CHAPTER 6. Self Awareness
CHAPTER 6. Self Awareness
CHAPTER 6. Self Awareness
“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your
own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
― C.G. Jung
Objectives
● Develop of broader and deeper awareness of themselves
● Describe the basic human emotions
● Identify the values that give meaning and fulfillment to life
● Give deep understanding about personality development
and its component and structure.
● Identify the values which should be strengthened and
weakened the Roots of Filipino Character
● Write a reflection about the topic.
SELF AWARNESS
Self-awareness, as defined by Duval and Wicklund in 1972, involves the
ability to focus attention either on oneself or the external environment.
When individuals focus on themselves, they evaluate their behavior in
comparison to internal standards and values, leading to self-consciousness as
objective evaluators. This self-reflection involves comparing current behavior
to personal standards of correctness, which represent one's values and
beliefs.
Pride or dissatisfaction arises based on how well behavior aligns with these
standards. If dissatisfied, individuals may modify their behavior to better match
their ideals.
Ultimately, self-awareness is a crucial tool for self-control, enabling
individuals to recognize discrepancies between their behavior and personal
standards and take corrective actions.
HOW TO BECOME SELF-AWARE?
1. Ask “What?” instead of “Why?”
People often ask "Why?" when assessing their emotions or situations, but research
suggests this approach is ineffective because individuals lack access to many unconscious
thoughts and motives. Often, they are incorrect in attributing reasons for their actions.
Additionally, people tend to overlook physiological factors like low blood sugar or lack of
sleep when trying to understand their behavior, leading to biased self-evaluation.
Rather than asking “Why,” highly self-aware people ask, “What?” “What” questions
are more productive, and focuses on objectives and future goals, rather than past
mistakes.
For instance, let’s say you’re feeling frustrated at school. “Why am I feeling awful?”
will likely only leave you feeling more depressed, forcing you to reflect on negatives. On
the other hand, “What are the situations that making me feel bad?” guides you to
recognizing factors outside your control that don’t align with your passions or goals, and
helps you strategize how to fix those situations.
HOW TO BECOME SELF-AWARE?
2. Spend Time with Yourself
It’s not easy to reflect on yourself when you’ve got the TV blaring, you’re out to
dinner with friends, or you’re glued to your phone.
Give yourself the space and time necessary to self-reflect, by avoiding distractions.
Try spending time reading, writing, meditating, or practicing other solo activities to
connect with yourself.
3. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness promotes self-awareness by encouraging individuals to be present,
observing their thoughts in a non-judgmental manner. The deliberate focus on oneself in
the current moment facilitates a better understanding of one's thoughts, feelings, and
emotions. Applying mindfulness when feeling frustrated allows individuals to acknowledge
and recognize their internal experiences more effectively, contributing to increased self-
awareness.
HOW TO BECOME SELF-AWARE?
4. Become a Better Listener, and Ask for Feedback
Developing empathetic understanding involves actively listening
without judgment, which enhances interpersonal connections.
This skill, similar to mindfulness, requires purpose and control.
Applying these listening skills to oneself contributes to improved self-
awareness by better understanding personal thoughts and emotions.
Seeking feedback from others is also crucial for a more
comprehensive self-awareness, as external perspectives provide a more
complete picture of one's identity and impact on others.
HOW TO ASSESS YOURSELF MORE ACCURATELY
If you aspire to achieving more of the positive qualities that come with the ability to
accurately self-assess, here are a few ideas to try:
● Meditate – give yourself time to learn mindfulness techniques that will help you step back
from the clutter and pace of modern life and start to gain more clarity on who you are.
● Self-reflect more – start to consider your life and your own personal qualities more; think
about what you’re good at and what can be improved. Revisit situations where you have
become upset, frustrated, or stressed and try to learn why they happened.
● Make lists – write down all your skills and talents; then, separately note down what you
would like to improve.
