Atika Abubakar, 1 AB MEC
Entry #1
A Bioecological and Sociocultural Approach to the Self
Having thought of what was discussed in my first few Understanding the Self classes, I learned of the different factors that helped shape who I am today. I realized how similar I am to my mom as she was the one who raised me and has been my closest parental figure; the way I talk, move, and look are almost identical to hers. But even so, I also realized that no matter how similar we are, it also can’t be helped that our minds often work differently — mostly because we grew up in different generations, in which we were exposed to different societies and environments.
“The family is the first essential cell of human society.” –Pope John XXIII
Entry #2
The Feeling & Mindful Self
Last week, I told my friends to help me restrain myself from eating sweets, as well as junk food, oily food and fatty food after having been told by the doctor to do so – which they all willingly agreed to; and so, a few days ago, one of my friends actually stopped me from getting a sweet snack from the vending machine. Deep down, I felt a tiny feeling of anger, but I repressed it as I knew I shouldn’t even be angry since I was the one who told her to stop me (see Display Rule below). With this, I realized that the reason I felt angry despite it being a petty thing is because I am so used to giving in to my hedonistic goals, especially when it comes to food (ex.: I would always choose to have cake or ice cream for dessert, instead of fruits). I also realized that the reason I was able to repress my emotions was because in a way, I was able to follow the “mindful snack,” in which I stopped for a moment, thought of my goal, and decided to react kindly.
CONCEPTS USED
- Display Rule: This dictates how emotions should be expressed, regardless of how one actually feels inside.
- Hedonistic Goals: This is when one seeks pleasure and avoids pain.
- Mindful S.N.A.C.K: Stop, notice, accept, [be] curious, [show] kindness
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