Lesson I

Basic Concepts of the Self

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:

1. Analyze the need of understanding the self;

2. Identify the meaning of the self, its nature and importance;
3. Discuss how the mind, self and society functions and interact with society.

Question to Ponder
Why do you think understanding the self is important? Write a short answer on the space provided.

The Need of Understanding the Self

There is a well-encompassing need to understand the self. Understanding the Self-
1. helps learners acquire a positive sense of self and social responsibility,
2. helps learners develop potentials to enable to live harmoniously in the context of a fast changing and challenging world,
3. helps learners participate meaningfully in all endeavors as responsible members of a global community taking into
account multi-cultural perspectives,
4. help learners understand local and global issues and concerns that continue to impact their lives and the lives of others,
5. enables the learners develop the capacity to think, reason and act legally and morally as these will have a sphere of
influence to others,
6. enables the learners to behave in ways that will fulfill their needs and goals in the contemporary society,
7. helps the learners to possess personal, civil and moral obligations, not only to oneself but also to their families, nation
and the globalized contemporary society.

In short, understanding the self must continue to expand beyond the self to a larger self. The flow of change
process must necessarily start from the self and continues throughout life so that the self will live and work effectively as
a human person.

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Meaning and Nature of the Self

1. Self is a unified being and essentially connected to consciousness, awareness and agency or with the faculty of
rational choice.
2. Self is the condition of identity that makes one subject of experiences distinct from all others.
3. Self is exhibited and inferred in the conduct and discourse that emanate from the individual alone.
4. Self is the person regarded as an individual apart from all others.
5. Self is one's Identity.
6. Self is expressed in the first person.
7. Self is a dynamic, responsive process that structures neural pathways according to the past adolescent environment.

Why Self is Important

Philosophers look at self as very important in several ways.

1. According to Kant, by knowing ourselves, that we are free and that our actions and choices matter, we can make good on
these commitments without fear of being contradicted by theory. In other words, we can be responsible to ourselves.
2. By knowing the self, we are able to examine what type of object the self is and how it is constituted.
3. According to Thorin Klosowski, by knowing the self, we are able to develop self-awareness and introspection which
are the starting point to every improvement. The improvement relates to understanding your own needs, desires, and
failings, habits and everything else. The more you know about yourself, the better you are at adopting life changes.
4. Understanding the self is a very important basis of quantified self-movement which means that if a person collects
data about himself, he can make improvements based on that data (New York Times Report)
5. Knowing the self requires more than intellectual self-examination for it demands knowing something about your
feelings and emotions and how you work on them, the better you will understand why you do the things you do.
Ultimately, the more you know about your habits, the easier it is to improve those habits.

Quick Check 1: Word Search

Instruction: Find and circle all of the words connected to the self that are hidden in the grid.
The words may be hidden in any direction.

ACT DYNAMIC RATIONAL

AWARENESS IDENTITY REASON
CHOICE MULTICULTURAL RESPONSIBILITY
CONSCIOUSNESS POSITIVE SOCIETY
DISTINCT POTENTIAL THINK

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LHFGGNAOVWUFAAYTRVWT
CJGERPTXGAMFNEINPMCM
YWXRCEFSCRVQOLREANVJ
SYVJNHOQAELCIGETIMSJ
TVTTINCIRNQBTFATVSID
ZCIITPYOOEILAMSPYNWC
QAAJTUUCNSQIRIOEFRCL
LUDPMNEONSUUDCNQHSMO
WGHZCXEODLCVTJHDSXKR
SNVSTBPDSOCIETYRJTNG
TIUTASBVITMHOMBDCJZW
JETIEFLDBRIUEUFBPEGC
FASRDCEKGUSKKZSMIDIZ
SSUMHSLTHPHCYRBNUAJL
KYMOXGDTUOKUGSQCEOHP
JLITEDEUPMFRJHVAVSJG
VCNHWMULTICULTURALSL
ENWSIAPIKGSRKNIHTIRY
MNJGTROEVITISOPWJLRU

Worksheet 1- My Personal Identity Wheel

Instruction: The Personal Identity Wheel will encourage you to reflect on how well do you know yourself. The chart
below features two circles. The first circle is separated into three sections which is labeled: roles, personal core and
learning. The second circle is separated into five sections which is labeled: interests, family history, values,
strengths and hopes for the future. Answer the following questions on each label through any creative output.

First circle with three sections:

1. Roles: Where have you taken on responsibilities in your life?
2. Personal Core: How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
3. Learning: What have you learned and what are you hoping to learn?

Second circle with five sections:

1. Family History: Where have you come from?
2. Interests: What are you most interested in?
3. Values: What is really important to you?
4. Strengths: What skills and talents do you have?
5. Hopes for the Future: Where do you hope to be in 5-10 years?

Worksheet 1 can be found in the next two pages.

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Name: ______________________________________________ Class Schedule: __________________________

My Personal Identity Wheel

WHO AM I?

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Name: ______________________________________________ Class Schedule: __________________________

My Personal Identity Wheel

WHO AM I?

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Part II
The Self from Various Perspectives
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
1. Discuss the different representations and conceptualization of the self from various disciplinary perspectives;
2. Examine the different influences, factors and forces that shape the self;
3. Compare and contrast how the self has been represented across the different disciplines and perspectives;
4. Denominate critical and reflective thoughts in analyzing the development of one’s self identity by developing one’s
theory of the self.

Activity 2: Bio Data Application

Scenario: Let us imagine that the world suddenly went into chaos due to the COVID-19 pandemic scare. All people are
asked to submit a Bio Data to the World Screening Committee. The committee will only select 1,000 citizens from each
country to be sent to an Earth-like planet in the neighboring galaxy. As to what the criteria are the selection process is
unknown to anyone.

Instruction: Because of the urgency of the situation, we are only given 10 minutes to fill up the Bio Data Form. We are
supposed to draw the self-portrait accurately and as quickly as possible. Further, in order to increase our chances to be
selected, we have to fill in all the necessary data on the form.

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Names Occupation Date of Birth Place of Birth

Father
Mother
Siblings

School Attended Year Award/s Clubs

Nursery
Kinder
Elementary
High School
Senior High School
College
Vocational School

Character Reference Name Company/Position Contact Number

Why should we select you?

What could be your contribution to the new world?

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Questions to Ponder: Write your answers on the space provided.

1. Which part of the Bio-Data Form is the easiest to answer? How about the most difficult?

2. What do you have in mind while writing your Bio-Data? Which part did you answer first and why?

3. How did you feel while writing your Bio-Data?

4. What were your realizations after 10 minutes of completing your Bio-Data?