have brown, black, or blonde hair which can either be

7.1.1. Physical Self long, short, straight, curly, frizzy or he or she may even
be bald. One’s nose can either be flat or pointed; one’s
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: eyes can be almond-shaped, hooded, deep-set, round,
downturned, or chinky. The physical aspect of the self
1. explain the biological and environmental factors does not include characteristics that are internal to the
that shape one’s physical self; self-such as kindness, generosity, loyalty, obedience,
2. understand the origin of life; and and other similar qualities.
3. discover the diverse aspects of the self and identity.
People nowadays are too conscious of how they look.
How they see themselves in the mirror, how people will
Physical Self: The Beautiful Me look at them and what will people say about them. The
concept of ourselves and the perception of people
Physical Self refers to the body, the marvelous
around us will always have a big effect on how we deal
container, complex and finely tuned machine with
in a situation, cultural or not.
which we interface with our environment and fellow
beings. The Physical Self is the concrete dimension, Physical Beauty in its own right
the tangible aspect of the person that can be directly
observed and examined. When is a person considered beautiful? What is the
socially accepted standard of beauty? Usually, only the
The physical self is defined by the physical physical features such as the face and body figure are
characteristics that are visible. These characteristics considered as the basis of beauty. The cultural
are the defining traits and features of the body. Sex, implications of beauty are prominent in every culture
height, weight, complexion, hair, and facial features and have a strong influence on the way men and
are among the common, physical features identified women are perceived. Across the world, different
when one is asked to describe another person. One’s cultural perceptions uphold an ideal of beauty that is
gender is first mentioned, whether one is a male or linked to sexual appeal and social status. The purpose
female, then he or she is described to be either tall, of beauty is the feeling and consequences of being
short, or average in terms of height. A person can beautiful. In ancient cultures, according to Julian
either be thin, fat, or average and light, dark, fair, or Robinson, "the enhancement and beautifying of the
anything in between in terms of complexion. One can human form by various means appeared to be an inborn

1|The Physical Aspect of the Self

human trait, an essential part of our genetic makeup movies, and TV shows. The media is a very powerful
and an expression of our psyche." tool in reinforcing cultural beliefs and values.

People have endured some sort of process to beautify

Factors that Shape the Physical Self
themselves, and in each culture, the process varies. A
person’s attractiveness depends on many features. We A. Biological Blueprint
can value a person at different levels with respect to
his or her looks. Judgments can be made at each level. Body structures, height, weight, skin color, hair color,
A person may have good looks, but nevertheless, be a and other physical characteristics do not just develop
faithless friend or a very poor dresser. A person may be at random: These are triggered by genetic
fat and ugly but extremely charming, with a pleasant transformation and biological development through
attitude and a great personality. This is how we heredity:
evaluate a person’s appearance in everyday life. These
Heredity - has been defined as “the transmission of
distinctive evaluations clearly appreciate the levels as
traits from parents to offspring. The traits are made up
independent dimensions. By this, we could already say
of specific information embedded within
that evaluating someone’s beauty is difficult because
we need to see the person as a whole and not just one’s gene, which is the basic unit of heredity. It is
criticize him/her because of the way of his/her dress or not surprising that we have inherited our physical traits
because of his/her skin color. Beauty is Beauty. from both our parents. When you look at the mirror,
who do you think you resemble more, your father or
We are living in a world where the material and your mother? If for example, you look more like your
immaterial selves are both represented. How is that father than your mother, it doesn’t mean that you did
possible? Thanks to advances in technology, we now not inherit any traits from your mother and vice versa.
have both a physical world and our virtual reality. How This can be attributed to the concepts of genotype and
do you view yourself in both worlds? phenotype.
Society transforms us in numerous ways. The current embedded
idea of what is attractive, beautiful, or handsome is an
 Genotype refers to the specific information
unrealistic image, which is genetically impossible for
embedded within our genes; not all genotypes
us to emulate. This unrealistic image is continually
translate to an observed physical characteristic.
driven into our minds by the media through ads,

