UTS Module Version 2-1

Photo credit: ISTOCK/DANE_MARK (n.d.
) Chapter 1:
Defining the Self: Personal and
Developmental Perspectives on Self
and Identity
Lesson 1: Philosophical Perspective
Lesson 2: Sociological Perspective
Lesson 3: Psychological Perspective
Lesson 4: Western and Eastern Concept of the Self
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

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Lesson 1:
Philosophical Perspectives
Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. explain the role of philosophy in understanding the self;
2. discuss the different concepts of the self from the philosophical perspective; 3.
differentiate the various concepts of the self and identity their similarities; and 4.
develop your own philosophy of the self.
PHILOSOPHY AND THE SELF

Philosophy is about finding answers to serious questions about ourselves and about the
world we live in. What is morally right and wrong? What is a good life? Does God exist? What is
the mind? What is art? Is the world really as it appears to us? What can we know? These
questions are some of the questions asked in philosophy. Basically, philosophy is about
Questioning existing knowledge and intuitions to get closer to the truth.
With philosophy, you will be able to acquire skills that are useful in our daily lives. These
include critical thinking, argument skills, communication, reasoning, analysis, and problem
solving. The skills acquired will allow you to justify your opinions, spot a bad argument, no matter
what the topic, and explain to people why they are wrong and you are right. Philosophy basically
teaches you to think!
The world Philosophy comes from the Greek words PHILO (meaning Love) and SOPHIA
(meaning Wisdom). Literally, Philosophy means Love of Wisdom or the inquiry into the nature of
reality. It was Pythagoras who first used the term philosophy.
The philosophical framework for understanding the self was first introduced by Ancient
Greek philosophers; Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. It was Socrates who suggested to “know
thyself” which asks the question “what is self and the qualities that define it?” Philosophers
agree that self-knowledge is a prerequisite to a happy and meaningful life.
1. SOCRATES: An unexamined life is not worth living

• Socrates was the first thinker to focus on the full power of
reason on the human self: who we are, who we should be, and
who we will become.
• Every man is dualistic; composed of body and soul
• Two important aspects of his personhood
– Body – imperfect and impermanent
– Soul – perfect and permanent
• In Socrates’ concept of reality, it consists of two dichotomous
realms:
a. The Physical realm
– changeable, transient and imperfect
– The body belongs to this realm. Photo credit: Red
Zambala (n.d.)

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b. The Ideal realm
– unchanging, eternal, and immortal
– The soul belongs to this realm.
• The soul strives for wisdom and perfection, and reason is the soul’s tool to achieve an
exalted state of life.
• Our preoccupation with bodily needs such as food, drink, sex, pleasure, material
possessions, and wealth keep us from attaining wisdom.
• A person can have a meaningful and happy life only if he becomes virtuous and knows the
value of himself that can be achieved through constant soul-searching. • For him, this is best
achieved when one tries to separate the body from the soul as much possible.
2. PLATO: The Soul is Immortal

• A student of Socrates
• Philosophy of the self can be explained as a process of
self-knowledge and purification of the soul.
• He believed that in the existence of the mind and soul
• Mind and soul is given in perfection with God
• Soul has three parts:
a. Rational Soul
✓ reason and intellect
✓ divine essence that enables us to think
deeply, make wise choices, and
achieve a
true understanding of eternal truths.
b. Spirited Soul
✓ emotion and passion
Photo credit: The University of Adelaide (2014)
✓ basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and

empathy.
c. Appetitive Soul
✓ basic needs
✓ includes our basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and sexual
desire.
• These three elements of our selves are in a dynamic relationship with one another,
sometimes in conflict.
• When conflict occurs, Plato believes that it is the responsibility of our Reason to sort
things out and exert control, restoring a harmonious relationship among the three
elements of our selves.
• Plato believes that genuine happiness can only be achieved by people who consistently
make sure that their Reason is in control of their Spirits and Appetites.
3. ARISTOTLE: The Soul is the Essence of the Self

• The body and soul are not two separate elements but are one thing.
• The soul is simply the Form of the body, and is not capable of existing without the body. •
The soul is that which makes a person a person. The soul is the essence of the self. •
Aristotle suggests that the rational nature of the self is to lead a good, flourishing, and
fulfilling life.
• Without the body the soul cannot exist. The soul dies along with the body. •
Aristotle suggested that anything with life has soul.

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• His discussion about the self centers on the kinds of soul possessed by a man. •
He introduced the three kinds of soul.
a. Vegetative
– includes the physical body that can grow.
b. Sentient
– includes the sensual desires, feelings, and emotions.
c. Rational
– is what makes man human. It includes the intellect that makes man know
and understand things.
4. ST. AUGUSTINE: I am Doubting, Therefore I am
• Integrated the ideas of Plato and Christianity.
• Augustine’s view of the human person reflects the entire
spirit
of the medieval world
• The soul is united with the body so that man may be entire
and complete.
• Augustine described that humankind is created in the image
and likeness of God.
• Therefore, the human person being a creation of God is
always geared towards the good.
• The self is known only through knowing God.
• Self-knowledge is a consequence of knowledge of God.
• For Augustine, “knowledge can only come by seeing the
truth
that dwells within us.
• The truth of which Augustine spoke refers to the truth of
knowing God.
• St. Augustine believed that the human person being a creation
of God is always geared towards the good. God.
• The self is known only through knowing God. • Photo credit: WikiCommons
Self-knowledge is a consequence of knowledge of (n.d.)
• For Augustine, “knowledge can only come by seeing the truth that dwells within us.” •
The truth of which Augustine spoke refers to the truth of knowing God.
5. RENE DESCARTES: I Think Therefore I am

• The act of thinking about self – of being self-conscious – is in itself proof that there is self. •
The self is combination of two distinct entities
a. Cogito – the thing that think – mind
b. Extenza – extension the body – body
• Cogito ergo sum – “I think therefore, I am”
6. JOHN LOCKE: The Self is Consciousness

• The human mind at birth is tabula rasa or blank slate
• He felt that the self is constructed primarily from sense experiences
• Consciousness
a. necessary to have a coherent personal identity or knowledge of the self as a
person.
b. what makes possible our belief that we are the same identity in different
situations.

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7. DAVID HUME: There is no Self
• Self is simply a bundle or collection of different perceptions, which succeed each other
with an inconceivable rapidly and are in a perpetual flux and movement
• The idea of personal identity is a result of imagination
• There is no self
8. IMMANUEL KANT: We Construct the Self

• Self is not just what gives one his personality but also the seat of knowledge acquisition
for all human persons
• The self constructs its own reality creating a world that is familiar and predictable •
Through our rationality, the self transcends sense experience
9. GILBERT RYLE: The Self is the Way People Behave

• Self is not an entity one can locate and analyze but simply the convenient name that
people use to refer to all the behaviors that people make
• “I act therefore I am”, in short, the self is the same as bodily behavior
• The self is the way people behave
10. PAUL CHURCHLAND: The Self is the Brain

• The self is inseparable from the brain and the physiology of
the body
• All we have is the brain and so, if the brain is gone, there is
no self
• The physical brain and not the imaginary mind, gives us our
sense of self
• The mind does not really exist
• It is the brain and not the imaginary mind that gives us our
sense of self
• The self is the brain
Photo credit: Goodreads, Inc (2019)
11. MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY: The Self is Embodied Subjectivity

• The mind-body bifurcation that has been going on for a long time is a futile endeavor and
an invalid problem
• All knowledge of our selves and our world is based on subjective experience • The self
can never be truly objectified or known in a completely objective sort of way • The self
is embodied subjectivity

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Lesson 2:
Sociological Perspective
Lesson Objectives
1. Explain the relationship between and among the self, society, and culture; 2. Describe
and discuss the different ways by which society and culture shape the self; 3. Compare and
contrast how the self can be influenced by the different institutions in the society; and
4. Examine one’s self against the different views of self that were discussed in the class.
SOCIOLOGY AND THE SELF

The self, in contemporary literature and even in common sense, is commonly defined by
the following characteristics: “separate, self-contained, independent, consistent, unitary, and
private” (Stevens, 1996). By separate, it meant that the self is distinct from the other selves. The
self is always unique and has its own identity. One cannot be another person. Even twins are
distinct from each other. Self is unitary in that it is the center of all experiences and thoughts that
run through a person. The last characteristic of the self being private suggests that the self is
isolated from the external world. It lives in within its own world. However, we also see that this
potential clash between the self and the external reality is the reason for the self to have a clear
understanding of what it might be, what it can be, and what it will be.
Various sociologists have varying beliefs on how the self is formed. The similarity among
their perspectives is that the environment and the people around us play an important role on
how we perceive ourselves.
1. MEAD: The Social Self

Mead believed that the self was created through
social
interaction and that this process started in childhood, with
children beginning to develop a sense of self at about the
same time that they began to learn language. He believed
that “the self is born of society. The self is inseparable from
society and bound up with communication. It builds on social
experience. This is largely a matter of taking the role of other
with increasing sophistications, broadening out from
significant others to greater complexity”. Further, Mead
believed that the self is the human capacity to be reflective
and take the role of others and thus:
a. The self emerges from social experience. It is not part
of the body and it does not exist at birth, but it Photo credit:
is distinctly what makes us humans. Britannica (n.d.)
b. Social experience involves communication and the exchange of symbols. People

create meaning
c. To understand intention you must imagine the situation from another person’s point
of view. By taking the role of the other: the self is reflective and reflexive.

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Mead proposed the five (5) stages of his theory on the development of the self
namely:
a. Preperatory stage: children mimic /imitate others.
b. Play stage: children pretend to play the role of a particular or a significant other. The
particular or significant other are the perspectives and particular role that a child
learns and internalizes
c. Game stage: children play organized games and take on the perspective of the
generalized other
d. Generalized other: the perspectives and expectations of a network of others (or a
society in general) that a child learns and then takes into account when shaping
his/her own behavior
e. Dual nature of the self: the believe that we experience the self as both subject and
object, the “I” and “me”
2. COOLEY: The Looking-glass Self

Charles Cooley believed that “One's
sense of self
depends on seeing one's self reflected in
interactions
with others”. He proposes that the
image people
have of themselves is based on how
they believe
others perceive them. He called this The
Looking
Glass Self. The looking-glass self refers to the notion
that the self develops through our perception of
others' evaluation and appraisal of us.
Charles Cooley was George Mead’s colleagues.
3. GOFFMAN: Constructing Situations and Drama

According to Erving Goffman,
“People
routinely behave like actors on a stage.
Everyday
Photo credit: Top Hat (n.d.)
social life becomes theatrical. There are
roles,
scripts and actions. Daily life is a series of
stagecraft rules.” He believed that
meaning is
constructed through interaction. He
coined the
term Interaction Order which depicts
what we do
in the immediate presence of others. For
example, we roll our eyes when we see
our
enemy or we hide when we see our crush.
His approach, dramaturgy, focuses on how
individuals take on roles and act others view them, a process he
them out to present a favorable called Impression Management.
impression to their "audience". Goffman identified the following
Goffman argues that people are Photo credit: Wikipedia (n.d.)
concerned with controlling how
components in his theory of Impression Management; (1) Region, (2) Backstage, and (3)
Front Stage.
Lastly, Goffman believed that the self is Social construction dependent of the situation.
Each definition of a situation lends itself to a different approach, and the consequences are
real.

