The Physical Self

Introduction
The second part of the course is called “Unpacking the self”. Unpacking the self means
discovering many aspects of the self. (Like when you unpack a gift from a loved one,
you discover what is inside). We, start with the “physical aspect of the self”, in other
words, our body. When we say physical self, we are referring to everything which is
tangible. Remember materialists? They believe that we are just made up of a physical
body. Even our ‘mind” is simply the product of the workings of the physical body.
A crucial aspect of self is one’s physical features. People are often perceived initially by
their physical features, including one’s face, bodily structure, height, weight, and fitness.
However, more than the physical attributes a person possesses, people should also
consider their physical competencies, their valuation of physical worth, and perception
of beauty.
The physical self is not only limited to what can be directly seen by the naked eye;
underneath our skin is a dynamic system of biological and chemical processes that
contribute to our physical features.
Society shapes us in many ways, possibly more than we realize it.
This involves:
1. How we perceive our bodies visually
2. How we feel about our physical appearance
3. How we think and talk to ourselves about our bodies
4. Our sense of how the other people view our bodies.
Development of the Physical Self
Life begins at fertilization. Fertilization is the meeting of the sperm and egg cell. These
sex cells are developed in the reproductive organs called gonads. The male gonads are
called the testes. On the other hand, ova or the female sex cells are developed in the
ovaries, or the female gonads. The fertilized egg known as the zygote contains all the
hereditary potential from the parents. This zygote goes to the uterus and continues to
grow during the gestation period of about 280 days. (Brawner, 2018)
The development of the individual is caused by two interacting forces, and it is the
following:
1. Heredity (nature) - it is the transmission of traits or characteristics from parents
to offspring. It provides the raw materials of which the individual is made up. For
example, heredity is the likelihood that you will have brown eyes if your mother
has brown eyes. Another example is the possibility of having breast cancer
based on family history. To sum it up, through genes, heredity potentials like
physical, mental, social, emotional, and moral traits are passed down to future
generation.
 A. Genes
- the basic unit carrier of heredity. They are made up of DNA. The
DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid contains the genetic information of an
organism.
- Genotype. This is the part (DNA sequence) of the genetic makeup
of a cell which determines a specific characteristic.
- Phenotype. This is the physical expression of our genotype (e.g.,
hair color, weight, or the presence or absence of a disease).
- Genotype can only be determined through blood testing but one’s
phenotype can be directly observed.
B. Chromosomes
- These are threadlike bodies in the nucleus of the cell and the
storage unit of genes. Studies revealed that most human cells
contain 46 chromosomes.
- Autosomes. The 22 pairs of chromosomes.
- Gonosomes. They are also called “Sex chromosomes”. These are
23rd pair of chromosomes which identifies the sex of an individual.
The 23rd pair could either be an XX or an XY. The XX is for females
while the XY is for males.
C. Maturation
- Known as the completion of growth of genetic character within an
organism or the unfolding of an individual’s inherent traits or
potential.
2. Environment (nurture) - is the sum total of the forces or experience that a
person undergoes from conception to old age. While our genetic information
determines the extent of our physical features, it is not the only factor that
influences our physical self. As we grow up, we are exposed to environmental
influences that shape our physical self, including those from our social networks,
societal expectations, and cultural practices.
Beauty and physical appearance (Physical Beauty)
Every person is unique. Our experiences and memories tie together to form our different
version of beauty. No culture, company or concept could ever truly define beauty. As
Helen Keller said, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or
even touched – they must be felt with the heart. The current embedded idea of what is
attractive, beautiful, or handsome is an unrealistic image, that is genetically impossible
for us to emulate. Physical beauty is extremely important. You must also understand
that you need to know the correct definition of physical beauty. The dictionary’s
definition of beauty is, “the degree to which a person’s physical traits are considered
pleasing or beautiful.” But the definition did not indicate “who” determines, because
physical beauty standards differ from one person to another. (Otig, 2019)
The physical-attractiveness stereotype is a tendency to assume that people who are
physically attractive also possess other socially desirable personality traits.
Who is attractive?
1. Strictly speaking, attractiveness is whatever the people of any given place and
time find attractive. To be really attractive is, ironically, to be perfectly average.
2. Evolution and attraction - Psychologists working from the evolutionary
perspective explain the human preference for attractive partners in terms of
reproductive strategy.
- Men everywhere tend to be most attracted to women whose age
and features suggest peak fertility. For teen boys, this is a woman
several years older than themselves. For mid-20s men, it’s women
their own age. For older men, it’s younger women.
3. Social comparison - Although our mating psychology has biological wisdom,
attraction is not all hardwired. What’s attractive to you also depends on your
comparison standards.
4. The attractiveness of those we love - We perceive attractive people as likable,
but also, we perceive likable people as attractive.
- Love sees loveliness: The more in love a woman is with a man, the
more physically attractive she finds him.
- The more in love a woman/man is with a man/woman, the more
physically attractive she finds him.
