LESSON 3: Self-Awareness and Values Development

THE CONCEPT OF SELF

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

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 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 in capabilities – 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?”

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 the others is hidden or foreign to us. In other words, we know man only
through relationship, encounter, and behavior.

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 you alone
and are independent from the influences of others. Other people can predict one’ 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 no strings attached to
your actions or 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 of it).
4. THE UNKNOWN SELF OR MYSTERIOUS SELF(I Don’t Know, Others Don’t Know)

This represents the things that will happen to you – things of the future. It refers to the things that will
happen to you which you are not in control of in spite of your plans, preparations and wariness. It is the
aspect of life which refers to uncertainty and hopeful longing for the future. You must have to be open to
the grace of God, the unknown and the omnipotent Force beyond all things who knows and wills the
future.

8 ASPECTS OF MAN AND THEIR CORRESPONDING VALUES

1. Man as Physical Being

Greek philosophy point 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 thru 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 greed.

2. Man as 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 complimented: 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 “condition sine qua non” for man to function efficiently and effectively. We have to
deal with a man as a pot (“fragile”) and 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
attain the feeling 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 a human being, proper decorum, decency and respectability must be imminent in
person’s relationships and dealings with others to uphold prudence and self-control.

3. Man as 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 – 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 while
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 image God in every activity. To achieve this value, he has to
project humility, 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 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 changes in 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.

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 is a must
coupled with self-discipline and self-control. 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, relational meaning – man can only
be happy again 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 is coupled with duty and
responsibility. 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 we 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. Every activity we have affects other
people the reason for us to become 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. 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 on a tree said. “Why don’t you go out fishing instead of just lying
and doing nothing?” “I 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 hard work,
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 everything
that is good. Man’s life is dependent to 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 4: VALUES DEVELOPMENT

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,
and esteems. Thomas Andres identifies three basic kinds of values, namely:

a. Idea – beliefs, opinions, and ways of saying things. Examples are religious, moral, and political.

b. Things – material objects, people and places. Examples are money, friends, love 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.”

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. Buying from a bargain sale… reaching home makes you realize you have no need of
what you have bought thus leaving 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 active pursuit in its
realization.

8. Affirming it publicly – the thing, idea, and experience valued is mirrored by the pattern of one’s
life.
The significance of choosing is paramount in 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 as indispensable aspect of value
formation. When our choices are consistent with our feelings and actions, we are said to be integrated
by the value we hold.

INDIVIDUAL VIRTUES AND GOOD HABITS OF LIVING

The concept of man can also be seen in the light of his duty, responsibility and relationship
towards his Creator, his fellow human beings, his nation, and the environment h 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 forge himself
with other human beings to make life wholesome and worthwhile. The following are distinct Filipino
virtues and good habits of living:

A. Maka Diyos– development of one’s spiritual prowess and deepening of one’s faith in the god one
believes in. Faith practiced and manifested in day-to-day life activity by living in accordance with one’s
belief putting into action and test the tenets of adhered religion by accepting one’s hope and confidence
the trails and challenges that come our way.

B. Makatao – 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 man’s total human enhancement, deepening of relationship and respect of 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. Makabayan – patriotism and nationalism is a sign of loyalty and dependence to the sovereignty
and adherence to one’s own government. These values are manifested by our respect and loyalty to the
Filipino flag, the symbol of our liberty and integrity as Filipinos, and at the same time develop the spirit
of nationalism evident in our preference and pride of the Filipino products.

D. Makakalikasan – the song “Kapaligiran” is a wakeup call and reminder of the significance and
importance of ecological balance and our duty and responsibility to care for Mother Nature.

SOCIAL VALUES

It is a complex of knowledge, attitudes and abilities which contribute to the development of

sound moral character, a sense of community and responding 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 are created equal and are created with honor and dignity.

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

d. Cooperativism –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.

e. Hospitality –a Filipino custom characterized by wholehearted manifestation of generosity,

kindness, and goodness in treating visitors.

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.

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

INTERNALIZATION AND INTEGRATION OF VALUES

Internalization and integration of values is an act of refocusing, revitalizing, and rekindling one’s
social values. It is the process of owning, living, and actualizing social values according to their hierarchal
order, importance, and significance in the attainment of the common good. Communal value should be
given preference over personal value having deeper meaning and significance. Internalization and
integration of values is the method of making such values alive by imbibing them and making them
workable and eventually leading them in achievement of a deeper understanding of the self. When a
value is practiced and mirror’s one’s activity and transactions, they are being internalized and integrated.