Discoveries of the self

My parents ones said that if someone said back in the 90′s that by 2020 we would be in an era where everyone would be highly dependent on technology, they would have laughed at that person

The thought of an era where communication in far distances is easy, information is one click away, and having the whole world in your fingertips was so far fetched back then; but that is the reality we are currently living in

Technology has made our life so much easier in different aspects; but just like any good thing, it has also brought upon dangerous consequences

Through understanding the digital self, I realized that technology is a blessing that we were given, but at the same time, a curse that we need to endure

Other people view the digital age as the peak of human existence because of the advantages brought by it, but they don’t see the negative side to it

Social media is one of the major things brought by technology that has shaped society forever

It has become an effective means to communicate easier with the people that you love and has become a source of entertainment for the masses

It surely is a blessing, but just like everything in life, overindulgence can bring consequences that will lead to depression and anxiety

Social media is so important that everyone is almost required to have a social media presence to keep up with modern society

But some treat their social media presence as so important that they can’t live without it

From following new trends in the internet to making controversial videos/statements, people will do anything just to get attention

It’s so sad to see that a lot of people who belong to the same generation as mine have become so desperate just to get their few minutes of fame

As a youth who’s lived through the digital age, I’ve seen and done it all

I realized that I should not get drowned trying to get compliments, praises, and support from people in the internet; I don’t need them because I have my family and friends who always support me

My importance in society is not dictated by the amount of likes and comments made by other people, the positive impact I’ve made upon other people’s lives and how I’ve contributed to helping my community does

Politics has always been a controversial conversation in the masses

From the presentation of the governments plans to aid the country in the media, to the expression of opinions by the citizens of said plans, politics is an essential part in nation-building

But I’ve always asked the question, “Where do people get this strong sense of wanting to get involved in politics?” “What factors built their strong ideals of politics, thus, leading them to express their own form of political correctness?”

Through studying the political self, I’ve learned that the political ideas people have stem from a lot of factors that comes from ones community

I’ve learned that ones views on politics isn’t just a random compilation of certain ideologies and beliefs to diversify and maintain the balance of a democratic community, it is a lot more than that

The political self is the blueprint in which we hold our own perception as to how the government should govern the country 

But this blueprint isn’t automatically built into our system, a lot of factors are at play in order for us to have our own concrete ideals

These factors include the family, school, church, and the overall community one lives in: they all play a major role in building ones political perspective

I realized that the reason why people have different views on politics, even though some may live in the same community, is due to these factors

Because of these factors, there is political intrigue in the country which results to movements of different political groups proclaiming their own views

A group of people may support the current government leading to them defending it from anti-groups

While on the other hand, some may find flaws in it and demand change through the form of protests and movements

Learning the political aspect of the self made me agree with Aristotle’s political theory that “human beings are by nature political animals”

We like to get involved in improving our country, because afterall, we care about the welfare of the citizens

Though discussions about politics may scare some people, we should accept it because it is a part of our reality

Living a normal life isn’t just about waking up in the morning, eating meals, having fun, then going back to sleep

Living isn’t just about the fun things in life: Attached to the happiness we experience includes sadness brought by problems in everyday life

Unfortunately, some people get drowned in these problems and fall in the never-ending pit of depression and anxiety

While some exercise their spiritual life, relying and trusting in an all-knowing being to aid them in coping with these problems

Through studying the spiritual aspect of the self, I’ve realized that one’s spiritual life serves as a helping hand in times of trouble, which is why a lot of religious people have their characteristics heavily based on their religion 

Humans have always been dependent creatures, especially in times of need and trouble

We like to feel safe and ensured when we are down, and that is where one’s spiritual life comes in

Different religious organizations serve as a safe haven for people to come to when they can’t handle the everyday troubles of life

Through religion, we start to develop a relationship with this ultimate being; while at the same time, we also strengthen our spirituality

When our spiritual life becomes so strong, a big portion of our personality and characteristics become grounded on it

I know a lot of religious people who are able to cope up with challenges thrown by life because of the feeling of confidence and comfort brought by strengthening their spiritual life

A lot of people refuse to strengthen their spiritual self because they find it unnecessary and useless

But through indulging myself in this topic, I’ve learned that strengthening my spiritual life is just as important as the other aspects of my self

Jean Baudrillard, a french sociologist, discussed in his book entitled “The consumer society” how consumption has structured the post modern society