2|The Physical Aspect of the Self

 Phenotype, on the other hand, is the physical expression of a B. Environmental Conditioning
particular trait. Genotype can only be determined through blood testing
but one’s phenotype can be directly observed. While our genetic information determines the extent of
our physical features, it is not the only factor that
Each individual carries 23 chromosomes which are influences our physical self. As we grow up, we are
threadlike bodies in the nucleus of the cell and the storage unit of genes, exposed to environmental influences that shape our
where 22 of which are called the autosomes, and the 23rd pair is physical self, including those from our social networks,
known as the sex chromosomes which identify the sex of an individual. societal expectations, and cultural
The 23rd pair could either be an XX or an XY. The XY is for males while practices. Family, being our first social group,
the XX is for females. It also embodies the gene, which is the unit forms a crucial foundation of our development,
carrier of heredity, and with genes alone, one can including that of our physical self. Aside from factors of
determine the sex of the fertilized cell. Likewise, it contains heredity, our family is also primarily responsible for
the genome, which contains the collection of genetic information. how we take care of our bodies. Our nutrition and
sustenance were initially established by what was
Within each chromosome lies the deoxyribonucleic acid
cooked in the home.
(DNA) which is a nucleus acid that contains the genetic
instructions specifying the biological development As we grow older, we become exposed to a larger
of all cellular forms of life. DNA is considered the social group and thus, new practices and standards. We become more
blueprint of life, thus, no two individual has the same conscious of our physical appearance as time goes on; we begin to take note
DNA. This explains why a DNA sample is the most of our height, weight, facial features, and other physical characteristics, in
crucial material needed to establish paternity or comparison to our peers. We start being conscious of our appearances,
maternity or even identify a suspect in a crime. These especially during the period of adolescence. As a result, we begin engaging
in acts that would make us attractive and acceptable to others.
cellular components trigger the physical growth
and maturation of organisms from birth to childhood. One aspect of beauty is body type. Contemporary
media has portrayed thin bodies as the ideal body type
Maturation - is known as the completion of the for women and muscular bodies for men. Thus,
growth of genetic character within an organism or the adolescents indulge in activities that would enable
unfolding of an individual’s inherent traits or potential. them to achieve these ideal body types. For some,
Maturation enables us to walk, run, talk, and having a healthy lifestyle, eating the right food, and
eventually, result in physical changes that are evident engaging in exercise are the steps in achieving the
in the adolescent stage. ideal body. However, some adolescents may resort to unhealthy habits

3|The Physical Aspect of the Self

just to achieve the ideal body type. It is important to remember that physical nineteenth-century thought. By the beginning of the
beauty is only skin-deep; that what matters is feeling good about oneself twentieth century, beauty was in decline as a subject
and embracing a healthy perception of one’s physical worth. of philosophical inquiry. However, there were signs of
“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise, revived interest by the early 2000s. The two most-
we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and debated views about beauty are: Beauty is objective, Beauty is
subjective. What do you think?
clear.” -- Buddha
People nowadays are too conscious of how they look.
How they see themselves in the mirror, how people will
look at them and what will people say about them. The

7.1.2. The Self as Impacted concept of ourselves and the perception of people
around us will always have a big effect on how we deal

by the Body in a situation, cultural or not.

The Physical Self Refers to the Body.

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
Both physical extremities and internal organs work together for the body to
1. express critical, reflective thinking in integrating the perform many of its functions such as breathing, walking, eating, and
various aspects of the self and identity;
sleeping, among others. The body’s ability to perform its functions
gradually changes through an individual’s aging. In general, the body
2. recognize the diverse forces and institutions that impact
performs least during infancy and old age. Physical efficiency generally
the growth of various aspects of self and identity; and
peaks in early adulthood between the ages of twenty and thirty, and then
3. look at one’s self against the different aspects of the self
slowly declines into middle age. Physical development and growth during
discussed in the module. childhood continue at a slow rate compared to the rapid rate of growth in
babyhood.
The Self as Impacted by the Body Adolescence Period
The nature of beauty is one of the most enduring and Adolescence begins with the onset of puberty. The stage is characterized by
controversial themes in western philosophy. Beauty, rapid physical changes that include the maturation of the reproductive
traditionally, was among the ultimate values along with system. Each individual goes through a succession of developmental stages
goodness, truth, and justice. It was a primary theme throughout his or her life span. The current embedded idea of
among ancient Greek, Hellenistic, and medieval what is attractive, beautiful, or handsome is an
philosophers; it was central to eighteenth- and unrealistic image, which is genetically impossible for

