Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILPPINES

Office of the Vice President for Branches and Satellite Campues
Unisan, Quezon branch

CWTS 10013

Prof. Janoras
LESSON 10: SELF-AWARENESS
AND VALUES DEVELOPMENT
According to Former Senator Letecia Ramos-Shahani’s book “The Urgent Need for a Moral
Recovery Program (1992)”, the Philippines is a sick nation afflicted with interlocking diseases
of poverty, graft and corruption, exploitative patronage, factionalism, political instability, love
for intrigue, lack of discipline, lack patriotism and the desire for instant self- gratification.
Since the maladies afflicting the Philippines is a serious as the cancer which Dr. Jose
Rizal compared to in his novel, Noli Me Tangere, there is a need for the people to “undergo
a major surgery in order for them to go back to the basic virtues of honesty, self-reliance,
and responsibility for the community, the nation”, and eventually the world.
The development of a pure and clean heart must be an important goal that the family,
the school and the society must have to pursue in order to develop a strong national
character based on patriotism, unity honesty and self-reliance.
 But since we are living in an era of globalization, the
Filipino youth as a member of the world community must
not only the oriented with beautiful Filipino values but
also with universal values that will make his/her
adjustment to and understanding of the world better and
broader. Thus, universal values such as love, respect,
responsibility, strong family, truth, beauty, goodness and
religiosity must be strongly inculcated in the youth for
them to become real citizens of the world who feel, think
and work not only for themselves but more so for the
sake of others.
Self-awareness and Emotions
“Know thyself” is a maxim, the credit of which goes to Socrates.
Why is it important that a person be able to know himself/herself?
Simple, because it is through one’s awareness of himself/herself he/she becomes a better person.
The knowledge of oneself, according to Socrates is a prerequisite to a deeper understanding of life.
Self-awareness is the person’s ability to be aware of his/her impulses, instincts, emotional states,
preferences and habits.
It is a skill which essential to life. Through this, a person can gain control over his/her emotions
thus deterring the commission of negative behaviors.
The attainment of emotional literacy is an important component of developing high self-awareness.
Emotional literacy refers to our knowledge of what we feel and the causes feeling such as well as of
our knowledge of what others feel and how our feelings affect others.
Emotions are the manifestation of our heart which make us human and not a robot which moves on
command to do the bidding of a controlling power.
Basic Human Emotions
1. Love – the most human of all emotions because it tells us what it is to be a person in the
deepest part of ourselves. It comes from all that is healthy in us. We need it, as much as we need
air to breathe. This gives meaning and focus to life, strengthens self- identification, makes priorities
clearer, develops sense of proportion and makes living a real existence. The most powerful force
in life.

Love is a natural cleanser of the human psyche.

Once it is rooted, it spreads and destroys jealousy, envy, greed, vindictiveness and all other
natural enemies of the mind and body.
Kinds of Love:
Philia – love for family, love without malice
Eros – erotic, love with malice, love for the opposite sex
Agape – tough love, what I have I share with you, selfless love
2. Anger – is an emotion which is characterized by a strong feeling of displeasure and antagonism.
It is regarded as an emotion which is potentially negative. But when properly used, it
becomes potentially good. It is also the greatest problem to overcome.
3. Fear – refers to an unpleasant and often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of
danger.
It usually implies anxiety and loss of courage. When it is manifested as sign of solicitousness
to a person and profound reverence and awe toward God, it becomes potentially positive.
These emotions are bases of the rich
variety of human emotions
The Importance of Understanding
Yourself
Individuals who have poor understanding of themselves are often overcome but
negative emotions which may lead them to be hostile to others, indulge self-pity, lack
self-confidence and have very low esteem. These are the people who need to undergo a
deeper understanding of themselves to bring them to the reality that each one of us is a
unique person and capabilities are not the same.
How to Become a Better Person
Build your self-image
Self-image involves, first, your thinking’s, then the actions you take to make your thoughts
substantial.
Search for the meaning of life
Life without meaning is a painful life. Yearning for the meaning of life is a human nature
because there is no human being who does not want to lead a meaningful life. Finding purpose
and meaning to one’s life is an important aspiration of both the young and old people.
Martin Luther King, the great human advocate, believed that if we are to go forward, we must go
back and rediscover those precious values that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that
all reality has spiritual control.
 Our values are our bedrock ideas about what is good, or bad, what is right or wrong, what is moral
or immoral. What attitudes and behavior are correct and what are not, are judged on the basis of
our values. Values like honesty, justice, kindness and concern for the less fortunate, however, are
abstract when just discussed. For them to be effective they need to be internalized and translated
into action. They are not to be taught only, but have to be caught, thus, the individual must have to
be exposed to them to be able to practice and apply them to his/her everyday life not only for
his/her own good and happiness but the good and happiness society he she lives in and the
fellowmen he/she interacts with.
A value is a belief, a mission, or a philosophy that is meaningful. Whether we are consciously
aware of them or not, every individual has a core set of personal values. Values can range from the
commonplace, such as the belief in hard work and punctuality, to the more psychological, such as
self- reliance, concern for others, and harmony of purpose.
 Scope of Values

