting, and feeling self ○ Me – physical characteristics and 1. The “self” did not just come out of thin air. – psychological capabilities sociocultural context affects who we are. 2. We need others to affirm and reinforce who Carl Rogers’ Theory of Personality we think we are. I – one who acts and decides 3. What is important to us is influenced by the Me – what you think/feel about yourself current trends of what is important in our society. Self-schema – own organized system or collection of knowledge about who we are. Culture and Personality Founded by Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead Argued that personality or the self is dependent on the cultural practices and socialization process of a certain group. Studying a person’s personality provides us an idea of his/her cultural background “Pattern of Culture” – Mead Ruth Benedict concluded that personal development is not actually based on Identity is composed of one’s personal biological traits. characteristics, roles, and responsibilities, and affiliations that define who one is. Clifford James Geertz – Culture as a Self-concept – basically what comes to your collection of symbols with meanings. mind when you are asked about yourself Frontal lobe of brain – specific area in brain related with processes of self. Sigmund Freud – self as the results of interaction between Id, Ego, and Superego. Self-concept – results of interaction between who we think we are and how others see us. NGEC 1 – Understanding the Self Lecture / First Semester 2 Types of Self by Carver and Scheier 2. Taoism (Lao Tzu) – living in the way of the 1. The private self or a person’s internal Tao or the universe; prefer simple lifestyle thoughts and feelings. 3. Buddhism – self is the source of all these 2. The public self or what a person commonly sufferings; our quest is to break the attachment shows to others for good public image. with the world, to renounce the self, and attain the state of Nirvana. 3 Other Self-schemas of Self-awareness Comparing West and East 1. Actual self - who we are presently. Western (Northern America and Europe) 2. Ideal self – who we like to be. Focus toward the self. 3. Ought self – who we think we should be. Look at the world in dualities wherein you are distinct from the other person. Self - Awareness Personal attributes/achievements May be positive or negative; can keep you Individualistic culture – person focus from doing something dangerous. More straightforward and forceful Competition Self - Consciousness Concerned about being observed and Eastern (Asia) criticized by others. Sees the other person as part of yourself in which everyone is interconnected. Self - Esteem Social roles or institutions that are deemed Personal positive or negative perception or positive for themselves. evaluation of ourselves. Low profile as it can be seen as boastful Collectivistic culture – group and social Social Comparison Theory relations is given more importance than Comparing ourselves to other people. individual. ○ Downward – to who is worse than us Values cooperation ○ Upward – to who is better than us Tend to go around the “bush”. Hierarchy – respect Self - Evaluation Maintenance Theory States that we can feel threatened when Filipino Self someone outperform us, especially friends or Enriquez’ Siklohiyang Pilipino, described the family, we usually react in 3 ways: Filipino “self” or personality as a “shared 1. We distance ourselves. identity”, connected to the concept of kapwa. 2. We reconsider the skill we were We place importance on values that promote outperformed. cooperation and social acceptance, because 3. We improve that certain aspect we see the other person as fellow human of ourselves. beings and part of who we are. Narcissism Hiya, utang na loob, and pakikisama, Trait characterized by overly high self-esteem, reflects how we relate to others or want to be self-admiration, and self-centeredness. perceived by our kapwa. L4: SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN THOUGHT L5: SELF Asian Philosophies and the “Self” Understanding Self 1. Confucianism (Confucius) – a code of ethical Represents the sum total of people’s conduct, of how one should act according to conscious perception of their identity as their relationship with other people; focused on distinct from others. It is not a static having a harmonious social life. phenomenon, but continues to develop & a. Self-cultivation – ultimate purpose of change throughout our lives. – Mead life, but characteristics of chun-tzu The understanding self is thinking about what (man of virtue), is still embedded in his is involved in being? What distinguishes you social relationship. from being an object, an animal or different b. Subdued self – personal needs are person? - Richard Stevens repressed for the good of many. c. Hierarchal for the purpose of order and balance in society. NGEC 1 – Understanding the Self Lecture / First Semester Importance of Understanding Self Like other belief systems, the Self Concept Recognized as a key competency for includes: individuals to function efficiently in 1. Cognitive aspect organizations. Self schemas are “cognitive Influences an individual’s ability to make key generalizations about the self, derived decisions about self, others around. from past experience, that organize Equips individuals with making more effective and guide the processing of self-related career & life choices, the ability to lead, guide information”. & inspire with authenticity. 