Jared Formalejo

En12 R19

Biographical Essay
Ms. Annette Soriano
In Tune

Self-expression is a delicate matter with all the miniscule details and forms it manifests
itself in; especially for individuals who live detached from their family due to a need to
accomplish priorities, for instance, education. It is difficult to finely tune ideologies and beliefs
to their right note once taken away from its primary source, their personal experiences in familiar
settings, which allowed them to adapt to a predetermined value system. In addition, being
exposed to a new, unfamiliar environment makes these individuals prone to a shift in behavioral
attitudes and moreover causes a drastic, or even traumatic, shift in belief and value systems.
Human ideologies and philosophies are complex thought patterns and are, in fact, heavily
influenced by peoples thoughts, behavior, development and environment. Although, in an idyllic
setting, a person is subject to follow the paradigm of thought followed by the system. In contrast,
there are a few unique individuals who go against this paradigm and live and think in accordance
to what they believe and feel is right and just for them for the development of their own, unique
personal ideologies and philosophies.
A persons environment, in more ways than one can imagine, shapes his or her
physiological, psychological and philosophical development. The manner by which individuals
think and believe stems out from their environment serving as the nucleus and nerve center of all
behavioral processes. Individuals who constantly encounter positive reinforcement and social
support are usually in no danger from falling out of experiencing self-actualization and are kept
safe from behavioral defects and disorders such as social anxiety, narcissism, egocentrism and
neurosis, although the latter is applies only for extreme conditions. On the other hand,
individuals detached from their primary home and living environment are often subject to these

disorders and may even develop severe mental complexes such as sadomasochism and the
formation of suicidal thoughts.
Developmental psychologists say that touch is a full expression of love and the physical
intimacy one gets from his or her family is a bare necessity and a primary source of positive
reinforcement. Moreover, the relationship individuals have with their family reflects the way
they think about themselves and how they act toward themselves and others around them; thus,
weak family relationships may indicate poor self-worth which may further develop egocentrism
to compensate for esteem needs moreover, detachment may, for the worst, mean selfestrangement a primary source cause of several psychological disorders.
It is rather difficult to envision the psychological health a person who has both a weak
relationships with his or her family and detachment from them. Although that is the case for
some individuals who are forced to live detached from their primary environment to satisfy a
basic need such as, say, education or business. Homesickness is often a feeling these individuals
experience after being detached from their homes, family and friends; furthermore, the anxiety
one gets from detachment may lead to psychosocial difficulties and even suicidal tendencies and
thoughts; such as in the case for the subject of this biography. He was once subject to bullying in
school and has weak relations with his family, although for the latter, his companions and friends
compensate for the lack of closeness he has with his family. The bullying he had possibly
experienced in the past may have done effect to his personality now as he described himself as a
bully as well.
Mac-Mac, a 17-year old adolescent from Laguna who now lives in a dormitory in order
to continue his studies in Ateneo de Manila University lives in such a condition where he lacks
both strong bonds with his family and detachment from his home. A strong advocate in the

Mormon faith, he lives under a philosophy built on karma and a strong sense of right and wrong.
Although what he considers right or wrong, to some, may be questionable because again, he
considers himself a bully as well. Mac-Mac is a complex fellow, he is rather silent, reserved
and often mystery shrouds his appearance, it is difficult to fully comprehend the thoughts,
attitudes and experiences he had possibly gone through because of his silent, gentle nature.
Nevertheless, beneath every hard shell is a harder and more often than not, unbreakable. It is
really no surprise, then, that the history behind his ideologies and philosophies stem from
something deeper than what he shows externally.
Being subject to bullying and fist fights at such an early age, he developed a strong sense
of justice and a deep hate for injustice which may seem ironic because he too has bullied others
due to that one traumatic event. Right and wrong is relative and its definition differs from person
to person. Furthermore, its definition stems from the roots of their belief system their families
and environment. To be exposed to such strong disdain or even hatred will undoubtedly hurt an
individuals mental faculties and cause them to be violent as well as detach them from others and
the world around them hence morphing an individuals sense right and wrong. Thus, detachment
is not really something new to the subject; in fact, he is quite used to it. This comes in fortune to
him with his drastic move to the city to pursue his education. Although this does not mean that
the he is completely free of the stress and anxieties that is associated with homesickness and
detachment. His past experiences may only be seen as a buffer to the adaptation he needs to
endure in moving to the city although once the buffer has been completely breached, it again
makes him prone to anxiety, stress and loneliness. In addition, suicide is not a new thought that
just entered the mind of Mac-Mac, according to him, adjusting to life in the city and in
depression due to loneliness has drawn him more than once to have suicidal thoughts. He admits,

he is a sadist because he finds enjoyment in the misery of people who he considers unjust
again, a possible trait that stems out from his violent past.
Albeit a very emotionally violent person underneath the seemingly gentle exterior he
boasts, he still finds serenity in compassion, friends and practical fun doing activities he is
passionate about such as immersing himself in virtual words in his gaming consoles, singing in
his choir and playing the piano. It may even be considered a misnomer to call this particular
individual as violent or a social pariah due to his beliefs because he follows a different set of
values brought about by his religion and harsh past. A significant claim to consider is that
psychological wellness is fully achieved when an individual acts in full accordance to his or her
own beliefs regardless of what is ethically right or wrong. Furthermore, security also is an
indication of moral and personal wellness since it is a prerequisite for moral and social
acceptance. Mac-Mac in particular adheres to social standards as prescribed by the current
paradigm of morality by being able to healthily and freely communicate with others. Individuals
who suffer from detachment and poor family ties often fail to see that in spite of that distance
from their environment that they heavily depend on, they develop independence and acquire the
ability to adapt to new environments to develop a niche to that new setting. What others may see,
then, as violence and rebellion may just be a manifestation of self-expression in order for that
particular to fully adapt to his or her environment.
Regardless of a persons physical and social condition, he or she is the main determinant
of his or her growth and development. Individuals personal outlooks and attitudes mainly
influence their ability to adapt and react to their environment, new or old. Considering the
personally depressed and detached state of some individuals such as Mac-Mac, it is important to
consider that his growth in the city has not damaged his psyche severely but rather, enabled him

to utilize the buffer created by his friends and passions and create a new environment in Manila
apart from his old environment in Laguna. In some ways, he may be considered more far along
the developmental process of psychological growth because of his show of moral acceptance and
acting towards what he believes is right and staying secured in those beliefs and his actions.
Similarly to a piano out of tune, virtuosos such as Mac-Mac are able to finely tune the instrument
and make it work for them and play out a melody down from the key of C flat up to the key of F
sharp with ease.