UNDERSTANDING THE SELF - we construct the self

SPECIAL TERM o self begins as a unified concept (infancy)

DR. EDILBERTO GONZAGA SIGMUND FREUD
- self is multi-tiered/multi-layered
1. THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES o conscious – active right now
1.1 PHILOSOPHY o preconscious – royal gateway to the unconscious; most active during the
1.1.1 ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY (500 BC – 1000 AD) twilight zone (either going to sleep or waking up)
 THE ANCIENT TRIUMVIRATE o unconscious – most active during sleep
o SOCRATES GILBERT RYLE
 Know thyself - self is just a pattern of behavior
 Man must live according to his nature PAUL CHURCHLAND
 Man must look at himself - eliminative materialism
 An unexamined life is not worth living o everything is from a fundamental thing
 TO FIND WHAT o everything is based on the brain
o Invitation to Platonic theory of Reminiscence o ideas come from memories which come from thoughts which come from
o Knowledge is within and inherent in man neurons
o Wisdom is learning to reflect
 BY WHAT MEANS CONTEMPOERARY PHILOSOPHY
o Socratic dialogue: Dialogue between the soul EDMUND HUSSERL
and itself - mixture of mental and physical aspect
 TWO ASPECTS OF REALITY MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY
 - anything we cannot objectify such as dualities is not who we are
o PLATO - we can only objectify our living body and how it reacts is our self
o ARISTOTLE - we are dialectic
David Hume
- No self self in the sociological perspective
- Empiricism - I am I because of others
o Impressions – basic sensations of experiences - self is constructed based on interactions with other
o Ideas – copies of our impressions - without others, who are we
o Impressions form a fleeting stream of sensations
o No constant and invariable self that exists as a unified identity over the CHARLES HORTON COOLEY
course of life - looking self glass
o No self, just a bundle of recollections and ideas and that becomes who you - view of ourselves comes from the contemplation of personal qualities and impressions
are of how others perceive us
o refuted by Immanuel Kant - we are as we believe others to see us
 alluding to the primary experience of the world that is not a
disconnected stream of sensations JOHARI WINDOW
 there is a unifying sensation and it is up to us to construct who we - 4 areas
are
 A priori concepts – from a theory you create a conclusion PSYCHOLOGY
 innate SELF BASED ON PSYCHO-ANALYTIC APPROACH
 something is there already - unconscious forces
 reflexes o libido
 mouth is an erogenous zone – mouth has an intimate act of
 what is there is the beginning of what you will become
sucking the breast
 we construct the self
- structure of self based on pa approach
 A priori roots from theory; a posteriori roots from facts
o id – physiologic/pleasure principle
IMMANUEL KANT
o ego – how we become who we are, combination of the two
- we organize our sensations and thoughts to what makes sense to all of us
o superego – moral
 o collective
mature defense - sublimation o individualistic
immature defense - regression o western self
psychotic defense – denial o non-western

suppression vs repression eastern upbringing

- repress – unconsciously forget - buddhism
- suppress – consciously forget o no self
o buddha denies the self
functionalism – psych o you living through life lang
- who you are is based on your ___ o to study the self is to deny the self
- adjustment to the environment o everything is impermanent
- Hinduism
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD o karmic law – what you do now will reflect later on
- I and the me self o a person’s mental and physical actions are binding
- symbolic interactionism - Taoism
o ME – socialized self o self cannot exist without the existence of others
o I – active self - Confucianism
- imaginary audience o self is starting point of how we grow
o adolescents are thought to believe that others are always watching and o filial piety – there must be certain sets of relationships
evaluating them and that they are special and unique o selfhood is endowed by heaven

