5/28/22, 7:17 PM 5.1.

Introduction: GEC 001-CE12S11 - Understanding the Self

5.1. Introduction

The Political Aspect of the Self

The Political Self explores how our social and economic context profoundly affects our mental health
and well-being and destroys the general notion that humans can separate themselves from politics or
that politics can’t affect the human psyche. As we acknowledge that the self is not a separate entity,
we begin to understand ourselves and find the entities that makeup who we are. Just as our gender
and religion affect our self, politics likewise affect our values, beliefs, and traits as well.
What makes a Filipino a Filipino? An American, American? As we look into the traits that make us
unique and trace them back in history, we are able to see how these traits have been greatly
influenced by politics. What about us as individuals? As a mirror image of the world, it cements the
understanding that individuals can’t separate themselves from politics. What we do has an effect on
the world just as the state of the world has an effect on us. It is no hidden fact that the world we live in
is unwell- economically and politically. Studies show that while the link to suicide and depression are
well established, a handful of suicides are also due to inability to cope- leading to breakdowns, mostly
influenced by academic pressure and financial difficulties- which leads us back to the world being
economically and politically unwell having an effect on individuals not just financially but also
psychologically and emotionally- a mirror image.
While the fault is in the political system, the world is using being widely focused on rationality and
logic, and have turned away from empathy and has mastered and normalized disassociation and is
incapable of recognizing the fault in its own system, it is also the fault of us individuals assuming that
politics doesn’t have a direct effect on our psyche. In order to fix a world making individuals unwell, we
must first recognize the role we play in this setting- acknowledging that we are key players that need
to choose and act wisely for our actions have a butterfly effect.

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5/28/22, 7:17 PM 5.1. Introduction: GEC 001-CE12S11 - Understanding the Self

This module aims to teach us about the influence politics has on society and individuals and vice
versa. It will teach you, students, what your political self is and how it influences traits and
personalities and their role in the grand scheme of things. It aims to integrate into our minds that we
are not independent beings separate from the world. The aim of this module is to destroy the
misconstrued ideas that we are not influenced by politics and that our decisions do not, in turn,
influence society. As a result, you will be equipped with a much better understanding that our actions
do have a direct effect on the world and that we can’t live a life detached from politics or society, thus,
giving us a sense of consciousness in the choices that we make for themselves as well as for the
greater good of society.

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