Henry James’s description of novelist George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Ann Evans)
“She is magnificently ugly— deliciously hideous. She has a low forehead, a dull grey
eye, a vast pendulous nose, a huge mouth, full of uneven teeth... Now in this vast
ugliness resides a most powerful beauty which, in a very few minutes, steals forth and
charms the mind, so that you end as I ended, in falling in love with her.”
What do philosophers say about beauty?
The nature of beauty is one of the most enduring and controversial themes in western
philosophy. Beauty, traditionally, was among the ultimate values along with goodness,
truth, and justice. Before the 18th century, most western philosophical views on beauty
treated it as an objective quality.
1. St. Augustine asked whether things were beautiful because it gave delight, or
whether it gave delight because it was beautiful.
2. Plato connected beauty as a response to love and desire.
3. Aristotle asserted that the chief forms of beauty are order, symmetry, and
definiteness that can be demonstrated by mathematical sciences.
By the 18th century, however, beauty was associated with pleasure as a subjective, or a
personal preference.
1. David Hume - Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the
mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty.
2. Immanuel Kant - The judgment of taste, therefore, is not a cognitive judgment, is
not logical, but is aesthetic — which means that it is one whose determining
ground cannot be other than subjective.
3. Francis Hutcheson – “the perception of beauty does depend on the external
sense of sight; however, the internal sense of beauty operates as an internal or
reflex sense. The same is the case with hearing: hearing music does not
necessarily give the perception of harmony as it is distinct from the hearing”
(from internet encyclopedia of Philosophy - iep.utm.edu/hutcheso/)
What did psychology discover about beauty?
Evolutionary psychology found that faces hold certain fundamental and important
characteristics that could indicate a person’s quality as a romantic partner and as a
mate.
Research found that a person who is perceived as attractive makes more money than a
person of below-average looks. These study results can be attributed to a cognitive bias
called the “halo effect’’. Cognitive bias is an error in reasoning, evaluating,
remembering, or any other mental process that is often a result of holding on to one’s
preferences and beliefs regardless of contrary information. Halo effect refers to the
tendency of people rate attractive people based on their personality.
Appearance-based discrimination occurs when someone is treated differently based on
how they look, creating an imbalance between someone being evaluated for their
performance (versus purely based on the way they present themselves. Often times,
this phenomenon will manifest itself through a superior who treats a worker differently
because they are physically attracted to them.”(Schwantes, 2019)
Culture, Body Image and Self-Esteem
Culture has a significant impact on how a person feels about himself or herself, as well
as his or her body image. Cultural traditions can either be a positive or a negative
influence on body image and on self-esteem.
Body image is generally defined as how one thinks and feels toward one’s body.
Generally, girls are more dissatisfied than boys with their physical appearance and their
overall body image. Girls, self-consciousness and dissatisfaction with appearance peak
between the ages 13 to 15. (Macayan, 2018)
Self-esteem
The term self-esteem was coined by William James in 1800. It was presented as the
number of success a person achieves in the domains of life that are important to
him/her divided by the number of failures that occurred in those areas.
Self-esteem is about how you value yourself and how you feel others value you. Self-
esteem is important because it can affect your mental health as well as how you
behave.
1. We all know that self-esteem occasionally referred to as self-worth or self-
respect, can be a significant part of achievement.
2. Inadequate self-esteem can leave people feeling defeated or depressed.
3. In psychology, the word self-esteem is used to relate a person's overall sense of
self-worth or personal value. In other terms, how much you appreciate and like
yourself.
4. Self-esteem is frequently seen as a personality trait, which means that it tends to
be well balanced and last.
5. Self-esteem can include a variety of faith about yourself, such as the evaluation
of your own appearance, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors.
Why Self-Esteem Is Important?
1. Self-esteem can take part in a significant role in your goal and success
throughout your life.
2. Low self-esteem may grip you back from succeeding at school or work because
you don't have enough trust or faith to yourself to be capable of achievement and
success.
3. By distinction, having a healthy self-esteem can assist you achieve because you
steer life with a positive, assertive attitude and believe you can accomplish your
target.
Factors that influence your self-esteem
1. Your inner thinking - You may see yourself as fat or ugly even if you are really
not.
2. Age - As we age, undesirable changes happen in our bodies. Your father may not
be as athletic as he was when he was younger. Your mother is now easily tired
after doing some chores unlike when she was 25. These things affect our self-
esteem.
3. Potential disorder, disabilities or physical limitations - Some illnesses limit our
activities and will possibly affect our self-esteem.
4. Work - can influence your self-esteem, like when you see others easily
understand a task or are more productive than you.
Signs of Healthy Self-Esteem
1. Positive outlook
2. Ability to see overall strengths and weaknesses and accept them.’
3. Ability to express your needs.
4. Ability to say no.
5. Confidence
6. Negative experiences don't impact overall.

Supplementary Videos:
1. Fertilization - formation of the Physical Self
youtube.com/watch?v=_5OvgQW6FG4

2. Physical Beauty and attraction - what is beautiful?

youtube.com/watch?v=q0KmwgAyKKo

3. The science of attraction and evolutionary psychology

youtube.com/watch?v=169N81xAffQ