CARL JUNG 2. UNPACKING THE SELF

- public part – persona 2.1 SIX PARTS OF THE SELF
- private part – shadow 2.1.1 THE PHYSICAL SELF
 What we can see, observe, and feel
CARL ROGERS  Influences who we think we are, how others perceive us, and how we think others
- real self – who we are perceive us
- ideal self – who we want to be  initial source of sensation and necessary for the origin and maintenance of
- you are more ideal if your real self is closer to your ideal self h personality
 Tells us who we are (e.g. an athletic person shares ideas of how he is to be judged by
leon FESTINGER – self defined by social comparison people)
1. temporal comparison – past vs present self  All the experiences the physical body undergoes creates the personality
2. social comparison – to others  Physical body determines whether you can achieve the different virtues in the
a. upward – better than us Psychosocial theory (Erik Erikson)
b. downward – worse than us o a healthier body gives a greater basis as you go on through life
i. passive – considering conditions  Somatic Society: the body imposes cultural and societal standards (e.g. the male body
ii. active – actively degrading them shows the macho culture prominent in society; trending male before vs now)
 Obsession to attain a body due to societal pressures creates disorders such as
self-esteem vs self-concept anorexia nervosa and bulimia
- self-concept – how we present ourselves o Anorexia and bulimia: there are illnesses created by society and societal
- self-esteem – how worthy we find ourselves change
o Cosmetic Surgery: self-obsession can trigger dangers to the self
o Body dysmorphia: caused by societal standards of what is to be of the body
reference group – standard (deviance and conformity) o Body shaming: causes a desire to attain an ideal image
 Society influences us on how we look to search for a partner
 Need to attract a sexual partner for the purpose of reproduction
anthropology
- our self is based on our culture
 Ideal mate is commonly the alpha male which can give the highest  Plateau
chances of reproduction  tension has reached its limit
 Males mainly look for youth and beauty while females mainly look  Orgasm
for security and stability  female ejaculation is due to glands and not urinary
 IDEAL PHYSIQUE OF THE MALE AND FEMALE organs
o Dependent on the beholder  sexual response cycle in males is more on the prostate
o We are not our bodies; we live in our bodies but our bodies do not make up gland
who we are  female orgasm makes use of the Bartholomew’s glands
o Our bodies are only vessels and the Cowper’s glands
 Resolution
2.1.2 THE SEXUAL SELF  LOVE VS LUST
 Sex is dependent of the biological perspective with respect to genitals; it may also o Love
pertain to the act of having sex or formation of secondary sex characteristics  more on how you act and feel
o MALES: o Lust
o FEMALES: breasts  dominance of testosterone and estrogen
 Gender is a social structure on the area of reproduction  makes you more animalistic
 Sexuality is a phenomena where one undergoes changes and a reaction to others; one  sexual act is not an act of love
reason why one is attracted to another either sexual or romantic o Dopamine
o TYPES OF SEXUALITY  known as the reward hormone playing a huge role in the reward
 Straight/Heterosexual: Attraction to the opposite sex or gender circuitry of the brain
 Gay/Homosexual: Attraction to the same sex or gender  mesolimbic
 Lesbian: Attracted mostly to people of the same sex or gender  mesocortical
 Bisexual: Attracted to both men and women  nigrostriatal
o Kinsey Scale/Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale  tuberoinfundibular – not a reward system but dopamine
 0 – Exclusively heterosexual is used here
 1 – Predominantly heterosexual  triggers a feeling of high
 BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ONE’S SEX o Serotonin
o Reproduction requires an egg and a sperm whose meeting creates  plays a role in mood
fertilization  for happiness
o Unification creates a new organism incorporating characteristics of both  highly present in banana
parents  amino acid precursor: l-tryptophan
o 22 pairs called autosomes and 1 pair of sex chromosomes/gametes o Oxytocin
o Genetic basis for sex determination: X chromosome and Y chromosome  plays a role in maternal attachment
 Has half the chromosomes of a typical cell  synthetic version: Pitocin
 SEXUAL RESPONSE CYCLE  cuddling hormone
o self can be shaped by sexual behavior  triggers let down reflex and contraction of uterus
o sexual behavior is developed by the sexual response cycle o Prefrontal cortex shuts down when experience lust and attractions
o BIOLOGY: Hypothalamus plays a special role  has executive functions on decision
o 5 STAGES:  decides whom you are attracted to
 Desire/Libido o Pituitary gland
 psychological but triggers biological responses  composed of the adenohypophosis and neurohypophosis
 no biological mechanism  adeno – glands and hormones
 Excitement/Arousal  neuro – neurons and neurotransmitters
 many biological responses o Limbic System – hippo wearing a HAT
 tension felt in muscles, specific changes in the genitals  hypothalamus
 actual behavior shows  amygdala – involved in response to love or lust
 biological responses results to movement of the body  thalamus
 does not last long  hippocampus
 o medial insula is in the temporal lobe
 Erogenous zones – areas that can trigger attraction, love, or lust
o Fetish – fixation on a specific part of the body
 Gender Identity
o Cisgender – identity aligns with sex assigned at birth
o Transgender
 deviation in the sex assigned at birth
 umbrella term
o TRANSGENDER VS HOMOSEXUAL
 homosexual aligns role with sex assigned at birth but with a
different sexual preference
 transgenders do not align their roles with sex assigned
2.1.3 THE MATERIAL/ECONOMIC SELF
 material things become your extended self
2.1.4 THE SPIRITUAL SELF
 spirituality affects who you are
 SYNTHETIC CONVENTIONAL STAGE
o rely heavily on authority
o belief that there is a certain authority over everything
o follow what parents say
 INDIVIDUATIVE-REFLECTIVE STAGE
o follow what I think
 logotherapy – meaning based on 1 2 3; changes spirituality and who we are
2.1.5 THE POLITICAL SELF
2.1.6 CYBERSELF???
 cyberpsychology can give multiple identities
 NOMOPHOBIA
 isekai – theme in anime where the self is transported