2. Behavioral aspect Daryl Bem's (1972) self-perception Self - Concept theory describes how we observe our The set of beliefs that we hold about who we behavior and the situation in which it are. took place, make attributions for it, and The sum total of an individual’s beliefs about conclude about our traits and his or her own personal attributes. characteristics. Individual's image of the kind of person he or We come to understand ourselves the she is. same way we perceive and understand The awareness of being (What I am) and others. awareness of function (What I can do). 3. Affective aspect Includes not only our perceptions of what we Self esteem reflects the perceived are but also what we think we ought to be and difference between an individual’s would like to be. actual self concept and some ideal self This latter component of the self is called the image. ideal self. The ideal self represents the self William James (1890) expressed the concept that an individual would ideally want relationship this way. to possess. Self esteem = success/pretension Pretension – ideals against which Two ways in which we perceive ourselves individuals assess their actual self 1. Positive Self – Concept image. Believe in themselves, are confident about their ability to deal with problems, Components of Self make decisions, feel equal to others, 1. Esteem have respect for themselves and 2. Body Image expect it from others. 3. Role Performance Realistic in their assessment of 4. Role Identity themselves and can admit to a wide range of feelings, behaviors and Self – Identity needs. A sense of personal identity is what sets one person apart as a unique individual. 2. Negative Self – Concept Identity includes a person's name, gender, If people see themselves as failures, ethnic identity, family status, occupation, and they start acting that way. Negative roles. feelings grow and lead to a downward One's personal identity begins to develop spiral, affecting their thoughts, actions, during childhood and is constantly reinforced and relationships. and modified throughout life. Tend to complain constantly and find it difficult to accept criticism. Body Image Body image is an attitude about one's physical attributes and characteristics, appearance, and performance. Body image is dynamic because any change in body structure or function, including the normal changes of growth and development, can affect it. NGEC 1 – Understanding the Self Lecture / First Semester Self – Esteem The judgment of personal performance Self Realization compared with the self-ideal. Self-realization means to fulfill one's own Self-esteem is derived from a sense of giving potential. and receiving love, and being respected by It is realizing our inner potentialities. others. This step on the self concept route involves growth and development motivated from Role Performance within. Role refers to a set of expected behaviors It is a willingness to pursue our ideal-self on determined by familial, cultural, and social our own, to grow and to change because we norms. think it is important. The level of self-esteem is dependent upon the self-perception of adequate role performance Self Disclosure in these various social roles. Process of letting another person know what we think, feel and want, that is telling others about ourselves. It includes all kinds of information. It involves disclosing our innermost thoughts and feelings. The final stage of a mature self-concept is how we reveal our 'self,' where self-awareness is crucial. We must understand ourselves well before disclosing our 'real self' to others. Leads to self-contentment, helps a person to be more perceptive, adaptive, competent, trusting and positive towards others. Self Confidence Building up the Self – Concept A feeling of trust in one's abilities, qualities, The primary factor of effective personality and and judgement is self-confidence. behavior. The belief that you can achieve success and competence; believing yourself to be capable. The four steps to build-up self concept are as Self-confidence can apply to specific tasks or follows: reflect a broader attitude about your abilities. 1. Self Awareness Both self-confidence and self-esteem relate to 2. Self Acceptance how you perceive yourself; self-confidence 3. Self Realization concerns your abilities, while self-esteem 4. Self Disclosure relates to your sense of worth. They are closely linked, as low self-confidence often Self Awareness leads to low self-esteem and vice versa. Experiencing oneself as an object of our own and others’ attention. It leads people to evaluate their behavior against a standard and to set an adjustment process in motion for meeting the standard. Self Acceptance Being aware of who we really are, rather than the person we would wish to be, the next step on our journey to self concept is to accept ourselves. An individual's satisfaction or happiness with oneself, and is thought to be necessary for good