Republic of the Philippines

Province of Northern Samar

Municipality of Las Navas
COLEGIO DE LAS NAVAS
(The First Community College in the Island of Samar)

COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

COURSE MODULE 4

Course Code Course Title Name of Student Contact Number

GE 10 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

TITLE:

UNPACKING THE SELF

OVERVIEW:

We are through defining the self from various psychological and cultural perspectives. It is now time to “unpack”
the self. In this module, we will learn about the different facets of the self and how each facet contributes to the
overall development of the human person.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

1. Understand the self in relation with religious beliefs;

2. Reflect on selfhood in relation to national identity.
3. Describe and discuss the influence of internet on identity development

DISCUSSION OF TOPICS

LESSON 3: THE SPIRITUAL SELF

The spiritual self is one of the four constituents of the “self” according to William James. The spiritual self is the
most intimate, inner subjective part of the self because of one’s moral sensibility and conscience. The ability to use
moral sensibility and conscience may be seen through the expressions of religion, its beliefs and practices. In the
same manner, cultural rituals and ceremonies are some manifestations what people believe in. Moreover, seeking
the meaning of life is ajourney that the spiritual self is on.

RELIGION

Rebecca Stein (2011) defines religion as “a set of cultural beliefs and practices that usually includes some or all of
basic characteristics as follows:
1. A belief in a supernatural being (e.g. gods, spirits);
2. A feeling of reverence and awe to the supernatural;
3. The performance of ritual activities;
4. The articulation of worldview and moral codes through narratives and other means; and
5. The creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social control within a community.

An individual lives in a society where there are many practices of religion. The choice of religious belief lies
within the spiritual self, although the choice may be influenced by the society and its culture.

RITUAL

Ritual is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred law (Britannica 2017). Ritual is a
specific, observable mode of behaviour exhibited by all known societies. Participation to rituals is expression of
religious beliefs.

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 Republic of the Philippines
Province of Northern Samar
Municipality of Las Navas
COLEGIO DE LAS NAVAS
(The First Community College in the Island of Samar)

WORLD BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

BUDDHISM
Beliefs:
Life is full of suffering, pain, and frustrations brought about by people’s
own desire to experience the goodness of life to avoid disappointments. It
becomes a habit known as the reactive cycle of wanting and hating, like
and dislike, and craving and aversion. This cycle can be broken only
through mediation, and acquiring wisdom and deeper understanding and
acceptance of things as they are through the reflection of Dharma or
Buddha’s Teachings.

Customs and Practices:

1. Meditation practices—samatha (mindfulness of breathing and development of loving kindness); vipassana
(aimed at developing insight into reality)
2. Major Buddhist celebrations—Paninirvana Day, Buddha Day, Padmasambahva Day, Sangha Day

CHRISTIANITY
Beliefs:
There is one God in three personas: God the Father (Creator), God the Son (Savior),
and God the Holy Spirit (Sustainer). Eternal life after death will be achieved through
faith in Jesus Christ (God the Son) who came to the world and died on the cross for the
sin of humanity and who resurrected from death three days after. The Holy Bible is
the sacred scriptures of Christians.

Customs and Practices:

Seven Sacraments, Christmas, Easter, Holy Eucharist

HINDUISM
Beliefs:
Existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma—a concept
where the reincarnated life will depend on how the past life was spent. Vedas
are Hindus’ sacred scriptures.

Customs and Practices:

Diwali and Navrati festivals are the most celebrated.

ISLAM
Beliefs:
Allah is the one true God and Mohammed is His prophet. The Quoran is
the Muslims’ sacred scriptures.

Customs and Practices:

Muslims practice the Five Pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of
Muslim life:
1. Shahadah—statement of faith: There is no God but theone true Godand
Mohammed is his messenger.
2. Salat– the prayer tthat is practiced 5 times a day
3. Zakat—the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor which comprises the 2.5% of a Muslim’s assets.
4. Hajj—the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca required of each Muslim at least once in his/her lifetime
5. Sawm—the fasting from food, drink, and sexual act during the celebration of Ramadan. The fast is from dawn
to sunset.

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 Republic of the Philippines
Province of Northern Samar
Municipality of Las Navas
COLEGIO DE LAS NAVAS
(The First Community College in the Island of Samar)

Festivals: Eid’l Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan; Eid’l Adha is celebrated within the completion of the Hajj.

JUDAISM
Beliefs:
The Jews believe in the God of Abraham and the coming of Messiah, the Savior. The
sacred scripture of the Jews is called Torah which is also the guide of Jewish living.

Customs and Practices:

Rosh Hashanah (New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Pesach (Passover),
Shavuot (Pentecost), Sukkot (Tabernacles).
The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset.

