Self-awareness

A Venn diagram showing the relationship between self-concept, self-efficacy, and self-esteem.

Self-awareness is conscious knowledge of one's own character, personality, feelings, motives, and desires. Know thyself is an ancient and well-accepted philosophical maxim which was inscribed upon the Temple of Apollo in the ancient Greek precinct of Delphi.

95% believe of individuals believe they are self-aware, but according to tests, only 15% of individuals are genuinely aware of themselves.

Increasing self-awareness

See also: Journaling and Mentor and Friendship and Accountability partner and Performance goal and Results orientation and Evidence-based thinking and Values and Virtue and Observation skills

"To increase self-awareness, you can practice mindfulness meditation, regularly journal your thoughts and feelings, actively seek feedback from trusted individuals, reflect on your experiences, identify your core values, and pay close attention to your emotions and reactions in different situations; essentially, making a conscious effort to observe yourself objectively and understand your internal processes better."

Source: How to increase self-awareness

Articles:

Psychology oriented websites:

• What Is Self-Awareness? (+5 Ways to Be More Self-Aware) by Courtney E. Ackerman, MA.
• How to Be More Self-Aware and Why It’s Important, PsychCentral.com
• How to Be More Self-Aware and Why It’s Important, PsychCentral
• 9 Tips to Help You Kick Off Your Self-Discovery Journey, Healthline.com
• Developing Self-awareness
• 26 Questions To Help You Know Yourself Better, PsychCentral
• How to Know Yourself Better, PsychCentral

Business-oriented websites and other websites:

• How to Improve Self-Awareness (With Steps and Tips), Indeed
• 10 strategies to improve self-awareness
• 8 Tips To Improve Your Self-Awareness
• Self-awareness activities to transform your life and career by Sami Ramirez, MSc, PCC
• 6 ways to improve self-awareness
• 5 Ways to Become More Self-Aware, Harvard Business Review
• 8 Steps To Improve Your Self-Awareness (With Tips)
• 10 ways to improve self awareness, The Tribune (India)

Videos:

• How to increase self-awareness - video playlist, video playlist

Journaling and improvement of self-awareness

See also: Diary

Journaling improves self-distancing, self-awareness and mindfulness. Self-distancing is one's ability to reflect on past events/emotions as an objective observer. This improves one's ability to break away from a nonstop cycle of obsessive thinking and brooding.

Journal articles

• Self-awareness buffers the consequences of negative feedback: Evidence from an ERP study, International Journal of Psychophysiology. 2021 Jun:164:9-16. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.02.004. Epub 2021 Feb 5.
• Ashley, Greg; Reiter-Palmon, Roni (1 September 2012). "Self-Awareness and the Evolution of Leaders: The Need for a Better Measure of Self-Awareness". Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management 14 (1): 2–17. doi:10.21818/001c.17902. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/psychfacpub/7/. 

Quotes

• "It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle." - Sun Tzu

• “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” - Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

See also

• Identity (psychology)
• Self-control
• Self-regulation
• Agency (psychology)
• Mindfulness (Psychology)
• Metacognition
• Self-doubt

Other related concepts:

• Hubris
• Pride