mental health. – Shepard (1979) It involves understanding yourself and being aware of your strengths and weaknesses. This leads to a sense of feeling that you have "unique worth." NGEC 1 – Understanding the Self Lecture / First Semester Self – Confidence Low Self – Confidence CHAPTER 2 L1: THE PHYSICAL SELF Doing what you believe Governing your behavior to be right, even if others based on what other The physical body is the window to one's personality. mock or criticize you for people think. By observing someone's physical appearance, you can get an idea of their feelings and behavior. Being willing to take Staying in your comfort risks and go the extra zone, fearing failure, and Physical Self mile to achieve better so avoid taking risks. Shavelson described the total self or general things. self as being made up of academic self and nonacademic self. Admitting your mistakes, Working hard to cover ○ Academic self – Influenced by and learning from them. up mistakes and hoping learning, emotions, behavior, and that you can fix the experiences during the learning problem before anyone process. notices. ○ Non Academic self – Shaped by an individual's social, emotional, and Waiting for others to Extolling your own physical self. congratulate you on your virtues as often as The social self – greatly accomplishments. possible to as many influenced by parents, people as possible. colleagues, friends, and acquaintances. Accepting compliments Dismissing compliments Emotional self – a person's graciously. "Thanks, I offhandedly. "Oh that experiences of joy, anger, fear, really worked hard on prospectus was nothing anxiety, and other emotions. that prospectus. I'm really, anyone could Physical self – affected by pleased you recognize have done it." involvement in sports, exercise, my efforts." and other activities that enhance the physical body. Self Image K. R. Fox (2000) emphasized the factors that How you perceive yourself. encompass physical self-esteem, which It is a number of self-impressions that have include sport competence, attractive body, built up over time. physical power, and physical condition, and It can be positive, boosting self-confidence, or how they actually shape the global negative, causing doubt. self-esteem. Your self-image may differ from how others The physical self is an amazing vessel, see you; some who seem successful may complex, finely tuned, and woven together, have a bad self-image, while those with allowing us to interact with our environment hardships may have a positive one. and others. It is the concrete, tangible aspect Some believe events shape self-image, while of a person that can be directly observed and others think self-image can shape events. examined, composed of systems that receive Both views likely have some truth: failing can and respond to various external and internal lower self-esteem, while feeling good can stimuli. enhance performance. Sigmund Freud's concept of self and Self-image strongly impacts happiness and personality makes the physical body the core influences those around you. If you project a of human experience. Freud stated that ego is positive self-image, people will be more likely first and foremost a body ego. to see you as a positive, capable person. Wilhelm Reich emphasized the unity of the Both positive and realistic. mind and body. The body is central to all Unrealistic self-images can be drawbacks, dynamic psychological functioning and plays a whether negative or positive. very important role in storing and channeling Occasional negative thoughts can encourage the bioenergy, considered the basis of human growth, while an overly positive image can existence and experience. lead to complacency. NGEC 1 – Understanding the Self Lecture / First Semester Erik Erikson considered experience as firmly Physical Self-Care associated with the ground-plan of the body. There are three basic aspects of physical self-care He stated that body organs are essential 1. Good nutrition during early development. The formation and 2. Sufficient amount of recovery time development of physical and intellectual skills 3. Necessary exercise. greatly influence an individual's ability to choose their role in society and achieve We have our own ways to take care of our fulfillment; also highlighted the constant physical bodies, but let us make sure that they interplay of the body, psychological processes, are really beneficial and they will not cause us and social forces. to suffer unnecessary problems later in life. Maslow emphasized the importance of our physical bodies in his Maslow’s Hierarchy of Mental Self-Care Needs. Once physiological needs are met, Mental self-care is a two-fold process, individuals focus on higher-order needs. A according to Brzosko (2018). well-nourished and respected person ○ The first step is taking time to break experiences fulfillment, while self-denial of down what you are thinking and why. basic needs leads to an inactive, crippled Once you notice your thoughts, they organism. won’t have the power to direct your life unnoticed. By becoming conscious of Taking Care of our Physical Body your thinking, you can choose to focus The physical body is considered our real on something positive, like