Understanding the Self (GEN 002)

DAY 12

There are three (3) factors that influences the self, these are biological, psychological, and socioeconomic factors.

• Biological Factors
o internal physiological (nervous system, glandular system, hormones)
o genetic, hereditary factors, physical appearance, and physique and rate of maturation.
o Temperament, mental characteristics, special ability
o Different studies show the evidence that traits such as shyness, fear and distress are more likely caused by
inherited genetics characteristics
• Psychological Factors
o motives, interests, attitudes, willpower, intelligence, reasoning capacities, perception, imagination, a level
of understanding etc.
o A person with strong will power can make a quick decision which is needed for better adjustment.
Similarly, an intelligent person will be able to make a happy adjustment and develop an understanding
relationship.
• Socioeconomic Factors
o characteristics that define the quality of life in a society
o education, income, social status and occupation are the main parameters of socioeconomic status
o socialization, knowledge skill and language are acquired (environment) by a person and can be termed as
learned modifications of behavior.
o They influence the behaviors, attitudes, trends, tastes and lifestyles of individuals.

DAY 13

• Physical Self refers to the body, this marvelous container and complex, finely tuned, machine with which we
interface with our environment and fellow beings.
• The Physical Self is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of the person that can be directly observed and
examined.
• Body image is how you view your physical self — including whether you feel you are attractive and whether
others like your looks.
• Self-esteem is all about how much you feel you are worth — and how much you feel other people value you.
• Self- esteem is important because feeling good about yourself can affect your mental health and how you
behave.
• Schilder (1950) stated “The picture of our own body, which we form in our mind, that is to say, the way in which
the body appears to ourselves”
• Body image affects how you feel about yourself and in particular, your appearance. It’s an important factor in self-
esteem for women, men, adolescents and children.
• People with high self-esteem know themselves well. They're realistic and find friends that like and appreciate them
for who they are. People with high self-esteem usually feel more in control of their lives and know their own
strengths and weaknesses.
• Self-esteem in women these days seems dependent on how they think they look. Many women check the scales
several times a day as if that will make a difference. This is a form of obsession. Women are more unhappy with
the appearance of their bodies than men (Grogan, 2016).
• Men worry about how tall, strong or big they are. The worst thing for men is probably being short. They believe
the tall, dark, handsome myth. Most men will suffer low self-esteem if they think they are short or too thin.
• According to Grogan (2016), many men want to be like society portrays the ideal man, slender and muscular. If
someone thinks they are too skinny or too fat, or week looking, this can cause problems with body image and a
resulting low level of self-esteem.

DAY 14

• Beauty is a characteristic of an animal, idea, object, person or place that provides a perceptual experience of
pleasure or satisfaction.
• Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, culture, social psychology, philosophy and sociology.
• An "ideal beauty" is an entity which is admired, or possesses features widely attributed to beauty in a particular
culture, for perfection.
 Understanding the Self (GEN 002)
MEN AND WOMEN AS OBJECT OF BEAUTY VS. SUBJECT OF BEAUTY
Object of Beauty Subject of Beauty

Conforming to how being beautiful is becoming a

Objectification is a notion central to feminist theory. It subject of beauty. Body image has something to do with
can be roughly defined as the seeing and/or treating a how men and women became subject of beauty. Media
person, usually a woman, as an object. In this entry, the nowadays give a high influence on how society looks at the
focus is primarily on sexual objectification, objectification beauty of men and women. The standards that media sets
occurring in the sexual realm. Objectification, for Kant, for men and women to be beautiful is one of the way of
involves the lowering of a person, a being with humanity, being subjected to beauty and in not conforming to these
to the status of an object. standards results to not being beautiful in the eyes of
people.

• Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person as a mere object of sexual desire. Objectification more
broadly means treating a person as a commodity or an object without regard to their personality or dignity.
• Objectification is most commonly examined at the level of a society, but can also refer to the behavior of
individuals.
• The characterization of a person as “beautiful”, whether on an individual basis or by community consensus, is
often based on some combination of inner beauty, which includes psychological factors such as personality,
intelligence, grace, politeness, charisma, integrity, congruence and elegance, and outer beauty (i.e. physical
attractiveness) which includes physical attributes which are valued on an aesthetic basis.
• Standards of beauty have changed over time, based on changing cultural values. Historically, paintings show a
wide range of different standards for beauty. However, humans who are relatively young, with smooth skin, well-
proportioned bodies, and regular features, have traditionally been considered the most beautiful throughout
history.

