Self Awareness; What Is It And Is There Anything Beyond Simply Being Self Aware

The search for the self is nothing new. It has become a commonly used term now days.

What is Self Awareness?

The basic level of self-awareness might be defined as follows:
- understanding you are separate from others;
- realizing outside forces have an effect on your person;
- and recognizing you have your own personality with likes and dislikes.

Recognizing Our Uniqueness

The next level would be recognizing the uniqueness of our own personality; what makes Me absolutely Me, different from “You.”

On the positive side are talents, gifts, and aptitudes; things “I” am particularly good at doing, or traits that are appreciated by others in the community.

On the less positive side are traits that range from mere annoyance, to outright nuisance, to real danger for the safety of others.

Various degrees of self-awareness within this bracket are where the majority of people reside. We all know what we do well and not so well. We are aware, to some degree, of our positive and negative qualities. Some are more conscious of patterns, triggers, coping mechanism, etc. than others.

Self Reflectio

One can be aware of one’s personality and nature without doing anything about it, being willing to change, or even recognizing that anything is in need of change.

What brings us to the state of giving some serious thoughts about whom and what we are?

I believe the most effective route to be through other people.

Self reflection will only take us so far on our own. Other people are a necessity in the deeper development of self-awareness; i.e. self-awareness brought on by a reflection of ourselves through others.

Oh, Mirror, Mirror On The Wall…

Our peers take on the role of mirror, reflecting back to us who we are -pleasant or unpleasant. It is up to us to recognize it for what it is. It can be a harsh lesson or the greatest compliment, and certainly a powerful tool for growth.

We learn by interacting with others and noticing how we respond to them and they to us.

We learn by observing others’ behavior, habits, reactions, patterns, etc., giving us insight on how we react to similar situations. It inspires us to take on traits we admire and reject attitudes we do not want to be known for. People interaction is fuel for self-reflection about our own personality.

Suddenly, a Gradual Evolutio

Growth in awareness can come gradually or in sudden leaps. We can invite the process and choose the experience on our own terms, steadily working to improve ourselves, or it can come of its own accord, when least expected, at an intensity that will not be ignored. We then have no choice but to work through the issues at hand.

Self awareness in and of itself is just that: awareness of the self. End of story.

Self Awareness and Self Reflection with a desire to change for the better is what makes human beings capable of evolution on a spiritual level.