Exercise No.

1
Rizal in the Eyes of Filipino Youth

1. What do adolescents like you think of Dr. Rizal? Are these generally positive or
negative? Explain your answer.

We all know that Dr. Jose Rizal is a famous hero in the Philippines. He showed
his love for the Philippines through his novels, essays, and articles instead of through a
revolution. As an adolescent, I view Rizal positively and truly admired him for his love
and sacrifice for our nation in order for us to have the freedom we have until now.
Furthermore, I see Jose Rizal as a reminder of a dedicated hero who gave his life without
hesitation for his countrymen.

2. Is Dr. Jose Rizal an ideal role model for the Filipino youth? Explain your answer.

Yes, he is an ideal role model for the youth because he was brave enough to stand
up for what is right and what we truly deserve. He is a proud Filipino who fight through
his pen, books and knowledge rather than using harmful weapons until his last breath for
us to achieve the freedom we have today. Dr. Jose Rizal serves as an example of Filipino
heroism, particularly when it comes to developing a sense of patriotism especially to the
future generations.

Exercise No. 2
The Making of a Hero

1. Give five different definitions of the term “hero”.

  A hero is someone who demonstrates extraordinary bravery.
 A hero has a positive influence on other people's life.
 A hero considers the future, particularly future generations.
 A hero is admired for their courage and heroic deeds.
 A hero is willing to put himself/herself in dangerous situations for the sake of others.

2. Give five different definitions of the term “personality”.

 Personality refers to a person's distinctive patterns of thoughts, feelings, and

behaviors.
 Personality is the way we act, feel, and think as individuals.
 Personality refers to how you express yourself as an individual.
 Personality is a person's unique combination of characteristics that differentiates them
from others.
 Personality refers to a person's whole character and nature.

3. Enumerate and discuss the different factors which influence the development of an
individual’s personality.

According to Universal Class Inc., there are three main influences on personality
development. These are heredity, environment, and situation.

 Heredity: This refers to the influences on your personality that you are born with.
These are the qualities or traits in our genes that we can't modify or eliminate from us.
Therefore, heredity refers to the physiological and psychological characteristics that a
person inherits from his parents which have role in the development of an individual's
personality.

 Environment: The nurturing part of our life is our environment. It refers to the sort
of environment in which we were raised and live. Environment would include home,
school, work, or other places that we spend a lot of time. Furthermore, culture is one
factor that has an impact on one's personality. It also depends on how we were raised
and what culture and tradition we follow through the guidance of our family,
especially our parents. On the other hand, our teachers, friends, and classroom also
have part in molding our personalities since we spend most of the school time in
school.
  Situations: These are the experiences that each individual person goes through.
People's experiences will leave impressions on them and lead to the development of
their personalities. Furthermore, is human nature for our emotions and personalities to
change in response to events in our life. Even if we are unaware of what others are
going through, it is acceptable to believe that certain events in everyone's life have an
influence on their personalities.

This indicates the three factors we just discussed have had a significant impact on
their personality. Individuals were born with certain characteristics, and their upbringing
and any traumatic experiences all contributed to who they are.

4. Give at least 2 specific examples of the different factors which have influenced the
shaping of Dr. Jose Rizal’s heroic personality.

 Environment Influence

- The natural environment of Rizal’s birth town Calamba in Laguna that stimulated
his artistry.

- The religiosity of the Mercado family “fortified his religious nature;” family
members who are achievers themselves, such as his India-educated Uncle
Alberto, who encouraged the love for the arts.

- The athletic Uncle Manuel inspired him to take up physical exercise to strengthen
his body.

- The book-loving Uncle Gregorio, who instilled in him the value of reading (Zaide
and Zaide, 1999).

-
 Heredity Influence

Jose Rizal's personality was influenced by the following individuals:

- From his Malayan ancestors, Rizal, evidently inherited his love for freedom,
his innate desire to travel, and his indomitable courage.