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Lesson 3:
Psychological Perspective
Lesson Objectives
1. Identify the different ideas in psychology about the “self”;
2. Create your own definition of the “self” based on the definitions from psychology; and
3. Analyze the effects of various factors identified in psychology in the formation of the
“self.”
PSYCHOLOGY AND THE SELF
In confidence or in an attempt to further analytical discussions, a lot of people say, “I am

who I am”. Yet, this statement still begs the question “if you are who you are, then who are you
that makes you who you are?” As mentioned earlier, there are various definitions of the “self”
and other similar or interchangeable concepts in psychology. Simply put, “self” is the sense of
personal identity and of who we are as individuals (Jhangiani and Tarry, 2014).
1. William James’ Concept of Self
William James proposed that the self has two (2) aspects that he called the “I-self” and
the “Me-self”. The “I-Self” refers to the self that knows who he or she is. It is the thinking,
acting and feeling self (Gleitman, Gross, and Reisberg 2011; Hogg and Vaughan 2010). The “I
Self” reflects the soul of a person or what is now thought of as the mind and is called the
pure ego.
On the other hand, The “Me-Self” is the empirical self. It refers to describing the person’s
personal experiences and further divided into sub-categories: material self, social self, and
spiritual self. It is the physical characteristics as well as psychological capabilities that makes
who you are (Gleitman, Gross, and Reisberg 2011; Hogg and Vaughan 2010).
2. Carl Rogers’ Self Theory
Carl Rogers proposed the Self-concept which refers
to the
image of oneself. He defined the self as a flexible and
changing
perception of personal identity. The self develops from
interactions with significant people and self-awareness.
According to Rogers, human beings are always striving
for self
fulfilment or self-actualization. Central to achieving self
actualization is the development of self-concept. When the
needs of the self are denied, severe anxiety may result.
components of self-concept:
Carl Rogers identified two (2) Photo credit: Wikipedia (n.d.)
(1) Real Self that consists of all the ideas, including the awareness of ‘what I am’ and ‘what I
can do’ and (2) Ideal Self which is the person’s conception of what one should be or wanted
to be that includes one’s goal and ambitions in life.
3. Lester’s Multiple versus Unified Self

Self-understanding in adolescents also includes conceptualizing the self as multiple or
unified. Lester (2010) has proposed a multiple self theory of the mind in formal terms, with

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12 postulates and 49 corollaries. According to this theory, the construction of multiple selves
varies across different roles and relationships. Coping with different selves constitutes a
formidable task among adolescents. These challenges contribute heavily to the young
person’s struggle for a unified self.
4. Winnicott’s True versus False Self

Donald Winnicott, an English paediatrician and
psychoanalysts, suggests that the self is composed of
the true self and false self. The function of the false self
is to hide and protect the true self. People tend to
display a false self to impress others. For example,
there are times in our lives where we pretend to be
happy when we have a problem. We do it for various
reasons; sometimes to protect ourselves and
sometimes to protect the ones we love. Winicott
therefore conclude that the self can change depending
on situations.
Photo credit: The Winnicott’s Trust (n.d.)
5. Freud: The Importance of the Unconscious

Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist, was
the founder of psychoanalysis. In founding
psychoanalysis, Freud developed therapeutic
techniques such as the use of the free
association and discovered transference.
Freud’s redefinition of sexuality to include its
infantile forms led him to formulate the
Oedepus Rex as the central tenet of
psychoanalytic. Furthermore, Freud proposed
that psychological development takes place
during five (5) psychosexual stages: Oral, anal,
phallic, latency, and genital. These are called
psychosexual stages because each stage
represents the fixation of libido (roughly
translated as sexual desires or instincts) on a Photo credit:
different are of the body. Biography (2017)
It was also Freud who developed a model of psychic structure that has three
components namely:
a. Id – pleasure-seeking, immature, impulsive, child-like and cannot delay
gratification.
b. Ego – “I”, works on the reality principle, controls the id and can delay pleasure.
c. Superego – the “conscience” and ‘moral judge” of conduct
Sigmund Freud noted a number of ego defences which he refers to throughout his
written works. His daughter, Anna developed these ideas and elaborated on them. Many
psychoanalysts have also added further types of ego defences.

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Photo credit: Joshua Seong of Verywell (2019)

Defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that are unconsciously used to
protect a person from anxiety arising from unacceptable thoughts or feelings. These
Psychological Defense Mechanisms are used to protect ourselves from feelings of anxiety
and guilt, which arise because we feel threatened, or because our id or ego becomes too
demanding. Defense mechanisms operate at an unconscious level and help ward off
unpleasant feelings or make good things feel better for the individual. Ten (10) most
common psychological defense mechanisms are the following:
a. Denial
✓ refusal to recognize a threatening situation.
b. Repression
✓ pushing threatening situations out of conscious memory.
c. Rationalization
✓ making up acceptable excuses for unacceptable behavior.
d. Projection
✓ placing one’s own unacceptable thoughts onto others.
e. Reaction Formation
✓ condemns something that has an unconscious appeal.
f. Displacement
✓ transfer of emotions or behaviors to another less threatening.
g. Regression
✓ falling back on childlike patterns as a way of coping with stressful situations.
h. Identification
✓ trying to become like someone else to deal with one’s anxiety.
i. Compensation (Substitution)
✓ trying to make up for areas in which a lack is perceived by becoming
superior in some area.
j. Sublimation
✓ turning socially unacceptable urges into socially acceptable behavior.

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According to Feud, “the cornerstone of my work is the workings of the repressed
unconscious: people’s lives are partly shaped by emotional experiences, traumas and ‘family
romances’ which then become too difficult to confront and so become hidden from the
surface workings of life, while still motivating our actions”.
6. Bandura’s Self as Proactive and Agentic
Stanford University Psychologist, Albert Bandura, proposed a social cognition theory
that views people as agents (originators) of experience not just reactive. He suggests that
human have the ability to act and make things happen. He developed four (4) agentic
perspectives.
a. Intentionally
✓ Enables us to behave with purpose
b. Forethought
✓ Allows us to anticipate outcomes
c. Self-reactiveness
✓ We can be motivated to regulate our actions
d. Self-reflectiveness
✓ We can reflect our thoughts and behaviors and make needed modifications
7. Jung’s Self as the Central Archetype

Swiss psychologist, Carl
Jung,
introduced the concept of
archetypes. He
believed that archetypes were
models of
people, behavior, or personality.
Archetypes, he suggested, were
inborn
tendencies that play a role in
influencing
human behavior. In Jungian
psychology,
the archetypes represent
universal
patterns and images that are part of the
collective unconscious. The following are
the archetypes as identified by Carl Jung:
a. Persona
✓ One’s “public personality” or mask;
one’s social roles Photo credit: Hugo Lin of Verywell (2019)
b. Shadow
✓ One’s dark side, parts of ourselves that we dislike c.
Self
✓ Central archetypes of personality, represents wholeness d.
Anima
✓ Female archetypes, or “feminine side”
e. Animus
✓ Male archetypes, or “male side: projected by a woman

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Lesson 4:
Western and Eastern Concept of the Self
Lesson Objectives
1. Identify the different ideas in psychology about the “self”;
2. Create your own definition of the “self” based on the definitions from psychology; and
3. Analyze the effects of various factors identified in psychology in the formation of the
“self.”
INTRODUCTION
Different cultures and varying environment tend to create different perceptions of the
“self” and one of the most distinctions between cultures and people is the Eastern-vs-Western
dichotomy wherein Eastern represents Asia while Western represents Europe and Northern
America. It must be understood that this distinction and the countries included was politically
colored at the time that the aforementioned concepts were accepted and used in the social
sciences. Furthermore, it must be reiterated that while countries who are geographically closer
to each other may share commonalities, there are also a lot of factors that create differences. In
the Philippines alone, each region may have similar or varying perception regarding the “self”.
Excerpt from “The Self in Western and Eastern
Thoughts” by Alata, Caslib, Serafica, and Pawilen (2018)
WESTERN THOUGHTS
The Western thoughts conducted scientific investigations in the effort to understand the
self and have developed theories and difference among them. They emphasized the importance
of scientific methods of investigation to provide satisfactory answers to understanding the self. In
the Western thought, the emphasis is individualistic rather than relational. Most of the
philosophers we have discussed in our previous lessons fall under western thoughts.
EASTERN THOUGHTS
Many movements of Eastern thoughts raise questions about the ultimate meaning of
human life. They have developed theories of self as they have investigated what it means to be a
human being. Eastern thoughts aim at transformations in:
a. Consciousness
b. Feelings
c. Emotions
d. one’s relation to other people and the world.
In the Eastern thought, the emphasis is relational rather than individual. The self is
considered not in isolation but in relation to others, society, and the universe. Eastern theories

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are therefore highly practical. They offer a variety of techniques for cultivating a deeper
understanding of the self. They do not utilize the scientific techniques of investigation.
1. Buddhism
Buddhism comes from the root word “budh” meaning awake which implies that when
the eyes are open, it would be lead to understanding more about the self and world. Siddharta
Gautama Known as Buddha is the founder of Buddhism.
According to the teachings of Buddhism, every person has the seed of enlightenment,
hence, potential to be a Buddha. However, the seed should be nurtured. They also believe that
man is just a title for the summation of the five parts that compose the individual; however each
of the parts distinctly is not man. The five (5) parts that compose an individual are (1) matter, (2)
sensation, (3) perception, (4) mental constructs, and (5) consciousness.
Buddhists believes that there is no self (or soul); there is only nothing and all else is an
illusion. They also believe that nothing is permanent, but change. The ignorance of the
impermanence of everything may lead to an illusion of selfhood. For them, it is ideal to
experience Nirvana, a state of transcendence devoid of self- reference. This state of
transcendence can be achieved through meditation.
2. Hinduism
Hindus believe that Atman (a Sanskrit word means inner self, spirit or soul) being an
immortal soul continues to be reincarnated from lifetime to lifetime until it is freed from the
cycle of rebirth and reach a state of nirvana or non-birth. The most important doctrine of
Hinduism is the Law of Karma which implies that all actions will lead to either good or bad
outcomes in one’s life. Karma does not end with a body’s death; its influence may extend
through incarnation of the soul. The goal of man is to have knowledge of the true reality
–Brahman.
3. Confucianism
The core of Confucian thought is the Golden Rule of the principle of reciprocity: “Do not
do others what you would not want others to do to you”. Another important feature in Confucian
thought is the individual’s greatest mission of attaining self-realization wherein self-cultivation is
instrumental. Self-cultivation could be accomplished by knowing one’s role in the society and act
accordingly. Based on Confucian thought, moral character is perfected through continuously
taking every opportunity to improve oneself in thought and action.
4. Taoism
Taoism believes that the self is an extension of the cosmos, not of social relationships.
They describe the self as one of the limitless forms of the Tao. The Tao is commonly regarded as a
nature that is the foundation of all that exists. It is not bounded by time and space and the ideal
is to identify with the Tao. Based on Taoism, the perfect man has no self and the selfless person
leads to a balanced life, in harmony with both nature and society.
Taoists believe that simplicity, spontaneity, and harmony with nature should govern
one’s life; therefore, there should be unity and harmony among opposing elements: the Yin and
Yang.

