PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF THE SELF: KNOW THYSELF
My Philosophy in Life:
“Live Life to the fullest and remain in the joy of the Lord.”
This is the mantra I am trying to live my life with. To always seize the moment. To live fully and give it my all. To do the things I can and I love doing. To stay inspired and motivated. To make the best out of my time. To be happy despite the many challenges and problems that come my way. And while living my life the way I want it to be, I should also put in mind that nothing is possible without God. That in everything I do, I should always put Him first, and be guided of His teachings and commandments. And the main reason why I am here is to bring Him Honor and Glory. So that at the end of the day, I can say that I have lived a purposeful, satisfying and fulfilling (Eudaimonia) life.
SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF
"I will never apologize for being me."
To live in a society of judgmental people, from Charles Horton Cooley’s reflective process from the idea of “The Looking Glass Self”, I would always ask myself these questions. How do I appear to others? What must others think of me? Basically, people would judge the way you dress and how you carry yourself out in public. Eventually, you would feel conscious, embarrassed and lose the confidence you slowly build in yourself. Negative thoughts would slowly eat you and ruin you.
A friend of mine always advise me to just be myself. To be weird. To be awkward. To be a happy-go-lucky kid, if that is how I truly am. Never mind what others might think of me, because not everyone will like me anyway. I have tried to bear in my mind that they don’t have the power to manipulate me. People are now free to judge me, and their judgements would serve as a constructive criticism to improve myself. After all, they only know what I chose to show them.
THE WESTERN AND EASTERN THOUGHTS IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
"There is peaceful. There is wild. I am both at the same time."
Being an Individualist molded me to be more independent and self-reliant. I see to it that I can stand on my own feet. I make sure that everything I do is a product of what I think is best for myself, not of the opinions I often hear from other people. I strive for my personal goals and achievements. I also find peace being alone while coping up the feeling of loneliness.
On the other hand, the Collectivist side of me lets me grow as someone who knows how to listen to what others are saying, and be considerate of what others are feeling. To respect other’s opinions, and learn to accept constructive criticisms from the society. Also, no man is indeed an island for in any circumstance, we will be needing the people we thought we won’t.
In a battle between being an Introvert and an Extrovert, I am an Ambivert. Sometimes, I am an outgoing person, and sometimes I am just a shy and quiet one.
PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
“Everything happens for a reason.”
In the Individual Psychology by Alfred Adler, our personalities are shaped by our unique social environment and interaction. And we are actively involved in creating ourselves and directing our future.
I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. That no matter what choice I choose, there is always a bigger purpose behind it. That is why I prefer Free will over Determinism. What happens, happens. There is balance between nature and nurture, because the blood that runs in my veins will always be a part of me which is my nature, while my personality is being nurtured by my past and present experiences. I choose uniqueness over universality for no two individuals are exactly alike. We are all unique in our own little ways. I am also a person who seeks growth, and challenges my own abilities to discover my fullest potentials. Lastly, optimism outweighs pessimism for I also believe that there is always a rainbow after the rain. The sun will shine after the storm.
UNDERSTANDING THE POLITICAL SELF
“Everything is Political.”
Before we present ourselves in public, we need to be fully aware of our own personality. In advertising our political self, we must know what our interests, values, and attitudes first, to be able to show who we really are. Through this, we know where and what our stands are, and we can defend our decisions based on our identity.
We must be politically aware of what is happening around us, because things are constantly changing because of Politics. We should be open-minded in terms of Politics for it affects all of us. However, we should also not just be negative about it. Thus, we must start to be the change that we seek in the world. Beware and Be Aware.
UNDERSTANDING THE MATERIAL SELF
"The best things in life are NOT things."
The Material self made me realize that I am not someone with a hoarding disorder, because I am only keeping the things that are most important to me and have a sentimental value, and the materials that are useful to me and the things I know that I will be able to use in the future.
The most important material thing for me right now is my phone because through this, I can do anything. I can use it for personal, social, business, educational, and other purposes. Through my phone, I can easily contact my parents, loved ones and friends by just texting or messaging them. Also, my phone is a useful tool in my studies for I can use it in reviewing, and in doing my projects.
UNDERSTANDING THE SPIRITUAL SELF
“I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains,
Hope that doesn’t ever end,
Even when the sky is falling,
I’ve seen miracles just happen,
Silent prayers get answered,
Broken hearts become brand new,
That’s what Faith can do.”
I have been in a lot of challenges and problems with such a young age. But what my parents taught me kept me going. Having a strong Faith in God will truly solve all your worries and obstacles that ever come your way. If you believe and put your trust in Him, everything will be okay. I have realized that when everything falls apart, God will let them fall to place. So when you decide to follow Jesus, there’s no need to turn back. For with God, all things are possible.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEXUAL SELF
"I see your true colors, that's why I love you."
Understanding the sexual self opened and widened my idea about the real meaning and differences of Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. The sexual self is the result of the past experiences, which is presented in the person’s current experiences and is effective on his or her future sexual orientations and behaviors. It is also the totality of oneself as a sexual being, including the positive and negative concepts and feelings.
UNDERSTANDING THE PHYSICAL SELF
“You are beautiful!”
Being human is also much more than just the physical body. I, you, and everyone is a beautiful being that has a great contribution to life. We should stop isolating ourselves to the idea and standard that is set by the society of what a beautiful body looks like. We are beautiful in our own ways. We must embrace our uniqueness for we are created in His own image. Stop judging your own physical appearance, and end up being critical of yourself. We should learn to love ourselves first, because no one will do it for us.
Our body is also the temple of God, so we should take good care of it. I have learned that whatever illness or disease that comes inside our body, it is us who are at fault because we neglected it and are slowly destroying it.
UNDERSTANDING THE DIGITAL SELF
“Think before you click.”
We often overshare our personal lives on Social Media to the point that everything is posted, even unnecessary things. As a teenager, I am aware that I am an active user of Social Networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. I always check up my phone to see if there are notifications on my accounts. I visit these applications to be updated with the latest happenings on the Online World.
In our social media accounts, most of us aim to build a personality that is accepted and admired by the netizens. While I am only that person who posts whatever goes in my mind. My Facebook profile is for sharing memes and personal achievements. My Instagram is where I showcase the adventurous side of me. On my Twitter, I tweet whatever random thoughts that goes on my mind, and most of them are “kadramahan”. And in my Youtube channel, I post videos that are close to my heart.
acceptance of your own and other's sexual orientation, no matter what it is, shows maturity and is very important in this changing world. i applaud you!