Chapter II

SELF AWARENESS AND VALUES DEVELOPMENT

Objectives

1. To have a deeper knowledge of oneself;

2. Enhance self-knowledge;
3. Identify the different aspects of the self;
4. Identify and deepen one’s personal values.

This chapter deals with the concept and definition of self.

Lesson 2.1: The Concept of Self

“Know thyself and to thy own self be true”, says Socrates. The noblest and
most intricate project of man is knowing himself or becoming aware of himself.
Self awareness is defined as understanding what is important to you, under-
standing how you experience things, knowing what you want, knowing how
you feel, and knowing how you come across to others (Weisinger, 1998).

This simply means to become an observer of our own social relationships

and of our own individual desires and attitudes and emotions and everything
that could possibly happen to us. In knowing our interests, motives, aspira-
tions, likes and dislikes we are able to discover what areas in our life needs
reshaping and transforming to become a better person. Knowing what we are
opens us to the horizons of values we need to become better persons. This
chapter presents the different concepts of self which at times have been taken
for granted.

Lesson 2.1.1 Definition of Self-Concept

Self-concept is the image of who and what you are in relation to yourself
and to other people. This refers to the attitudes, feelings, moods and behaviors
you project in yourself vis-à-vis the world. It is the totality of what and who
you are including your strengths and limitations, abilities and inabilities,
capabilities and incapabilities – the totality of what you are in place and time.

How do I see myself?

How do other people see me?
What am I really without the judgment and labels attach to what I do
and failed to do?

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1. Aspects of the Self

The world is composed of different human beings, each with unique

qualities and capabilities, which at times are hard to fathom and
understand. Man is mysterious. The more we know about him, the more we
cannot understand him. We know so much about others, talk about others
in relation to ourselves but the rest about others is hidden or foreign to us.
In other words, we know man only through relationship, encounter and
observation.

A. Johari Window’s Aspect of the Self

1) The Hidden Self or Private Self

(I KNOW – OTHERS DON’T KNOW). This represents your own
thoughts, motives, interests, plans, ideas and activities reserved to the
you alone and are independent from the influences of others. Other
people can predict one’s future actions but no one can read what truly
resides in your mind and what you can actually do or is planning to do.

2) The Open Self or Social Self

(I KNOW – OTHERS KNOW). This represents all the information
you know about yourself and what other people know about you as you
associate, relate, and communicate with them. It includes your
behavior, attitudes, moods, feelings, desires, motivations and ideas
which you are aware of and others are aware as you communicate and
associate with them. This is the “easy-go-lucky” aspect of oneself where
there are no strings attached to your actions and relationship with
other people.

3) The Blind Self or Public Self

(I DON’T KNOW – OTHERS KNOW). This represents your
mannerisms or unguarded moments visible to others which you are
not aware of. These are things you do which, because of some factors
and circumstances you are not aware and in control of. (A dead drunk
person might not be aware or might not know what he is saying but
people around him are fully aware about it).

4) The Unknown Self

Mysterious Self (I DON’T KNOW, OTHERS DON’T KNOW). This
represents the things that will happen to you – things of the future. It
also refers to your potentials that have yet to be discovered. It refers to
the things that happen to you which you are not in control of in spite
of your plans, preparation and wariness. It is the aspect of life which
refers to uncertainty and hopeful longing for the future. You must have
to be open with the grace of the omnipotent God, who sees and knows
beyond all things, including the future.

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B. Eight Aspects of Man and their Corresponding Values

1) Man as Physical Being

Greek philosophy points to man as “psyche” (mind or soul) and
“corpus” (body/flesh). As a physical being, man is made of flesh, has
form and physique. His body needs nutrition and sustenance for growth
and preservation. Aside from self-preservation, man has to maintain his
image and dignity, thereby maintaining wholeness and self-esteem. The
uniqueness and individuality must be kept up through the value of
integrity inherent in one’s physical aspect. As a physical being man is
clothed with the value of integrity. Hence, in the pursuit of sustenance,
growth and self preservation one’s integrity should always be kept in
mind.

Values Identification: INTEGRITY – wholeness and self esteem:

Man is clothed with honor and dignity. Psalm 8: “What is man that you
should be mindful of him, mortal man that you care for him, you have
made him little less than a god, with honor and glory you crowned him
putting all things under his feet.” In the attainment and realization of
man’s physical well-being and to uphold this integrity it is important for
man to be aware of his self-esteem and his spirit of wholeness in
relation with the rest of the world to avoid selfishness and greediness.

