Questions turn to Realization : Who Am I perspective! What I want to make and what I value Inside of My Bag.

                             What is the most important thing in your bag that you don't want to lose? And what about, ' If you were to create something that will make your life easier, what would it be?' These questions trigger my curiosity. My professor in UTS ( Understanding the self) subject leave these questions hanging before the class meeting ends. 

              Today in our class meeting, my brain was filled with questions! As in! At first, my classmates have their reporting. The topic that we've discussed today is about the self from various perspectives, it is much more philosophical about understanding oneself. So here's what happened. At the introduction of our class discussion, the assigned reporters started with a question, 'Who am I?', wherein the question is directed to us. This question triggers my curiosity. That is the first time I asked myself, “Who am I?” The initial idea that is running on my mind is that, do I really know myself? Who is the real me? And how I can say so that this is me, that I know myself. Then so I got confused and the reporting proceeds.

                As we go along in the topic discussion I learned a lot of philosophies that I might apply to myself as well as answering that question. Philosophers’ idea who arises during the Greek era is my favorite. Ideas of Plato, Socrates, as well as Aristotle already brighten my brain about my self-concept. But the philosophy that lightens me the most is Socrates’ concept of self.

             Many people never consciously contemplate this question of how one ought to live (WHO AM I?). Instead, the course of their lives is largely determined by the cultural values and norms which they unquestionably adhere to. But according to Socrates, the examination of this question is very important as it is through striving for answers to it that one can hope to improve their life. One of the reasons why most do not consciously contemplate this question is because it requires that one attain self-knowledge, or in other words, turn their gaze inward and analyze both their true nature and the values which guide their life.

            And such knowledge is perhaps the most difficult knowledge to obtain. This conviction is conveyed in perhaps Socrates’ most famous statement: “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Apology).  Examining one’s self is the most important task one can undertake, for it alone will give us the knowledge necessary to answer the question ‘how should I live my life’. As Socrates explained: “…once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves, but otherwise we never shall.” (First Alcibiades)

                           When we turn our gaze inward in search of self-knowledge, Socrates thought we would soon discover our true nature. And contrary to the opinion of the masses, one’s true self, according to Socrates, is not to be identified with what we own, with our social status, our reputation, or even with our body. Instead, Socrates famously maintained that our true self is our soul. As a quick side note, it is important to mention that the Ancient Greeks lived before the ascension of Christianity, and hence for them, the notion of the ‘soul’ did not have the same religious connotations that it has for us. What Socrates actually meant when he made the claim that our true self is our soul is not known for certain. Although many scholars have taken a view similar to the one put forth by the famous historian of philosophy Frederick Copelston who wrote that in calling our true self our soul Socrates was referring to “the thinking and willing subject”.

                          According to Socrates, it is the state of our soul, or our inner being, which determines the quality of our life. Thus it is paramount that we devote considerable amounts of our attention, energy, and resources to making our soul as good and beautiful as possible. Or as he pronounces in Plato’s dialogue the Apology: “I shall never give up philosophy or stop exhorting you and pointing out the truth to anyone of you whom I meet, saying in my most accustomed way: “Most excellent man, are you…not ashamed to care for the acquisition of wealth and for reputation and honor, when you neither care nor take thought for wisdom and truth and the perfection of your soul?”

           

                     After coming to the realization that one’s inner self, or soul, is all-important, Socrates believed the next step in the path towards self-knowledge was to obtain knowledge of what is good and what is evil, and in the process use what one learns to cultivate the good within one’s soul and purge the evil from it. Most people dogmatically assume they know what is truly good and what is truly evil. They regard things such as wealth, status, pleasure, and social acceptance as the greatest of all goods in life, and think that poverty, death, pain, and social rejection are the greatest of all evils. However, Socrates disagreed with these answers, and also believed this view to be extremely harmful. All human beings naturally strive after happiness, thought Socrates, for happiness is the final end in life and everything we do we do because we think it will make us happy. We, therefore, label what we think will bring us happiness as ‘good’, and those things we think will bring us suffering and pain as ‘evil’. So it follows that if we have a mistaken conception of what is good, then we will spend our lives frantically chasing after things that will not bring us happiness even if we attain them. However, according to Socrates if one devoted themselves to self-knowledge and philosophical inquiry, they would soon be led to a more appropriate view of the good. There is one supreme good, he claimed, and possession of this good alone will secure our happiness. This supreme good, thought Socrates, is a virtue. And that's it, thanks to the reporters because I was able to get this 'confusion' about myself into a realization.

                        Then before our meeting ends, my teacher asks one of my classmates about the thing inside their bag that they don't want to lose. Some of my classmates said that they don't want to lose their I pod and watch. So I started to see the objects inside my bag. But because we're out of time, my teacher leaves us that question as our assignment. When I go home, from Manila to Cavite, I let the opportunity to check my bag, wandering about the thing that is very important to me. At first, it is difficult for me to choose a thing in my bag that I valued the most. As I gazed my eyes in the objects inside of my bag and while keep resting my body in my bed and looking at the ceiling of my room… I suddenly realized my role as a student. Everything inside my bag is very important to me. Everything object inside of it was part of my parents’ hardships. But still as a student who seeks to learn a lot from school, I think that I really need this material thing and among those things inside my bag because it is connected to my role as a student.


And TADAH! It is my pens and paper.

                     

                          It is my paper and pens that I valued the most in my bag. I make sure that I always have it. Why? It is simply because, hellloooo, I'm in college now. The most critical part of my studying is at this stage. My pens and papers play a vital role in my life as PNUan. I can't just bring my bag then listen to my professors without taking notes or complying with their quizzes and other requirements. My pens and papers are important, it may sound cliché, but it's the reality. How can I achieve my goals here by just borrowing and asking for papers and pens? Pens and papers are important to me in various ways. They also help me to have my friends now in PNU ( remember? In my previous blog my professor ask us in a certain activity and I used my pen and paper) and help me to survive my everyday life in school. 

                              Furthermore, the next question that is still left hanging is, about creating something. If you were to ask me about what are the things that make my life miserable, I can directly say POLLUTION. I hated it. Exposing myself into cigarette smokes or polluted air, my body started to feel itchy and my eyes are getting teary and heavy, it feels like I could be having flu. I would also like to consider the effects of pollution on our environment. Climate change is not a joke, its not just an easy or basic argument, because it is killing our earth, the place that we all sharing on, the place where we feel all the happiness and sadness the ups and downs. So, for me, if I had a chance to create something, I will create a gas cleaner machine. 

                     This machine has the capacity to convert bad gasses into good ones. This will prevent the continuing deterioration of our home. I will not only help myself but I can also give a big help to other people in this world. It will be my pleasure to be part of the world's safety and maintenance. I would love to help sustainable development among everyone. The picture below is the sketch of my masterpiece if ever I already have the chance to create him. By the way, I will call him, 'Bambie' as a tribute to my loving dog that died. This machine is also eco- friendly, as it uses solar power to function. 

                           This day was another special day. I also learned something about self realization in the activity that my classmate gave to us. Below is the photo of who am I.

                      The next photo below is the group activity that we have done and I participated in. 

The Next photo below is my groupmates doing this activity of concept of self. 

                    In all, I can say that "nasulit ko ang baon na binigay sa akin ng mama at papa ko". It's worth it and unforgettable because of the self-realizations and learning that it brought to me. Thank you so much for this opportunity to learn a valuable thing in my life again. To God Be the Glory.