UNIT 1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS - Strive for wisdom and perfection

PERSPECTIVES - Soul is exposed to communicating

with God (socrates)
PART 1 - There is something Devine
with us. Your body is the
The ideas of Socrates temple of God. God is in you
- Reason is the soul’s tool to achieve
1) One must strive to care for their soul such state
which is their true self - A unified, indissoluble, important

2) Knowledge is important Same content lang sinabi sa ancient

-Knowledge is power triumvirates
-If you have the right information,
you can choose wisely The ideas of plato
1. Think more
3) To become virtuous, and virtue is a. Doxa - popular opinion
necessary in attaining true b. Examine by asking questions
happiness i. Ask yourself first
Virtue- is an act of doing ii. Socrates - use the
Every action will always lead to platonic theory. Think
certain happiness about the PAST on
Good- is a consequence that will how it could be
lead to happiness applied on the
Evil- is a consequence that will lead PRESENT and what
to pain and suffering would be the possible
effects in the
4) All evil acts are committed out of FUTURE.
ignorance hence doing evil acts are
involuntary 2. Let your lover change you
- Person you admire
5) It is better to suffer an injustice - Bandura modeling process
instead of committing injustice acts - We tend to imitate the
model which we look
Physical world up to
- Changeable, transient, imperfect - We liked their action
- World of senses/matter = do action
- Change will always happen - They did something
- Always expect the unexpected that you didn't like =
(changes) didn’t do the action
- Let it happen - Choose the person you
Spiritual World admire
- Unchanging, eternal, perfect a. True love is admiration
- Reason (thinking) to achieve
perfection
 b. Your lover might have 4) How can ideas cut through in a
qualities that you lack which busy world?
he could fill in
c. Educate each other to have PART 2
better version of oneself
3. Decode the message of beauty The Ancient Triumvirates
a. Peace
b. Balance ❖ Socrates- teacher of Plato
c. Harmony - Know thyself- to answer
d. Strength “Who am I”
4. Reform society, end democracy, to - Man must live and stand
help people to think rationally according to his nature- we
must understand ourselves
The ideas of Aristotle - “An unexamined life is not
worth living”
1) What makes people happy? - How can we determine this?
-Virtues For socrates we must ask
2) What is art for? this 2 fundamental questions:
-realization in the external form of a - To find what?- use the
true idea, and is traced back to that platonic theory of
natural love of imitation that reminiscence (go back or
characterizes humans, and to the remember) or
pleasure which we feel in INTROSPECTION- look
recognizing likenesses. inside yourself; wisdom is
3) What are friends for? learning to reflect
● Philosopher Aristotle identified three - By what means?
types of friendships: Ones based on - For Socrates there are 2
utility or pleasure, and one on worlds we are exposed to:
mutual appreciation of each other's - Physical World- the world
values. of the senses or the world of
● The first two — 'accidental' matter; changeable,
friendships — are limited in depth transient, imperfect
and don't last a long time. - Spiritual World- something
● But friendships based on virtues abstract; World of
build the strongest connections and Ideas/Form; Unchanging; We
last. are all in the block universe
● While many of Aristotle's theories and all ideas can be access if
have been disproved, the idea that we ONLY ASK QUESTIONS;
good friendship is crucial to a look inside yourself and ask
well-lived life is relevant today. questions and you’ll get the
● The best friendships should be possible answers, WHY:
based on appreciation of character bcos inside ourselves is the
— not on a transactional value — spiritual world; always strive
and shape our lives for the better. for wisdom and perfection;
 THE DIVINE BEING IS - The process of
WITHIN YOURSELF; THAT Completion- through our
IS YOUR SOUL own experiences; Knowledge
is acquired through the
❖ Plato- teacher of Aristotle senses; can only happen if it
- What you can find inside passes through the senses
yourself is your soul and (Sensation)
represented in three ways - Heraclitus: Sometimes we
(functions of the soul) hear something but we don’t
- Reason: the divine essence understand what we hear
that lets us think deeply - The goal of the human self is
(wisdom), make wise choices reached in happiness
and achieve a true through moderation or
understanding of eternal balance of things
truths - How do we develop a sense
- Physical Appetite: the soul of balance in one self:
that represents the bodily YOU MUST HAVE VIRTUE-
conditions; basic biological the way wherein you must
needs such as hunger, thirst find a middle ground
and sexual desire between two vices in the
- Passion/Spirit: opposite direction; virtue and
representatives of our vices can come together
emotions; basic emotions - Where can we find virtue: It
such as love, anger, is in the middle of 2
ambition, aggressiveness, extreme vices
empathy Example: Rash
- This three are in a dynamic (Recklessness) - Courage-