0) Man as a Psychological Being

Man is not only flesh; he is endowed with feelings, attitudes and
emotions. One of the basic needs of man for survival is affection. Man
needs to be complemented: a pat on the shoulder, a push and a feeling of
self-worth to inspire him and keep him going. The feeling of acceptance,
that someone is with worth and importance, is a “conditio sine qua non”
for man to function efficiently and effectively. We have to deal with man as
a fragile ceramic pot that needs to be treated with much care. Prudence
and the practice of it should always be manifested through moderation
and sense of propriety. As a psychological being, man is expected to
safeguard the value of prudence and self-control. In his desire to be
accepted and to attain feelings of self-worth and self satisfaction, man has
to maintain the value of prudence and self-control.

Values Identification: PRUDENCE – The value of prudence is the

sense of propriety and moderation which can be achieved by practicing
self-control and self-discipline. As a psychological being, it is man’s
duty and responsibility to maintain balance and equilibrium in his
relationship with other people. Actions, motives and feelings that go
extreme are dangerous. In one’s desire to be accepted and become
worthwhile as a human being, proper decorum, decency and
respectability must be imminent in a person’s relationships and
dealings with others.

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3) Man as a Moral Being

Man, as the only being endowed with intellect and will knows what
is right and what is wrong and is required to do what is right at all
times. As a moral being, man has a sense of judgment in relationship
to the goodness and wrongness of his conduct through the aid of his
conscience. Man’s action must always correspond to and be guided by
the following:
· Sense of right and wrong – a good action must be done and
bad action must be avoided
· Sense of guilt – a bad action done leaves a sense of remorse
and feeling of hardness.
· Conscience – an inner voice reminding us to do right action at
all times; avoid bad action as possibly as we can.
· A moral being must maintain the value of dignity.

Values Identification: DIGNITY – A moral being bears in mind

his dignity, self-worth and importance in dealing with other people.
Man should reflect God in every activity. To achieve this value, he has
to project humility and meekness and honesty bearing in mind that he
is in equal footing with other beings regardless of color, race, status
and situation in life. Man’s actions and conducts must uphold
truthfulness, sincerity and openness as a manifestation of his dignity.

4) Man as an Intellectual Being

What makes man different from the rest of creation is his
rationality. As a rational being, man is capable of knowing what is right
and what is wrong; what is normal and abnormal, what is sensible and
insensible and what is relevant and irrelevant. Man is geared towards
the attainment of truth and knowledge through creative and analytic
thinking. An intellectual being upholds the value of purity in motive,
interest and action.

Values Identification: PURITY. An intellectual being maintains

the value of purity through the practice of wholesomeness, uprightness
and righteousness by being modest and decisive in his actions,
thoughts and motives.

5) Man as an Emotional Being

Man’s outward and inward reaction to the stimulus presented to him
is manifested in his facial expression. Such changes in attitude and
behavior are called emotion. Any stimulus presented to an individual
generates a feeling of like or dislike, agreement or disagreement in the
person which determines his mood or disposition, attitudes and behavior.
Man as a moral being maintains the value of maturity and temperance.
Without such value, man’s life becomes a problem.

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Values Identification: MATURITY. A mature and temperate man

is always wary and cautious in his judgment, attitude and disposition
towards the world. The practice of tolerance and sensitivity coupled
with self-discipline and self-control is a must. A philosopher reminds
us to “suspend our judgment” until we are sure that truth prevails. To
be sensitive, man must have sympathy, compassion and
understanding with forbearance. Such manifests true maturity and
temperance necessary to hone man’s emotion.

6) Man as a Social Being

No man is an island and no one lives alone. Man is a relational
being, meaning, he can only be happy if he is with other people. The
word relational comes from the Latin word: re – (again) laetare – (to be
happy) – to be happy only with others. Man’s relationship with others
entails duties and responsibilities. Men do not just relate and
communicate with others but is obliged to help one another in the
attainment of progress and development. A social being needs the value
of responsibility in relating with his fellow human beings.

Values Identification: RESPONSIBILITY When God asks Cain

“where is your brother?” his answer to the Lord’s query is: “Am I my
brother’s keeper?” The answer is devoid of responsibility, accountability
and answerability. St. Paul clearly states our duty and responsibility
when he said, “We are responsible for each other, and we are gathered
by God to be united to him.” Social justice demands respect and
responsibility; it demands commitment and sense of responsibility.
Everything we do affects other people, so we have to be responsible in
our every conduct.

