Examples of Inner qualities ll.

UNDERSTANDING OF THE SELF

TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND ONESELF WE NEED TO
 Qualities that form the foundation of all other
ASK OURSELVES OF THE FF. QUESTIONS
human qualities include: honesty, integrity,
courage, self-awareness, and wholeheartedness.  What is the SELF?
 These qualities define who we are as human beings.  Who am I?
 Foundational Human Qualities  Who is a human person?
 Be Honest and Have Integrity. ...
 Be Courageous. ... To understand oneself mean…
 Be Self-Aware. ...  To understand oneself fully:
 Be Wholehearted.  to understand one's own emotions, desires,
abilities, etc.
Are you a person with integrity?
 You are in charge of your thoughts and you are your
Integrity is… own personality.
 Independence and self-awareness are also linked to
1. Doing what we say we will confidence.
2. Taking total responsibility for your actions  By knowing who you are and what you stand for in
3. Taking care of yourself without depending entirely life can help to give you a strong sense of self-
on others confidence.
4. Thinking about the big picture – “Is this good for
 In order to be yourself, you have to know yourself.
other people?”
5. Respecting others
The Benefits of Self-Knowledge
6. Is reflecting and admitting when they are wrong
• Happiness. You will be happier when you can
7. Standing up and speaking out if something is wrong
express who you are.
Integrity traits, having integrity means you: • Less inner conflict.
• Better decision-making.
 Express gratitude when other people help you • Self-control.
 Value honesty and openness • Resistance to social pressure.
 Are responsible and accountable for your actions, • Tolerance and understanding of others.
good and bad • Vitality and pleasure.
 Respect yourself and others around you no matter
where you are Knowing yourself
 Are reliable and trustworthy • Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom, a
 Help those in need without sacrificing your own phrase coined by Aristotle before centuries ago
health which seems to be absolutely correct in today's
 Are patient and flexible, even when unexpected world too... When it comes to knowing ourselves,
obstacles show up we either become too arrogant or we become extra
underestimator.
How self-aware are you?
• Knowing yourself means respecting your strengths
 Good understanding of self and weaknesses
 Know their strengths and weaknesses • your passions and fears,
 Introspective and self-accepting • your desires and dreams,
 Open to feedback • your thoughts and feelings,
• your likes and dislikes,
 People who are discerning are able to make keen • your tolerances and limitations.
observations about things.
 A person with a discerning palate may be able to “Knowing others is intelligence;
discern flavors that others cannot. Knowing yourself is true wisdom
 This ability is often associated with wisdom and Mastering others is strength;
experience. Mastering yourself is true power.”
- Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching

• This life is a journey that begins from the discovery

of the “SELF”.
• Understanding of the “self” provides not only
awareness but the ability to see what makes us
happy and satisfied.
• Understanding the “SELF” can be the path to which
we can share more of ourselves to others.
Do you have a clear sense of who you are?
• Developmentally, we wrestle with “finding III. A} WHAT IS UNDERSTANDING SELF MEANS?
ourselves” as teens and young adults.
• Then we often revisit these questions in middle age.
• It’s both normal and essential to seek self-
understanding. 
• In order to accept ourselves and establish a sense of
belonging, we need to understand who we are.
• A strong sense of self helps us navigate life and
brings meaning to our experiences.
• Without it, we feel “lost.” lll. B} DEFINITION OF UNDERSTANDING SELF

Why do we experience a loss of identity?

• We put everyone else’s needs before our own.
• When we focus on others and neglect ourselves, we
fail to recognize and value ourselves and our needs.
• We minimize who we are and what we need.
• We’re disconnected from our thoughts and feelings.
• We commonly keep ourselves so distracted and
numb with alcohol, food, and electronics that we
miss important information about who we are.
• How often do you reach for your phone or a snack IV. THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING SELF
whenever you get even slightly uncomfortable? The need of understanding the self
• These things keep us from knowing ourselves • Acquire a positive sense of self and social
because we don’t allow ourselves to be curious and responsibility
ask ourselves how we’re really feeling. • Develop one’s potentials to enable them to live
• We experience life transitions and changes in our harmoniously the context of a fast changing and
roles. challenging world
• Experience like a divorce, retirement, job loss, death • Participate meaningfully in all endeavors as
of a loved one, or other traumatic events can also responsible members of a global taking into account
result in losing our sense of self, especially the parts multi-cultural perspective
associated with our roles. • Understand local and global issues and concerns
• We feel ashamed and unworthy, and consequently that continue to impact their lives and the lives of
bury parts of ourselves. others
• We were told that we’re bad, strange, ugly, stupid, • Develop the capacity to think, reason and act legally
or unworthy. We were criticized or teased. and morally and these will have a sphere of
• Maybe you loved to play chess as a kid, but were influence to others
told that it’s not cool to join the chess club. So, you • To behave in ways that will fulfill their needs and
quit. goals in the contemporary society
• Or perhaps you were shamed for your sexual • To possess personal, civil, and moral obligations,
orientation and tried to deny it. not only to themselves but also to their families,
• We’re told we have to fit a certain mold if we’re to nations and the globalized contemporary society.
fit in. • In short, understanding the self must continue to
• So, we squish our square peg selves into round expand beyond the self to a larger self.
holes and try to be something we’re not. • The flow of change process must necessarily start
• After years of doing this, we lose track of who we from the self and continues throughout life so that
really are. the self will live and work effectively as a human
• Questions to help you know yourself better because person
it will help you rediscover yourself.

• Our strength can be utilized in the service of a cause

as each of us has the talent and the gift to grow and
excel in areas that is uniquely ours.
• Through an in-depth awareness of the “self” can be
the path to which we can share more of ourselves
to others.
• We can be “movers” and “agents of change” but we
need to start from within.