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WESTERN THOUGHTS VERSUS EASTERN THOUGHTS
DIMENSION WESTERN THOUGHTS EASTERN THOUGHT

Frame of reference There is a separation between Religion and philosophy
philosophy and religion/spirituality. are intertwined.
Examples of School Scholasticism Hinduism

of Thought/Belief Rationalism Buddhism
system Empiricism Confucianism
phenomenology Taoism
Notable Philosophers Socrates Confucius

Plato Lao Tzu
Aristotle Siddharta Gautama (Buddha)
Rene Descartes
John Locke
Source of knowledge Has made use of reason rather Has trusted intuition and is
than faith to pursue wisdom. often associated with
religious beliefs.
Modes of Cognition Analytic and Deductive Synthetic and inductive
Emphasis Distinctions and Opposition Commonalities and harmonies
View of the Linear Circular

Universe and Life
Subjects-Objects Duality of self a subject (knower) Simultaneously subject and

Distinction and self as object (known) object (The experience of self
(Bipolar as both knower and known)
Qualities of Self)
Theological View Monotheistic Polytheistic(pluralistic)
Ideal Self-actualization through To achieve a balanced life

personal growth and find one’s role in
society.
Cultural Framework Individualism Collectivism
1. The self distinct and autonomous 1. The self is an integrated

entity; it is an independent part of part of the universe and the
the universe and the society. society.
2. Independence and 2. Interdependence and
self-reliance are core values. connectedness are core
3. Prioritize personal goals values.
over group goals 3. No distinctions between
4. Characterized by personal and group goals,
exchange relationship the personal goals are
5. Uniqueness, sense of subordinate t the group
direction, purpose and volition goals.
are the 4. Characterized by communal
acknowledged features of self. relationship conformity
6. Personal success is important. and obedience are
essential social
behaviours.
5. Duty towards all others
is important

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Photo credit: Psychology Today (n.d.)
Chapter 2:
Unpacking the Self
Lesson 1: The Physical Self
Lesson 2: The Sexual Self
Lesson 3: The Material Self
Lesson 4: The Spiritual Self
Lesson 5: The Political Self
Lesson 6: The Digital Self

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Lesson 1:
The Physical Self
Lesson Objectives
1. Understand the stages of life and explain the physical changes that occur during each
stage;
2. Identify the contributions of genetic and environmental factors on physical development
of the self;
3. Describe the factors that affect body image;
4. Examine the impact of the culture on the body image and self; and
5. Develop a positive body image.
STAGES OF LIFE SPAN

The Physical Self refers to the body that includes basic parts such as head, neck, arms, and legs.
It is also made up of other organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, and
muscles; these organs works together to perform many of its functions such as breathing,
walking and dancing.
The body’s ability to perform its functions gradually changes through the years. In
general, the body performs its functions least well during (1) infancy and (2) old age. Physical
efficiency generally peaks in early adulthood and declines into the middle age. Physical
development and growth during childhood continues at a slow rate compared with rapid rate of
growth in babyhood.
Each individual goes through a succession of the development stages. One of the most
crucial stage of development is the adolescence stage. The adolescence is the stage of
development characterized by rapidly physical changes that includes the maturation of the
reproductive system. It begins with the onset of puberty.
Elizabeth B. Hurlock (2001) outlined the stages of lifespan or the development from
conception to death. She divided the stage into ten (10) parts:
1. Prenatal - fertilization to the birth
2. Infancy - birth to 2 weeks of life
3. Babyhood - 2 weeks of life to 2nd year
4. Early Childhood - 2 to 6
5. Late Childhood - 6 to 10 or 12
6. Puberty - 10 or 12 to 14
7. Adolescence - 14 to 18
8. Early Adulthood - 18 to 40
9. Middle Adulthood - 40 to 60
10. Late Adulthood - 60 to death
Part of these stages is changes in the body. For the longest time, there has been on-going
debate on the factors that affecting physical growth and development. Socio-biologists,
psychologists and others in the natural sciences argue that behavior traits can be explained by
genetics. On the other hand, Sociologists, anthropologists and others in the social sciences argue

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that human behavior is learned and shaped trough interaction. Based on these arguments, two
(2) factors are considered.
1. Heredity
Heredity is the biological process of transmission of traits from parents of
offspring. the sex and other physical traits are determined by the combination of (1)
chromosome and (2) genes during fertilization (the union of the two cells: Egg and
Sperm). Chromosomes are thread like tissues that carries the genes, and are usually
found in pairs; classified as autosomes or trait chromosomes (22 pairs) and
gonosome or sex chromosomes. A human typically has 23 pairs of chromosomes.
Genes, on the other hand, are the basic carriers of hereditary traits. It can be
classified into Dominant (strong genes) and Recessive (weak genes).
2. Environment
Environment refers to the factors to which the individual is exposed after
conception to death which includes learning and experience. Factors such as diet,
nutrition, and diseases play an important role in physical development.
BODY IMAGE
Body image refers to how individuals perceive, think, and feel about their body and
physical appearance. Appearance refers to everything about a person that others can observe
such as height, weight, skin color, clothes, and hairstyle. Through appearances, people show
others the kind of persons they are.
It appears that the body image is related to self-esteem. Self-esteem is a person’s overall
evaluation of his or her own worth. Low self-esteem is very common is adolescents. Adolescents
worry about different parts of their bodies. Younger women and girls tend to have poor body
image. Three (3) of the most common causes of poor body image are:
1. Emphasis on thin ideal body
✓ lead girls to experience body dissatisfaction
2. Bullying and peer pressure
✓ have been associated with greater body dissatisfaction.
3. Media
✓ such as television, advertisements, music and movies.
✓ filled with good-looking faces, making women and men more concerned with
physical attractiveness.
✓ results to paying a great deal of money for the physical attractiveness that women
and men want to achieve
✓ The reality, however, is that the standards of beauty presented in the media are
so unrealistic.
Body image can affect both the adolescent’s physical and psychological well-being. Some
of the effects of poor body image include:
1. Body dissatisfaction
2. Depression
3. Low-self esteem
4. Eating disorder
a. Bulimia
✓ the person induces purging after
binging on large quantities of food.
Photo credit: Limerick Mental

Health Association (n.d.)

17
b. Anorexia Nervosa
✓ eating disorder in which the person refuses to eat for fear of gaining weight
✓ can result in severe starvation and death
✓ mostly afflicts females between the ages of 12 and 40, although men may
also develop it.
5. Body modification
– some people desperate change their physical appearance
– Different forms:
✓ Tattooing
✓ Permanent make-up
✓ Body piercing
✓ Cosmetic surgery
CONCEPT OF BEAUTY
In Egyptian art, beauty is portrayed in
women
with slim, high waist, narrow hips, and long
black hair.
Women with full figure and rounded hips were
considered beautiful during the Renaissance
period.
Some tribes (e.g., Africa) during the medieval
age
consider chubby, fat, or plum women beautiful.
On the
other hand, some tribes in Malaysia, Philippines
and
Indonesia considered flat noses to be the most
attractive.
Standards of beauty have change over
time
based on changing cultural values. However, all cultures
have, more or less, the same concept standards of
beauty. Traditionally considered the most beautiful
have:
1. clean and unblemished skin
2. thick shinny hair
Photo credit: Negro Woman by Ilya Repin (1876)
3. well-proportioned bodies, and
4. symmetrical faces
Beauty is considered important throughout history. This is because these features

indicate youth, health, good genes, and fertility. Beauty is important in all societies. Attractive
people have a lot of advantages in life. For example, men tend to seek attractive women as
mates. Studies have shown that men and women who are physically attractive have more
opportunities such as job promotion, and income. Also, people tend to view attractive people as
good, happier, smarter, and better people. Generally, unattractive people are less like and
assisted.
It is, however, important to note that above all things physical, it is more important to be
beautiful in the inside.

18
Lesson 2:
The Sexual Self
Lesson Objectives
1. Explain the development of sex characteristics and human reproductive system;
2. Describe the erogenous zones and understand human sexual response; 3.
Understand attraction, love, and attachment;
4. Explain sexual orientation;
5. Identify the causes and consequences of sexually transmitted infections and early
pregnancy; and
6. Reflect on the importance of contraception and Reproductive Health Law.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
The beginning of adolescence is marked by rapid physical changes including the

maturation of the reproductive system and the development of different sexual characteristics.
There are two (2) types of sexual characteristics. The first one is called Primary Sex
Characteristics; these are physical characteristics that are present at birth. In women, these
characteristics include the vagina, uterus, and ovaries. In men, the primary sex characteristics
include the penis, testes or testicles, scrotum, and prostate gland. Basically, primary sex
characteristics are body structures that make the reproduction possible.
The other sexual characteristic is called Secondary Sexual Characteristics. Unlike the
primary sexual characteristics, the Secondary Sexual Characteristics develop during the onset of
puberty. For women, the earliest evidences of puberty are the enlargement of the breasts,
menstrual cycle, widening of hips, enlargement of buttocks, and growth of pubic hair. Testicular
growth, sperm production, appearance of facial, pubic, and other body hair, and deepening of
voice are some of the first signs of puberty in men.
Photo
credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d) Another

important part of physical development is hormones. Hormones are natural substance that is
produced in the body that influences the way the body grows or develops. Testosterone,
estrogen, and progesterone are some examples of hormones.

19
During puberty, testosterone and other androgens stimulate the development of primary
and secondary sex characteristics and also increase sex drive. The level of testosterone
production is fairly constant.
In women, the ovaries produce estrogen and progesterone as well as small amount of
testosterone. Estrogen promotes female reproductive capacity and secondary sex characteristics.
The production of female sex hormones follows a cyclical pattern, on an approximately 28-day
monthly cycle. The greatest production occurs during ovulation period, when an egg is released
from the ovaries. The two ovaries produce, store and release egg cells during ovulation.
Ovulation period can occur 14 days after the beginning of the menstrual period.
Reproductive system is the system of sex organs designed for reproduction or sexual
function. Female reproductive system includes two ovaries, the fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina,
and clitoris. On the other hand, male reproductive system includes penis, testes, scrotum,
prostate gland, seminal vesicles, vas deferens, and epididymis.
WHAT TURNS PEOPLE ON?

Human sexual arousal may be produced by direct stimulation of the body’s erogenous
zones. Erogenous zones refer to parts of the body that are receptive and increase sexual arousal
when touched in a sexual manner. According to Freud, erogenous zones are areas of the body
that provide pleasure. Some of the commonly known erogenous zones are the genitals, mouth,
breast, ears, anus, and to lesser degree, the entire surface of the body.
One of the most basic sexual stimulation is masturbation of self-stimulation that causes
sexual pleasure or orgasm. Other sexual activities such as intimate kissing, cuddling, necking,
petting, or touching the erogenous zones may be uniquely important to sexual arousal.
In many species sexual arousal
is
closely tied to variations in hormonal
levels; in
humans, however, hormones play less
of a
role. In one sense, the brain is where
sexual
desire originates and where sexual
behaviour is
controlled. Cognitive factors thus play an
important role in sexual arousal in humans.
Culture also influences the expression of sexual
desire.
Photo credit: nd300 (n.d.)
William Masters and Virginia Johnson
used the term sexual- response cycle to describe the changes that occur in the body as men and
women become sexually aroused. They divided the sexual response cycle into four (4) phases.
1. Excitement Phase
– beginning of sexual arousal
– can last from one minute to several hours
– Pulse rate increases, blood pressure rises, breathing quickens, and the skin shows
a rosy flush particularly on the chest and breast area during this phase
– The nipples harden and erect in both men and women.