relation: they interact with Coward
each other, some might For you to have the virtue of
dominate and others might courage you must have little
submit- BALANCE; if there’s Rash and a little bit of
a conflict- find balance with Cowardice; REFERRED TO
the use of reason AS THE GOLDEN MEAN
- How can we develop virtues:
❖ Aristotle ➔ First: The ability to
- When the child is born, the regulate our desires
mind is in its blank slate - is not instinctive, but
TABULA RASA learned and is the
- Something can be written in outcome of both
a blank slate through teaching and
EXPERIENCES; once we practice- Find a
have experience, it now model, surround
becomes a part of our past, a yourself with models
part of our memories
 ➔ Second: He notes should be based on behavior,
that if we regulate our rather than words. That we
desires either too don’t control and cannot rely
much or too little, on external events, only
then we create ourselves and our responses
problems. “Excess or - Most ideas from Marcus
deficiency of Aurelius- “If you can properly
gymnastic exercise is turn a problem upside down,
fatal to strength” every “bad” becomes a new
➔ Third: He argues that source of good” , “The
desire-regulating impediment to action
virtues are character advances action. What
traits, and are not to stands in the way becomes
be understood as the way.”
either emotions or - There is no good or bad to
mental faculties; If the practicing Stoic. There is
you want to develop only perception. You control
virtues, practice it, perception.
train yourself (Model),
it will be difficult but PART 3
later on it will become
a natural part of STOICISM
yourself, it is a BY: MARCUS AURELIUS
character trait- not
longer influence by ● If you can properly turn a problem
emotions or mental upside down, every “bad” becomes
faculties; always a new source of good.
maintain a MIDDLE ● Marcus Aurelius described it like
GROUND this:
○ “The impediment to action
The Post-Aristotelians advances action. What
❖ Stoicism- we cannot avoid adversity stands in the way becomes
(difficulties/obstacles); EMBRACING the way”.
ADVERSITY- don’t run away from ○ Sometimes what you think is
your problem, face it. the problem becomes an
- It's a philosophy designed to opportunity. It will lead you to
make us more resilient, another direction which is
happier, more virtuous and much better than what you
more wise- and as a result, have thought
better people, better parents ● There is no good or bad to the
and better professionals practicing Stoic. There is only
- The philosophy asserts that perception. You control the
virtue (such as wisdom) is perception.
happiness and judgement
 ● Sometimes when you talk about the ○ You cannot control the future
problem, it’s not actually a problem, but you can control your
it’s a learning process. We can only reaction towards the future.
look at this as a learning process so ○ You can only react when it
we will be able to do something becomes present.
which might be outside our box but it ○ A future can never come
is much better than what we think. because everytime you think
● Look outside the box and look at it in of the future, it will always be
a different way and you might find a in the present moment. So if
solution that you think is different you plan something, you are
than what you are actually thinking. planning it in the present.
What you see is the future in
STOICISM relation to your imagination.
● Another stoic, Epictetus, who as a Once you reach that time in
crippled slave has faced adversity your imagination, it is no
after adversity, echoed the same: longer a future, it is already a
“Do not seek for things to happen present moment. Once you
the way you want them to; rather, encounter the present, it now
wish that what happens happen the becomes the past. So
way it happens: then you will be everything that you do, it will
happy.” always be in the process of
○ “Kung ano ang gusto mong continuously moving time
mangyari, pwedeng hindi dimension. Just like in the
mangyari dahil meron river, you cannot step in the
talagang nakalaan na same water twice, water
mangyari.” keeps on flowing.
○ What we can wish here is to ○ Do the best of what you can
give us the wisdom to in the present so whatever
understand why it happened. you have done in the
○ Whatever happened is present, the outcome might
because of what the universe come later on. Whatever the
would like us to have, but outcome is, you don’t know
then what we might not know because it still would be
is what you think you want coming to us, but what is
might not be the right one for important is you have done
you. The universe is the best of what you can so
providing you with something that whatever the outcome
better. If you will only look at would be you don't have any
it in a positive manner. regrets because of the effort
● It is why amor fati is the Stoic you exerted in the present
exercise and mindset that you take moment.
on for making the best out of ● Treating each and every moment -
anything that happens. no matter how challenging - as
something to be embraced, not
 avoided. To not only be okay with it, and be happy. For tomorrow, you will
but love it and be better for it. die.
