Human Development and Personal Development selfdiscovery, self-improvement, and self-

realization.” (Zorka Hereford).

Developmental scientists identified the three aspects
or domains of human development as (Papalia and Psychology - the study of human thinking and
Feldman 2012). behavior, serves as a foundation for personal
Physical Development – Cover the growth our development.
capacity of the body and brain, motor and sensory Personal development. - started during the
skills and every physical health. flourishing of Humanistic and Positive Psychology
Cognitive Development – covers our capacity to which dealt with personal growth and meaning as a
learn, to speak, to understand, to reason, and to way of reaching one’s fullest potentials.
create. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers - two
Psychosocial Development – w/ch includes our proponents of Humanistic Psychology.
social interaction with other people, our emotions, Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist
attitudes, self identity, personality, belief and values. who developed a hierarchy of needs to explain human
Human Development is also influence by the motivation.
following: Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was a humanistic
Heredity – inborn traits passed on by the generations psychologist who agreed with the main assumptions
of offspring from both sides of the biological parents of Abraham Maslow.
families. - theorized that “the individual has within himself the
Environment – is the world outside of ourselves and capacity and the tendency, latent if not evident, to
the experiences that result from our contact and move forward toward maturity.”
interaction with this external world:
Maturation – natural progression of the brain and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to theorize the Five
the body that affects the cognitive(thinking and Stages of Human Development
intelligence), psychological (emotion, attitude aand
self identity), and social (relationship) dimension of
the person. The influence of physical maturation over
a person devp. is most pronounced during childhood
and adolescence stage.

Personality development - has given birth to many

related businesses that span it includes image
enhancement such as skin care and makeup, fashion
and clothing, and even body contouring; modeling Martin Seligman, a noted psychologist and president
and beauty pageants; and many others. of the American Psychological Association, realized
The word personality, on the other hand, is defined how psychology, after the Second World War, puts
as: more emphasis in diagnosing, treating, and
• the set of emotional qualities, ways of behaving, preventing psychological disorders and therefore
etc., that makes a person different from other people; focusing on a disease model of human nature.
• attractive qualities (such as energy, friendliness, and
humor) that make a person interesting or pleasant to Humanistic psychology - emphasized that human
be with; nature is basically good, while adding that human
• attractive qualities that make something unusual or nature includes both the positive and the negative
interesting; aspects.
• distinction or excellence of personal and social In short, positive psychology stresses that human
traits; also a person having such quality. nature has its good and positive strengths, as well as
its inadequacies and weaknesses (Peterson 2006).
Development is defined as:
• the act or process of growing or causing something Personal development falls within the realm of
to grow or become larger or more advanced. psychology, it cannot be detached from the
• the act or process of creating something over a development of the brain and the rest of the physical
period of time; and body.
• the state of being created or made more advanced. Adolescence starts with the biological changes called
puberty. The physical body undergoes growth spurts
Personal development - may be defined as a process at this time, for both male and female, leading toward
in which persons reflect upon themselves, understand physical maturity.
who they are, accept what they discover about
themselves, and learn (or unlearn) new sets of values,
attitudes, behavior, and thinking skills to reach their
fullest potential as human beings.

Three Types of Adolescence:

Personal development - as “the process of striving • Early adolescence – between 10 and 13 years of
to be the best that you can be in order to reach and age
realize your full potential. It is a journey of
• Middle adolescence – between 14 and 16 years of - develop knowledge and skills
age - develop positive attitudes for dealing with life's
• Late adolescence – between 17 and 20 years of age challenges

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
- the process in which persons reflect upon Understanding yourself
themselves, understand who they are, accept what - appreciate and value who you are
they discover about themselves, and learn new sets of - respect others
values, attitudes, behavior and thinking skills to reach - relate with them more meaningfully
their fullest potential as human beings. - cope well with the demands in school, at
home and of relationships
SELF is the union of elements. Constitute the
individuality and identify of the person. Self - Body,
Thoughts, feelings and emotions.
Self Awareness- starts with assessing yourself
PERSONALITY refers to the unique and relatively - pause, analyze what you think, feel and do
enduring set of behaviors , feelings ,thoughts and - promote wiser decision making
motives that characterize an individual (Feist and Introspection - ability to reflect or think about your
Rosenberg 2012). own thoughts, feelings and
- Actions awareness of strengths >> boost self-
NATURE - Heredity or genetic make-up confidence
NURTURE - Environment - Increase sense of security, self-trust >> promote
BOTH influenced the personality healthy relationships
No two individuals are exactly alike. - clearer direction to achieve goals
You are unique and special. - equipped to accept self
- open for self-improvement
SELF CONCEPT - Refers to your awareness of - see potentials, utilize to the fullest
yourself. - create individuality

Actual Self is the one that you actually see. It is the Feedback - allows validation of own perceptions of
self that has characteristics that you were nurtured or, who you are
in some cases, born to have. - positive feedback >> energized, enthusiastic,
affirmed
Ideal Self is the self that you aspire to be. It is the -personal worth recognized
one that you hope will possess characteristics similar - more confident of self
to that of a mentor or some other worldly figure. The Negative Feedback - Criticism - tend to get angry,
ideal self is how we want to be. It is an idealized deny determine accuracy of feedback consult trusted
image that we have developed over time, based on friend/ guidance counselor.
what we have learned and experienced.