20
– In men, the penis becomes erect, the skin of the scrotum thickens, and the testes
increase in size.
– In women, the clitoris swells, the lip of the vagina open, and the inside of the
vagina moistens in preparation of sexual intercourse.
2. Plateau Phase
– the change in the body are continued
– Breathing becomes more rapid, heart rate increases, body temperature rises, and
blood pressure increases during this stage.
– In men, the penis become more erects, the circumference of its head increases,
and releases few drops of fluid.
– In women, the outer part of the vagina swells with increased amount of blood to
that area, while the clitoris retracts under the clitoral hood nut remains highly
sensitive.
– The outer lip of the vagina becomes redder in colour.
3. Orgasmic_ Phase
– orgasmic contractions of the muscles happens in the release of the semen which
contains the sperm cells
– Men usually achieve one intense orgasm.
– In women, orgasm involves the contraction of the pelvic muscles that surround the
vaginal walls and can happen multiple times.
4. Resolution Phase
– the body returns to its normal
state after orgasm
– In men, the erection is lost, the
testes decrease in size and
the
skin of scrotum thins again.
– In women, the clitoris, the color
of the outer lip of the vagina,
and
the lips of the vagina return to its
normal state.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY
Sexual orientation refers to sexual and romantic feelings for people of the same gender, a
different gender, or more than one gender. People who identify their sexual orientation as
“straight” or “heterosexual” typically feel attracted to people of a different gender than
themselves. People who identify as “lesbian” or “gay” typically feel attracted to people of the
same gender as themselves. People who identify as “bisexual” typically feel attracted to more
than one gender, such as being attracted to both women and men. “Pansexual” is a term used by
people who feel attracted to more than one gender and feel that other terms don’t include
people who are transgender and gender nonconforming (people who have a gender identity or
gender expression that doesn’t match their sex assigned at birth). People who use the term
“queer” may use it to mean lesbian, gay, bisexual, or pansexual, or they may use it because other
terms don’t quite describe their experiences.

21
Some people might identify their sexual
orientation one way, but experience attractions
that don’t match the label they are using. For
example, a person might identify as “straight,”
but feel attracted to people of the same gender
or more than one gender and sometimes act on
those attractions. Sexual orientation can also
change over time for some people. For example,
a person might be attracted only to people of the
same gender as themselves, and then later be
attracted to more than one gender. This is
normal! It just means that sexual orientation is
complicated for some people.
Photo
credit: Etalent Entertainment (2013)
Gender identity is a person’s internal feelings
of being a woman, man, both, or neither. Most people have a gender identity and/or gender
expression (how a person shows their gender through their appearance or behavior) that
matches their sex assigned at birth. However, some people have a gender identity or gender
expression that is different from their sex assigned at birth; these people might use the term
“transgender” or “gender nonconforming” to describe their gender identity.
Gender can be expressed in
many
ways: through our clothes, speech,
activities,
hobbies, and our behaviors. It’s ok for
any of
these things to change at different
times, or in
different situations, depending on what
feels
comfortable.
Many people confuse the two, but here
is a simple way to understand the difference:
gender identity is more about “who you are”
(boy, girl, both, or neither) and sexual
orientation is about “who you have a crush on.”
Photo credit: Angela Ponce (2018)
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), sometimes called Sexually Transmitted Infections
(STIs), are infections that can be transmitted from an infected person to an uninfected person
through sexual activity such as anal, vaginal, and oral sex (Alata, Caslib, Serafica, and Pawilen,
2018). According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2017) of the
National Institute of Health of the United States, STDs can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and
parasites.
STDs are a significant global health priority due to its impact on woman and infants.
According to Alata, Caslib, Serafica, and Pawilen (2018), STDs can lead to long term health
problems including “pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, tubal and ectopic pregnancy, cervical
cancer, and perinatal or congenital infections in infants born to infected mothers”. Some of the
most common STDs are:

22
1. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Auto
Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are terms
used interchangeably. However, HIV infection
and AIDS are not the same condition, and they
are not the same diagnosis. HIV is a virus that
attacks a type of white blood cell called a CD4
cell in the body's immune system. It reduces
the body's ability to fight infection and illness
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
n.d).
However, treatment with antiretroviral Photo credit: [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons
therapy can minimize the effect of the virus by slowing or halting its progression. Treatment
can now reduce the amount of virus in the bloodstream to levels where it is no longer
detectable. This means the body remains healthy, and the virus cannot be transmitted.
On the other hand, AIDS is a syndrome, or range of symptoms, that may develop in time
in a person with HIV who does not receive treatment. A person can have HIV without
developing AIDS, but it is not possible to have AIDS without first having HIV.
2. Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a common STD that can infect both men
and women. It can cause serious, permanent damage to a
woman’s reproductive system. This can make it difficult or
impossible for her to get pregnant later on. Chlamydia
can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy
(pregnancy that occurs outside the womb).
You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal, or oral
sex with someone who has chlamydia. If your sex partner
is male you can still get chlamydia even if he
Photo credit:
does not ejaculate (cum). If you’ve had MedlinePlus (n.d.)
chlamydia and were treated
in the past, you can still get infected again. This can happen if you have unprotected sex with someone
who has chlamydia. If you are pregnant, you can give chlamydia to your baby during childbirth (Center
for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d).
3. Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea can infect both men and women. It can cause infections in the genitals, rectum, and throat.
It is a very common infection, especially among young people ages 15-24 years (Center for Disease
Control and Prevention, n.d).
You can get gonorrhea by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has gonorrhea.
Furthermore, a pregnant woman with gonorrhea can give the infection to her baby during childbirth.
Some men with gonorrhea may have no symptoms at all. However, men who do have symptoms may
have burning
sensation when urinating. a white, yellow, or green
discharge from the penis, and painful or swollen
testicles (although this is less common).
Most women with gonorrhea do not have any
symptoms. Even when a woman has symptoms, they
are often mild and can be mistaken for a bladder or
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS &

23
ESPINOSA 2019
Photo credit: Daily Health Nigeria
vaginal infection. Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications
from the infection, even if they don’t have any symptoms.
4. Syphilis
Syphilis is divided into stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary), with different
signs and symptoms associated with each stage. A person with primary syphilis generally has
a sore or sores at the original site of infection. These sores usually occur on or around the
genitals, around the anus or in the rectum, or in or around the mouth. These sores are
usually (but not always) firm, round, and painless. Symptoms of secondary syphilis include
skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, and fever. The signs and symptoms of primary and secondary
syphilis can be mild, and they might not be noticed. During the latent stage, there are no
signs or symptoms. Tertiary syphilis is associated with severe medical problems. A doctor can
usually diagnose tertiary syphilis with the help of multiple tests. It can affect the heart, brain,
and other organs of the body (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d).
5. Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most

common
sexually transmitted infection in the United States.
79
million Americans, most in their late teens and
early 20s,
are infected with HPV. It is most commonly spread
during
vaginal or anal sex. Some health effects caused by
HPV
can be prevented by the HPV vaccines.
Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV,
even if you
have had sex with only one person. You also can develop
symptoms years after you have sex with someone who is
infected. This makes it hard to know when you first
became infected.
In most cases, HPV goes away on its own and Photo credit:
does not cause any health problems. But when Harvard Health (n.d.)
HPV does not go
away, it can cause health problems like genital warts and cancer (Center for Disease Control
and Prevention, n.d).
6. Herpes Simplex Virus
Herpes Simplex Virus is among the most prevalent of sexually transmitted infections.
Although, most infections are subclinical, clinical manifestations are characterized by
recurrent, painful genital and/or anal lesions. Most genital HSV infections in the United
States are caused by HSV type 2 (HSV-2), while HSV type 1 (HSV-1) infections are
orolabial and acquired during childhood (Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
n.d).
7. Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis (or “trich”) is an STD that is caused by infection with a protozoan parasite
called Trichomonas Vaginalis. It is associated with adverse health outcomes such as preterm
birth and symptomatic vaginitis. Although symptoms of the disease vary, most people who
have the parasite cannot tell they are infected.
24
Trichomoniasis is the most common
curable
STD. In the United States, an estimated 3.7
million
people have the infection. However, only
about
30% develop any symptoms of
trichomoniasis.
Infection is more common in women than in men.
Older women are more likely than younger women
to have been infected with trichomoniasis (Center
for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d).
TRIANGULAR THEORY OF LOVE

The triangular theory of love holds that love can be understood in terms of three
components that together can be viewed as forming the vertices of a triangle. The triangle is
used as a metaphor, rather than as a strict geometric model. These three components are
intimacy, passion, and decision/commitment. Each component manifests a different aspect of
love.
1. Intimacy
Intimacy refers to feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bondedness in
loving relationships. It thus includes within its purview those feelings that give rise,
essentially, to the experience of warmth in a loving relationship (Sternberg, 1986). 2.
Passion
Passion refers to the drives that lead to romance, physical attraction, sexual
consummation, and related phenomena in loving relationships. The passion
component includes within its purview those sources of motivational and other forms
of arousal that lead to the experience of passion in a loving relationship (Sternberg,
1986).
3. Commitment
Commitment refers, in the short-term, to the decision that one loves a certain
other, and in the long-term, to one's commitment to maintain that love. These two
aspects of the decision/commitment component do not necessarily go together, in
that one can decide to love someone without being committed to the love in the long
term, or one can be committed to a relationship without acknowledging that one
loves the other person in the relationship (Sternberg, 1986).

25
RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD
Responsible parenthood is the will and ability of parents to respond to the needs and
aspirations of the family and children. It is a shared responsibility of the husband and the wife to
determine and achieve the desired number, spacing, and timing of their children according to
aspirations, psychological preparedness, health status, socio-cultural, and economic status
(Directional Plan of POPCOM, n.d).
Family Planning is a program that enables parents to deliberately and responsibly decide
the number and spacing of their children. It is an expression of responsible parenting based on
informed choices and decisions of couples based on their social and economic capacity.
According to UN Population Fund (UNFPA), teenage pregnancy has a huge rate among
the poor. About 67% that give birth before age 20 belongs to the low class society. In the
Philippines, about 8% among 1.7 million babies born in 2004 were born to mothers 15-19 years
old. Almost one of every 10 babies is born to teenage mothers (National Statistics Office, n.d).
Abortion is also common in the country.