- From his Chinese ancestors, he derived his serious nature, frugality, patience
and love for children.
 - From his Spanish ancestors, he got his elegance of bearing, sensitivity to
insult, and gallantry to ladies.

- From his father he inherited a profound sense of self-respect, the love for
work, and the habit of independent thinking.

- From his mother, he inherited his religious nature, the spirit of self-sacrifice,
and the passion for arts and literature. (Zaide and Zaide, 1999).

5. Give at least 2 specific examples of the different factors which have influenced the
shaping of your own personality.

 Heredity Influence

Heredity is something that passes from generation to generation. Based on my

observations, I can say that I got my bad temper to my father since I have short
patience when it comes to the things I want to do or to accomplished. On the other
hand, despite my occasional terrible temper, I am a warm-hearted person who
constantly wants the best to all people around me. I want them to always feel
appreciated and comfortable which I got from both of my parents.

 Environment Influence

The way a person's personality develops is influenced by their surroundings.

Social factors or environmental factors are those factors which surrounds a person.
Family is the most significant factor that influences a person's personality
development. Spending more time with my family has influenced my personality
development, especially in terms of decision-making. Hence, my family’s behavior
and attitude, as well as their expectations and attention, have an impact on my
personality development since I constantly consider their perspectives while making
decisions.

6. Describe your own personality.

I am a type of a person who is introvert at first, but once we get to know each
other, I can be a friend who will always be there for you through your ups and downs
moments. Like I’ve said earlier, I have a bad temper sometimes that's why I try to avoid
being mad as much as possible. I hate it when things don't go through my way, which
 makes me paranoid and causes me to overthink everything. Generally, I am a warm-
hearted person who values maturity and right mindset.

7. In the ideal Filipino citizens, is described to be socially concerned, productive morally

upright, and patriotic like our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, how do you rate yourself in a
scale of 1-10, with 1 as the lowest and 10 as the highest?

I would rate myself as 7. For me, it’s impossible to level Dr. Jose Rizal’s
personality and sacrifices he made for our country. But then I realized it doesn't matter
how big it is, what matters is your intention and willingness to do what is right and what
we deserve. As of now, all I can do is to use the quality of education we have to be a
much better person with that level of maturity to face all the challenges that lies ahead. A
person of perspective that can be an asset to our society by being a contributor of
progress.

8. Do you see a need to improve your personality? Explain your answer.

Yes, there are many aspects of my personality that I need to work on. I want to
remove the kind of belief that the fears we don’t face becomes our limits. In the course of my
journey, there will probably be a lot of challenges that will test and sometimes weaken me.
So, I want to learn to take risks and opportunities I used to be afraid of without doubting my
skills and abilities. Because I know it eventually help me in achieving my goals in life. All I
have to do is to believe in myself and focus on turning may weaknesses into strengths.

9. If your answer to question number 8 is yes, what do you intend to do about it?

The aim of succeeding in life starts with knowing oneself at depth and being able
how to handle one's behavior in different situations. In the society where norms and
standards are critical, it is essential that we are able to cope up and live by what's
expected of them. To improve anything or achieving something, there is always a
process. We just to keep going and believe in ourselves. I guess when it’s easy, then
maybe I am not doing it right. Therefore, I will just have to give my best shot every time
and do not be disheartened when I fall short.

10. Which factors in personality development are within your control? Explain your answer.
In my opinion, one of the factors that are within my control is the environmental
factor. It includes my friends, classmates, and other people around me. I should be careful
about who or what sort of individuals I interact with. Even though our environment has an
impact on our personality, we are also in charge of deciding what kind of people we want to
 be with. As much as possible, we should surround ourselves with positive thoughts and
people who will help us to grow as a better person.

References:

Canete, R. (2012). When historians become hero-worshippers. Mithi. Retrieved June

22, 2021, from https://mithibookblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/when-historians-

become-hero-worshippers/