THE UNPACKING OF SELF individual will achieve a sense of competence and
(Brief Notes) ability to choose demanding roles in a complex society.
Objectives:
1. Explore the different aspects of SELF;
2. Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in
integrating the various aspects of SELF;
3. Identify the different forces and institutions that
impact the development of the various aspects of
SELF & identity;
4. Examine one’s self against the different aspects of
self.
What is unpacking of SELF?
Do you accept yourself as what you are?
 The unpacking the SELF is self-acceptance.
 Self-acceptance is an acceptance of yourself in its
entirety (the good, the bad and the awesome) or, as
Nathaniel Braden explains in The Six Pillars
of Self Esteem, “my refusal to be in an adversarial
relationship with myself.”
 According to Robert Holden – “True self-acceptance is
the realisation that you are what you seek,”
 The 6 aspects of SELF
1. Physical or Biological Self
2. Sexual Self
3. Spiritual Self
4. Economic / Material Self
5. Political Self
6. Digital Self
"When you look at the mirror…who do you see? Do you
see a beautiful human being looking back at you,
someone who is contributing to life, who is accepting
and loving… who is connected to a bigger picture
that fills you with joy, or do you see someone who
doesn’t fit the “image” of who you think you are
“supposed” to be.
"I am not who I think I am.
I am not who you think I am.
I am who I think you think I am."
PHYSICAL SELF-
 is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of the
person that can be directly observed and examined.
 Physical Self/Body is an initial source of sensation and
necessary for the origin and maintenance of
personality according to William James, American
philosopher and psychologist
 In Psychoanalytical school, Sigmund Freud's
construction of self and personality makes the physical
body the core of human experience.
 To Erik Erikson, experience is anchored in the ground-
plan of body, the role of bodily organs is especially
important in early developmental stages of a person’s
life. Later in life, the development of physical as well as
intellectual skills help determine whether the
- How they view themselves?
- How they view others?
- How they think others view them?
• First impression is very critical ….Individual devote
intense attention to their own bodies, face,
appearance and structure. Some people’s self-
concept is based solely on the physical and nothing
more. Body Image has become an important
aspect of one’s mental health, self-esteem and
well-being. Three ways physical appearance
impacts people’s self-worth. The sociology of the
body became an established discipline in the
1990’s.Bryan Turner coined the term “somatic
society” which means the new found importance
of the body in contemporary society. Body work is
no longer simply a question of mechanical
maintenance but a lifestyle choice and identity:
- The obsession to have a beautiful face & body
- Eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa and
bulimia
- The demand for cosmetic surgery
SEXUAL SELF
• Sexual self-concept--defined as an individual's
evaluation of his or her own sexual feelings and
actions--is proposed as an important predictor of
contraceptive behavior among teenagers, and a scale
measuring the concept is described.
• Sexual self-concept refers to the totality of oneself as a
sexual being, including positive and negative concepts
and feelings. According to theorists, sexual self-
concept is described well along three dimensions (Snell
& Papini, 1989):
1. sexual self-esteem is “the feelings you have about
your body and your confidence level in how you
relate intimately to someone else.
2. sexual depression – When sexual desire fades, or
disappears completely, it can impact your quality
of life and your relationship with your partner. ...
You may also have an absence of sexual fantasies
that causes you serious distress or interpersonal
difficulty. Low libido can also be a symptom of a
mental health problem, such as depression
3. sexual preoccupation - has been defined as a
tendency to become obsessed with thoughts
about sexual behaviors (Snell & Papini, 1989).
SPIRITUAL SELF
• Spiritual self-care is any ritual or practice that we do to
further our connection with our higher self. Your
higher self is who we truly are as an individual, the
real you. Your higher self is the YOU that is
 disassociated from, and not influenced by, the
ego or fear.
• Your Spiritual Self is you in your most beautiful and
powerful form. It is the authentic self, the
unconditioned part, the YOU without patterns.
This is personal for each of us, so no need to get
caught up on the language.
• Spiritual individuals strive toward a better life and
consider personal growth and fulfilment a
central goal. Spirituality can be considered to be
a path toward self-actualization, because it
requires people to focus on their internal values
and work on becoming a better individual.
• Examples include volunteerism, social
responsibility, optimism, contributing to society,
connectedness with others, feeling of
belonging/being part of a group, and love of
self/reason to care for self.
What is Spiritual Personality?
• Being a spiritual person is synonymous with being a
person whose highest priority is to be loving to yourself
and others. A spiritual person cares about people,
animals and the planet. A spiritual person knows that
we are all One, and consciously attempts to honor this
Oneness. A spiritual person is a kind person.
ECONOMIC/MATERIAL SELF
• The material self refers to tangible objects, people, or
places that carry the designation my or mine. Two
subclasses of the material self can be distinguished:
The bodily self and the extracorporeal (beyond the
body) self.
• MATERIAL POSSESSIONS - signify aspects of one's
sense of self and identity. One's sense of self and
identity is influential on how an individual chooses to
purchase his or her wants and he or she makes
economic decisions that will address his or her
personal and social needs.
• All of the physical elements that reflect who you are.
Possessions, car, home, body, clothes.
• Social self is the self as reflected through your
interactions with others; actually, a variety of selves
that respond to changes in situations and roles
POLITICAL SELF
- Considers the historical context of SELF as a Filipino,
appreciating its identity thereby taking pride of the
Filipino values and traits
- Political self-organization then refers to the formation
of political patterns through the local interactions of
the members only; this can be seen in the formation of
public opinion, political movements,
and political revolutions.
DIGITAL SELF
 is the persona you use when you're online. Some
people maintain one or more online identifies that are
distinct from their “real world” selves; others have a
single ONLINE SELF that's more or less the same as the
one they inhabit in the real world.
 Social media is a term for numerous technologies that
allow instantaneous communication, status updates,
and social networking among individuals. Social media
platforms today include text messaging via cellular
phones and social networking sites such as Facebook.
 The use of social media by youth (preadolescents and
adolescents) continues to increase across the world on
a yearly basis. Youth in nearly every country use social
media to maintain nearly constant contact with their
friends.
 Given the importance of both social media and
friendships to youth, this review examines the impact
of social media on the emotional experiences of youth.
Social media can have a positive impact upon
loneliness, intimacy, and relationship maintenance
during adolescence. However, adolescents also
experience relational issues via social media and are
more reckless online. Social media, particularly
Facebook, may have both a positive and a negative
impact on mood symptoms and other mental
disorders.
 Social media may play a role in identity formation by
allowing younger users to experiment with different
behaviours and interactional styles. The effects of
social media may lead to more positive outcomes for
boys than for girls. There is need for research on social
media use during preadolescence, since work is largely
conducted with adolescents, and for further research
to be conducted with potential mediators between
social media and well-being (e.g., friendship).
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