Chapter 1
Understanding Yourself
Vocabulary…
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Heredity
Environment
Cultural heritage
Ethnic group
Personality
Character
Empathy
Self-concept
Self-esteem
What is heredity?
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Heredity is the sum of all the traits passed on
through genes from parents to children.
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Heredity causes both similarities and
differences in people.
Inherited Traits
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Your skin, hair, and eye color are inherited
traits, as are your facial features, body build,
and height.
Mental and physical abilities are also
inherited. You have little, if any, control over
your inherited traits.
Your Environment
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Your environment is made up of everything
that surrounds you.
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As an infant you had little control over your
environment. As your growing older, you are
gaining more control. In the future, you will
probably be able to control the environment in
which you will live.
You have two different types of environments
Psychological and Personal
Both types strongly influence your personal
development.
Psychological Environment
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It is composed of attitudes expressed by
people around you.
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Includes:
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Feelings and beliefs of your family members, teachers,
classmates, and friends.
These people influence the attitudes you have.
You partially control your psychological environment
through your choice of friends.
Physical Environment
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Is composed of objects around you.
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One main factor would be where you live…
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Farm, city, small town… depending on where you
grew up everyone experienced different
environments.
You had little control while with your parents but
will be able to choose where you want to live later
in life.
Your Environments
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Both psychological and physical- influence
the way you look, think, and act.
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As you learn more about your environments,
you can understand yourself better.
Cultural Heritage
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Cultural heritage is made up of the learned
behaviors, beliefs, and languages that are
passed from generation to generation.
Who helps you to learn about your
cultural heritage???
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Your family, immediate and extended.
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Their guidelines and beliefs become part of your
heritage.
The food you eat, the holidays you celebrate, and
the traditions you observe are part of your culture.
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All Americans are part of an ethnic group….
An ethnic group is a group of people who
share a common racial and/or cultural
characteristics such as national origin,
language, religion, and traditions.
Examples of ethnic groups…
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Native Americans
European Americans
Asian Americans
African Americans
Hispanics
Caucasians
Importance of ethnic groups
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Ethnic groups help to maintain a culturally
healthy society.
The blending of all these cultures makes
American culture truly unique.
Understanding your cultural makes you
appreciate it and to appreciate other cultures
around you.
Your Personality
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Personality is the total of all the behavioral
qualities and traits that make up an
individual.
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Includes the way you feel, the way you speak, the
way you think, the way you dress, and the way
you relate to others.
Your personality is a combination of all the traits
that make you unique.
Traits
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Traits are qualities that make you different
from other people.
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What are some examples of traits??
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Cheerful, cooperative, easy-going
Lazy, moody, grumpy
Character Development
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Character refers to inner traits, such as
conscience, moral strength, and social
attitudes.
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It is the inner you…
the force that guides your conduct and behavior
toward acceptable standards of right and wrong.
Character Traits
Caring- a trait that describes people who are
kind to others.
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Caring people are friendly to everyone not just their
friends
Empathy- means they understand how others
feel even when their own personal feelings may
differ.
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They also show sympathy. They know to give a hug
when others are hurting.
Continued…
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Fairness- the ability to be honest and impartial.
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Impartial- to act in an objective, unbiased way.
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Respect- to hold in high regard.
Trustworthiness- means you can be relied upon.
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Those who are fair show no prejudice towards others opinions,
ideas, or ways of doing things.
Example: a friend tells you a secret, and you do not tell
anyone else.
Responsibility- means being accountable for your
actions and obligations.
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Whether you like it or not your accountable for them.
Self-Concept
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Self-concept is your own view of yourself.
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This started at an early age and it was largely
influenced by people around you and the way you
interpreted their behaviors toward you.
Positive and Negative
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When people show approval of you and the
things you did, you received a positive
message such as, “ People like what I do.”
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Positive feelings like this develop a positive selfconcept.
With positive self-concept you will see
yourself as a worthwhile person.
Positive and Negative
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When people showed disapproval, you
received a negative warning.
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You may have felt a sense of personal rejection.
Every person receives positive and negative
messages, it lies within the individual to
measure his or hers self-worth.
Improving Self-Concept
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Liking yourself and feeling good about
yourself allows your personality to grow and
develop even more.
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Be realistic about your expectations of yourself
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Remember no one is perfect
Look for balance in your life
Develop your talents and abilities
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If your part of a group, take on a task that will give you
an opportunity to learn a new skill.
Improving Self-Concept
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Look for positive relationships with others
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Spend time doing activities you enjoy
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Surround yourself with positive people who will
support you.
Learn to be enjoy being alone and doing activities
that only you might enjoy.
Develop a sense of humor
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Learn to laugh at yourself
What is self-esteem
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Self-esteem is the sense of worth you attach to
yourself, it’s a word describe a positive self-concept.
Taking pride in your work and your accomplishments
shows a positive self-esteem.
It is a personal statement you make to yourself that
describes your self-worth.
You are a worthy person. If you feel you are
worthwhile person, it will show in your relationships
with others.
If you accept yourself you are more likely to accept
others.
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Having self-esteem does not mean that
everything you do will be successful. It does
help you to maintain a realistic view of your
successes and failures.
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You will be more likely to try harder to reach
your goals and fulfill your responsibilities if
you have self-esteem