DAY 15

• The material self is a total of all tangible things you own: body, possessions, home. For the “material self”, objects
helped make the person but they also showed what that person was made of. It means the use and display of
wealth remains powerful and controversial, and nowhere more so than for the super-rich. It was this “material self”
that also pushed people to acquire homes and fill them with possessions. In real life, furniture and possessions
were means for families to cultivate and demonstrate their character.
• Two categories: the bodily part (parts of the body) and extracorporal or external self (material possessions that
extend us)
• The self-concept is a complex process of gaining self-awareness. We develop a concept of who we are through
our interaction and it is the sum total of a being's knowledge and understanding of his or her self with others.
• Four kinds of self-images:
o Actual – how consumers see themselves
o Ideal – how consumers will like to see themselves
o Social – how consumers feel other see them
o Ideal – how consumers wish to be
• Factors that affect consumer behavior when buying:
o Social factors affect consumer behavior significantly. Every individual has someone around influencing
their buying decisions. The important social factors are: reference groups, family, role and status. (Perreau,
2014.)
o An individual’s decisions are influenced by personal factors such as a buyer’s age and life cycle state,
occupation, economic situation, lifestyle, and personality and self-concept.
o A buyer’s choices are also influenced by four psychological factors, i.e. motivation, perception, learning,
and beliefs and attitude

DAY 16

• Spiritual identity is "a persistent sense of self that addresses ultimate questions about the nature, purpose, and
meaning of life, resulting in behaviors that are consonant with the individual's core values.
• It consist of your internal thoughts and introspections about your values and moral standards. It is a man’s inner
or subjective being. It is a man’s physical faculties or dispositions.
• It is the essence of who you think you are.
• It is a mixture of your spiritual beliefs and your sense of who you are in relationship to other forces in the universe.
 Understanding the Self (GEN 002)
• Being a spiritual person is synonymous with being a person whose highest priority is to be loving to yourself and
others.
• A spiritual person cares about people, animals and the planet. A spiritual person knows that we are all One, and
consciously attempts to honor this Oneness. A spiritual person is a kind person.
• Roles of Spiritual Self
o Provides a super-sensory overview of the entire mind-body-emotion connection.
o Focuses attention upon the inner worlds of creativity and potentials (personal growth).
o Increases awareness of our inner and outer selves. Self-awareness.
o Cooperates with the limbic system, gut feelings and the ability to identify with the experiences of others.
Compassion.
o Altruism

DAY 17-19

• Sexual Self is comprised of three aspects: gender identity, gender role and gender orientation.
• Sexual identity can change throughout an individual's life, and may or may not align with biological sex, sexual
behavior or actual sexual orientation. It reflects sexual self-concept, that is, the individual's evaluation of his or her
own sexual feelings and actions.
• Primary sex characteristics (or body structures directly concerned with reproduction) that allows us to tell males
from females, such as the penis in men and the vagina in women.
• Secondary sex characteristics are physical features which appear at puberty (though they later become equally
as prominent).
• Erogenous Zone
o Eros (Greek) means love + Genous (English) means producing.
o area of the human body that has heightened sensitivity, which, when stimulated, may create a sexual
response such as relaxation, thoughts of sexual fantasies, sexual arousal and orgasm.
• Sigmund Freud (1905) proposed that psychological development in childhood takes place in a series of fixed
psychosexual stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. These are called psychosexual stages because
each stage represents the fixation of libido (roughly translated as sexual drives or instincts) on a different area of
the body. As a person grows physically certain areas of their body become important as sources of potential
frustration (erogenous zones), pleasure or both.
• Freud believed that life was built round tension and pleasure. Freud also believed that all tension was due to the
build-up of libido (sexual energy) and that all pleasure came from its discharge.