1. Aesthetic values
Aristotle explains that men "will be better able to achieve the good if they develop a fuller
understanding of what it is to flourish."
2. Spiritual values
Traditionally spirituality has been defined as a process of personal transformation in according with
religious ideals. Such values thus irrevocably embody a combination of compassion and wisdom.
The two are twinned, because wisdom without compassion is false, and compassion without
wisdom ultimately leads to exhaustion. Combining compassion and wisdom produces attitude of
mature and selfless love, the actions of which are based firmly on the golden rule of doing to
others only what we would wish done to ourselves.
Spiritual values include:
Honesty... Trust... Kindness... Generosity... Tolerance... Patience... Perseverance... Discernment...
Humility... Courage... Beauty... and, Hope.
3. Physiological Values
Being in accord with or characteristic of the normal
functioning of a living organism.
4. Economic Values

It is a measure of the benefit provided by a good or service to an economic agent.

 Our appreciation of beauty and our love of God make our lives
meaningful. The beauty of nature and the things which man create
provide us with Inner joy which affects our attitude towards our life, work,
relationship with our fellowmen and with God. Our appreciation of God's
creations and the talents He gives man makes us grateful to Him. We
develop spiritual oneness with these creations as well as with other
human beings and in the process, we identify our relationship between
ourselves and our Creator. Through this relationship with Him, we
become aware of our spiritual needs and this awareness gives us
fulfillment in everything we do.
The Core/Related Values
1. Health.
Health is wealth. Must attain good health, observe cleanliness in thought, in word, and in deeds,
develop harmony with nature, and appreciate the beautiful.

2. Truth.
The search for knowledge is an unending process. It does not mean just discovering data and
knowing facts. It involves creative and critical thinking.
3. Love
The highest expression and the primary concern of man's being implies the quest for moral integrity
and the development of self-worth, honesty and personal discipline. It is thoughts, feelings, and
actions directed towards the benefit of others even at the expense of one’s self. True love develops,
grows, matures and becomes richer with time.
4. Spirituality
A strong spiritual foundation is the secret to a happy fulfilled life. It is believing in the promise of
eternal life giving the individual hope which eventually results to peace of mind. Spiritually is not
just having faith but living a life of love, sincerity and justice.
5. Social Responsibility
The pursuit of the welfare of the family and the common good of the larger society is a paramount
responsibility of everyone as a social being. Individual must understand that the family is the
foundation of the nation and must have to be strengthened.
6. Economic Efficiency
Man must be productive in order to raise not only the quality of his life but also of other living in
the community, especially the under privileged.
7. Nationalism and Global Solidarity
An individual must not only be aware of his rights but must also be conscious of his duties to his
country. Values as such as love of country, common identity, national unity, esteem of national
heroes, commitment, civic consciousness, pride of one's country and the bayanihan spirit must be
part of the values orientation of an individual.
Click icon to add picture

THANK YOU