● Take a breath –when you feel negative emotions take over, learn to take a breath before
repeating negative patterns of behaviour.
● Take psychometric tests – tests like Myers-Briggs and Predictive Index may provide valuable
insight and help you consider your personal qualities in more detail.
● Seek out honest feedback – compare how you see yourself with how trusted friends see you.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS
The progress in and insistence on quality of education, coupled with
rapid strides in spread of knowledge calls for equality developed and able to
recipients. Thus, a definite need is felt for well-developed personality and
character in our life. The Vendantic concept of personality development is
based on the concept of perfection of each soul and self-confidence for
realization and manifestation this inner knowledge.
❖ Energy self- relates to metabolism and the gross manifestations of energy (prana), e.g. act of breathing.
The control of prana is achieved by control of anger, anxiety and restlessness.
❖ Intellectual self- pertains to discrimination power and knowledge or the cognitive domain.
❖ Mental self- related to stress and psychology, selflessness and control, concentration and calmness
and mind plays essential role.
❖ Anandamaya Kosha or Blissful self- is the function of state of being. It calls for remaining calm and
unaffected, nay for remaining happy, in all the frivolities of world, in all neck-breaking competition and
struggle, failure and success.
ROOTS OF FILIPINO CHARACTERS
These factors greatly affect the roots of the Filipino strengths and
weaknesses such as;
1) the home environment, 2) social environment, 3) culture and language, 4)
history, 5) the educational system, 6) religion, 7) the economic environment,
8) the political environment, 9) mass media and 10) leadership and role
model.
ROOTS OF FILIPINO CHARACTERS
Social Environment
We are social beings we cannot live without the support of one, for
“no man is an Island”. No one can survive without depending on other
person.
The social environment of Filipinos is characterized by a feudal
structure with great gaps between the rich minority and the poor majority.
The main components of social environment are; social structures
and social systems such as; interpersonal religious and community
interactions.
ROOTS OF FILIPINO CHARACTERS
History
Our mentality is the product of our colonial history, which is
regarded as the culprit for our lack of nationalism. Colonialism developed a
mind-set on us, to think of the colonial power as superior and more
powerful. With the invasion of the Spaniards and Americans, we developed
a sense of dependence on foreign powers that made us believe that we are
the second class citizen to them and we are not responsible for our
country’s fate.
ROOTS OF FILIPINO CHARACTERS
Religion
It plays a vital role in the spiritual and moral development of
individual. We, Filipinos, believe in life after death, hence we
practice what the religion teaches. It is the root of Filipino
optimism and its capacity to accept life’s hardship.
ROOTS OF FILIPINO CHARACTERS
Mass Media
They have strong impact on the moral development of the
youth. The children idolize young actors and actresses. If they
portray negative values, it is internalized in our children’s mind.
STRENGTHS OF FILIPINO CHARACTERS
2. Family Orientation
✔ This pertains to the concern for the family, which is manifested in the
honor, and respects for parents and elders. This is further manifested in the
care given to children, even up to the extent of extended family, where the
married children still reside in their parent’s house. This sense of family
orientation results in a feeling of belongingness and rootedness and in basic
sense of security.
STRENGTHS OF FILIPINO CHARACTERS
7. Ability to survive
✔ We are known for our ability to survive despite the economic
difficulties we are encountering. Filipinos make the most with whatever is
available in the environment, e. g. by eking out a living from a garbage dump.
This is survival instinct of the Filipinos, which is related to basic optimism,
flexibility, and adaptability.
WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
1. Extreme Personalism
✔ This is manifested in the tendency to give personal interpretations to
actions, e.g. pakiusap (request), lagay and regalo(fixing), palakasan (power
and influence), nepotism and favoritism and to take things personally.
Personalism is also manifested in in the need to established personal
relationship before any business or work relationship can be successful. It is
very difficult to turn down something when personal contacts are involved.
Extreme personalism thus leads to graft and corruption, which is very
evident to the Philippine society.
WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
3. Lack of Discipline
✔ This manifested in relaxed attitude towards time, tagged as “Filipino
time” and space which in itself is lack of precision, in compulsiveness in
poor time management and delays of work, and in procrastination. We are
impatient and unable to delay gratification or reward, resulting in the use of
short rules, skirting (the palusot syndrome) and in foolhardiness. We are
also noted of “ningas cogon”.
WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
5. Colonial Mentality
✔ This pertains to the openness of the Filipinos to the outside-adapting
and incorporating the foreign elements into our image of ourselves. This is
manifested to our acceptance of modern mass culture, which is often
western.
✔ Such mentality is made up of two dimensions; first is lack of
patriotism or an active awareness, appreciation, and love of the Philippines,
second is an actual preference for foreign things.
WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
6. Kanya-kanya Syndrome
✔ Filipinos have selfish, self-serving attitudes that generated a feeling of
envy and competitiveness towards others. These characteristics could be
describe as “crab mentality” referring to the tendency of crabs in a basket to
pull each other down), using the levelling instruments of gossips or tsismis;
intrigue or “intriga” and unconstructive criticism.
WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
8. Filipino Indolence
✔ The Filipinos were called by Spaniards as indolent which means lazy
and lack of initiative and ambition, but Rizal refuted this negative description
and explained that:
1. It is unhealthy to work in the Philippine hot climate;
2. The industries during Spanish era proved that they were not lazy, but
instead the invaders forced labor and closed down the industries;
3. The Spaniards were the ones who taught gambling to Filipinos;
4. The Filipinos were discriminated and discouraged to pursue their
studies.
WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
9. Mañana Habit
✔ This negative was inherited from the Spaniards. This means putting off
for tomorrow what can be done today or procrastination. It has the element
of fatalism ans is linked with “bahala na” attitudes.
WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
11.Hospitality
✔ The Filipino families are very much well known for hospitality.
The visitors are welcomed warmly with full of enthusiasm. They
offered the best food even to the extent of depriving themselves
just only to please their visitors.
Q & A?
Chapter 6 (Part 2)
NATIONALISM AND PATRIOTISM
• Pagkamaka-Diyos
• Pagkamaka-Tao
• Pagkamaka-Bayan
• Pagkamaka-Kalikasan
PAGKAMAKA-DIYOS
Filipinos, as one of the countries with the highest
number of Catholic Christians, deeply believe in the
supernatural power of God as the creator of heaven and
earth. Morality holds significant importance in their
actions, words, and thoughts, reflected in their active
participation in church activities and daily practices of
prayer. Rather than being termed "religious people,"
Filipinos consider themselves faithful believers,
emphasizing their devotion to the Lord rather than a
specific religious affiliation.
PAGKAMAKA-DIYOS
A. Faith in the Almighty God imploring the aid of almighty
God
-Your life is a gift from God, and recognizing the worth and
dignity of yourself and others fosters appreciation and
understanding in society.
-Your body is sacred, being God's temple, and you have a
responsibility to protect it from violence. Upholding natural human
rights is crucial, including safeguarding the well-being of others
and rejecting advocacy for harm or violence.
-Recognizing the preciousness of life, it is your duty to
respect, protect, nurture, and preserve human life from the
moment of conception, emphasizing the sanctity of life throughout
its entire existence.
PAGKAMAKA-DIYOS
C. Order
- Chinese proverb
Work is a gift from God, and using one's talents with dedication, hard
work, and honesty contributes to being a productive and self-reliant
member of society, emphasizing the importance of values and love in
achieving excellent results.
PAGKAMAKA-DIYOS
E. Concern for the Family and Democracy
✔ Respetuhin natin ang ating ina ilaw siya ng
tahanan bugyang galang ang ama at ang payo ang
susundan at sa magkakapatid kailangan ay magmahalan
dapat lang ay pagusapan ang hindi nauunwaan.