Understanding the Self Summary

Disimban, Omar T.
Chapter 2: lesson 1
The text discusses various aspects of human reproductive and sexual health. It
explains the difference between pseudohermaphrodites and hermaphrodites, and
how puberty is the period when reproductive organs become functional due to
rising levels of hormones. The text also highlights diseases associated with the
reproductive system in both males and females, such as vaginal infections, sexually
transmitted infections, tumors of the breast and cervix in females, and
inflammatory conditions like prostatitis and prostate cancer in males.
The text also mentions erogenous zones that increase sexual arousal when touched
in a sexual manner. Four commonly known erogenous zones are the mouth,
breasts, genitals, and anus. Additionally, four common areas of the body that can
be easily aroused are the neck, thighs, abdomen, and feet.
Finally, the text defines human sexual behavior as any activity that induces sexual
arousal. It explains that two major factors determine human sexual behavior:
inherited sexual response parents that have evolved as a means of ensuring
reproduction and societal influence on an individual's expression of their sexuality.
The given text discusses two types of behavior: solitary behavior and socio-sexual
behavior. Solitary behavior refers to self-gratification, which involves self-
stimulation leading to sexual arousal and climax, and is typically done in private as
an end in itself. This type of behavior is more common among unmarried
individuals, with more males engaging in it than females.
On the other hand, socio-sexual behavior involves interactions with others for
sexual purposes. This type of behavior can include flirting, dating, and engaging in
sexual activity with a partner or partners. The text does not provide further details
on this type of behavior.
Heterosexual behavior is the most common form of sociosexual behavior between
one male and one female, often beginning in childhood out of curiosity. Coitus is
viewed differently depending on marital status. The four phases of human sexual
response are excitement, plateau, sexual climax, and resolution. The nervous
system, hypothalamus, and limbic system regulate the sexual response. Sexual
problems can be physiological or psychological, including premature emission of
semen, ejaculatory impotence, and vaginismus. Sexually transmitted infections
include chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, chancroid, human papillomavirus (HPV),
herpes simplex virus (HSV), and trichomonas vaginalis. Natural methods of
contraception include abstinence, the calendar method, basal body temperature
tracking, and cervical mucus method.
The text outlines twelve artificial methods of contraception, including oral
contraceptives, transdermal patches, vaginal rings, subdermal implants, hormonal
injections, intrauterine devices, chemical barriers, diaphragms, cervical caps, male
and female condoms, and surgical methods. Each method is briefly described with
its corresponding function.
Chapter 2 Lesson 2 discusses William James' components of understanding the
self: its constituents, the feelings and emotions they arouse (self-feelings), and the
actions to which they prompt (self-seeking and self-preservation). The four
constituents of self are the material self, social self, spiritual self, and pure ego. The
text focuses on the four components of material self: body, clothes, family, and
home. Each component is described in detail with examples.
Overall, the text provides information on artificial methods of contraception and
William James' components of understanding the self with a focus on the material
self's components.
The given text discusses the concept of ritual, which refers to the performance of
ceremonial acts as prescribed by tradition or sacred law. Ritual is a specific and
observable mode of behavior that is exhibited by all known societies.
Chapter 2:lesson 3
Rituals are symbolic acts based on arbitrary rules that express religious beliefs. The
self can be described as a ritual being with a parallel between ritual and verbal
behavior. Language is also a system of symbols based on arbitrary rules. There are
five major world religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.
Buddhism believes in the existence of suffering and non-violence principles. Two
types of meditation practices in Buddhism are Samantha and Vipassana. Buddhists
celebrate Parinirvana Day, Buddha Day (Wesak), Dharma Day, Padmasambhava
Day, and Sangha Day.
Christians believe in the Trinitarian God and eternal life after death through faith in
Jesus Christ. Two practices by Christian churches are the sacrament of baptism and
the sacrament of communion. Christians celebrate Christmas and Resurrection
(Easter).
Hindus believe in Karma, where existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
dependent on how past lives were spent. The Vedas are sacred scriptures of
Hindus, along with Mahabharata and Ramayanaas important texts. Hindus
celebrate Diwali as the Festival of Lights and Navrati as the festival of nine nights.
