How can one truly determine what the self is, especially if faced with unfamiliar

and new circumstances? The movie Pele portrays a contradiction that is found within the
self. The protagonist faced challenges that were not present in a life he lived rurally.
Showcasing that the self is not merely what we thought we should be, but what we can
be throughout future struggles. Pele was confused when he was introduced to the
European style of playing football, disregarding the fact that the Brazilian style of
football was highly discouraged. Over time, Pele understood that the European style of
playing football is best used due to opponents being European and always winning
majority of the games. In line with Jean Piaget’s theory of the self, that self-knowledge is
a process and is guided by experiences, Pele did not necessarily reject his past
experiences in order to cope with the new style of playing football, but reflected on his
past experiences to further understand and grow with his new acquired knowledge. For
Piaget, Pele’s history played an integral part in maturing his insights, proving that the self
is constantly evolving.

To know one’s self is to truly achieve human fulfillment by trying to attain one’s
deepest desires. Pele was gearing exactly towards this – the fulfillment of his utmost
happiness. Throughout childhood, he was determined to not necessarily be the best at
football, but be great at it. This is his ultimate goal, which he believes will lead him to
happiness – this is Pele’s true self. The human life is circulated around self-fulfillment
and is the ultimate goal of human beings, hence human fulfillment is to be the best self
and achieve full maturity through experiences and struggles. Furthermore, human
fulfillment can be achieved if the self is truly known, through actions that can give a
substantial definition of someone as a person, acting not only with the past as basis, but
present learnings are likewise taken into account. Pele throughout the movie went
under a series of evolution, and towards the end of the movie, he was able to mature
not only into a skilled player, but a human being reaching his full potential.
 Pele defined his self through the positive and negative influences in his life.
According to the theory by Axel Honneth, a person can only truly be his self when he is
in a state that ‘allows him to experience self-confidence, self-respect, and self-esteem’.
Honneth and Piaget’s theory both emphasized the importance of external influences in
the achievement of self and human fulfillment. Through the flashbacks of Pele when
immersed in a game, it is evident that he uses experiences and external influences in
order to achieve what he believes is his true self and what he believes will help him
attain true human fulfillment – through football. Without these flashbacks and
references to the past, Pele would not have been able to create an image of strategy in
the game. These flashbacks not only emphasized his past influences, but his love for the
sport and his determination to win. The movie showcased Pele’s maturity through
struggles and experiences in attaining one’s true self, gearing towards his human
fulfillment through playing football. Hence, the importance of knowing oneself
contributes to one’s human fulfillment.