○ You cannot do anything ○ Be happy now because you
about the past and the future, don’t know what will happen
you are only responsible for tomorrow, you might die, so
the present moment. the opportunity might be lost.
○ Love what is happening to ● They believe that pleasure is the
you at this moment. So if you only good in life, and pain is the only
love what is happening right evil, and our life’s goal should be to
now to you, your perspective maximize pleasure and minimize
and perception will become pain.
more positive. ● The Paradox of Hedonism (also
○ Aristotle: “Anything even called the Pleasure Paradox), points
though how ugly it is, if you out that pleasure and happiness are
just look at it there is strange phenomena that do not obey
something beautiful that you normal principles, in that they cannot
can discover. Just take a look be acquired directly, only indirectly
and you will discover and we often fail to attain pleasures
something else aside from if we deliberately seek them.
what you have seen before. ○ The more you seek for
How can you discover? Just pleasure, the more it
by changing your becomes painful.
perception.” ○ The more you seek for
● So that like oxygen to a fire, pleasure, the more it will run
obstacles and adversity become fuel away from you. Pleasure
for your potential. comes unexpectedly.
○ What makes your life ○ The more you search for
meaningful is when you are happiness, the more it will
able to overcome problems. escape you.
○ Problems are a source of ○ Sense of achievement will
happiness because after the give you happiness that
pain and difficulty, you will cannot be bought by money
begin to realize what or any material things.
happiness is. EPICUREANISM
HEDONISM ● That the greatest good is to seek
● “Eat, drink, the philosophical modest pleasures in order to attain a
doctrine that: state of tranquility, freedom from fear
● (1) All pleasure is intrinsically good, (“ataraxia”) and absence from bodily
and pain (“aponia”).
● (2) Nothing but pleasure is ● Modest pleasure
intrinsically good. ○ You will have happiness, if
● Similar theories might involve you are free from fear
enjoyment, satisfaction, happiness, (ataraxia) and if you are free
as concepts substituted for pleasure from bodily pain (aponia).
Epicurus’ techniques for obtaining which inevitably only produces
happiness even in the most miserable greater pain. In order to get rid of
situation: this pain-pleasure-pain-cycle, we
● Instead of dwelling on the pain, need to cultivate a mindset in which
recollect one of those moments in there is no pain.
the past when you were most happy. ○ Sometimes, you are always
Through enough training of the happy so there is no need to
mind, you will be able to achieve do something because you
such vividness of imagination that are happy but the problem is,
you can relive these experiences when you encounter pain, it
and that happiness. becomes a conscious matter
○ Use your happy memories to to you to seek for pleasure.
help you forget the pain. ○ Paradox of Hedonism: The
○ Choose the memories that more you seek for
make you happy so that it will happiness, the more it leaves
enlighten you in the present. you.
○ When you go inside yourself, ○ Do not seek for pleasure
you are also knocking in the when you are in pain. The
universe, you are also more you seek for it the more
knocking in the black it will give you pain.
universe that we all share. ○ It can be considered as a
And this black universe can learning process, another
provide you with knowledge way of directing you to
and information that you another path.
need to deal with the present ● We need wisdom to see which
moment. pleasures are really pleasurable,
● “Pleasure is our first and kindred and which pains are necessary to
good. It is the starting point of every produce pleasure. Some pleasures
choice and of every aversion, and to lead to greater pain, like imbibing
it we always come back… to judge copious amounts of alcohol, and so
every good thing.” the wise person will shun them.
○ What makes a person happy ○ Problems are stepping
and feel good should be stones for
important. Because it is achievements/success.
related to what will make us ○ Problem is a platform for
happy. success.
○ Every good thing that you ○ Some pleasure can lead to
consider as good gives us greater pain (amount of
pleasant experiences. alcohol). Sadness can lead
○ Happiness is a choice. to an appreciation for life or
Whether you react to it in a compassion which are highly
positive or negative manner. pleasurable things.