According to Population Institute of the
University of the Philippines, more than 46% of
teenage pregnant woman resort to induced
abortion and 2 of every 5 teenage pregnancies
are unwanted ones. This increase in population
as well as teen age pregnancy leads to the
passing of The Responsible Parenthood and
Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (Republic Act
No.
10354), informally known as the Reproductive
Health Law or RH Law. It is a law which
guarantees universal access to methods of
contraception, fertility control, sexual education
and maternal care. However, it was met with Photo
opposition most specially from the religious credit: Zamora (2009)
sector.
Method of contraception can be categorized into three (3); Old Methods,

Traditional/Natural Contraceptives, and Modern Contraceptive Methods.
1. Old Methods
a. Chinese women drink lead and mercury to control fertility
b. Herbs, olive oil, ginger, tobacco juices to kill semen
c. 1600: French prostitutes used acidic douches
d. Greek women jump seven times backward after
intercourse
2. Traditional/Natural Contraceptives
a. Periodic Abstinence
✓ Calendar/Rhythm
✓ Cervical Mucus
b. Withdrawal
– Also called Coitus Interruptus
– Ejaculation outside the vagina
Calendar Method

26
– High failure rate due to pre-ejaculation
c. Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
– Contraceptive method based on breastfeeding
– Effective up to 6 months after child birth
– Exclusive breastfeeding, menstrual cycle not yet returned
3. Modern Contraceptive Methods

a. Hormonal Methods
– Works by preventing the ovary from releasing an egg, thickening the cervical
mucus making it difficult for the sperm to reach the egg, and changing the lining
of the uterus making implantation difficult.
✓ Pills
✓ Injectable
✓ Implants
b. Barriers Methods
– Prevents pregnancy by blocking
the egg and sperm from meeting
Pills
– Have higher failure

rates than
hormonal
methods due to
design and
human error ✓
Spermicides
✓ Male Condoms
✓ Female
Condoms
✓ Diaphragm
✓ Cervical Cup
✓ Intrauterine Devices (IUD)
c. Emergency Contraceptive
– Must be taken within 72 hours of
the act of unprotected intercourse
or failure of contraception method
– Floods the ovaries with high
amount of hormone and prevents ovulation
– Alters the environment of the uterus, making it disruptive to the egg and sperm
d. Surgical Methods
– Involves surgical procedure to prevent
fertilization of
the egg
✓ Tubal Ligation
✓ Vasectomy
Vasectomy

27
Lesson 3:
The Material Self
Lesson Objectives
1. Develop understanding about material self;
2. Describe the basic components of material self;
3. Discuss the influence of media in material possessions; and
4. Develop the qualities of wise buyer.
WE ARE WHAT WE HAVE
Harvard psychologist, William James, defined the material self as “sum total of
all he call his, not only his body psychic powers, but his clothes and his house, his wife
and children. His ancestors and friends, his reputation and works, his land, his yacht and
bank account, all these things give him the same emotions. If they wax and prosper, he
feels triumphant; if they dwindle and die away, he feels cast down – not necessarily in
the same degree for each thing, but in much the same way for all”. He proposed that
the material self is composed of four (4) parts:
1. Body
– Inner most part of our material self
– We are directly attached to this commodity that we cannot live without
– We strive to make sure that this body functions well and good.
– Any ailment or disorder directly affects us.
– We do have certain preferential attachment to or intimate closeness to certain
parts because of its value to us.
– There were people who get their certain body parts insured.
– Celebrities like Mariah Carrey reportedly insured her vocal cords and legs. – One
of the tasks of adolescents is that of accepting and appreciating the physical
characteristics of their body.
– Few adolescents are able to do this successfully.
– Adolescents tend to worry about their bodies and physical appearance.
2. Clothes
– The style and the brand of clothes becomes a symbolic significance – The fabric
and style of the clothes we wear bring sensations to the bod and can affect our
attitude and behavior.
– The material component of the self can include books, bed, money, car, house
and other things that person can call his own possession.
– Clothing is a form of self expression
– We choose and wear clothes that reflect our self

28
3. Immediate Family
– These people are likely to shape and influence the development of self-identity.
– Our siblings and parents hold a great important part of our self
– What they do or become affects us
– We place huge investment in our immediate family when we see them as the
nearest replica of our self.
– When an immediate family member dies, part of our self dies.
– When their lives are in success, we feel victorious as if we are the one holding
the trophy.
– In their failures, we are put to shame or guilt.
– When they are in a disadvantageous situation, there is an urgent urge to help
– Pets could also symbolically define a person’s identity.
– A person’s pet could be an expression of one’s social status, pride and prestige.
4. Home
– “Home is where your heart is.”
– It is earliest nest of our selfhood
– Our experiences inside the home were recorded and marked on particular parts
and things in our home
– Just like the saying “if only walls can speak”.
– The home is thus an extension of self, because in it, we can directly connect our
self.
EFFECTS OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
Regardless of how much or how little material possessions people have, they are
interested in material possessions. Possessions can be used as status, symbol. Cars,
house, gadgets, and clothes are the most valuable possessions because they are the
most visible in the eye of the others. The more expensive, the more other people are
impressed. Material possessions can be a reflection of hard work and success. People
tend to measure success through material possession. Material possession can make
people more motivated to work harder to achieve them. Defining the self by material
possessions can also contribute to feelings of well-being, including a sense of personal
growth and purpose or meaning in life. However, lack or loss of material possessions can
be disruptive to the mental health of some people.
Materialism is the negative effect of the strong desire for material possessions. It
is the importance people give on material possessions. Someone with a high level of
materialism is called materialistic. A materialistic person is excessively concerned with
the acquisition of material possessions
The strong desire of material possessions could lead to psychological dysfunction
or impairment in functioning such as Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD) which is
characterized by an obsession with shopping and buying behaviours that causes adverse
consequences (e.g., debts). Psychologists are identifying social and cultural factors that
seem strongly implicated in the aetiology of materialism. Lack or loss of material
possessions could lead to anxiety, insecurity, and depression.

29
Lesson 4:
The Spiritual Self
Lesson Objectives
1. Demonstrate understanding of the spiritual self;
2. Explain the importance of spirituality in one’s life;
3. Discuss how spirituality is connected to religion;
4. Describe how spirituality develops; and
5. Identify the different spiritual beliefs of indigenous people in the Philippines.
SPIRITUALITY
Spirituality is the quality or state of being concerned with religion or religious matters. It
came from latin word “spiritus”, meaning breathe or life force. Spirituality can be understood as a
search for the sacred, a process through which people seek to discover, transform whatever they
hold sacred in their lives. The sacred could refer to God and transcendence.
The term “spirituality” was originally developed in early Christianity. Christians use the
term “spirit” to describe the Holy Spirit. Christians use the term “spirit” to describe the Holy
Spirit. In Christian Ethics, the experience of the sacred is characterized by reverence, faith, fear,
love and admiration which is intimately connected to God. Worship is regarded as an essential
act to realize the ultimate meaning of transcendence and human life.
The Spiritual self is the most intimate, inner subjective part of the self because of the
satisfaction experience when thinking of someone’s ability to argue and discriminate of one’s
moral sensibility and conscience, and of our unconquerable will is purer than other sentiments of
satisfaction. The ability to use moral sensibility and conscience may be seen through the
expressions of religion, its belief, and practices. In the same manner, cultural rituals and
ceremonies are some manifestations of what people believe in. Moreover; seeking the meaning
of life that the spiritual self is on
Understanding and nurturing the spiritual self is as important as the other aspects of the
self. Understanding and developing awareness of the spiritual self gives the person a feeling of
oneness with God and the universe. It also gives a deeper purpose or meaning of one’s life.
Religion recognizes the importance of spirituality in one’s life. It’s central function to
know God. Religious beliefs and practices make people close to God. Rebecca Stein (2011)
defined religion “as a set of cultural beliefs and practices that usually includes some or all of basic
characteristics.” These characteristics are:
1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being such as spirits and gods. 2. A focus
on the sacred supernatural where sacred refers to a feeling of reverence and awe.

30
3. The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on supernatural beings
as well as physical beings and objects.
4. The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred objects
to communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence or control events. 5. The
articulation of world view and moral codes to narratives and other means. 6. Provide
the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social control within
a community; provide explanation for unknown and a sense of control for individuals.
Rituals, on the other hand, is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a
tradition of sacred law (Britannica, 2017). It is a specific observable mode of behavior exhibited
by all known societies. It is possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing humans.
Participation to rituals is expressions religious beliefs. The fundamental characteristics of ritual
are:
1. A feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in relation to the
sacred. 2. Dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the language
of myth. 3. Being symbolic according to its reference.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AROUND THE WORLD

1. Buddhism
Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of roses. Instead, there will be suffering and pain.
When people suffer, they want to experience the goodness of life and avoid
disappointments. It became a habit known as the reactive cycle of wanting and hating, like
and dislike, and craving and aversion. This cycle can only be broken through meditation,
acquiring more wisdom and deeper understanding, and acceptance.
• Two types of Meditation
o Samatha – mindfulness of breathing and development of loving-kindness
o Vipassana – insight into reality by studying Buddha’s teaching ---- Dharma • Major
Celebrations
o Paninirvana Day in February
o Buddha day (Wesak) in May
o Dharma Day in July
o Padmasambhava Day in October
o Sangha Day in November
2. Christianity
Christians believe in the Trinitarian God. They believe in one God in three (3) personas: the
Father (Creator), God the Son (Savior), and God the Holy Spirit (Sustainer). Eternal life after
death will be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ, God the Son, who came into flesh to
spread the good news of salvation, died in the cross for the sin, and resurrected. The Holy
bible is a selection of book divided into two; (1) Old Testament and (2) New Testament.
• Customs and practices
o Sacrament of Baptism that symbolizes the birth in Christian world

31
o Sacrament of Communion is the act of remembrance of Jesus Christ sacrificial
lamb.
• Major Celebrations
o Christmas Day on December
o Easter Sunday on March or April
3. Hinduism
Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional beliefs and religious groups; thus, there is no
single founder or leader. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
governed by KARMA. Vedas are sacred scriptures of Hindus.
• Two important text
o Mahabarata and Ramayana
o Diwali Festival – Festival of lights
o Navrati – Festival of nine nights
4. Islam
Muslims believe in Allah, who is their “One God”. They believe in unity and universality of
God. Muslims also have a strong sense of community called “ummah”. Islam means willing
submission to God. Muslim believe that Mohammed, born in Mecca, is last and final prophet
sent by God. Holy book of Islam is Quran which was taught to be recited in Arabic because
any translation is seemed inadequate.
• Five Pillars of Islam
o Shahadah - the statement of faith.
o Salat - rayer that is practiced five times a day
o Zakat - monetary offering for the benefit of the poor
o Hajj - yearly pilgrimage to Mecca
o Sawm - fasting that may range from food, drinks, and sexual act during
celebration of Ramadan
o Eidul – Fitr – end of Ramadan
o Eidul – Adha - celebrated within the completion of the pilgrimage - Hajj
5. Judaism
The Jews believe in the God of Abraham, the same God that liberated the Hebrew slaves
from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land through the leadership of Moises and later Joshua.
Also, they believe in the coming of Messiah, the Savior. The scared scripture of the Jews I
called Torah or the Law.
o Rosh Hashanah - New Year
o Yom - Day of Atonement
o Pesach - Passover
o Shavuot - Pentecost
o Sukkot - Tabernacles

