Self-awareness etc.
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
– Carl Gustav Jung
Duval and Wicklund (1972) said that there are two types of self-awareness:
Our comparisons of attitudes, traits, behaviours, or appearances between ourselves and others or to imagined norms lead to objective self-awareness.
Our observation and experience that we are the source of perceptions and behaviours leads to subjective self-awareness.
There are two major systems in objective self-awareness: self and standard. The system is designed to meet the requirement. “Standards,” according to Duval and Wicklund, are our mental representations of “proper” behaviour and features. 5 A mental conflict arises when there is a disparity between the self and standard systems. This is a bad situation, and we’re working hard to repair or avoid it. We resolve this conflict by adjusting our behaviour to conform to the applicable criteria or ceasing the internal self-evaluation process.
They concluded that objective self-awareness was essentially a negative condition because they considered there was a significant likelihood of at least one difference between the two systems. 6 They first assumed that there would always be something we wished to change about ourselves.
Self-awareness is the ability to perceive and understand the characteristics that define you as an individual, such as your personality, actions, values, beliefs, emotions, and thoughts. It is essentially a psychological state in which the self becomes the focus of attention. (Cherry, 2023) Also, Journaling is a self-reflection exercise that can help you notice how you think and behave and which parts of your life you might want to improve. It can be a therapeutic technique to gain perspective on life events and relationships.
Self-reflection?
Self-reflection is the practice of introspection combined with a willingness to learn about oneself to acquire self-awareness. (Hunter, 2011)
Self-reflection is a conscious decision. It entails searching inward to discover who you are, what you value, and how you behave in different situations. Our ability to detect and manage our emotions is important for self-awareness. Last, reflective thinking helps us to develop our awareness. One cannot exist without the other. (Levy, 2021)
Self-awareness and Journaling
The purpose of journaling in the context of building self-awareness is to gain a deeper understanding of oneself than ever before.
It is a chance to communicate with emotions in your subconscious that you may be overlooking or ignoring. The act of writing provides a platform for these emotions, allowing you to more easily bring them to light.
Here are my fundamental suggestions for getting started:
1) Focus on a specific aspect of your life by keeping track of it.
2) Commence each day by keeping track of your most positive and most negative emotions.
3) Choose a system to record your entries, such as a paper journal, a note on your phone, or an app, to make it simpler to maintain your new writing routine.
4) Schedule a time of day for journaling to reinforce the habit (the time of day is irrelevant; choose whatever works for you).
(Life Skills That Matter, 2016)
REF
Cherry, K. (2023). What Is Self-Awareness? [online] Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-awareness-2795023.
Duval, S. & Wicklund, R. A. (1972) A theory of objective self awareness / [by] Shelley Duval and Robert A. Wicklund. New York: Academic Press.
Hunter, C. (2011). The Art of Self Awareness and Self Reflection. [online] Theravive. Available at: https://www.theravive.com/today/post/the-art-of-self-awareness-and-self-reflection-0000005.aspx.
Levy, J. (2021). Self-reflection and Awareness: Why they matter and what they can change. [online] One Year No Beer. Available at: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/self-reflection/.
Life Skills That Matter. (2016). Number One Self-Awareness Habit. [online] Available at: https://lifeskillsthatmatter.com/number-one-self-awareness-habit/.