4|The Physical Aspect of the Self

us to emulate. This unrealistic image is continually knowingly validate and perpetuate. The more we look
driven into our minds by the media through ads, at perfect images of others and then look to find those
movies, and TV shows. The media is a very powerful same idealized characteristics in ourselves and don’t
tool in reinforcing cultural beliefs and values. Although find them, the worse we feel about ourselves.
it is not fully responsible for determining the standards
for physical attractiveness, it makes escaping the It’s a cycle that breeds discontent.
barrage of images and attitudes almost impossible to With such strong societal scrutiny, it’s easy to see how
escape. the focus on how we look can slide into the dark side –
A positive view of “self” involves understanding that negative body image. How developing mindfulness can
healthy, attractive bodies come in many shapes and nourish the best of who we are? The greater our
sizes, and that physical appearance says very little discontent with how we measure up when compared to
about our character or value as a person. We have to the societal or media-supported norms, the more
strive to know ourselves beyond our preconceived negative our body image. The greater the risk for
ideas of who we are. extreme weight or body control behaviors occurs.
We’re talking about: Extreme dieting /Extreme
What is Body Image? exercise compulsion / Eating disorders /Extreme or
unnecessary plastic surgery / Using steroids for muscle
Body image is both internal (personal) and external
building.
(society)and this includes:
But Beauty is Culture Bound
 How we perceive our bodies visually.
 How we feel about our physical appearance In different countries, not all feel the same way about
 How we think and talk to ourselves about our bodies the concept of beauty. In fact, cultures around the
 Our sense of how other people view our bodies world have different ideas of what is beautiful.

How we look has possibly never held as much societal Africa – they do not celebrate thinness the way other
importance or reflected so significantly on our countries do. Famously the country of Mauritania has
perceived self-worth. The media, in particular, has come to be known as one that idolizes overweight
increasingly become a platform that reinforces cultural women. This is most often seen as a sign of wealth
beliefs and projects strong views on how we should and fertility
look, that we as individuals often unknowingly or

