What is self-awareness?
Self-awareness is the ability to rationally acknowledge, assess, and understand the inner, private self.
"... a conscious knowledge of one's own character, feelings, motives, and desires." -Oxford Dictionary.
Self-awareness is the foundation which needs to be laid in order for you to make habit changes, behavior changes, and to develop self-efficacy and self-control.
Public self-awareness of is when you are aware of (or think you are aware of) how you appear to others. It is the urge you feel to be accepted and approved of by your tribe and community. It is a natural and functional awareness, and necessary for your own survival in society.
In its correct place, public self-awareness should be of secondary importance to your private self-awareness. When making decisions and judgements, what you believe and know about yourself is far more important than what you believe and know about what others think.
Self-awareness is not the same thing as self-consciousness. When people talk about “self-consciousness” they are commonly referring to an overdeveloped sense of public self-awareness. Those who rely disproportionately on the fluid and unscrupulous public or popular opinion tend to develop a controlling, and sometimes debilitating, sense of being watched, judged, and found unacceptable in some way by their tribe.
“To ‘know thyself’ is a warning to pay no attention to the multitude.” -The Suda-
If you desire to make changes in your life, the best place to start is within yourself.
Start by making a list of your strengths and weaknesses. This forces you to confess your shortcomings and also view, perhaps for the first time, all that you have to offer. Look back over the last few years. Which accomplishments are you most proud of? What values and beliefs about yourself do your answers reflect?
Crowd photo by José Martín Ramírez C on Unsplash
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