7) Man as an Economic Being

Money is evil but is a necessary evil. It is a fact that any activity
and program cannot be done without the financial aspect of it. On the
other hand we should be mindful of the words of St. Paul “he who does
not work should not eat. Man has to toil in order to live; maintain
financial stability in order to fulfill other concerns. At the same time,
production and accumulation of wealth should not be paramount as if
it is the only concern we have. As an economic being we should imbibe
the value of contentment. We have to love and be contented with what
we have.

Values Identification: CONTENTMENT. The value of contentment

is based on the idea of self-satisfaction and self-gratification; that man
cannot have everything he wanted. It means loving and being satisfied
with what you have not desiring more than what you need.
Story: A businessman saw a man lying under a tree said. “Why
don’t you go out fishing instead of just lying and doing nothing”? “I

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have already caught enough fish”, the fisherman replied. The

businessman said, “if you go out fishing you catch more fish and if you
catch more fish you can sell more, if you sell more you can buy a
bigger banca and catch more fish. Then you will be rich and you will be
contented”. The fisherman replied, “What do you think I am doing”.
Contentment is not having more but being satisfied with what you
have. The value of contentment can be achieved through the practice of
hardwork, thriftiness and avoidance of too much expectation.

8) Man as a Spiritual Being

Man does not live by bread alone. Man’s highest concern is to be
one with the Supreme Being – God who created him. Every aspiration
and activity of man, his attitude and behavior, is based on someone
higher than himself. Man must acknowledge the presence of someone
who is the source of every good thing. Man’s life is dependent on a
Supreme Being – God who is totally other; all holy and perfect. The
value of faith or total dependence and trust in God should be the
center and culmination of man’s activity.
Values Identification: FAITH. The value of faith is founded in one’s
belief and confidence in the presence of God. Such faith is deepened by
the practice of one’s religion and charity. As spiritual beings, our hope
and confidence in God’s immeasurable love should be manifested in our
activities and in our relationship with our fellow human beings. St.
James is so bold and honest in saying that “faith without works is
nothing”, and you can have “faith to move mountains but if you have no
charity” your faith is nothing. Faith must then be nurtured by our
practice of religion and charity.

Lesson 2.2: Values Development

Lesson 2.2.1. Definition of Values

Values are standards by which people assess desirability, goodness,

and beauty which serve as broad guidelines for social living. A value refers
to things, ideas or experiences that a person prizes, cherishes, esteems.
Thomas Andres identifies three basic kinds of values, namely:
a. Idea - beliefs, opinions, ways of saying things, Example are
religious, moral, and political ideas
b. Things – material objects, people places. Examples are money
friends, loved ones, cars etc.
c. Experiences – activities, events, actions and happenings, Examples
playing sports, listening to music, feelings, beliefs or attitudes.
“A value is something that is freely chosen from
alternatives and is acted upon which the individual
celebrates as being part of his creative integration
in his development as a person.”

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Lesson 2.2.2.Principles of Valuing Process

a. Choosing – Cognitive aspect

1) Choosing freely – the choice must be made by the person with

his own free will and volition.
2) Choosing from alternatives – a choice must be selected from
several options
3) Choosing after due and reflective consideration of consequences

b. Prizing – Affective aspect

4) Cherishing – appreciating, treasuring and attaching importance

to one’s choice.
5) Affirming publicly – one’s choice should be manifested in life;
that such choice should be the source of inspiration and joy.
6) Prizing – a choice to be prized must be esteemed and highly
desired; given worth and significance to one’s endeavors.
Suppose you bought something from a bargain sale, and as you reached
home, you realized that you don’t need it – that would leave you frustrated
and dismayed. “A thing is of value if we strongly feel happy, contented and
satisfied about it which is reason for us to consider things reflectively and
with due consideration before making a choice.”

c. Acting – Behavioral Patterns

7) Acting upon it – affirming one’s choice is apparent and visible

through an active pursuit of its realization.
0) Affirming it publicly - the things, ideas, experiences valued are
mirrored by one’s lifestyle.

The significance of choosing is paramount to value identification,

formation and clarification as direction and goal setter. If not, they will
remain as value indicator. A thorough review of the advantages and
disadvantages of the many alternatives before making the final choice is
an indispensable aspect of value formation. When our CHOICES is
CONSISTENT WITH OUR FEELINGS AND ACTIONS, we are said to be
integrated by the value we hold.