● Only when we are in pain do we feel
the need to seek pleasure, a need
 ○ You gain experiences and
overcome obstacles = STOICISM
success ● Embracing Adversity
○ Struggles are made in order ● It’s a philosophy designed to make
to experience real happiness. us more resilient, happier, more
● On the other hand, certain pains, like virtuous, and more wise-and as a
sadness, can lead to an appreciation result, better people, better parents
for life or compassion, which are and better professionals.
highly pleasurable states. ● The more you run away from
● We should not therefore get rid of all adversity, the more it will run after
negative emotions but only those you.
that lead to unnecessary pains. ● When you look at adversity in a
● Epicurus anticipates this with his different perspective, that adversity
claim that the greatest secret to is not a difficulty but an opportunity
happiness is to be as independent of for you to discover your strengths.
external things as possible. ● The philosophy asserts that virtue
○ External things like car, (such as wisdom) is happiness and
house, material possessions, judgement should be based on
but if it is internal it is within behavior, rather than words. That we
yourself, nobody can take it don’t control and cannot rely on
away from you. external events, only ourselves and
● Being content with the simple things our responses.
in life ensures that you will never be ○ We cannot control and
disappointed. If you put your stock in cannot rely on external
unnecessary pleasures like costly events, only on ourselves
luxuries and food, you will be: and our responses.
○ (1) upset when you lose ■ Behavior and
these things thoughts.
○ (2) anxious to obtain them HEDONISM
○ (3) continually pushed ● What is good is something that will
onwards towards greater give you happiness or pleasure, and
luxuries and hence greater what is bad is something that
anxiety and disappointment involves pain.
“Happiness is a choice. Yeah, things in life ● For hedonistic people, it is their
make it difficult, but at the end of the day belief that pleasure is the only good
you control your own happiness.” in life and pain is the only evil. Our
goal should be to maximize pleasure
and minimize pain.
● In Hedonism, you have to be happy,
for tomorrow, you will die.
● The problem in Hedonism is the
PART 4 more you search for pleasure the
more it will be difficult for you to
THE POST-ARISTOTELIANS achieve it.
 ● Pleasure and happiness are strange (500 AD TO 1350 AD)
phenomena that do not obey normal
principles, in that they cannot be Theo-centric
acquired directly, only indirectly and ● From the scientific investigation on
we often fail to attain pleasure if we nature and search for happiness to
deliberately seek them. the question of life and salvation in
● Sometimes, we don’t need to plan another realm, in a better world (i.e.,
how to be happy because it will the afterlife)
come to you when the right time ● There was an aim to merge
comes. philosophy and religion
EPICUREANISM ○ Christian, Jewish, Muslim
● How to be happy, how to have ● If a person dies, is there a life after
pleasure? our life here on earth?
● Provide certain conditions for a St. Augustine
person to be happy. ● Integrates platonic ideas with the
○ Ataraxia tenets of Christianity
■ Freedom from fear ● The self strives to achieve union with
○ Aponia God through faith and reason.
■ Absence from bodily ○ Related to what Plato said
pain that within our self, we have
● A simplified way of life can make a 3 kinds of souls:
person happy already for as long as ■ Rational (reason)
the person doesn’t fear anything ■ Appetition (appetite)
(ataraxia) and is absent from any ■ Passion
kinds of pain (aponia). - greatest ○ For us to be united with God,
pleasure that a person can have. we have to use reason in
“Happiness is a choice. Yeah, things in life order to deal with other
make it difficult, but at the end of the day aspects of ourselves such as
you control your own happiness.” appetition and passion.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Is the self related to a supreme ● Self-knowledge is dependent on our
being/god? experience of the world around us
Who am I in relation to a supreme (objects in our environment)
being/god? ○ How you see the world
● According to Socrates, man is made around us is dependent on
up of body and soul. For the soul, it what surrounds you.
is represented by the divine being in ○ Example: you are
us. So if you want to encounter the surrounded with activities
divine being, look inside yourself. related to water, your
(introspection). experiences are dependent
● It is also stated that God is within us on water activities.
that is why our body is the temple of ● The labels we attribute to ourselves
God. are taken from the things we
MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY encounter in our environment.
 ● “The things that we love tell us what ● Believe if there is evidence rather
we are.” than what other people will tell them.
○ Example: If you love books, ● Rene Descartes
you are a book lover and you ○ The self is a thinking thing,
surround yourself with books distinct from the body.
because you like to read ○ He believed that the thinking
books. (soul) can be separated from
○ You describe yourself the body.
according to what you do and ○ For example, our thinking
what makes you happy. can bring us to the future in
These are based on your terms of our imagination. Or
environment which makes it can bring us back to the
you who you are. past in relation to our
● “Our knowledge is based on our memories. So as a result,
encounter of things.” going to the future by use of
Does this mean that we get to know our thinking means that you
everything by simply experiencing it? cannot bring our body with it.