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Lesson 5:
The Political Self
Lesson Objectives
1. Describe the nature, functions, and origins of political self;
2. Discuss the role of family, school, church, peer groups, and media in the development of
political self;
3. Determine the importance of social interaction in political self;
4. Develop a Filipino identity;
5. Identify different Filipino values and traits; and
6. Reflect on your selfhood in relation to your national identity.
IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL INTERACTION IN POLITICAL SELF
The political self is developed through socialization. Social interaction may significantly
influence a person’s understanding of politics, and perhaps a person’s political actions in the
future. Through social interaction, people learn the status, duties, rights, and power necessary to
interact successfully with other people in the group or community. Thus, the following social
groups play an important role in the development of our political self:
1. Family has a hierarchical structure, which requires that each member performs their
roles. From an early age, individuals are taught to obey and treat parents with respect
and conform to their rules.
2. Schools have the responsibility to each the moral, spiritual, and political values that will
develop the students to become patriotic and morally upright citizens.
3. Church also helps shape the ideals of citizenship and democracy through their teachings,
homily, and pastoral letters.
4. Peers become increasingly important in influencing the political self.
5. Mass media could also be a key source of information of politics.
WHO IS A FILIPINO?
According to the Philippine Constitution, Filipinos are “those whose fathers or mothers
are citizen of the Philippines, those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers; who elect
Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority, and those who are naturalized in
accordance with law”. However, citizenship is not the only marker of being a Filipino. Culture and
history have greatly influenced the manner Filipinos learn, live, and behave to date.
33
Culture is defined as the “cumulative deposit of
Photo
knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, credit: Janos Csapo (2012)
meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time,
roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe,
and material objects and possessions acquired by a
group of people in the course of generations
through individual and group striving” (Hofstede,
1997). Culture is manifesting themselves in
different ways and levels of depth. Geert Hofstede
(2001) classified manifestation of culture into four
categories:
1. Symbols
– Words, gestures, pictures, or
objects that carry a particular meaning which is only recognized by those who share
a particular culture.
– New symbols easily develop, old ones disappear.
– Symbols from one particular group are regularly copied by others.
– This is why symbols represent the outermost layer of a culture.
– Alibata is an example of Filipino symbol.
2. Heroes
– Persons, past or present, real or fictitious, who possess characteristics that are highly
prized in a culture.
– They also serve as models for behavior.
– This may also include people from the entertainment industry
– Famous Filipino Icons such as Lea Salonga, Manny Pacquiao, and our very own
national hero, Jose Rizal, serve as important Filipino markers as they have made the
Filipino name more pronounced worldwide through their own expertise.
3. Rituals
– Collective activities, sometimes
superfluous in
reaching desired objectives, but are considered
as socially essential.
– They are therefore carried out most of the times
for their own sake (ways of greetings, paying
respect to others, religious and social
ceremonies, etc.).
– Street parades are very common in the
Philippines. Each village and city has its own
“fiesta”.
Photo
– Filipinos are also known for three-month credit Ken RIvera (2018)
Christmas celebration.

34
4. Values
– They are broad tendencies for preferences (good-evil, right-wrong, natural unnatural).
– Values can only be inferred from the way people act under different circumstances.
– Filipinos are known for their faith, religiosity and close family ties.
– Another Filipino trait that is known everywhere in the world is the Filipino’s brand of
hospitality.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
The Philippines is well-known for its grandiose mountain view, pristine beaches, and rich
and diverse culture. While the country is known for its breath-taking sceneries, the Filipinos are
known for their unique traits, reputable values, and laudable talent. However, it cannot be
denied that there are also negative traits that the Filipinos possess.
STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

1. Pakikipagkapwa-tao
2. Family Orientation
3. Joy and Humor
4. Flexibility, Adaptability, and Creativity
5. Hard work and Industry
6. Faith and Religiosity
7. Ability to Survive
WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

1. Lack of Discipline
2. Ningas Cogon HOW TO BE A GOOD FILIPINO
3. Colonial Mentality
Photo credit:
4. Crab Mentality @iamlolabashang (2014)
5. Lack of Self-analysis and Self-reflection 6. Mañana

Habit
1. A sense of patriotism and national pride – a genuine love, appreciation, and
commitment to the Philippines and things Filipino.
2. A sense of the common good – the ability to look beyond selfish interest, a sense of
justice and a sense of outrage it its violation.
3. A sense of integrity and accountability – an aversion toward graft and corruption in
society and an avoidance of practice in one’s daily life.
4. The value and habits of discipline and hard work; and
5. The value and habits of self-reflection and analysis, the internalization of spiritual
values, and an emphasis upon essence rather than on form.

35
Lesson 6:
The Digital Self
Lesson Objectives
1. Demonstrate understanding of the spiritual self;
2. Explain the importance of spirituality in one’s life;
3. Discuss how spirituality is connected to religion;
4. Describe how spirituality develops; and
5. Identify the different spiritual beliefs of indigenous people in the Philippines.
INTRODUCTION
The number of people who are becoming more active online continues to increase
worldwide. More than half of the population worldwide now uses the internet. It has only been
25 years since Tim Berners-Lee made the World Wide Web available to the public, but in that tie,
the Internet has already become an integral part of everyday life for most of the world’s
population. The Philippines is among one of countries with the most active Internet users (We
are Social and Hootsuite, n.d)
• Almost two-thirds of the world’s population now has a mobile phone.
• More than half of the world’s web traffic now comes mobile phones.
• More than half of all mobile connections around the world are now “broadband” • More
than one in five of the world’s population shopped online in the past 30 days. Media users in the
Philippines grew by 12 million or 25% while the number of mobile social users increased by 13
million or 32%. Those growth figures are still higher compared to previous years. More than half
the world now uses a smartphone (Alata, Caslib, Serafica, and Pawilen, 2018).
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND THE SELF
Digital technology includes all types of electronic
equipment and applications that use information in the
form of numeric code. Digital technology includes the use
of devices that process and use digital information. Form of
digital technology includes the use of mobile phones. The
rise of mobile phones has resulted in the widespread use
of internet and social networking. Mobile phones are ever
more becoming part of the daily life of today’s youth.
Digital technology allows the users to keep in touch,
connect with people, and be updated on the activities and
whereabouts of others. However, the use of digital Photo
credit: @shebanimal (2018)

36
technology limits the face to face interaction with others and drawn people away from
meaningful and intimate communication with families and friends. The growing use of the
internet affects social behaviours of individuals, families and societies.
Among Filipino youth, the use of digital technology has now become part of the self –
the digital self. The digital self is the aspect of the self that is expressed or shared to others
through the use of digital technology especially the internet and social networking. On
networking sites, users normally disclose personal information such as name, age, birthdate,
address, and contract number. Some users provide very personal information about themselves
such as like and dislike etc. This sharing of personal information on social networking sites may
be related to the adolescent’s strong desire for social approval and acceptance. Similar can be
said about adults.
The Philippines has the fastest growing internet population in Southeast Asia. The rise is
attributed to social networking. Majority of the Filipinos use the internet primarily for social
networking. The Filipinos youth are the biggest users of social networking in the past few years.
They mostly use social networking for communication, information, and entertainment.
However, it is also through social networking that identity theft, false information, and fake news
circulate. Thus, the Church, schools, and government in the Philippines makes efforts to prevent
and effectively manage the spread of identity theft, false information, and fake news in the
country.
SETTING BOUNDARIES TO YOUR ONLINE SELF: SMART SHARING

Alata, Caslib, Serafica, and Pawilen (2018) developed a guideline to help share
information online the smart way that will protect users and not harm others. Before posting or
sharing online, consider the following:
1. Is this post/story necessary?
2. Is there a real benefit to this post? Is it funny, warm hearted, teachable – or am I just
making noise online without a purpose?
3. Have we (as a family or parent/child) resolved this issue? An issue that is still being
worked at home, or one that is either vulnerable or highly emotional, should not be
made public.
4. Will this seem as funny in 5, 10, or 15 years? Or is this post better suited for sharing
with a small group of family members? Or maybe not at all?
Michelle New (2014) also provided a list of tips for proper sharing of information and
ethical use of the internet.
1. Stick to safer sites. 7. Guard your password
2. Limit what you share. 8. Be Patient
3. Remember that anything you put online or post on a site
is there’s forever, even if you try to delete it.
4. Do not be mean or embarrass other people online.
5. Always tell is you see strange behavior or bad behavior
online.
6. Be choosy about your friends online. Photo credit: Ashfield School (2016)

37
Photo credit: Hattangadi (n.d.)
Chapter 3:
Managing and Caring for
the Self
Lesson 1: Learning to be a Better Learner
Lesson 2: Setting Goals for Success
Lesson 3: Taking charge of one's health

38
Lesson 1:
Learning to be a Better Learner
Lesson Objectives
1. Explain how learning occurs;
2. Enumerate various metacognition and studying techniques; and
3. Identify your metacognitive techniques that you find most appropriate for yourself.
INTRODUCTION
Knowing the “self” is not enough. Since “who you are” is partly made up of your choices,
you must also have the ability to choose especially to be a better “you”. In school setting, your
knowledge of yourself should at least enable you to become a better student.
This lesson will present several techniques that you can adapt depending on your
situation and preferences to make you a better learner. Learning should not just mean studying
for your quizzes and exams in school. Learning could also occur outside the confines of a book or
classroom, like when you want to acquire a new move for your sports, or the skill for a certain
hobby, among others. Furthermore, the techniques here are not the only techniques available
and months or years from now, new ways on how to study better will be discovered or
rediscovered, what is important at this moment is that you learn how to learn these things.
Excerpt from “The Self from Various

Philosophical Perspectives” by Alata, Caslib, Serafica, and Pawilen (2018)
THINKING ABOUT THINKING

In the context of learning, studies show that when you are able to think about how you
think, how you process information, how you utilize techniques while studying, you have a higher
chance of improving your learning process than those who does not reflect on their methods.
This falls under the concept of metacognition.
Metacognition is commonly defined as “thinking about thinking” (Livingston, 1997).
Metacognition describes the processes involved when learners plan, monitor, evaluate and make
changes to their own learning behaviours. Metacognition is often considered to have two
dimensions:
1. Metacognitive knowledge refers to what learners know about learning. This includes:
– the learner’s knowledge of their own cognitive abilities (e.g. ‘I have trouble
remembering dates in history’)
– the learner’s knowledge of particular tasks (e.g. ‘The ideas in this chapter that
I’m going to read are complex’)

39
– the learner’s knowledge of different strategies that are available to them and
when they are appropriate to the task (e.g. ‘If I scan the text first it will help
me to understand the overall meaning').
2. Metacognitive regulation refers to what learners do about learning. It describes how
learners monitor and control their cognitive processes. For example, a learner might
realise that a particular strategy is not achieving the results they want, so they
decide to try a different strategy. It involves three (3) different phases: planning,
monitoring, and evaluation stage (Fogarty, 1994).
A key challenge for teachers is being able to recognise how well their students
understand their own learning processes. David Perkins (1992) defined four levels of
metacognitive learners which provide a useful framework for teachers:
1. Tacit learners are unaware of their metacognitive knowledge. They do not think
about any particular strategies for learning and merely accept if they know
something or not.
2. Aware learners know about some of the kinds of thinking that they do such as
generating ideas, finding evidence etc. However, thinking is not necessarily
deliberate or planned.
3. Strategic learners organise their thinking by using problem-solving, grouping and
classifying, evidence-seeking and decision-making etc. They know and apply the
strategies that help them learn.
4. Reflective learners are not only strategic about their thinking but they also reflect
upon their learning while it is happening, considering the success or not of any
strategies they are using and then revising them as appropriate.
Successful learners typically use metacognitive strategies whenever they learn. However,
they may fail to use the best strategy for each type of learning situation. Connie Malamed (2013)
identified six (6) most common metacognitive strategies used by students. 1. Knowing the limits
of your own memory for a
particular task and creating a means of external
support.
2. Self-monitoring your learning strategy, such as
concept mapping, and then adapting the
strategy if it isn’t effective.
3. Noticing whether you comprehend something
you just read and then modifying your approach
if you did not comprehend it.
4. Choosing to skim subheadings of
Photo credit:
unimportant information to get to the Minute School (n.d)
information you need.
5. Repeatedly rehearsing a skill in order to gain proficiency.