FINDING AND CREATING MEANING OF LIFE

According to Dr. Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy, life’s meaning can be discovered by creating a work or doing a deed,
experiencing something or encountering someone, and the attitude toward unavoidable suffering. Logotherapy
uses the philosophy of optimism in the face of tragedy , where people are capable of turning suffering into human
achievement and accomplishment.

The Franklian psychology has three basic concepts:

1. Life has meaning under all circumstances.

2. Main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
3. Freedom to find meaning.

Furthermore, Franklian psychology aims to:

1. become aware of spiritual resources;

2. Make conscious spiritual resources; and
3. Use defiant power of the human spirit and stand up against adversity

LESSON 4: THE POLITICAL SELF AND BEING A FILIPINO

The Philippines as we know it today has only emerged in the 1890s after over three centuries of colonization of the
Spaniards. And since then, we have been under colonial rule (American and Japanese) two more times. Foreign
culture, beliefs, language, and religion have made a huge dent on our own by setting a foundation to the
contemporary Filipino identity and culture.

In this lesson, you will learn that an individual’s race, ethnicity and physical characteristics are n ot the only factors
that make a person’s national identity. Values and traits are also important indicators that set apart one nationality
from another. These values and traits may not always be positive . But knowing our weaknesses, paired with unity
and commitment, makes progress a possibility.

WHO IS A FILIPINO?

Technically, according to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino citizens are those “...whose fathers or mothers
are citizens of the Philippines; those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers; who elect Philippine
citizenship upon reaching the age of maturity; and those who are naturalized in accordance with law.” However,
citizenship is not the only marker of being a Filipino. Culture and history have greatly influenced the manner
Filipinos learn, live, and behave. Below are the hallmarks of being a Filipino.

1. Traits and Values

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 Republic of the Philippines
Province of Northern Samar
Municipality of Las Navas
COLEGIO DE LAS NAVAS
(The First Community College in the Island of Samar)

 The Filipino Hospitality. Filipinos welcome their guests as if they are their own brothers and sisters, even going
as far as spending a lot of money and going into debt to satisfy them.
 Respect for Elders. Filipinos greet their elders by kissing their hand while saying “Mano po!” and constantly
using “po” and “opo” in conversations.
 Close Family Ties. Filipinos maintain a tight relationship with their families regardless if the children are old
enough and already have families of their own.
 Cheerful Personality. Filipinos are a jolly people. They always try to maintain a positive outlook which makes
them resilient and able to manage almost everything with a simple smile.
 Bayanihan. This is the spirit of communal unity and cooperation of Filipinos.
 Pride. Most Filipinos hold on to their pride as if it is more precious than keeping a good relationship with
family and loved ones.
 Filipino Time. Filipinos tend not to observe punctuality, arriving almost always late for any appointment.
 “Ningas Kugon”. This refers to the attitude of eagerly starting things but quickly losing eagerness soon after
experiencing difficulty.
 Crab Mentality. This is a toxic trait among Filipinos where one resents the achievement of another instead of
feeling happy for that person.
 Manana Habit. This is a poor habit of laziness, always putting things off for another time. The term manana is
derived from the Filipino phrase “mamaya na”.

2. Proverbs or Salawikain. These are sayings that convey lessons and reflections on Filipino practices, beliefs and
traditions. An example is the saying “Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo.”

3. Superstitions. Passed down from generation to generation, Filipino superstitions

are retold according to the experiences and cultural influences of the one telling the
story which sometimes ends up more interesting than the original. Example of a
superstition: singing while cooking makes an unmarried woman stay single for life.

4. Myths and Legends. These are stories aimed to explain the origin of things, at the
same time, teach a valuable lesson. Examples are “Si Malakas at si Maganda” which is
meant to explain the origins of man, and “Alamat ng Pinya” which explains how the
pineapple came to be.

5. Heroes and Icons. These people serve as a reminder of true patriotism and
nationalism and made the Filipino name more pronounced worldwide through their
own expertise. Examples are Andres Bonifacio and Jose Rizal, Manny Pacquiao and Lea Salonga

HOW TO BE A GOOD FILIPINO

Now you know that your traits and values are important indicators of being a Filipino. The challenge now is how to
truly become one and how you can be useful to the development and progress of our country. Here are a few ways
on how to be a good Filipino:
1. Be an active Filipino citizen. Be aware of the current events and actively participate in events and activities that
aim for the country’s progression and development.
2. Study the Philippine history.
3. Support local products.
4. Speak the Filipino language.
5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with dissent.

LESSON 5: THE DIGITAL SELF—WHO AM I IN THE CYBERWORLD?