● An experience is something that we In the same manner as when
have done in the past and how you you think of going to other
are able to encounter it is based on places, your imagination is
your senses. (what you have see, there but your body is not.
heard, smell) ○ Self (thinking)
St. Thomas Aquinas ■ What, how, and why
● Experiencing something exists you think makes you
doesn’t tell us what it is who you are. It can
● Knowing and learning about a thing influence your
requires a long process of emotions
understanding; same with the mind ● David Hume
and the self - with experience and ○ There is no “self,” only a
reason. bundle of constantly
How can I be sure that the self exists? changing perceptions
What are the proofs that the self exists? passing through the theater
of our minds.
MODERN PHILOSOPHY ○ Ourselves is based on what
(14th century to the early 20th century) happened to you in the past
Anthropocentric until the present moment.
● Thinkers began to reject the ○ Yourself is not the same
scholastics’ (medieval thinkers) when you are 5 years old
excessive reliance on authority compared to what you are
● Period of radical social, political and right now.
intellectual developments ○ Your impression of yourself
● Anthro means man (study of man) will constantly change.
rather than religion.
 ○ Human nature is more that makes intelligible
influenced by feelings rather experience possible.
than reason. ○ 2 kinds of consciousness:
○ When you are in love, ■ Inner
sometimes you can't think ● Pertains to a
anymore. person’s
● Gilbert Ryle intelligence,
○ The self is the way people understanding
behave. , belief, and
○ A person's action is reflective principles
of one’s thinking and feelings ■ Outer
○ When relating the philosophy ● Pertains to our
of Immanuel Kant and Gilbert senses and or
Ryle. The outcome of experiences.
consciousness that is being ■ “Seeing is not
described by Kant will be believing, listening is”
manifested by the person in ■ “What you see
terms of how that person sometimes you will
would behave in a certain not believe because
situation. you will believe more
● John Locke what you think about
○ Personal identity is made what you see.”
possible by ● Paul and Patricia Churchlan
self-consciousness. ○ The self is the brain. Mental
○ When you speak of self states will be superseded by
consciousness, it pertains to brain states.
your effort to choose what ○ What we feel, what we do
you want to think. and what we think is based
○ Related to air (lead you on the condition of our Brain.
where you are meant to be.) ● Sigmund Freud
○ Thinking and acting is ○ The self is multi-layered:
connected in relation to being ■ Conscious - refers to
conscious. those thoughts and
○ If you are conscious of your feelings that we are
action, it is because you think aware of.
about this action before you ■ Preconscious -
go for it. experiences that are
○ Consciousness is made unconscious but
possible in relation to how could become
our thinking and body is conscious with little
connected with each other. effort.
● Immanuel Kant ■ Unconscious -
○ The self is a unifying subject, contains all drives,
an organizing consciousness urges, or instincts that
 are beyond our ○ I and the Me
awareness but ○ Me - socialized aspect of a
motivate our feelings, person
thoughts and ■ It is our relation on
behavior. how we act and react
to other people in
terms of the things we
PART 5 possess in our lives.
This can be related to
THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE our family, friends and
CONSTRUCTION material things that
● It is a person's ability to think or a we own.
person’s mental capacity ○ I - Active aspect of a person
● Based from our previous lessons in ■ I is how we respond
Understand The Self how we think or react to the people
as a person reflect the way how we around us. It is how
act in different situations we describe
● According to Heraclitus we can ourselves
choose what we think and it reflects ■ Examples of this are
on how we are perceived by others “I am a caring person”
and it defines who we truly are. “I am an intelligent
student”. “I am a
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM hardworking and
● George Herbert Mead introduced industrious person”.
this perspective in the 1920s ○ Self - When the interactions
● The self is created and developed of I, me, and generalized
through human interaction. Without other are combined together
human interaction we may not be it creates the self
able to understand who we truly are. ■ Generalized other is
“no man is an island” also known as the
● In this perspective it analyzes person who is
society in a subjective way and puts important to us and
importance to the meaning that has an impact in our
people put on objects, behaviors, lives. It can be the
and events. opinions, viewpoint,
● It is believed that the way people personality, or
behave and act is based on what expectations of
they truly believe and not what is others.
objectively true. ● Parents, Mass
● Social bonds are formed in a way media,
that every single person in a society Government,
or community understands or Friends.
interprets each other's behavior.