In summary, metacognition is a set of skills that enable learners to become aware of how
they learn and to evaluate and adapt these skills to become increasingly effective at learning. In a
world that demands lifelong learning, providing people with new and improved metacognitive
strategies is a gift that can last forever.
40
Lesson 2:
Setting Goals for Success
Lesson Objectives
1. Use Bandura’s self-efficacy theory for self-assessment;
2. Differentiate growth and fixed mindset by Dweck; and
3. Design personal goals adapting Locke’s goal setting theory.
ALBERT E. BANDURA’S SELF-EFFICACY

The concept of self-efficacy is central to psychologist Albert Bandura’s social cognitive
theory, which emphasizes the role of observational learning, social experience, and reciprocal
determinism in developing a personality. According to Bandura (1977), self-efficacy is "the belief
in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage
prospective situations." In other words, self-efficacy is a person’s belief in his or her ability to
succeed in a particular situation. Our belief in our own ability to succeed plays a role in how we
think, how we act, and how we feel about our place in the world. Self-efficacy also determines
what goals we choose to pursue, how we go about accomplishing those goals, and how we
reflect upon our own performance (Cherry, K.,2019). Bandura and other psychologists have
found that:
People with strong sense of self-efficacy:
– View challenging problems as tasks to be mastered
– Develop a deeper interest in the activities in which they participate
– Form a stronger sense of commitment to their interests and activities
– Recover quickly from setbacks and disappointments
People with a weak sense of self-efficacy:
– Avoid challenging tasks
– Believe that difficult tasks and situations are beyond their capabilities
– Focus on personal failings and negative outcomes
– Quickly lose confidence in personal abilities
Self-efficacy begins to form in early childhood as children deal with a wide variety of
experiences, tasks, and situations. However, the growth of self-efficacy does not end during
youth but continues to evolve throughout life as people acquire new skills, experiences, and
understanding (Cherry, K.,2019). Bandura believes that there are four major sources of self
efficacy:
1. Mastery Experiences
Performing a task successfully strengthens our sense of self-efficacy. However, failing
to adequately deal with a task or challenge can undermine and weaken self-efficacy.

41
2. Social Modelling
According to Bandura, "Seeing people similar to oneself succeed by sustained effort
raises observers' beliefs that they too possess the capabilities to master comparable
activities to succeed."
3. Social Persuasion
Getting verbal encouragement from others helps people overcome self-doubt and
instead focus on giving their best effort to the task at hand.
4. Psychological Responses
Our own responses and emotional reactions to situations also play an important role
in self-efficacy. Moods, emotional states, physical reactions, and stress levels can all
impact how a person feels about their personal abilities in a particular situation.
CAROL DWECK’S FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSET THEORY

Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck, proposes that beliefs play a pivotal role in what you
want and whether you achieve it. Dweck has found that it is your mindset that plays a significant
role in determining achievement and success.
A mindset refers to whether you believe qualities such as intelligence and talent are fixed
or changeable traits. People with a fixed mindset believe that these qualities are inborn, fixed,
and unchangeable. Those with a growth mindset, on the other hand, believe that these abilities
can be developed and strengthened by way of commitment and hard work (Cherry, K.,2019).
Fixed Mindsets
– Children who are taught that they should look smart instead of loving learning tend to
develop a fixed mindset.
– They tend to create a need for approval.
– They become more concerned with how they are being judged and fear that they
might not live up to expectations.
Growth Mindsets
– Kids who are taught to explore, embrace new experiences, and enjoy challenges are
more likely to develop a growth mindset.
– Rather than seeing mistakes as setbacks, they are willing to try new things and make
errors all in the name of learning and achieving their potential.
Dweck notes that having a growth mindset doesn't involve believing that anyone can
become anything they want with enough education and effort. Not everyone can become
Einstein or Mozart just because they try.
EDWIN LOCKE’S GOAL SETTING THEORY
Goal-Setting Theory started with the ideas from Dr. Edwin A. Locke, in his article, Toward
a Theory of Task Motivation and Incentives. In it, he explained the need for clear and specific
goals that are challenging and monitored with regular feedback and progress. Locke, along with
Dr. Gary Latham, came up with five principles of effective goal setting. These principles, which

42
include clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback, and task complexity, are the necessary
components when setting, working towards, and achieving a goal (Linberg, S., 2019). According
to the American Psychological Association (AAP), research shows there are three factors to
achieving goals:
• Motivation to change
• Willingness to monitor the behavior
• Willpower to make it happen
All three of these have a place within SMART goals.

1. Specific
When you make your
goal specific,
you set yourself up for
success.
Consider answering
who, what,
where, when, which
and why when
getting specific about
your goal.
2. Measurable
What benchmarks will you use to
make sure you are moving forward?
How will you know if you’re
successful? How will you know if you Photo credit: Centre for Collaborative Health (n.d)
need to make adjustments? Having a goal that you can measure will help you
stay on track and reach your target dates.
3. Attainable or Achievable
Is the goal you’re setting one you can reach? While you don’t want things to be
easy, you also want to avoid setting goals that are out of your reach.
4. Realistic or Relevant
Is your goal relevant to your life, and can you realistically achieve it, based on
your current circumstances? This may be a goal you’ve set before and did not
achieve because it was not realistic at the time. But now, under different
circumstances, this goal may now be realistic.
5. Timely and Tangible
For a goal to be realistic it also has to be grounded within a time frame, and it
needs to be real or tangible.
People with growth mindset, where there is room for improvement of performance, with
a positive perceived self-efficacy, where he or she has high confidence on his or her capabilities,
and has set specific achievable goals, have high possibility to attain success in life (Alata, Caslib,
Serafica, and Pawilen, 2018)..

43
Lesson 3: Taking charge of one's health
Lesson Objectives
1. Explain the effects of stress to one’s health;
2. Examine cultural dimension of stress and coping; and
3. Design a self-care plan.
UNDERSTANDING THE STRESS RESPONSE

A stressful situation — whether something environmental, such as a looming work
deadline, or psychological, such as persistent worry about losing a job — can trigger a cascade of
stress hormones that produce well-orchestrated physiological changes. A stressful incident can
make the heart pound and breathing quicken. Muscles tense and beads of sweat appear
(Harvard Health, 2011).
This combination of reactions to stress is also known as
the "fight-or-flight" response because it evolved as a survival
mechanism, enabling people and other mammals to react
quickly to life-threatening situations. The carefully orchestrated
yet near-instantaneous sequence of hormonal changes and
physiological responses helps someone to fight the threat off or
flee to safety. Unfortunately, the body can also overreact to
stressors that are not life-threatening, such as traffic jams, work
pressure, and family difficulties (Harvard Health, Photo credit: Harvard
Health (2011)
2011).
The stress response begins in the brain. When someone experiences a stressful event,
the amygdala, an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing, sends a distress
signal to the hypothalamus. This area of the brain functions like a command center,
communicating with the rest of the body through the nervous system so that the person has the
energy to fight or flee (Harvard Health, 2011).
All of these changes happen so quickly that people aren't aware of them. In fact, the
wiring is so efficient that the amygdala and hypothalamus start this cascade even before the
brain's visual centers have had a chance to fully process what is happening. That's why people
are able to jump out of the path of an oncoming car even before they think about what they are
doing (Harvard Health, 2011).
TECHNIQUES TO COUNTER CHRONIC STRESS

Many people are unable to find a way to put the brakes on stress. Chronic low-level
stress keeps the HPA axis activated, much like a motor that is idling too high for too long. After a
while, this has an effect on the body that contributes to the health problems associated with
chronic stress.
Fortunately, people can learn techniques to counter the stress response. Harvard Health
(2011) identified three (3) techniques to counter stress:

44
1. Relaxation response
Dr. Herbert Benson, has devoted much of his career to learning how people can counter the
stress response by using a combination of approaches that elicit the relaxation response.
These include deep abdominal breathing, focus on a soothing word (such as peace or calm),
and visualization of tranquil scenes, repetitive prayer, yoga, and tai chi.
2. Physical activity
People can use exercise to stifle the build-up of stress in several ways. Exercise, such as
taking a brisk walk shortly after feeling stressed, not only deepens breathing but also helps
relieve muscle tension. Movement therapies such as yoga, tai chi, and qi gong combine fluid
movements with deep breathing and mental focus, all of which can induce calm.
3. Social support
Confidants, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, relatives, spouses, and companions all
provide a life-enhancing social net — and may increase longevity. It's not clear why, but the
buffering theory holds that people who enjoy close relationships with family and friends
receive emotional support that indirectly helps to sustain them at times of chronic stress and
crisis.
SELF-CARE THERAPY
A positive way to counter stress is through self-care therapy. Northern Illinois University
professor, Nancy Apperson (2008), provided steps for self-care:
1. Stop, breathe, and tell yourself: “This is hard and I will get through this one step at a
time.”
2. Acknowledge to yourself, what you are feeling.
3. Find someone who listens and is accepting. You don’t need advice. You need to be
heard.
4. Maintain your normal routine as much as possible. Avoid making major decisions
based on the stress you feel right now.
5. Allow plenty of time for a task. You will not be as productive as you normally are.
Accept how much you are able to do right now and recognize it will not be this way
forever.
6. Take Good Care of Yourself. Remember to:
a. Get enough rest and sleep. Sleep at least 6 hours and not more than 9 hours b.
Eat regularly and make healthy choices. Skipping meals, particularly breakfast,
contributes to fatigue, mood swings, and poor concentration.
c. Know your limits and when you need to let go. Some problems are beyond our
control.
d. Identify or create a nurturing place in your home.
e. Practice relaxation or meditation.
f. Escape for a while through meditation, a book, a movie, or taking a short trip.

45
ACTIVITY 1: Do you Truly Know Yourself?
Answer the following questions about your self as fully and precisely as you can.
1. How would you characterize your self?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. What makes you stand out from the rest? What makes your self special?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. How has your self transformed itself?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. How is your self connected to your body?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. How is your self related to other selves?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. What will happen to your self after you die?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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ACTIVITY 1: Analysis
Were you able to answer the questions above with ease? Why? Which questions did
you find easiest to answer? Which ones are difficult? Why?
Questio Easy or Why?
n difficult?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
47
CHAPTER 1.1: Application and
Assessment
In your own words, state what “self” is for each of the following philosophers? After doing
so, explain how your concept of “self” is compatible with how they conceived the “self”.
1. Socrates
● know thyself- it’s to be a person but hard to act with dignity.
2. Plato
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. Aristotle
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. Augustine
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
5. Descartes
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
6. Locke
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

48
7. Hume
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
8. Kant
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
9. Ryle
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
10. Churchland
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
11. Merleau-Ponty
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
12. Your own definition of “self”.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

49
ACTIVITY 2: My Self through the Years
Paste a picture of you when you were in elementary, in high school, and now that you are
in college. Below the picture, list down your salient characteristics that you remember.
My Elementary Self My High School Self My College Self

50
After having examined your “self” in its different stages, fill out the table.
Similarities in all Different in my Possible reasons for

stages of my “self” “self”” across the the differences in
three stages of my me
life

51
Assessment
Answer the following questions cogently but honestly.
1. How would you describe your self?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. What are the influences of family in your development as an individual?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What social pressures help you shape your self? Would you have wanted it
otherwise?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
4. What aspects of your self do you think may be changes or would you like to
change?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

52
ACTIVITY 3: “You” Through Other’s Eyes
This activity has two parts that try to compare how we look at ourselves against how
people perceive us depending on how we present ourselves against how depending on
how we present ourselves to them. For the first part, list ten (10) qualities or things that
you think define who you are
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.
For the second part, in the space below, complete the sentence. Pass your paper around
for two to three (2-3) minutes without looking who writes on it. As you fill out the paper
of your classmates, write briefly and only those you observe as a person. Do not use any
bad words and do not write your name. After the allotted period, pass all the paper to
your teacher who will distribute them to the respective owners.
I am_____________________________________________________.
Who do you think I am based on what you see me do or hear me say?

