THE

PHYSICAL
SELF
Presentation Subtitle
 LEARNING
OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, the students
are expected to:
1. familiarize how physical
self-functions in relation to
understanding our self;
2. appreciate the physical body as
an expression of the self; and
3. determine affirmative
statements about the physical
characteristics as part of
individual’s identity
WHAT IS THE
PHYSICAL
SELF?
• It refers to the body, this
marvelous container and
complex, finely tuned,
machine with which we
interface with our
environment and fellow
beings. 

• The concrete dimension, the

tangible aspect of the
person that can be directly
observed and examined.
 WHAT IS THE PHYSICAL SELF?
Various psychologists have given varying notions regarding the physical
self:
◦It is the initial source of sensation and necessary for the origin and
maintenance of personality.
◦It is the core of the human experience. Experience is anchored in the
ground-plan of the body.
◦ Physical processes are relevant to us only to the extent they are represented in
the psyche.
◦The terms personality and self are mere explanatory fictions and all there is,
is the body.
 THE SELF AS
IMPACTED BY
THE BODY
Humans have five vital
organs that are essential for
survival:
1. Human Brain
2. Human Heart
3. Kidneys
4. Liver
5. Lungs
RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THE BODY
● The human body contains nearly 100 trillion cells.
● There are at least 10 times as many bacteria in the human body as cells.
● The average adult takes over 20,000 breaths a day.
● Each day, the kidneys process about 200 quarts (50 gallons) of blood to filter
out about 2 quarts of waste and water
● Adults excrete about a quarter and a half (1.42 liters) of urine each day.
● The human brain contains about 100 billion nerve cells
● Water makes up more than 50 percent of the average adult's body weight
● You use your eyes to see, your ears to hear and your muscles to do the heavy
lifting. In fact, most body parts are far more complicated than that, while some seem
to have no business being inside there at all.
 BEAUTY:
THE BEST PRESENTATION OF
THE PHYSICAL SELF

• Beauty can be defined in many

different ways, but in its simplest
sense, beauty can be described
as happiness.

• No culture, company, or concept

could ever truly define beauty.
WHAT PHILOSOPHERS
THINK ABOUT
BEAUTY
• The nature of beauty is one of the most
enduring and controversial themes in
western philosophy.
• Currently, the two most debated views about
beauty are:
1. Beauty is objective (concrete, real).
2. Beauty is subjective (abstract, personal
views).
 WHAT
PHILOSOPHERS
THINK ABOUT
BEAUTY
• Before the 18th century,
most Western philosophical
views on beauty treated it
as an objective quality.

• By the eighteenth century,

however, beauty was
associated more with
pleasure as a personal
preference.
WHAT DID PSYCHOLOGY
DISCOVER ABOUT
BEAUTY?
• Research found that a person who
is perceived as attractive is more
appealing in general.

• Cognitive bias and the “halo

effect” (what is beautiful is
good)
WHAT DID PSYCHOLOGY
DISCOVER ABOUT
BEAUTY?
• Evolutionary psychology found
that faces hold certain
fundamental and important
characteristics.
• Attractive faces are sex-typical.
• Our hormones sculpt our faces.
 THE IMPACT OF
CULTURE ON BODY
IMAGE AND SELF
ESTEEM
• Cultural traditions can either be a
positive or negative influence on
body image and self-esteem.

• When “culture” is experienced as a

personally meaningful activity, it is
difficult for a person to resist the
conscious and unconscious ways
that culture influences a person’s
life.
 BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM
◦ Self-Esteem is defined as the number of successes a person achieves in the domains
of life that are important to him or her, divided by the number of failures that
occurred in those areas; how you value yourself and how others value you.

◦ Body image is how you view your physical body, whether you feel attractive, and
how you feel some other people like your looks. Our body image, which includes our
perception of ourselves and our own body and the manner in which we feel about
our body.

◦ Many things can influence our self-esteem and body image. Understanding how
each of these areas impact how we feel about our body is important to
understanding how we can create and build a positive body image.
 HOW CULTURAL
TRADITIONS CAN
SHAPE BODY
IMAGE
• Cultural traditions can help or
hurt with regards to how we think
about ourselves.

• Western culture and its

hyper-focus and influence.

• Culture is just one of many

factors that define who you are.
 IS BEAUTY REALLY IN
THE MIND OF THE
BEHOLDER?
• In this world, you’re better off being
good-looking. Attractive people are
judged more favorably, treated better, and
cut more slack.
• The brain, among its many other
functions, is a beauty detector.
• Though there are some leniencies,
nevertheless, there is a
standard/agreement on what makes a
beautiful face/person beautiful.
 TRUE BEAUTY IS
COMPLICATED YET
SIMPLE
• The question is, is beauty really only
skin deep, or does an attractive face
actually reflect underlying good
qualities?
• We are programmed to be drawn to
strong indicators of maleness (for
women) and femaleness (for men) partly
because they reflect an individual’s
health.
 ASYMMETRICAL
SYMMETRY
• No two faces are alike, and no
two halves of a face are alike,
yet people instinctively still seek a
perfect face.
• It has been seen pretty or
handsome face is also generally
one that is, well, average.
Averageness, like symmetry,
reflects a favorable genetic
endowment.
 SEX PREFERENCES
AND INSTINCTS
• Males may place greater importance on
physical beauty when it comes to mate choice,
while females also attend to characteristics
like power and status.

• Beauty and OVULATION can be linked.

• Good genes in the sense of physical health is

not the same as good genes in the sense of
character
 BEAUTY AND BRAIN AND
BEAUTY
• Research provides evidence regarding
the debilitating effect of beauty
towards men in terms of
decision-making and self-control.

• In both men and women, attractive

faces cause greater activation in
several other brain areas involved in
processing of rewards.
 BEAUTIFY
YOURSELF IN YOUR
TERMS
• BEAUTY IS UNFAIR. People have
differing features yet there is a set
standard for it.

• Change the things you can, live with

the things you can’t.

• Sleep, smile, and be your best self.

That is the best beauty tip you can give
yourself without compromising who you
are.
SO, HOW IMPORTANT IS PHYSICAL
BEAUTY?

Fineprint….BUT…
 SO, HOW IMPORTANT IS PHYSICAL
BEAUTY?
◦Physical beauty is extremely important. BUT, even though physical
beauty is extremely important, the good news is that physical beauty
standards differ from one person to another.

◦A self-image problem happens when your looks do not match your

beauty standards.

◦To have a positive self-image and a higher self-esteem you must fix your
false beliefs about physical attractiveness first.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!!!
Supplemental Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f-Ep7mvzaA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-q0R9gN2Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6xe4_cyEZc