● 2 aspects of self awareness ● IMAGINARY AUDIENCE
 ○ Teenagers or Adolescents ○ Ideal Self entails to what we
are taught to believe that want to be and what we see
there is someone always ourselves in the future
watching them or judging and ○ A person’s ideal self may not
evaluating every single one be consistent with what
of their actions. It is also actually happens in their life.
taught that each and every ○ Which entails that there may
person is unique from one be a difference in a person’s
another and is special. ideal self and actual
○ We are self conscious of experiences which can lead
what other people, especially to disappointment or
people who are close to us sadness.
are thinking regarding our ○ Carl Rogers said that in order
appearance, performance, for a person to achieve
personality, or one of our self-actualization a person
actions. must be in the state of
● SELF CONCEPT congruence or a state where
○ Results from the imaginary in the ideal self and actual
audience experiences of a person are
○ Mental Representation of similar.
who we truly are. ○ A person is happy when
■ What we look like his/her real self and ideal self
■ How we feel in is in a state of congruence.
different situations ● SELF AS DEFINED BY SOCIAL
■ How we behave COMPARISON
towards other people ○ Leon Festinger
■ What we do at work ○ Temporal Comparison
■ What are the roles we ■ Relating our present
have in the family or condition to our
society condition or
○ It is what we think of experiences in the
ourselves or how we see past
ourselves and can be true or ■ An example of this is
false. If we think positively of when we relate our
ourselves our self concept is height when we were
enhanced and if we think in elementary to our
negatively about ourselves height now that we
our self concept is are in college. Our
diminished. height obviously
● REAL AND IDEAL SELF changed and we have
○ Carl Rogers grown taller because
○ Real self entails to what we of puberty.
are right now ○ Social Comparison
 ■ Evaluating our ■ We compare
attributes by ourselves to others
comparing ourselves who we believe are
to other people better than them or
around us they are worse than
■ An example of this is ourselves.
when you watch your ■ This kind of
classmate play comparison is often
basketball and you done to make us think
were so impressed and feel better about
with his skills that you ourselves
thought that your ■ People who engage
skills were really or do this kind of
lacking compared to comparison are often
his. the people who are
○ The process in which social disappointed,
comparison works depends unhappy, or
on the motivation level of a unmotivated.
person. Which entails that a ○ 2 MODES OF DOWNWARD
person may compare SOCIAL COMPARISON
himself/herself to others in an ○ PASSIVE DOWNWARD
upward or downward COMPARISON
manner. ■ Often takes place
○ 2 MODES OF SOCIAL when a person
COMPARISON remembers or takes
○ UPWARD in consideration the
■ We compare previous condition
ourselves to others when making the
who we believe in our comparison.
minds are better than ○ ACTIVE DOWNWARD
us and we look up to COMPARISON
them as a role model. ■ This kind of
■ Can be a way to comparison takes
motivate ourselves to place when a person
improve to be able to compares
reach the person we himself/herself to
look up to. other people that
■ Several studies have causes harm to that
shown that people specific person.
often make upward ■ By causing harm to
comparisons than that specific person
downward the person who
comparisons. caused the harm
○ DOWNWARD feels that he/she is
 better than the person ○ It's based on our opinions
who was harmed. and beliefs about ourselves,
● SELF-EVALUATION AND SELF which can sometimes feel
ENHANCEMENT really difficult to change.
● Motivation is the primary key or ○ A low Self-esteem affects our
takes on the primary role as it is overall way of thinking
manifested by self-evaluation and because we can never love
self-enhancement other people especially our
○ SELF- EVALUATION loved ones if we don't love
■ A person looks for a ourselves.
positive trait in ○ Having healthy self-esteem
himself/herself based can influence your
on what he/she motivation, your mental
observed from well-being, and your overall
another person or the quality of life. However,
person he/she looks having self-esteem that is
up to. either too high or too low can
■ We asked ourselves if be problematic.
we got what we ● REFERENCE GROUP
wanted or did we do ○ A reference group is a group
what we needed to in which an individual or
do. another group is compared to
○ SELF-ENHANCEMENT ○ According to sociologists a
■ Often occurs when a reference group is a group in
person questions or which individuals or other
thoroughly looks at groups use as a standard
himself/herself to find when they are evaluating
out what trait needs their own personality, and
to be improved or behavior.