53
Assessment
Compare what you wrote about yourself to those written by your classmates.
1. What do you feel about what your classmates wrote about you?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________ 2.
What aspects are similar and which are not?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________ 3.
What aspects are always true or circumstantial?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
4. What aspects do you think are not really part of your personality?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

54
ACTIVITY 4: Two Sides of the Same
Planet
Write top ten (10) differences between Western and Eastern society,
culture, and individuals in the table below. Cite your sources.
WESTERN EASTERN
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
6. 6.
7. 7.
8. 8.
9. 9.
10. 10.
Reference(s):

55
Assessment
Answer the following questions as fully and precisely as you can.
1. Do you agree with the differentiation between the West and the East? Why or
why not?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. Where can you find the Philippines in the distinction? Why?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What are the factors that make the Philippines similar or different from its Asian
neighbors?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
4. Is there also a difference between regions or ethno linguistic groups in the

Philippines?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

56
ACTIVITY 5: Defining Beauty
Complete the sentences below:
1. For me, beauty means

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. A beautiful person is
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. I am beautiful because
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
4. List down at least three (3) names of people you know who are beautiful and
explain why you think they are beautiful.
Name Reason
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

57
Assessment
Watch at three (3) videos of “100 years of beauty” in YouTube.
1. How did the standards of beauty evolved from each country?

Country 1: Country 2: Country 3:
58
2. Compare and contrast the different standards of beauty among the different
countries.
59
ACTIVITY 6: Getting Sexual
Part 1. Sexual Characteristics
Fill out the table below by listing the common secondary sexual male and female
characteristics.
Male Secondary Sexual Characteristics Female Secondary Sexual Characteristics
Part 2. My development
Answer the following questions as fully and precisely as you can.
1. When do you usually observe the changes listed above for males and females?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How does the society shape the behaviour of an individual?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. Can we really change our natural or innate sexual organ and sexual response?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

60
Assessment
Agree or Disagree.
Are you in favour of legalizing marriage among homosexual and transgender? Why?

61
ACTIVITY 7: Debit Card Challenge
A very wealthy person gave you a debit card and told you to use it as much as you want
to make yourself happy. What are you going to do with it? Make a list of what you want
to have. Write as many as you want.
62
Assessment
Debit Card Challenge List
1. Go back to your Debit Card Challenge List. Put a mark on the left side of each item
with the following categories:
B – if the item is related with your body

C – if the item is related with clothes
F – if the item is related or intended to your family
H – if the item is related with home
2. Answer the following questions:

a. Which among the categories do you have the most in your list?
B – ________________________
C – ________________________
F – ________________________
H – ________________________
b. What do you think these things tell you about yourself?

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

63
ACTIVITY 8: Supernatural: Believe It or
Not!
Identify (2) common rituals in the Philippines and in Aurora Province. Describe the
rituals and identify the function they serve.
RITUAL NAME FUNCTION DESCRIPTION
PHILIPPINES
AURORA PROVINCE

64
Assessment
Answer the following questions:
1. When was the first time you realized that there is a higher being than yourself?
How old were you then?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. What made you believe that there is a higher being?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

65
ACTIVITY 9: Being Filipino
Part 1. You know you’re a Filipino if/when . . . . .
Identify 15 characteristics that are distinctly Filipino. Complete a few ‘Filipino ka kung. . .’
statements. Include traits, food we eat, skills or characteristics, and beliefs.
Some examples are: Filipino ka kung kumakain ka ng balot.

Filipino ka kung gumagamit ka ng tabo.
Filipino ka kung
________________________________________________________ Filipino ka
kung ________________________________________________________ Filipino
ka kung ________________________________________________________
Filipino ka kung
________________________________________________________ Filipino ka
kung ________________________________________________________ Filipino
ka kung ________________________________________________________
Filipino ka kung
________________________________________________________ Filipino ka
kung ________________________________________________________ Filipino
ka kung ________________________________________________________
Filipino ka kung
________________________________________________________ Filipino ka
kung ________________________________________________________ Filipino
ka kung ________________________________________________________
Filipino ka kung
________________________________________________________ Filipino ka
kung ________________________________________________________ Filipino
ka kung ________________________________________________________

66
Assessment
1. Make an acrostic below which will describe you, in relation to your being a
Filipino.
F–
I–
L–
I–
P–
I–
N–
O–
2. Watch the movie Dekada 70. Reflect on and make a narrative essay on the three
most important things you learned from the movie. What are your insights and
how are you going to apply your insights in understanding and developing your
political self and identity as a Filipino?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

67
ACTIVITY 10: Three Facts, One Fiction
Construct two (2) sets of four (4) sentences that start with “I am ___________.” Three of
the four (4) sentences should be true about you. You can talk about your characteristics,
strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments, personalities, and behavior. One statement
should be a lie – something that you just made up of yourself. Make the activity more fun
by making your classmate believe that it is true. After completing the statements, tell
your classmates your statements and ask them to guess which one is the fiction.
Set 1.
1. I am ________________________________________________________________.
2. I am ________________________________________________________________.
3. I am ________________________________________________________________.
4. I am ________________________________________________________________.
Set 2.
1. I am ________________________________________________________________.
2. I am ________________________________________________________________.
3. I am ________________________________________________________________.
4. I am ________________________________________________________________.

68
Assessment
Answer the following questions.
1. What have you learned from the activity?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. Applying the same activity in the virtual world or cyber world, how do people
portray themselves?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What are the things that you would want to post/share online?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
4. What are the things you want others to share online?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

69
ACTIVITY 11: How do You Think about
Thinking?
70
71
72
73
Answer the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MIA) and evaluate yourself as
a learner and answer the following questions.
1. Do you agree with the results of your MIA? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Make a lst of your “Top 5 Tips/Secret for Studying” based on your personal
experiences/preferences. Share your answer in class.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
3. Is your MIA result consistent with your personal Top 5 Tips/Secrets for
Studying?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
74
Assessment
Scenario: You are about to study for your final examinations and it is as if the universe
conspired for a heavily finals week, all subjects provided at least three new reading
materials and topics one week (7 days) before the examination period. Create a
diagram or schedule using at least five of the metacognitive strategies, skills and
studying techniques mentioned in this lesson on how you would prepare for the next
seven days before your final examinations.
75
ACTIVITY 12: 5 – 10 – 20 Selfie
On each designated box, draw/take a picture of your envisioned “Future Self”. Who
would you be:
1. Five years from now

2. Ten years from now
3. Twenty years from now

76
1. Who are you or what would you become:

a. In five years _____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________ b.
In ten years _____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________ c.
In twenty years _____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. What are your motivations for your envisioned self:

a. In five years _____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________ b.
In ten years _____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________ c.
In twenty years _____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. How do you feel about doing this exercise?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
4. What is your perception on goal setting?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

77
Assessment
Goal Setting Plan
Make a goal setting plan (short term for one semester only).

78
ACTIVITY 13: Self Stress Assessment
STUDENT STRESS SCALE
See how many of the following changes have occurred in your life in the past year.
Check all those that apply and then add up your score to see what your stress level is.
Death of a close member _____ 100 Death of a close friend ______ 73 Separation of
parents ______ 65 Jail term ______ 63 Major personal injury or illness ______ 63 Marriage
______ 58 Fired from job ______ 50 Failed important course ______ 47 Change in health of
a family member ______ 45 Pregnancy ______ 45 Sex problems ______ 44 Serious
argument with close friend ______ 40 Change in financial status ______ 39 Change in
academic major ______ 39 Trouble with parents ______ 39 New girlfriend or boyfriend
______ 38 Increased workload at school ______ 37 Outstanding personal achievement
______ 36 First quarter/semester in college ______ 35 Change in living conditions ______
31 Serious argument with instructor ______ 30 Lower grades than expected ______ 29
Change in sleeping habits ______ 29 Change in social activities ______ 29 Change in eating
habits ______ 28 Chronic car trouble ______ 26 Change in number of family get-togethers
______ 26 Too many missed classes ______ 25 Change of college ______ 24 Dropped more
than one class ______ 23 Minor traffic violations ______ 20
TOTAL: ___________
Total Points Stress Level

300 + Major stress
250-299 Serious stress
200-249 Moderate stress
150-199 Mild stress
0-149 Very little stress

79
1. Answer the following guide questions.
a. What is your score? How would you interpret that?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
b. Which of the stressors in your life do you control? Which stressors control you?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ c.
What can you do to relieve some of the stress in your life?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
d. What can you do to lessen the effect that stress has on your well-being?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

80

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Photo credit: ISTOCK/DANE_MARK (n.d.

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

PHILOSOPHY AND THE SELF

1. SOCRATES: An unexamined life is not worth living

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

2. PLATO: The Soul is Immortal

✓ basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and

3. ARISTOTLE: The Soul is the Essence of the Self

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

5. RENE DESCARTES: I Think Therefore I am

6. JOHN LOCKE: The Self is Consciousness

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

8. IMMANUEL KANT: We Construct the Self

9. GILBERT RYLE: The Self is the Way People Behave

10. PAUL CHURCHLAND: The Self is the Brain

11. MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY: The Self is Embodied Subjectivity

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

SOCIOLOGY AND THE SELF

1. MEAD: The Social Self

b. Social experience involves communication and the exchange of symbols. People

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

2. COOLEY: The Looking-glass Self

3. GOFFMAN: Constructing Situations and Drama

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

In confidence or in an attempt to further analytical discussions, a lot of people say, “I am

3. Lester’s Multiple versus Unified Self

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

4. Winnicott’s True versus False Self

5. Freud: The Importance of the Unconscious

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

Photo credit: Joshua Seong of Verywell (2019)

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

7. Jung’s Self as the Central Archetype

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

DIMENSION WESTERN THOUGHTS EASTERN THOUGHT

Examples of School Scholasticism Hinduism

Notable Philosophers Socrates Confucius

Modes of Cognition Analytic and Deductive Synthetic and inductive

Emphasis Distinctions and Opposition Commonalities and harmonies

View of the Linear Circular

Subjects-Objects Duality of self a subject (knower) Simultaneously subject and

Theological View Monotheistic Polytheistic(pluralistic)

Ideal Self-actualization through To achieve a balanced life

1. The self distinct and autonomous 1. The self is an integrated

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

Photo credit: Psychology Today (n.d.)

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

STAGES OF LIFE SPAN

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

Photo credit: Limerick Mental

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

Beauty is considered important throughout history. This is because these features

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

The beginning of adolescence is marked by rapid physical changes including the

credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d) Another

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019

WHAT TURNS PEOPLE ON?

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | ARCILLAS & ESPINOSA 2019