The actual self is built on self-knowledge. SELF-

KNOWLEDGE is derived from social interactions
that provide insight into how others react to you. The
actual self (self-image) is who we actually are.

Knowing your STRENGTH

-establish mature relationships with others
- emotional independence
- demonstrate responsible behaviors
- skills for wise decision making
- analyze complex situations logically and sensibly
- confident in doing tasks
- competent in achieving goals

Knowing your WEAKNESS Lecture: SELF-CONCEPT

- know limitations and boundaries Imagine yourself looking into a mirror. What do
- starting point you see? Do you see your ideal self or your actual self?
Your ideal self is the self that you aspire to be. It is the
- find ways to enhance capabilities
one that you hope will possess characteristics similar to
that of a mentor or some other worldly figure. Your actual
self, however, is the one that you actually see. It is the self 1. Determination. It allows you to focus only on
that has characteristics that you were nurtured or, in some achieving a specific goal without being distracted by less
cases, born to have. important things or spontaneous desires. It may be
developed with the help of self-discipline exercise.
The actual self and the ideal self are two broad 2. Self-confidence. It appears in the process of personal
categories of self-concept. Self-concept refers to your development, as a result of getting aware of yourself, your
awareness of yourself. It is the construct that negotiates actions and their consequences. Self-confidence is
these two selves. In other words, it connotes first the manifested in speech, appearance, dressing, gait, and
identification of the ideal self as separate from others, and physical condition. To develop it, you need to learn
second, it encompasses all the behaviors evaluated in the yourself and your capabilities, gain positive attitude and
actual self that you engage in to reach the ideal self. believe that by performing right actions and achieving
right goals you will certainly reach success.
The actual self is built on self-knowledge. Self- 3. Persistence. It makes you keep moving forward
knowledge is derived from social interactions that provide regardless of emerging obstacles – problems, laziness, bad
insight into how others react to you. The actual self is who emotional state, etc. It reduces the costs of overcoming
we actually are. It is how we think, how we feel, look, and obstacles. It can also be developed with the help of self-
act. The actual self can be seen by others, but because we discipline exercise.
have no way of truly knowing how others view us, the 4. Managing stress. It helps combat stress that arises in
actual self is our self-image. daily life from the environment and other people. Stress
arises from the uncertainty in an unknown situation when
The ideal self, on the other hand, is how we want a lack of information creates the risk of negative
to be. It is an idealized image that we have developed over consequences of your actions. It increases efficiency in the
time, based on what we have learned and experienced. actively changing environment.
The ideal self could include components of what our 5. Problem-solving skills. They help cope with the
parents have taught us, what we admire in others, what our problems encountered with a lack of experience. It
society promotes, and what we think is in our best interest. increases efficiency by adopting new ways of achieving
goals when obtaining a new experience.
There is negotiation that exists between the two 6. Creativity. It allows you to find extraordinary ways to
selves which is complex because there are numerous carry out a specific action that no one has tried to use. It
exchanges between the ideal and actual self. These can lead to a decrease or an increase of costs, but usually
exchanges are exemplified in social roles that are adjusted the speed of action is greatly increased when using
and re-adjusted, and are derived from outcomes of social creative tools.
interactions from infant to adult development. Alignment 7. Generating ideas. It helps you achieve goals using
is important. If the way that I am (the actual self) is new, original, unconventional ideas. Idea is a mental
aligned with the way that I want to be (the ideal self), then image of an object formed by the human mind, which can
I will feel a sense of mental well-being or peace of mind. be changed before being implemented in the real world.
If the way that I am is not aligned with how I want to be, For generating ideas you can use a method of mental
the in-congruence, or lack of alignment, will result in maps, which allows you to materialize, visualize and
mental distress or anxiety. The greater the level of in- scrutinize all your ideas, which in turn contributes to the
congruence between the ideal self and real self, the greater emergence of new ideas. These are just some, but the most
the level of resulting distress. Personal development important personal effectiveness skills which make the
modules ultimate aim is greater self-knowledge that will achievement of any goal easier and less costly.
lead to higher alignment between these two personality
domains. Processing: BUILD ON YOUR STRENGTHS AND
WORK ON YOUR WEAKNESSES

