NORTHWESTERN

UNIVERSITY

LEARNING COMPETENCIES:
1. Explain that knowing oneself can make a person accept his/her strengths a
nd limitations and dealing with others better
2. Share his/her unique characteristics, habits and experiences

MODULE 1: KNOWING ONESELF

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

a. explain that knowing oneself can make them accept their s
trengths and limitations and deal with other people better;
b. share their unique characteristics, habits, and experiences;
c. make a journal.

INTRODUCTION:  

The journey of human life completes through different stages and adolescence is one of
the most vital stages. It is the transition from childhood to adulthood and plays a significant role
in the formation of pro-social/antisocial adult. All of us pass throughgh this stage, which causes
many challenges and is full of stimulation However, at the same time, it also demands
adjustment on many borders. We are completely dependent upon others and we gradually
learn to become self-sufficient and independent.
Adolescence is also a period where an individual changes physically and psychologically
from a child to an adult. It is a period when rapid physiological and psychological changes
require for new social roles occur. Due to these changes, adolescents frequently face a number
of crises and impasses. It is also a stage when a child shifts from dependency to self-
sufficiency. It demands considerable adjustment to the physical and social changes
It is a fact that human beings move across particular stages of development. Life marks
a specific crisis or conflict amid competing tendencies and they can develop in a normal and
healthy manner, only if individuals discuss each of these obstacles successfully. Therefore,
during this stage, adolescents must put together various roles into a dependable and consistent
self-identity because if they fail to do so, they may experience perplexity over who they are.
Certainly, adolescence characterizes one of the greatest periods of crisis. In effect, it is a
stage of pressure, tension, and and it brings many uncertainties in life. These uncertainties
cause many differences. A prevalent reality is that delinquency rates rise during the
adolescence period, that drug and alcohol addiction may have their beginning, and that much g
eneral happiness exists. Adolescence is also a phase when acceptable heterosexual changes

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are made possible or deterred, when career is considered, and philosop hies of life a
re formed. Moreover, the commencement of adolescence is manifested by biological tran
sformations in girls and boys.

Checkpoint 1. The Twenty Statement Survey

Instructions: Complete the 20-Statement Test. You are requested to refrain from thinking too
much about your answers. What is best is just to write down the first statements that come to
your mind to complete the sentence that begins with “I am.”

1. I am____________________________ 11. I am____________________________

2. I am____________________________ 12. I am____________________________
3. I am____________________________ 13. I am____________________________
4. I am____________________________ 14. I am____________________________
5. I am____________________________ 15. I am____________________________
6. I am____________________________ 16. I am____________________________
7. I am____________________________ 17. I am____________________________
8. I am____________________________ 18. I am____________________________
9. I am____________________________ 19. I am____________________________
10. I am___________________________ 20. I am____________________________

Knowing Oneself

Defining the Concept of the Self

Self is the union of elements, namely: body, thoughts, feelings or emotions, and sensati
ons that constitute the individuality and identity of a person. The body constitutes your physical
attributes, your health, and your posture and poise. Your thoughts, the way you think, and how
you perceive things around you affect how you feel about them and bring about sensations. Th
ese emotions and sensations that you experience prompt you to act and behave the way you d
o. The union of these elements makes up your character or personality and essentially distingui
shes you from others.
If you were asked to describe yourself, you may probably talk about your physical chara
cteristics, your interests, your hobbies, your skills or abilities, or even your beliefs.

Physicall attributes such as height and skin complexion, as well as psychological charact
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eristics such as temperament, may be inherited from your parents; som e attributes
and traits however, may be brought by environmental factors. Some of yo ur traits may
be similar to your other siblings or to some of your peers, but no two individuals are exactly alik
e. Thus, you are unique, and that makes you special.

Identifying Your Strengths and Weakness

Being aware of how you look, think, feel, and act helps you to know more about yoursel
f. You gather more information about yourself when you identify your strengths and weaknesse
s. In knowing your strengths, you are more empowered to do developmental tasks. These tasks
include your capacity to establish mature relationships with others, emotional independence, an
d your ability to demonstrate responsible behaviors. Also, in becoming more aware of your stre
ngths, you are equipped with skills essential in making wise decisions in life; you are able to an
alyze complex situations logically and sensibly. Finally, when you know your capabilities, you ca
n be more confident in doing your tasks and become more competetent in achieving your goals.
On the other hand, determining weaknesses gives you the opportunity to know your limi
tations or boundaries. In doing so, you can identify situations where you have to say no. For ex
ample, one of your weaknesses is being impatient: thus, you find it very difficult to conduct a re
search study. But, research work is a part of your requirements in school. So what do you do no
w? Are you simply going to rely on your group mates to meet the requirement? Or are you goin
g to work and do the research but in a sloppy and hurried manner? You may simply say, “This i
s what I can only do, and having a grade of 75 is just fine by me.” Many adolescents are caught
in this predicament.
Yes, perhaps you know and you can actually identify your weaknesses but the next ques
tion is, what do you do about these limitations? Becoming more aware of your weaknesses is n
ot the end goal of self-development; rather, it is its starting point. You must find ways to enhan
ce your capabilities. You must develop your knowledge and skills through better study habits, a
nd develop positive attitudes in dealing with life’s challenges.
Remember that it is in uderstanding yourself that you become more capable of actualizin
g your potentials to the fullest. When you understand yourself, you do not only come to appreci
ate and value who you are; understanding yourself also helps you to respect others and relate
with them more meaningfully. When you know yourself more, you are empowered to cope well
with the demands in school, at home, and of your relationships with others.