5|The Physical Aspect of the Self

Brazil – women ant to appear fit and toned, and things
The Impact of Culture on Body
like waxing, sculpting massages, and manicures are
everyday treatment, not only reserved for the spa Image and Self-Esteem
Asia & Africa – skin lightening has risen in popularity.  Self-esteem is all about how much you feel you are
worth — and how much you feel other people value you.
In order to understand their inherent beauty norms, we
It is how you value and respect yourself as a person. Self-
should study today’s trends and tastes, and their
esteem affects how you take care of yourself,
functions and meanings in our lives. In this broader emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
context ‘a beautiful appearance’ refers to a beauty that  Body image is how you view your physical self — It
is man-made. It is artistic in two respects: (1) it is refers to how individuals perceive, think, and feel about
clearly achieved by ‘cultural’ means and reflects our their body and physical appearance.
present culture, and,(2) it expresses someone’s  Appearance refers to everything about a person that
personal choice and intentions. Its result is an others can observe, such as height, weight, skin color,
intentional structuring from an artistic point of view: in clothes, and hairstyle. Through appearances, an
short, artistic beauty. individual can show others the kind of person he or she is
(DeLamater & Myers, 2012).
What is your own concept of what is beautiful?
Body image and self-esteem directly influence one
another. When you have a healthy body image, you feel
comfortable about your body and know how to care for
7.1.3. The Impact of Culture it. Body image is an increasingly important topic in this
day and age. Today’s society displays immense
on Body Image and Self- pressures to be thin, fit, and beautiful. Images of waif-
like models are splashed across television and theater
Esteem screens and in magazines, sending a message that
success, happiness, and belonging only come with
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: unattainable beauty. The constant measures of
thinness and beauty lead people to scrutinize their own
1. determine the importance of body image and self-esteem appearance as well as those around them, usually
in the development of self and identity; and resulting in viewing their own bodies harsher than
2. demonstrate critical, reflective thought in integrating the various aspects of reality. How people view themselves, or their body
self and identity.
6|The Physical Aspect of the Self
image, can vastly affect their self-esteem, or overall The way adolescents react to their physical
feeling of worth. According to Jung and Lee appearance depends in part on sociocultural factors.
(2006), the lower or more negative one’s body image, The emphasis that peers, parents, or the media put on
the lower his or her self-esteem. In addition, the more ideal body types, which is slim or thin, leads girls to
optimistically one feels about his or her appearance, experience body dissatisfaction (Grabe, Ward, and
the more optimistically he or she will feel about him or Hyde, 2008). For both boys and girls, bullying and peer
herself overall. pressure are associated with greater body
dissatisfaction (Webb & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2014).
An interesting component of body image is that studies
show peoples’ image of their body is not a reflection of Television, advertising, music, and movies are full of
their actual weight, but instead how they perceive their women who are thin, thus constructing the notion that
body as a whole It is this perception of appearance the ideal body shape is slim. Some girls and young
that leads to their body image, and subsequently, their women try to compare themselves to models and
self-esteem. In addition, there is often incongruence actresses in advertisements. The result is that they try
between one’s perceptions of his or her body and his or to change their physical appearance either through
her ideal figure. The greater the incongruence, the cosmetic surgery, dieting, or excessive exercise.
more likely a person is to have lower self-esteem.
Girls who have higher body dissatisfaction are likely to
Body Image and the Adolescents experience depression, low self-esteem, and eating
disorders (Demello, 2014). For example, anorexia is an
Body image can affect both the adolescent’s physical eating disorder in which the person refuses to eat for
and social well-being. Adolescents worry about fear of gaining weight, resulting in severe starvation
different parts of their bodies. Adolescent boys and and death. It mostly afflicts females between the ages
girls tend to experience negative self-image because of 12 and 40, although men may also develop it.
they are in a stage of development that is probably Another disorder is bulimia nervosa, in which the
confusing to them. The age at which puberty begins person induces purging after bringing in large
has implications for the way adolescents feel about quantities of food (Feldman, 2010).
themselves and the way others treat them (Feldman,
2010). Body image is related to self-esteem, which is
a person’s overall evaluation of his or her own worth.

7|The Physical Aspect of the Self

 The term self-esteem was coined by William James in
1800. He presented self-esteem as the number of
successes a person achieves in the domains of life that
are important to him or her, divided by the number
of failures that occurred in those areas (The Corsini
Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral
Science, 2002). In the 1960s, behavioral scientists
defined self-esteem in terms of an attitude concerning
one’s worth as a person (Rosenberg, 1965).

Today, self-esteem is about how you value yourself and

how you feel others value you. Self-esteem is
important because it can affect your mental health as
well as how you behave.

If you have a positive body image, you probably like

and accept yourself the way you are, even if you do not
fit the popular notion of “beautiful” or “handsome”. This
healthy attitude allows you to explore some other
aspects of growing up, such as developing good
friendships, becoming more independent from your
parents, and challenging yourself physically and
For example, anorexia is an eating disorder in which
mentally.
the person refuses to eat for fear of gaining weight,
resulting in severe starvation and death. It mostly Developing these parts of yourself can help boost your
afflicts females between the ages of 12 and 40, self-esteem.
although men may also develop it. Another one
is bulimia nervosa, where the person induces purging
after bringing in large quantities of food.
7.1.4. The Importance of
Self-Esteem Beauty
8|The Physical Aspect of the Self
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: Physical beauty is extremely important. You must also
understand that you need to know the correct
1. assess the different inner traits that make one beautiful; definition of physical beauty so that your self-esteem
and, will not suffer. The dictionary’s definition of beauty is,
2. appreciate beauty be it objective or subjective.
“the degree to which a person’s physical traits are
considered pleasing or beautiful.” Take note that the
Are you Beautiful? definition did not indicate “who” determines what type
of physical traits is attractive and unattractive. Why?
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. ~ Khalil
Because even though physical beauty is extremely
Gibran
important, the good news is that physical beauty
There are many subjective forms of beauty, but none of standards differ from one person to another.
those definitions reach the core truth of what beauty
A self-image problem happens when your looks do
really is and why it should matter to us. If you want to
not match your beauty standards. For example, if you
look at the subjective versions, you could say that
believe that being thin is sexy and attractive, yet you
anything is “beautiful,” even ugliness. Let’s stick to
are not thin then you might believe you are unattractive
something that exists as a universal truth about
even though there are others who find you attractive.
beauty. Beauty and love go hand in hand. One begets
The problem here is with your own beauty standards
the other. Love begets beauty, and true beauty inspires
and not with your looks. To have a positive self-image
love. The two together have the potential to create an
and higher self-esteem, you must fix your false beliefs
upward spiral of joy and consciousness. The two things
about physical attractiveness first.
together can bring forth a deep sense of peace. A
sense that all is right in the world. There is nothing wrong with enhancing one’s physical
self. What is problematic is when a person focuses too
The Importance of Beauty much on physical beauty and disregards everything
“Do not judge a book by its cover”. You may have heard else.
many people say this; you may have said this yourself. Below are some tips on how to take care of your body:
However, though it is a wise thought from the
conscious mind, your subconscious mind will 1. Healthy Food -You need to eat the right amount and
contradict you, and you will still find yourself judging combination of food to ensure your health and
people based on their looks on your initial encounters.