Muslims believe in Allah as their “One God.”
The Five Pillars of Islam are the foundation of Muslim life and include the
statement of faith, prayer, monetary offering for the poor, yearly pilgrimage to
Mecca, and fasting during Ramadan. Two major festivals in Islam are Eidul-Fitr
and Eidul-Adha. Jews believe in the God of Abraham and follow the Torah as their
guide. They observe five major festivals including Rosh Hashanah, Yam Kippur,
Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot. Logotherapy is a psychotherapy introduced by Dr.
Viktor Frankl that believes man’s primary motivational force is the search for
meaning. Three basic concepts of Franklian psychology include that life has
meaning under all circumstances, main motivation for living is our will to find
meaning in life, and freedom to find meaning. The three aims of Franklyn
psychology are to become aware of spiritual resources, make conscious spiritual
resources, and use defiant power of the human spirit against adversity. Six
assumptions of logotherapy include that humans consist of body, mind, and spirit;
life has meaning under all circumstances; people have a will to meaning; people
have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find meaning.
Chapter 2 : Lesson 4
The text discusses the political self and being a Filipino. It highlights globally
renowned personalities who have made Filipinos recognized, such as Pacquiao,
Lea Salonga, and Michael Cinco. The 1987 Philippine Constitution defines
Filipino citizens as those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines.
Culture and history have greatly influenced the manner Filipinos learn, live, and
behave to date.
The Philippines is known for its grandiose mountain views, pristine beaches, and
rich and diverse culture that changes from province to province. The text lists
twelve Filipino values and traits that include hospitality, respect for elders, close
family ties, cheerful personality, self-sacrifice, bayanihan (spirit of communal
unity), colonial mentality (favoring foreign products over local ones), mañana
habit (procrastination), ningas kugon (eagerly starting things but quickly losing
eagerness), laziness (common problem among Filipinos), and pride.
Filipinos greet their elders by kissing their hand while saying “Mano po!”and
constantly using “bo” and “opo” in conversations. They maintain a tight
relationship with their families regardless of age or family status. Filipinos have a
habit of smiling and laughing a lot when they are happy. The self-sacrificing
attitude of Filipinos can be seen as an extension of their hospitality. Bayanihan is
about giving without expecting something in return.
Colonial mentality is regarded as the lack of patriotism where Filipinos favor
foreign products more than their own. This also concerns the desire to look more
foreign than local and keep up with foreign beauty trends. Laziness is a common
problem among Filipinos resulting in heavier workloads. Pride is also an important
trait among most Filipinos who hold on to it dearly.
Chapter 2: Lesson 5
The internet has become an integral part of everyday life for most people. Online
identity is the sum of all our characteristics and interactions, while partial identity
is a subset of characteristics that make up our identity. Persona is the partial
identity we create to represent ourselves in a specific situation. Personal identity
differentiates individuals as unique from others, while social identity identifies
individuals by their group memberships. Digital devices allow us to share
information more broadly than ever before, leading to the disinhibition effect and
self-disclosure online.
Sex refers to the biological state that corresponds to being male or female, while
gender is the social understanding of how sex should be experienced and
manifested in behavior, personality, preferences, capabilities, and so forth. Sexism
is a system of classification that values male-gendered things more than female.
Sexuality is an individual expression and understanding of desire that is often
experienced as fluid.
Guidelines for proper sharing of information include sticking to safer sites,
guarding passwords, limiting what you share online, remembering that anything
you post online will be there forever even if you try to delete it, not being mean or
embarrassing others online, telling someone if you see strange or bad behavior
online, being cho oiosy about your online friends, and being patient.
The text discusses various concepts related to the self, including William James’
idea that possessions are an extension of the self. Heman Lotze believed that
clothing is an essential part of the material self, and Russel Belk posits that we
regard our possessions as part of ourselves. Love is also discussed as a key factor
in finding meaning in life, according to Viktor Frankl. Self-presentation is
important