These days, more people are becoming active in using the internet for research, pleasure, business, communication
and other purposes. Indeed, the internet is of great help for everyone. On the other hand, people assume different

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 Republic of the Philippines
Province of Northern Samar
Municipality of Las Navas
COLEGIO DE LAS NAVAS
(The First Community College in the Island of Samar)

identities in the cyberspace. People act differently when they are online and offline. We have our real identity and
online identity.

The number of people who are becoming more active online continues to increase worldwide. More than half of
the population worldwide now uses the internet. The Philippines is among the countries with the most active
internet users (We are Social and Hootsuite n.d.).
 Almost 2/3 of the world’s population now has a mobile phone.
 More than half of the world’s web traffic now comes from mobile phones.
 More than half of all mobile connections around the world are now broadband.

Media users in the Philippines grew by 12 million or 25% while the number of mobile social users increased by 13
million or 32%. More than half the world now uses a smartphone. In the Philippines, adolescents are among the
most avid users of the internet.

ONLINE IDENTITY: SELECTIVE SELF-PRESENTATION AND IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT

Self-presentation, according to Goffman (1959) and Leary(1995), is the “process of controlling how one is
perceived by other people”. To construct positive images, individuals selectively provide information about them
and carefully cater this information in response to others’ feedback.

Things worth noting:

 Anything posted online should be considered public no matter what our privacy settings are.
 Sharing ourselves is not new. In fact, it has been practiced as soon as human beings were formed. Only
difference now is the fact that we can reach the most number of audience in the shortest possible time.
 Digital devices help us share information broadly, more than ever before.
 We have entered an era of self-portraiture—blogs and web pages have been continuously used for greater self-
reflection and self-presentation, to the point where people sometimes forget to delineate what can be shared
online and what should not.
 People would like to remain updated and they keep on sharing themselves online because it adds a sense of
confidence especially of others like and share their posts.
 Disinhibition effect—the lack of face-to-face gaze-meetings give people the confidence and freedom to disclose
themselves and causes people to believe that they are able to express their “true self” better online than they
ever could in a face-to-face context.

ETHICAL USE OF THE INTERNET

The following guidelines will help you share information online in a smart way that will protect yourself and not
harm others. Before posting or sharing anything online, consider the following:
1. Is this post//story necessary?
2. Is there a real benefit to this post? Is it funny, warm-hearted, teachable? Or am I just making noise online
without purpose?
3. An issue that is still being worked out , or one that is either vulnerable or highly emotional, should not be
made public.
4. Is it appropriate? Does it stay within the boundaries of our family values?
5. Is this post better suited for sharing with a small group or family members? Or maybe not at all?

Here are additional guidelines for proper sharing of information and ethicaluse of the internet according to New
(2014):
 Stick to safer sites.
 Guard your passwords.
 Limit what you share.
 Remember that anything you put online or post on a site (these become your digital footprint) is there forever,
even if you try to delete it.

“Molding Holistic Individuals for a Brighter Tomorrow”

5
 Republic of the Philippines
Province of Northern Samar
Municipality of Las Navas
COLEGIO DE LAS NAVAS
(The First Community College in the Island of Samar)

 Do not be mean or embarrass other people online.

 Always tell if you see strange or bad behaviour online.
 Be choosy about your online friends.
 Be patient.

SELF-CHECK TEST:
Identify what is asked.

1. This religion believes that people’s own desires to experience the goodness of life and avoid disappointments
make life full of suffering and pain.

2. The belief that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma is the core belief of what
religion?

3. If Christians believe in Jesus Christ, Muslims believe in whom?

4. , Which of the following is a Filipino according to the 1987 Philippine Constitution?

a. a foreigner who chose to be a citizen of the Philippines
b. a Filipino adopted by German nationals and lives in Germany
c. a Filipino born and raised in Singapore
d. a Chinese who constantly travels to the Philippines

5. This Filipino trait enables Filipinos to maintain a positive outlook in life and makes them resilient in the face of
calamities.

6. The Filipino proverb “Kung may itinanim, may aanihin” is about what Filipino value?
a. courage
b. industriousness
c, loyalty
d. thrift

7. This Franklian psychology uses the philosophy of optimism in the face of tragedy, where people are capable of
turning suffering into human achievement and accomplishment.

8. Give one means by which someone can show how to be a good Filipino citizen.

9. This refers to the process of controlling how one is perceived by other people.

10. These devices help us share information broadly, more than ever before.

EVALUATION ACTIVITIES:

1. Take a screenshot of your FB profile pic. What made you choose it as your profile pic?

2. Make an acrostic of the word FILIPINO which will describe you, in relation to your being a Filipino.

3. Make a collage showing how your faith helps you in your personal development.

REFERENCES:

Alata, E.J.P. et al. (2019). Understanding the Self. Quezon City: Rex Bookstore.

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