Post-modern individuals have associated their self-worth with the items that they possess 

Because of this mindset, individuals have become materialistic which has resulted to obsession to acquire material things

Through understanding the material self, I’ve come to realize that  being consumed with attaining material things does more harm to you than good 

Consumerism surely does a lot in a capitalist society

It can lead to the growth of the economy because of the constant need of production, and encourages the exercise of creativity and innovation due to competition

But if we were to look beyond the general picture of consumerism, and look into the consumers themselves, then you can see the downsides to it

Because of the way media presents advertisements, I’ve witnessed individuals become so obsessed with the attainment of material products

Promising to make you look a certain way, live a life that is more than your own, individuals succumb to these temptations and become an avid consumer

I’ve seen people become desperate and will do whatever it takes to buy these products just to gain recognition and fame

Unfortunately, some have even become dependent on these mere inanimate objects to measure their self-worth and relevance in society

I realized that the people who live a lifestyle like this have forgotten that your possessions don’t define you, it is the person you’ve become that defines you

Material things can grant you happiness because you gain recognition and fame, but this kind of happiness is only temporary

True happiness comes from working within yourself and becoming a good person to change the lives of the people around you in a good way

When you live in a conservative country, sex has always been and will always be a taboo topic

When you talk about premarital sex, contraception, and other sex-related activities, you always get a sense of discomfort, especially if you’re talking to an elder

But because of the refusal to discuss these matters, the society, especially the youth, has been negatively affected

Through understanding the sexual aspects of the self, I realized that there is a need to remove the negative connotation attached to sexual activities and sex education

Sex has always been present in society, but for some reason, a lot of conservatives still deny its presence

Declaring that sex education should not be taught at a young age to protests against the use of contraceptives, they continue to shield the youth from its undeniable presence

Because of this, the youth has become ignorant which has resulted to adverse effects such as early pregnancy and overpopulation plaguing our community 

I realized that information is vital in building a well-functioning community, that’s why sex education should not be frowned upon

Continuing to prevent the youth from this reality will only result to further ignorance and the current situation to worsen

The youth of today are the adults of tomorrow, so if we want to build a community filled with well-educated adults who is able to guide the next generation, then sex education should be normalized

Celebrities, Supermodels, Influencers, and many other public figures have become role models for the youth

They have become the image of perfection, and because of this a majority of teens go out of their way to imitate this group of people

The idea of being appreciated because one has the “perfect” look has become a constant in this generation, but has resulted to many unfortunate effects

Through understanding the physical aspect of the self, I’ve come to realize that the unfortunate circumstances that happens to plague the youth these days can be attributed to modern society’s standards of physical beauty

The culture of beauty has become so ingrained in our society that no matter where you are, the beauty agenda is still apparent

From having billboards of supermodels endorse weight-loss products to advertisements of celebrities using certain beauty products, everyone in the community is now striving for perfection

For these companies, these methods are only a means to sell their products, they don’t care to see the adverse effects these methods have done to society

Through this topic, I’ve created this concept of the beauty agenda and why the media is pushing for such an agenda in its forefront

The beauty agenda is the media pushing for certain beauty standards in order for the youth to conform with these standards, which results to companies selling tons of products

It may result in mass depression, major loss of self-esteem, degradation of the integrity, but as long as the media is making money, they won’t care and will continue to push such agenda 

Studying the physical self made me realize that instead of conforming with the impossible beauty standards in the media, acceptance is more important than ever

Though it may be hard, given how the media portrays certain beauty types, acceptance is key in raising one’s self-esteem and self-worth

When one discusses the difference between western and eastern culture, a lot of things are presented in the table

One of the most common points that a person would present is the difference in beliefs and practices

There is always an emphasis on how these 2 factors differ so much, but one thing they also differ in is their perspective on how life should be lived in order to build ones identity

Through taking a closer look into the western and eastern concept of the self, I was able to see the difference of both cultures concept of human identity and how I can use both to understand the self better

Though we live under the same sky, breathe the same air, walk on the same land, diversity is ever present in modern society

Because of diversity, people tend to have their own beliefs, create their own concepts, formulate their own standards as to how life should be lived

I was able to appreciate how the human mind is able to comprehend existence in such unique ways because even though it is difficult to understand the self, humans are still capable of creating concepts to understand it better

The ability of the human mind to grasp not only it’s surroundings, but also the human entity, is exploited through the creation of these vast cultures

I realized that these cultures were not made to create division between humans, these cultures were made for us to be independent of one another and present a new perspective and outlook as to how life should be lived by an individual 

Because I was able to study these vast and differing cultures, I was able to view the self through an entirely new perspective which helped me see a better picture of how the self works

One day my teacher called me in class and asked me the question “What is the human identity?”