an idea, home, temple, vehicle; the most intimate part activity, or place that energizes you. of ourselves. ○ The second step is to cultivate mental It serves as our instrument for daily tasks and habits and thoughts that benefit us. interactions with others and our environment. Keep thoughts that improve our It's vital to care for every structure that makes well-being, as meditating on negative up our bodies, ensuring they function well, words, experiences, and people is which includes both external and internal unhelpful. We waste our precious time components. on those negative thoughts. Self-care is the intentional, planned, and actual act of taking the time to attend to our Here are other tips for improving our mental basic physical, mental, and emotional needs habits suggested by Brzosko (2018): (Brosko 2018). It is quality rest that we offer to Focus your attention on the present our bodies in order to replenish the lost energy moment. utilized in performing our daily activities. It is Practice gratitude. an act of love and kindness for ourselves. Exercise patience. Self-care occurs in three levels: physical, Learn to accept what is already mental, and emotional. happening Taking care of the physical body also entails caring for our mental and emotional lives, as Our relationships with others can improve they should go hand in hand. We cannot be when we remember that giving is better than physically fit and healthy while being receiving. Following the golden rule, we should emotionally unstable and mentally disturbed. treat others as we want to be treated. Keeping We should be healthy in all three aspects. these thoughts in mind can enhance our lives Health starts from within and then manifests significantly. outside. Our good health springs from the mind, which stimulates the heart, and the heart energizes the physical body. NGEC 1 – Understanding the Self Lecture / First Semester Emotional Self-Care Gender In “The Presence Process,” Michael Brown Refers to social or cultural roles played by describes emotions as "energy in motion," male or females in the society. neither good nor bad. We label emotions—such as fear, anger, sadness, Gender Identity happiness, and excitement—as "desired" for Is the extent to which one identifies as being positive and "unwanted" for negative. either masculine or feminine, or how someone A very important step in dealing with our feels on the inside. emotional self is to recognize the validity of our emotional state. This initial step benefits us Gender Expression because it acknowledges what is already Describes how someone prefers to express his happening. Hiding or disregarding our or her gender to the world. emotions will only add tension. It's easier to accept feelings like peace and Three Gender Variations happiness, while fear and sadness take longer. 1. Cisgender – a person identifying himself or After recognizing an emotion, we can change it herself with the sex assigned to them at birth. by doing something different, like inviting 2. Transgender – whose gender identity does friends when feeling sad. not match the sex that they were assigned at We can separate thoughts from emotions to birth. understand their root cause. Accept all 3. Gender Fluid – referring to a person whose emotions as valid and be mindful to prevent gender identity is not fixed and/or shifts them from affecting daily life and relationships. depending on the situation. L2: THE SEXUAL SELF Sexuality Sex Pertains to a person's expression through Refers to the physical differences between sexual activities and relationships, represented males and females, including primary by feelings, sexual identity, and behaviors. reproductive systems and secondary traits like height and muscularity. Sexual Identity Refers to the reproductive organs, including Refers to how a person chooses to describe or chromosomes, hormones, and cellular label their sexuality, such as identifying as components. heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or other terms. Three sex variations according to WAAC or ○ Heterosexual – attracted to the Western Australian AIDS Council (2020): opposite sex. ○ Homosexual – attracted to the same 1. Male – a person with a penis or male sex. reproductive organ, XY chromosomes, and the ○ Bisexual – attracted to both genders ability to produce high levels of testosterone. ○ Asexual – no sexual attraction 2. Female – a person with a vagina or female ○ Pansexual – attraction to multiple reproductive organ, XX chromosomes, and the genders; attraction based on chemistry ability to release high levels of estrogen. rather than gender 3. Intersex – born with sexual anatomy or ○ Questioning – unsure about their chromosomes that do not fit traditional sexuality and/or are exploring it. definitions of male or female, having a combination of reproductive organs, There are three common aspects used to describe chromosomes, and hormones. sexuality. 1. Feelings and fantasies – The center of the affection or the person we are attracted to and we are intimately connected with. 2. Behaviors – affect someone's sexuality; expressed through any form of sexual contact. 3. Identity – corresponds to the label or description of someone's sexuality