FREUD’S PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES

Stage Age Erogenous Zone Major Development Adult Fixation Example
Smoking, overeating,
Weaning off breast
drinking, nailbiting,
Oral 0-1 Mouth feeding or formula;
dependency, trust, and
Eating, tasting, sucking
comfort
Mesiness, wasteful, or
destructive personality,
Anus/Bowel and
Anal 1-3 Toilet Training orderliness, accomplishment,
Bladder control
competent, productive,
creative, etc.
Resolving Oedipus
Phallic 3-6 Genitals Deviancy, sexual dysfunction
Complex/Electra Complex
Developing Defense
Mechanism, social skills,
values, and relationships
6 to Inactive Sexual
Latency with peers and adults None
puberty Feelings
outside of the family;
intellectual pursuits, and
social interactions
Reaching full sexual The individual should now be
Puberty Maturing Sexual maturity, strong sexual well-balanced, warm, caring,
Genital
to death Interest interest in the opposite sexually matured, and
sex mentally healthy.
 Understanding the Self (GEN 002)
• Oedipus Complex describes these feelings of wanting to possess the mother and the desire to replace the father.
However, the child also fears that he will be punished by the father for these feelings, a fear Freud termed
castration anxiety.
• Electra complex has been used to described a similar set of feelings experienced by young girls. Freud, however,
believed that girls instead experience penis envy.
• The biology of human sexuality includes the reproductive system and the sexual response cycle, as well as the
factors that affect them.
• Females have both external genitalia (known as the vulva) and internal reproductive organs (including the
ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, and vagina).
• Males also have both internal and external genitalia; the main sex organs are the penis and testicles.
• The hypothalamus is the most important part of the brain for sexual functioning; it produces important sexual
hormones that are then secreted by the pituitary gland.
• Sex hormones that influence sexual behavior include oxytocin, prolactin, vasopressin, follicle-stimulating hormone
(FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH); others include testosterone in males and estrogen and progesterone in
females.
• Reproductive System - the organs and glands in the body that aid in the production of new individuals
(reproduction).
• In the male, sperm are produced in the testes and conveyed to the female in a fluid called semen, which passes
out of the body through the penis. Other parts of the male reproductive system include the prostate gland, the
scrotum, and the urethra.
• In the female, the eggs, or ova are produced in the ovaries and released during ovulation into the fallopian tubes
about halfway through the menstrual cycle. If fertilization occurs, the resulting zygote travels down the fallopian
tube to the uterus, where it implants and continues development. If the ovum is not fertilized, it continues its
journey toward the uterus, where it degenerates and is released in the menstrual flow through the vagina during
menstruation.
• The sexual response cycle refers to the sequence of physical and emotional changes that occur as a person
becomes sexually aroused and participates in sexually stimulating activities, including intercourse and
masturbation.
• The sexual response cycle has four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. Both men and women
experience these phases, although the timing usually is different.
o Excitement – characteristics can last from a few minutes to several hours
▪ Muscle tension increases
▪ Heart rate quickens and breathing is accelerated
▪ Skin may become flushed
▪ Nipples become hardened or erect
▪ Blood flow to the genitals increases, resulting in swelling of the woman’s clitoris and labia minora
(inner lips), and erection of the man’s penis.
▪ Vaginal lubrication begins.
▪ The woman’s breasts become fuller and the vaginal walls begin to swell.
▪ The man’s testicles swell, his scrotum tightens, and he begins secreting a lubricating liquid.
o Plateau – characteristics extend to the brink of orgasm
▪ The changes begun in phase 1 are intensified.
▪ The vagina continues to swell from increased blood flow, and the vaginal walls turn a dark purple.
▪ The woman’s clitoris becomes highly sensitive (may even be painful to touch) and retracts under
the clitoral hood to avoid direct stimulation from the penis.
▪ The man’s testicles are withdrawn up into the scrotum.
▪ Breathing, heart rate and blood pressure continue to increase.
▪ Muscle spasms may begin in the feet, face and hands.
▪ Tension in the muscles increases.
o Orgasm – it is the climax of the sexual response cycle. Shortest of the phases and generally lasts only a
few seconds.
▪ Involuntary muscle contractions begin.
▪ Blood pressure, heart rate and breathing are at their highest rates, with a rapid intake of oxygen.
▪ Muscles in the feet spasm.
▪ There is a sudden, forceful release of sexual tension.
▪ In women, the muscles of the vagina contract. The uterus also undergoes rhythmic contractions.
▪ In men, rhythmic contractions of the muscles at the base of the penis result in the ejaculation of
semen.
▪ A rash or "sex flush" may appear over the entire body.
 Understanding the Self (GEN 002)
o Resolution
▪ During this phase, the body slowly returns to its normal level of functioning, and swelled and
erect body parts return to their previous size and color. This phase is marked by a general sense
of well-being and, often, fatigue. Some women are capable of a rapid return to the orgasm phase
with further sexual stimulation and may experience multiple orgasms. Men need recovery time
after orgasm, called a refractory period, during which they cannot reach orgasm again. The
duration of the refractory period varies among men and changes with age.
• Lust - You feel physically attracted and drawn to the object of your affection. You want to seduce them or be
seduced. Lust is driven by the hormones testosterone in men and estrogen in women. Lust occurs across species
and may be part of the basic drive to find a partner to spread our genes with. But lust is different than love.
• Attraction - You begin to obsess about your lover and crave his presence. Your heart races and you don’t feel like
sleeping or eating. You may even get sweaty palms. You feel a surge of extra energy and excitement as you
fantasize about the things you’ll do together. These feelings are created by three chemicals: norepinephrine,
dopamine, and serotonin.
• Attachment - It involves wanting to make a more lasting commitment to your loved one. This is the point at
which you may move in together, get married, and/or have children. After about 4 years in a relationship,
dopamine decreases and attraction goes down. If things are going well, it gets replaced by the hormones oxytocin
and vasop ressin, which create the desire to bond, affiliate with, and nurture your partner. You want to cuddle and
be close and share your deepest secrets with her. You plan and dream together.
• Sexual Diversity means that everyone has different understandings about what sexuality means to them. It is
often used in the context of sexual orientation. Also refers to all sex characteristics and gender identity.
o Heterosexual – sexual attraction and behavior directed to opposite sex.
o Homosexual – persons who are attracted of their same gender.
o Bisexual – persons who are attracted to both their same and opposite gender.
o Transsexual – persons who believed they were born with the body of the other gender.
• Possible Reasons for Homosexuality and Bisexuality
o Researchers, particularly Kinsey, believed that reasons behind homosexuality and bisexuality are that it
depends on a person’s sexual feelings and behaviors and romantic feeling.
o Some researchers also include reasons such as environment or nature, genetics/hereditary, drugs during
labor and differences in brain structures.
o Parent-child relationship, according to some psychologists, plays a big part in producing Homosexuals
and bisexuals, though this (evidence) are not supported.
o Some also theorize that homosexuality and bisexuality are learned or achieved through reward and
punishment procedures. This is called the Learning-Theory explanation.