Material/Economic Self

Components in Understanding the Self

(William James)
• 1. Its Constituents
• Material Self
• Social Self
• Spiritual Self
• Pure Ego
• 2. The feelings and emotions they arouse – self-feelings
• 3. The actions to which they prompt – self-seeking and
self-preservation
Material Self
• Primarily about our bodies, clothes, immediate family
and home.

•1. Body – the innermost part of our material self.

• We strive hard to make sure this body functions well and good.
• Any ailments or disorder directly affects us.
• Some people (like celebrities) invest in insurances for certain body
parts.
Material Self
• Primarily about our bodies, clothes, immediate family
and home.

•2. Clothes – the essential part of our material self.

• “Anytime we bring an object into the surface of our body, we invest
that object into our consciousness of our personal existence taking its
contours to be our own and making it part of the self”
• - Herman Lotze

• The fabric and style brings sensations to which directly affects our
attitudes and behavior.
• It is a form of Self-expression.
• Wearing clothes is the reflection of our self.
Material Self
• Primarily about our bodies, clothes, immediate family
and home.

•3. Immediate Family – great important part of our self.

• Third in the hierarchy, what they DO or BECOME affects us.
• When a family member dies, a part of our self also dies
• When they achieve success, we feel their victories.
• In their failures, we are put to shame or guilt.
• When they are in the disadvantage, we feel an urgent urge to
volunteer and offer help as if saving one’s life from danger.
• We see them as the nearest REPLICA of our self.
Material Self
• Primarily about our bodies, clothes, immediate family
and home.

•4. Home – the earliest nest of our Selfhood.

• Home is where the Heart is.
• Our experiences inside the home were recorded and marked on
particular parts and things in our home.
• “If only walls can speak.”
• It is an extension of self, in it, we can directly connect our self.
Collections / Possessions
• People has a tendency to collect and possess
properties.
• The more investment we had, the more we identify
ourselves to it.
• A person’s self is the sum total of all what he/she
CAN CALL his/hers.
• According to Russel Beik, “We are what we have and
what we possess.
We are What we Have
• The identification of the self started way back during infancy
stage when we make distinction from self and environment
and others who may desire our possessions.
• As we grow older, putting importance to material
possessions decreases.
• However, material possessions gain higher value in our
lifetime.
• We use these material possessions to:
• find happiness
• Associate with significant events
• Accomplishments
• People
We are What we Have
• It becomes a symbol of the owner. Even if one passes
away, it gives a constant reminder of that person
• The possessions that we dearly have tell something
about :
• Who we are
• Our Self-concept
• Our past
• Even our future
Emotional Self
Wheel of Emotion
(Plutchick Model)
• Emotions are related to one
another.
• Emotions adjacent to one another
are closely related and can be
combined (e.g. love is a
combination of joy and trust)
• Emotions across each other are
conceptual opposites (e.g.
sadness is the opposite of joy)
• Emotions nearer to the center are
the most intense and those
farthest from the center are the
weaker forms.
• The eight (8) fundamental
emotions are joy, trust, fear,
surprise, sadness, disgust, anger
and anticipation.
 Disgust
Fear

Joy

Angry Sad
Emotion Management Strategies

• In any social interaction, feelings may arise.

• These emotions may be positive or negative and may affect
relationships as well.
• That is why people should always keep their emotions in check to
avoid misunderstanding and miscommunications.

• So, What are the best strategies for managing emotions?

• How can one avoid outbursts and negative feelings towards others.
Emotion Management Strategies
• 1. Smile to make yourself feel good.
• 2. Smile to make others feel good.
• 3. Get up and move.
• 4. Check in with your body.
• 5. Physically remove tension.
• 6. Breathe.
• 7. Talk to someone.
• 8. Disengage and re-engage emotions.
• 9. Label your emotions.
• 10. Label emotions for others.
Emotion Management Strategies
• 1. Smile to make yourself feel good.
• Face a mirror and smile. Your mood will be better, you might even laugh naturally.
• Do it in 30 seconds.
• 2. Smile to make others feel good.
• Smiling opens up your connection with others.
• It also leads to experiencing empathy .
• 3. Get up and move.
• Exercise activates happy hormones – endorphin, dopamine and serotonin.
• Movement is also important for a lymphatic system to get toxins out of your body.
• 4. Check in with your body.
• Scan your body by feeling the tensions building up.
• Learn to relate these tensions with emotions you feel.
• Understand how your feelings affect your physiology.
• 5. Physically remove tension.
• Tension in your arms – shake it.
• Tension in your chest – stretch and breathe deeply.
Emotion Management Strategies
• 6. Breathe.
• Perform diaphragmatic or deep breathing by contracting your diaphragm.
• You will feel a tingly sensation and your belly will expand. Do this for 60 seconds.
• The body cannot sustain anger when you are breathing deeply.
• 7. Talk to someone.
• It is healthier to vent your anger and frustrations to a friend rather than suppress it.
• Express your feelings and start to resolve the situation.
• 8. Disengage and re-engage emotions.
• Learn to park your emotions and deal with it later but do not avoid them.
• You must acknowledge your feelings; utilize your emotional intelligence to improve them.
• 9. Label your emotions.
• After acknowledging, label them. This reduces the intensity of your emotions.
• 10. Label emotions for others.
• You can defuse a tense situation by acknowledging the feelings of others.
• “I sensed that you are angry. Can you tell me how you feel?”
• It encourages the other person to consider and label his/her emotion. S/he may respond
with: “Yes, I feel angry.” or “No, I’m not angry, I am annoyed.”