The Importance of Valuing One’s Self

Introspection, or your ability to reflect and think about your own thoughts, feelings, and
actions, is essential in understanding and improving yourself. But aside from your self-assessme
nt, you have to listen and accept positively the feedback you get from others, as well
as their opinions about you. Listening to the feedback of others is important because it allows y
ou to validate your perceptions of who you are.
When you listen to positive feedback, you feel energized and you become more enthusia
stic because you are affirmed, your worth as a person was recognized and in this way you feel
more confident of yourself. However, not all kinds of feedback are positive. We call this kind as
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criticism or negative feedback. When you hear criticisms, you tend to ge t angry and
may even deny what others have observed about you. Thus, you have to be smart to d
etermine the accuracy of the feedback that you receive from others, which you can do by consu
lting a trusted friend or classmate.
By becoming aware of yourself, you are more equipped to accept yourself and be more
open for self-improvement. Also, a deeper understanding of who you are allows you to see your
potentials, thus utilizing them to the fullest. Becoming self-aware helps create your own individu
ality and promotes wiser decision-making when confronted with critical issues in life such as set
ting goals, making career choices, and relating with significant others. Further, awareness of yo
ur strengths boosts your self-confidence; hence, you are able to do what others realistically say
that you can do. As your self-awareness increases, so does your sense of security because you
trust yourself and you feel secured as to who you are. This, in turn,promotes your capacity to e
stablish healthy relationships with others. Finally, self-awareness gives you a clearer direction in
achieving your goals in life.

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to think about yourself and your relationship with the world
around you. It is the capacity to see how one's way of thinking and behavior are influenced by
emotions and perceptions. Your behavior is a manifestation of your thoughts. A lot of people do
not pay much attention to what they think, how they think, and consequently, why they do
things.
The foundation for all the other life skills you need to achieve is self-awareness. To
manage emotional changes, you need to be conscious of your emotional responses, including
how they influence your behavior. Awareness will provide options on how to respond; rather
than allowing these emotional changes to rule your behavior, which may lead to unpleasant
outcomes.
Self-awareness is not just about coming to terms with your flaws and weaknesses. It
also recognizes your strengths as well as the things that are working for you. It will persuade
you to do more and build up mastery in areas where you will obviously stand out.

Checkpoint 2. Journal Entry

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Instructions: Under each column, you are to list down the answer to the
following questions. Each question is preceded by – “In relation to my personal
goals…

START STOP CONTINUE

What behaviors do I need to STARTWhat What doing?

behaviors do I need to STOP
doing? behaviors do I need to CONTINUE doing?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Self Assessment Check

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A. Read each statement carefully and select the letter of your answer.

1. "No two individuals are exactly alike means

a. twins have the same characteristics

b. you may have the same qualities as your brother, but there are things that only you or he
can do

c. because your characteristics are similar to your father's, you can do what he can exactly do

d. your mother has fair skin complexion, and so you inherited this physical characteristic

2. The following are elements of self except __________________.

a. Sensations b. emotions c. curiosity d. body

3. Physical attributes and the psychological makeup of a person are due to _______________.

A. environmental factors B. heredity

a. Only letter A is correct

b. Only letter B is correct

c. Either A or B is correct.

d. Both letters A and B are correct.

4. Self-actualization means ____________________________.

a. your tendency to do or perform what you are capable of becoming

b. your ability to understand yourself

c. your capacity to find solutions to your problems

d. your point of view about certain situations in life

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5. Which is not a characteristic of a self-actualized person?

a. Has a realistic perception of self and others

b. Open-minded

c. Concerned about helping others

d. Pessimistic

6. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a teenager who is aware of his/her

strengths? a. Shy c. Dependable

c. Emotionally mature d. Competent

7. By knowing yourself more, you __________________________.

a. can better cope with the demands of life

b. find it more difficult to change your habits

c. may be influenced by your peers

d. tend to give up easily

8. By identifying your weaknesses, ______________________________.

A. you are more equipped with finding solutions to your problem

B. you become more capable of actualizing your potentials to the fullest

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C. you can find ways to further improve your personality

a. Only statements A and B are correct.

b. Either statement B or C is correct.

c. All statements are incorrect.

d. All statements are correct.

9. Which statement is not true about becoming more aware of oneself?

a. You become more appreciative of yourself.

b. You value relationships with others.

c. You become dependent to others.

d. You learn that respect to self and others is important.

10. You may further develop your knowledge and skills through

a. effective time management c. effective study habits

b. stress management programs d. all of the above

B. Answer the following questions briefly but substantially.

1. What is the importance of understanding yourself?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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2. In what ways can you become more aware of yourself?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

3. How does self-awareness help boost your self-confidence?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Job well done, Northwesternian!

Resources: Reference Book and Online Sources

Cleofe, M.P. (2016). Personal Development. Diwa Learning Systems Inc.
Pablo, V.M.G.H. (2016) Personal Development. Scolaire Publishing

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