I was only given an instant to think about my answer, so of course I wasn’t able to answer as best as I could

After the event, I thought  to myself, “Is there a right answer to the question?”, “Is there really a definite answer that would sum up the human identity as a whole?”

After studying the psychological aspect of the self, I was able to infer that the human identity is difficult to understand because of the complexity of the human psyche

There are a lot of different researchers and philosophers who tried to create different concepts in order for us to understand how the mind works

Even up to this day, A lot of psychologists try to determine all the elements that make up the totality of the human mind; and everyday, new discoveries about it are found

Even with the help of centuries-worth of research, there is still no exact answer as to how the human psyche functions and how it combines different elements to make up the self 

The self is a complex concept which requires a tantamount of effort to even be able to get a grasp how it develops

I was able to infer that what makes the concept so difficult to understand is because of the mystery of how the mind shapes the being to form the self

The human psychology is ultimately the one that determines our identity through complex processes

There is no definite concept that could explain how the self develops because the one responsible for creating such, the human psyche, is convoluted

If someone were to ask me again “What is the human identity?” I would say that there is no concrete answer

One thing I’ve realized is that the definition of human identity is really up to a persons perspective because of its complexity

What makes up the self differs for each person because the self is wide and vast

In the start of conception, babies are highly dependent on their environment

As the child continues to grow, the culture in which he/she lives in becomes an instruction manual which they are expected to follow

But as they interact with people of different cultures, they slowly start to stray away from these standards and start to follow the culture that coincides with their personal beliefs

Through understanding the power of culture in developing self-identity, I’ve come to realize that the culture one lives in is a necessary tool in developing the self

The culture one starts with serves as a beginners guide to determining one’s initial traits

Though in most cases these traits are lost in the process of growth and development, these are necessary in determining who we are and who we will become

But one should always remember that the culture in which one is born into should never be the sole factor that determines your identity

Though its importance should never be disregarded, Forming your own perspective is just as important

I realized that Individuality should not be viewed as straying away from one’s culture or treated as an act of disrespect towards it

Whenever we hear the concept of developing the self, what we’ve attached with it is the principle of “Every man for himself”

This principle, in this context, explains that you are the one responsible for developing your self without the help of any external factors

But indulging myself in this particular lesson has taught me that external factors ,specifically the society, is pretty much a requirement in building the self

The environment one lives in plays a huge role in developing its citizens

The community I belong in, the friends I have, the people around me: I realized that they all play a major role in self-development

All these factors, together with my very own values and morals, will aid me in finding my true identity

The importance of surrounding myself with the right people really hit me

Not only do they become a reflection in which you view yourself as (According to Charles Horton-Cooley), ultimately, they become a fraction of your being

In order to ensure that I develop as someone who has good values and morals, I need to surround myself with people who share the same attributes to influence redirect me in the right path

Through understanding the sociological perspective, I was able to realize that building the self is like building a puzzle

I’m the one responsible for building the puzzle, but the pieces in this puzzle are the different external factors 

In order to see the best version of myself in this puzzle, I need to meticulously choose the different pieces that I want to include in this puzzle

Humans have always been curious creatures

Even before the establishment of human civilization, humans have always felt the need to create an explanation for the nature of the things around us

The greatest scientists and philosophers were renowned as such due to their contributions to understanding the world that we live in

While studying concrete and observable phenomena requires exceptional skills and intellect, analyzing the abstract is totally different 

The answer to the question “What composes the human body?” is totally different from “What defines the human entity?”

It takes a creative mind and wide perspective to understand what is beyond the physical and discernible

Studying the different perspectives of philosophers regarding the nature of the self made me appreciate the width of the human perspective

These philosophers were able to create a structure in order to understand our being

You may or may not agree with these ideologies, but one thing is certain, the ability to create these definite explanations of a thing so abstract is impressive.

While entering the minds of these philosophers, I realized that the human mind is truly vast and powerful

The ability of humans to see the world and create their own perspective truly is a phenomena 

Understanding the self in the perspective of these philosophers really made me realize that the mind is really capable of anything