9|The Physical Aspect of the Self

 sustenance. Following a healthy diet results in healthy have won international beauty contests shows that
skin, your ideal weight, and better stamina. Filipinas are among the women who are perceived to
be the most beautiful in the world. People tend to
2. Embracing a healthy lifestyle. Avoid drinking, smoking,
judge others based on physical appearance. However,
and doing other unhealthy habits to reduce the risk of
physical appearance alone is not enough to know a
illness and diseases and to make your immune system
person’s true character. It is important to see into a
stronger. Physical activities such as walking, running,
going to the gym, and engaging in sports also contribute person’s inner thoughts and feelings - one’s inner self.
to a healthier body. Above all things physical, it is more important to be
beautiful on the inside.
3. Maintain proper hygiene. Taking care of your body by
consistently following a hygiene regimen can also help
Sadly, many women slough off enhancing beauty as
you feel good about yourself. You can do this by regularly self-indulgent or, worse, feel like they are not worthy of
brushing your teeth and proper beauty in their life. If this is you, please listen up. The
4. Be confident. Self-confidence is your best make-up and only way you will experience beauty in life is
results in optimal physical well-being. Be secure in by giving it to yourself. Beauty exists everywhere and
yourself, embrace a positive outlook toward various when you consciously connect with it, you will feel that
situations and problems, and love and accept who you there is abundance coming to you and that YOU can
provide it for yourself.
Whether beauty is biologically programmed or
culturally constructed, it remains important in all And yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What is
societies. Admittedly, attractive people have a lot of important here is that you enjoy things, people, and
advantages in life. For one, people who are perceived places that are beautiful to you.
to be attractive favor those who are not in many social
situations. What are the different forms of
beauty?
True Beauty is in the Eye of the
We immediately recognize true beauty because it
Beholder uplifts and inspires us. We know instinctively that this
Different cultures have different definitions and is a manifestation of God.
perceptions of beauty. People often say that beauty is
in the eye of the beholder. The fact that many Filipinas  Physical beauty always begins with non-physical beauty
first.
10 | T h e P h y s i c a l A s p e c t o f t h e S e l f
 Non-physical beauty is that which can’t be measured,
but it can certainly be felt. It emanates from within. Non-
physical beauty manifests through things like kindness,
love, appreciation, harmony, joy, and peace. These things
are all evidence that creative, divine love is being
received and manifesting within that individual.

Once the inner beauty is felt, it will always seek to

manifest outwardly in the physical. Maybe it is as
simple as a smile. Or maybe it manifests as an act of
kindness. Perhaps it demonstrates itself through some
artistic creation. Or perhaps it is as simple as saying, “I
love you.”

When we stop resisting our creator’s ever-present love,

we will naturally seek to express that love by creating
beauty all around us in the physical world.

11 | T h e P h y s i c a l A s p e c t o f t h e S e l f