Understanding self
đź“š Reviewer: The Self (All Perspectives + Examples)
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🏛 1. Philosophy
Ancient Thinkers
Socrates → “Know yourself.”
Ex: Reflecting on your actions after failing an exam.
Plato → 3-part soul:
1. Reason (brain) – decides what’s right.
2. Appetite (gutom/desires) – wants food, money, sex.
3. Spirit (emotions) – pride, anger, courage.
Ex: You want to diet but your stomach craves pizza → Reason vs Appetite, while Spirit pushes you (“deserve mo”).
Aristotle → Self = Matter (body) + Form (soul).
Ex: A chair = wood (matter) + design (form). A human = body (matter) + soul (form).
Other Ancient Philosophies
Stoicism → Accept hardships, don’t depend on pleasure.
Ex: Fail exam? Instead of crying, you say “Okay, I’ll just study harder.”
Hedonism → “YOLO” – chase maximum pleasure, avoid pain.
Ex: Party everyday, drink, eat without caring about tomorrow.
Epicureanism → True happiness = simple life.
Ex: Enjoying coffee with a friend instead of chasing luxury.
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Medieval (God-focused)
St. Augustine → Self wants union with God.
Ex: Finding meaning through prayer and faith.
St. Thomas Aquinas → Self-knowledge comes from experiences. “What we love shows who we are.”
Ex: If you love helping others, it shows your character.
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Modern (Human-focused)
Descartes → “I think, therefore I am.”
Ex: Even if everything is fake, the fact that you think proves you exist.
David Hume → No permanent self, just changing perceptions.
Ex: You’re not the same person as 5 years ago — different thoughts/feelings.
John Locke → Self = memory + consciousness.
Ex: If you forget your past, you lose part of your identity.
Immanuel Kant → Self = organizer of experiences.
Ex: Your brain sorts daily experiences like folders on a computer.
Gilbert Ryle → Self = behavior.
Ex: People know who you are from your actions, not hidden thoughts.
Churchlands → Self = brain only.
Ex: Love, anger, memories = just brain activity.
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Contemporary
Husserl → Self = unity of body + mind.
Merleau-Ponty → Self = embodied (your body shapes experience).
Ex: A blind person experiences the world differently because their body changes how they perceive reality.
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đź‘Ą 2. Sociology
Self = built through interactions.
Cooley (Looking Glass Self) → We see ourselves how we think others see us.
Ex: If friends call you funny, you’ll see yourself as funny.
Mead →
“Me” = social self (others’ expectations).
“I” = active self (your true action).
Ex: Teacher expects you to be quiet (“Me”), but you still make jokes (“I”).
Johari Window → tool to discover what you know about yourself vs what others know.
Ex: Hidden talents you don’t see but your friends do.
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🧠3. Psychology
Freud (Psychoanalytic)
Levels of Mind
Conscious = what you know.
Preconscious = can recall.
Unconscious = hidden desires.
Structure of Self
Id = “I want pleasure now.”
Ex: Gusto ko milk tea kahit bawal.
Superego = “That’s wrong.”
Ex: Inner voice saying sugar is unhealthy.
Ego = mediator.
Ex: “Okay, half sugar milk tea na lang.”
Defense Mechanisms
Repression – unconsciously forgetting.
Ex: Trauma from childhood forgotten.
Projection – blaming others.
Ex: Cheater accuses partner of cheating.
Displacement – redirect anger.
Ex: Boss shouts at you → you shout at your sibling.
Regression – act childish.
Ex: College student throwing tantrum when stressed.
Sublimation – turn bad urges into good.
Ex: Angry → paint or box instead.
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Other Psychology Theories
Imaginary Audience → Teens feel like everyone is watching them.
Self-Concept → How you see yourself (looks, roles, traits).
Self-Esteem → How much you value yourself.
Carl Rogers → Ideal self vs Real self must match → happiness.
Festinger (Social Comparison):
Upward = compare to better (motivates).
Downward = compare to worse (feel better).
Ex: Student compares himself to honor student (upward), or failing student (downward).
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🌏 4. Anthropology
Western Self → independent, “me-first.”
Eastern Self → group-oriented, connected with others.
Eastern Thought
Buddhism → Self = cause of suffering → let go of attachments → Nirvana.
Hinduism → Karma decides your next life.
Taoism → Self exists because others exist.
Confucianism → Respect family/elders, live in harmony.
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⚡ Quick Cheat Codes (Exam-Day Mnemonics)
Plato’s Soul = RAS (Reason–Appetite–Spirit).
Freud’s Self = ISE (Id–Superego–Ego).
Defense Mechanisms = RPDRS
Repression – forget
Projection – blame
Displacement – redirect
Regression – childish
Sublimation – positive outlet
Modern Thinkers:
D = Descartes → “I think.”
H = Hume → “Hulaan lang, no self.”
L = Locke → “Long-term memory.”
K = Kant → “Kolektor ng experiences.”
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🔥 Bro, that’s the all-in-one reviewer with examples — parang story + mnemonics.
Do you want me to also make a flashcard-style Q&A set (like “Who said ___?” → “Answer”) para pang-drill mode mo bago exam?