Small Acts, Big Impact

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One’s political self is one of the most important perspectives of the self. As part of society, we exercise certain rights, practices, and decisions that may affect the development and the growth of our country. Each person who belongs in a certain social status corresponds in its specific functions and roles in the community or even in society. We are all gifted with freedom. And this freedom should be maximized to its full potential.


 The point here is, each social actor acts and lives by their own set of responsibilities, decisions, and practices corresponding to their roles and, with this we are linked to the freedom given to us to take actions. Our contributions count. Every unconscious and conscious act that we have done still has an impact on our society.

The organic and mechanical solidarity by Emile Durkheim explains that solidarity by social actors contribute to the structure and image of society. So we need to develop and nurture our political self. Below are some of the advice I learned in our class in Understanding the Self for me to become a functional member of society.

1.       Community engagement

Community engagement is necessary for everyone to enjoy it's later on benefits. As we engage ourselves we will not only help ourselves to become more aware and participative in the activities of the community but we can still lend a hand in the improvement of it as well.  Citizens are engaged when they play a meaningful role in the deliberations, discussions, decision-making and /or implementation of projects or programs affecting them.

2.       Political Ideas should be aligned to the needs of society.

In connection with the engagement, we are all aware that we do engage to help the community or to help society develop. Being an activist or radical is our right of expression, however, it does not give the solutions we are longing for. As we already engage ourselves in the political issues present in our environment, by such action of expressing our emotions, we just tend to let the political issues eat us. For example, here in the Philippines, some students join a rally just to be in trend with a certain issue, they spend a lot of time being in somewhere rather than spending most of their time studying. Sometimes this becomes the reason why we tend to be close-minded in other political perspectives. Time values a lot, as a young generation it is okay for us to fight for our beliefs because it will later affect the decision of our government,  but we should always remember that each act that we do will be the producer of a change. If a certain political belief is not critically analyzed and broadcast we are just wasting our time and efforts for a non-sense or inappropriate change.

3.        One mission, one goal, be a global citizen-oriented!

Isn't it good to develop global citizenship? Just imagine this, if everyone looks at life as a meaningful life having a purpose we are all able to aid everybody. I mean we can help and save a lot of people in this world. We can also help our home, the earth, last long until the next generations. We should be all leaders. The leaders who have the care for its members but never be the kind of leader who is abusive in power and greedy. We should control ourselves and manage our resources. We are part of this wonderful world. Indeed that our political self is an instrument to have a better wonderful world.

4. Be a contributor!

                    As a student with no too much power and do not have the full capability of making big actions, literally, I can still work out in developing myself and also for the development of my community. Studying hard and learning all the knowledge that will fulfill the thirst of my brain and skills will help me to develop myself and fully engage in my community. This thing is a good investment for the change that we are wishing for. If I can apply it to myself, so why don't you too?

5.  Your suffrage, rights and freedom should be critically analyzed and execute.

               The practice of analyzing one's action is a great investment in making decisions. I'm a chess player. At first, as I play chess my calculations and moves are not all good. I always ask myself why there are people who are better in me given that we are both at the same age. But now, I become a varsity player of PNU. I've been practicing and playing chess for 5 years. And I can say that I am better now than in the past. Even though as I play it I still make some mistakes and not good and not bad decisions. You know in playing chess as long as you have decided always the 'best' moves and pieces the probability of winning the game is in high percentage. So, what's the point of involving chess in our freedom and our way of analyzing things? Well, decision making is like playing chess. There is a goal (to create a checkmate) and when playing you have the freedom in moving the pieces you love to move. But that freedom should be analyzed properly to create best moves and win the game. In short, our freedom is connected to our analytical and critical way of observing and making decisions. And this is practice and not easily get. You know as we incorporate our political self in playing chess, we can create a government for all people, the one who can aid everybody even the marginalized sectors. Let us be the creator of better changes in our society!