Lesson 2.3 Individual Virtues and Good Habits of Living

The concept of man can also be seen in the light of his duty and responsi-
bility and relationship with his Creator, his fellow human beings, his nation and
the environment he ought to protect to assure the perpetuation of his race. Man
by nature is religious and his religiosity is the foundation of his hope; and gives
meaning to all his activities. By himself man cannot survive; he needs to

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forge himself with other human beings to make life wholesome and worth-
while. The following are distinct Filipino virtues and good habit:

a. Maka-Diyos – development of one’s spiritual prowess and deepening

of one’s faith in the god one believes in. For faith to be manifested in daily life,
one has to live in accordance with his beliefs. It has to help the individual
accept with much hope and confidence the trials and challenges that come
his way.

b. Maka-Tao – man as the center and epitome of creation must be

given preference and attention by every human being at all times and in
every activity and human endeavor. Progress and development must center
on his total human enhancement, deepening of relationship and respect for
dignity acknowledging that human beings are created equal. John Powell
intelligently points out, “We should learn to love people and use things, not
to love things and use people.”

c. Maka-Bayan – patriotism and nationalism is a sign of loyalty,

dependence, and adherence to the sovereignty of one’s own government.
These values are manifested by our respect and loyalty to the Philippine
flag, the symbol of our liberty and integrity as Filipinos and by the spirit of
nationalism evident in our preference for and taking pride of the Filipino
products.

d. Maka-Kalikasan – the song “Kapaligiran” is a wake up call and

reminder of the significance and importance of ecological balance and our
duty and responsibility to care for Mother Nature. Man’s duty and sense of
responsibility to mother earth is supreme in the agenda of every development
knowing that what we do with our environment will greatly affect the next
generation. The continuous destruction of the ecology poses a dangerous
threat to the environment and eventually to the people. Experience and
history reminds us of the wrath and fury of nature when abused and
misused. Responsibility compels us to safeguard and protect nature.

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Lesson 2.4 Social Values

a complex segment of knowledge, attitudes and abilities which contribute
to the development of sound moral character, a sense of community and re-
sponding to the social and cultural aspects of life.

a. Integrity - sense of wholeness and self-esteem, to live with pride

and confidence in the midst of other people knowing that all men were
created equal and were created with honor and dignity.

b. Social Responsibility – refers to the prime obligation of a person

towards others. Contrary to Cain’s answer to God’s query, man should be
its brother’s keeper because as St. Paul urged his
fellow believers “we have an enormous duty and responsibility for one
another.” Such responsibility is emulated in the value of Pakikisama,
Pakikisalamuha, Pakikipagkapwa, Pakikibagay at Pakikiisa.

c. Respect – refers to one’s obligation to regard other people as co-

equal and having the same dignity. Each person is endowed with dignity
that flows from the dignity of God. People are equal in the face of the
Almighty regardless of race, nationality and status hence we should give
due accord to our fellow human beings. “Amor con amor se paga – LOVE
AND LOVE PAY ITS OTHER” is a Spanish adage which reflects human
relationship and the foundation of other famous sayings. It follows too
that respect begets respect, thus “we must do unto others what we want
others do to us.”

d. Cooperativism – it is the act where people of different walks of life

unite their forces, resources, talents and ideas in the achievement of a
common goal and for the betterment of their community – thus making
life easier. Truly, in union there is strength; united we stand and divided
we fall. No matter how heavy the yoke is, it becomes lighter and easier
when carried by people in unison. Two heads are better than one, so
people say. This has given way to the establishment of credit cooperatives,
multipurpose cooperatives bayanihan, etc.

e. Hospitality – is a Filipino custom characterized by wholehearted

manifestation of generosity, kindness and goodness in treating visitors. This
custom and tradition is shown by Filipinos during different occasions and
festivities where their prime concern is to make visitors happy and satisfied.
This custom reflects the kindheartedness of Filipinos.

f. Social Acceptance (human solidarity) – refers to the dedication and

ability to accept and regard a person as member of a group regardless of his
situation in life. This value is the beginning of camaraderie and friendship
among people; the starting point of openness and better working relationship.

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g. Credibility and Transparency – is a manifestation of an honest life

and trust from other people. The absence of credibility and transparency
jeopardizes openness of action, activity and other undertakings that
eventually lead to people’s disbelief and skepticism in one’s leadership and
bearing.

0. Consistency – is the ability to act, judge and weigh things from

the same point of view regardless of the situation in making a firm and
unyielding decision. It is the ability to work, act and see things without
discrimination, and with impartiality and equality so that one’s action and
behavior will always be stable.

Lesson 2.5 Internalization and Integration of Values

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