focused on to be able ○ This definition points clearly
to reach the person to the importance of defining
we look up to. the groups with which an
● SELF ESTEEM individual identifies, whether
○ Self esteem describes or or not he belongs to them.
defines the overall self-worth ○ These are the groups whose
or personal value a person values, standards and beliefs
has. guide the person in carrying
○ Basically it entails to how out his actions and in
much a person loves or evaluating himself.
appreciate himself/herself ○ A reference group may be
○ Often seen as a personality related to self-evaluation in a
trait, which means that it way that you want to be part
tends to be stable and of a specific group and now
enduring you want to find a certain trait
 of yours that fits within the opinion of his/herself
group you want to join. only
● THE CREATION OF IDENTITIES ○ NON WESTERN SELF
○ A person’s identity that is ■ Identity shared with
similar to the reference others and derived
group must be balanced to from a culture
the need to be a unique ■ Any kind of action a
individual. person does it is a
■ Children are often reflected action or
afraid to act differently opinion of the “group”
or uniquely because he/she is part of.
of the identity of the ● INDIVIDUALISM VS
group they are apart COLLECTIVISM
of. ○ INDIVIDUALISM
■ Teenagers are often ■ A person has an
torn between individualistic nature
choosing to go with and is an
their individual independent part of a
identity or comply society.
with the identity of ■ An action of a person
their reference group. reflects only his/her
■ Adults build new thinking or what he
identities in truly believes or
connection with their wants.
work, parenthood, ■ Individual rights take
economic status, and center stage
ageing. ■ Independence is
● ANTHROPOLOGY highly valued
○ The self and person in ■ Being dependent to
contemporary anthropology other people is often
and the self being embedded considered shameful
in culture; You can be ■ Tend to be self-reliant
influenced by your culture ■ The rights of
● WESTERN SELF VS NON individuals tend to
WESTERN SELF take a higher
○ WESTERN SELF precedence
■ Autonomous and ■ People often place
egocentric greater emphasis on
■ Known for being standing out and
independent and self being unique
centered ○ COLLECTIVISM
■ Any kind of action a ■ A person is a key or
person does it is a integral part of the
reflected action or universe and society.
 ■ Every single person is conditions responsible for
connected rebirth and suffering have
fundamentally been eliminated.
■ Social rules focuses ● HINDUISM
on promoting ○ Fusion of various Indian
selflessness and cultures and traditions
putting the community ○ Hindus believe that an
needs ahead of individual's action also known
individual needs as (Karma) - the bad or good
■ Working as a group actions that the individual
and supporting others performed in a previous life
is essential determines his/her caste
■ People are ○ Hinduism embraces many
encouraged to do religious ideas. For this
what's best for society reason, it’s sometimes
■ Families and referred to as a “way of life”
communities have a or a “family of religions,” as
central role opposed to a single,
● THE SELF IN organized religion.
ORIENTAL/EASTERN THOUGHT
○
○ The self is embedded in
● TAOISM
relationships though the
○ Lao-Tzu
spiritual development in
○ Self does not exist without
confucian thought.
the existence of the other.
● BUDDHISM
○ Self as a separate identity is
○ Siddhartha Gautama
supported by the equal and
○ The self is the source of all
opposite sensation of
sufferings. It is our quest to
otherness.
forget about the cravings of
○ Focuses on genuineness,
the self, break the
longevity, health, immortality,
attachments you have with
vitality, and wu wei.
the world, and to renounce
○ Nothing in the Universe is
the self in order to attain the
state of Nirvana fixed, static or non moving.
○ Emphasizes personal everything is transforming
experience, a pragmatic all the time.
attitude, and the use of ○ Taoist belief is based on the
critical thinking toward all idea that there is central or
types of knowledge. organizing principle of the
○ Nirvana is not primarily an Universe, a natural order or a
absolute reality beyond or "way of heaven"
behind the universe but ● CONFUCIANISM
rather a special state of mind ○ Confucius
in which all the causes and
○ Filial piety is a foundational
concept in the thought of
Confucius.
○ main idea of Confucianism
is the importance of having
a good moral character,
○ It teaches how one should
act properly according to
their relationship with other
people; how you relate with
people, how you respect
people around you
○ Rituals in Confucianism
were designed to bring
about this respectful
attitude and create a
sense of community within
a group.