Lecture: PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS Most failures emanate from weaknesses that are
Personal effectiveness means making use of all not recognized or probably recognized but not given
the personal resources –talents, skills, energy and time, to appropriate attention or remedy. This could be a weakness
enable you to achieve life goals. in communications, personality or ability. Instead of
Your knowledge of yourself and how you manage giving up or indulging in self-pity, take action. Go for
yourself impacts directly on your personal effectiveness. speech lessons, get skills upgrading, attend personality
Being self-aware, making the most of your strengths, development sessions or whatever appropriate remedies to
learning new skills and techniques and behavioral your perceived weakness.
flexibility are all keys to improving your personal Instead of simply focusing on your weaknesses,
performance. recognize your own talents and abilities, build on them,
Our personal effectiveness depends on our innate utilize them to your greatest advantage. This is where you
characteristics – talent and experience accumulated in the can build your name and popularity. Physically challenged
process of personal development. Talents first are needed people like Jose Feliciano and other blind singers did not
to be identified and then developed to be used in a brood over their physical disabilities. They recognize that
particular subject area (science, literature, sports, politics, they have a golden voice so they search for ways to enrich
etc.). that talent and now they have won international fame in
Experience includes knowledge and skills that we the field of music.
acquire in the process of cognitive and practical activities.
Knowledge is required for setting goals, defining Lecture: ASPECTS OF THE SELF
an action plan to achieve them and risk assessment. The self-concept is represented by several aspects
Skills also determine whether real actions are of the self. It is conceived as collection of multiple,
performed in accordance with the plan. If the same ability context-dependent selves. This construct believes that
is used many times in the same situation, then it becomes context activates particular regions of self-knowledge and
a habit that runs automatically, subconsciously. Here are self-relevant feedback affects self-evaluations. A deeper
some skills that will greatly increase the efficiency of any look on the different aspects of self can identify specific
person who owns them: areas for self-regulation, stability and improvement.
 In a nutshell, an individual is composed of three her character. Actors are a happy bunch, realizing
basic, but very different aspects of the self. They are the they’re the start of the show and enjoy some level of
physical or tangible aspects as they relate to the body, the control. But many times, they wish the movie would
intellectual and conscious aspects as they relate to the end in another way – but realize that they have no say
mind, and the emotional and intuitive aspects as they
in such things.
relate to the spirit. All three aspects of the self work
together in perfect harmony when attention is paid to all
three simultaneously.
Many individuals put a strong emphasis on the physical The third is the Scriptwriter. This person does not
aspect of the self. only watch, and she doesn’t only act, but she actually
The body is tangible, obvious, and we respond to it easily. creates the entire movie from her mind. She
More time and money is spent on enhancing the physical determines what she will say, what she will do, and
component than either of the other two aspects. This does how the movie will end. She realizes she has
not mean, however, that the body is healthy or strong. The enormous control over her life, and sees to it that the
body provides a place to house the spirit (often movie of her life will turn out.
experienced as feelings) and the mind (often experienced
as thought). It may be important to some that their mind
Reading: THE POWER OF JOURNAL WRITING:
can be prominent and well educated. The mind is
important, as it is the part of the self that directs the other
UNFOLDING YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY
two aspects. The mind learns what to do and The purpose of journal writing is to help you
communicates the information to the body and the become the Scriptwriter of your life. There are four
feelings. What the mind believes, the body manifests or (4) practical reasons to maintain a journal:
acts on, and the emotions feel, or respond with. People
store both healthy and destructive thoughts and beliefs and
responds to life's circumstances in the most prominent 1. It is cost-efficient and available. Emotional stress
manner. The mind provides access creativity and serenity can be dealt in many ways like talking to a friend
which are necessary for such processes as prayer, over a cup of coffee, eating, travelling, shopping,
forgiveness, acceptance, and passion. painting and many more but writing is the most
inexpensive. Notebook and pens are easy to find,
The human emotions are the most feared aspect
of the self, as individuals are reluctant and unprepared to available and do not cost so much.
manage them. Managing feelings is like trying to hold 2. It is preventive and pro-active. Writing yields self-
water in the palm of your hand. They are illusive and awareness. When you write, you can discover your
deceptive. A decision made under emotional stress and strengths and limitations. You will know what your
strain usually impacts emotions negatively. Negative reactions are in different situations and what better
emotions that are not managed are stored and repressed. ways to prevent, avoid, or face your fears.
Repression is destructive to a content self since all 3. It is creative and productive. Journal writing
feelings, not only negative ones are stored away. expounds your imagination. You can see various
Accessing feelings when they are needed now becomes dimensions of your problem, different points of view
difficult, leaving the individual numb and hopeless. and better solutions.
4. Lastly, it is personal and private. Unless you want
For instance, a girl realizes that she is giving
much attention on the physical aspects and less attention to share your stories, you have the choice to keep
on her intellectual self. In this way, she can discover how them to yourself. Writing is your time alone. It is my
much money and time spent maintaining her physique and way of loving yourself. You will not be judged by
its consequences in her grades. By this honest evaluation your writing.
of herself, she can plan effective actions to improve her
study habits. She can start seeking for help and for related
books to read or browse articles to help her improve her
study habits.

Story: YOU NEED TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR

FUTURE by Bo Sanchez
There are three kinds of people in this world:

The first is the Moviegoer. This person watches the

movie of their lives, admires some parts and criticizes
others. Aside from that, they do nothing else. All she
says the whole day is, "I like this thing and but I
don’t like that thing." The Moviegoer feels she has
absolutely no control of their lives --- except to
comment about it. Moviegoers are the most pathetic,
miserable people in the world.

The second is the Actor. This person does not only

watch the movie of her life. She actually realizes
she’s the Actor – and can control a big part of her
life. She can actually make or break the movie – by
how well she delivers her lines and how she portrays