From early childhood, a person wonders who he is, trying to understand himself, in his inner world. This is how the process of self-discovery begins.. And this is not only contemplation of oneself, but also observation of one's actions, thoughts in order to improve them. For knowing oneself without inner work meaningless.
One of the main requirements for this is recognition of one's own ignorance and desire to acquire this knowledge. It is impossible to know oneself by introspection alone. Logical reasoning or other mental activity is also not enough. It is necessary to awaken the consciousness of one's Divine nature and do it better under the guidance of an experienced mentor or a teacher who has knowledge.
Each person is a separate world which holds many mysteries. And as difficult as it is to comprehend the outer world, it is just as difficult to know the inner world of a person. This is a very exciting, difficult, but achievable task.
An interesting fact is that this is not a one-time process, but a gradual one. Discovering one part of yourself, gradually a person learns something new. And in the end, it can take a lifetime, making it incredibly exciting.
In order to understand oneself, it is also necessary to be aware of what drives actions, what internal motives. Such an assessment must be objective.
With each stage of self-knowledge, a person changes himself, changes his attitude to life. He discovers in himself more and more new sides, new opportunities that he did not know about before.
In ancient teachings under self-knowledge understood the knowledge of its depth in which the divine nature of man was revealed. It was combined with the study of mental states. Such self-knowledge led a person beyond the limits of knowledge of his own Self.
To engage in self-knowledge, a person must have not only the desire, but also to know what ways of self-knowledge exist. It can be religion, philosophy, psychology, various meditative or bodily techniques. It is important to understand what result this or that way of knowing oneself leads to.
A person must constantly develop - this is another important condition for self-knowledge. Self-knowledge constantly lags behind the object of knowledge.
In the process of knowing yourself, it is important not to belittle your qualities, and also not to exaggerate them. It is a sober assessment and acceptance of oneself as one is that is the key to the proper development of a person. Otherwise, arrogance, self-confidence, or vice versa, timidity, isolation, shyness may appear. These qualities will become an insurmountable barrier to self-improvement.
Some philosophers highly valued self-knowledge. So Socrates said that it is the basis of all virtue. Lessing and Kant argued that this is the beginning and center of human wisdom. Goethe wrote: "How can you know yourself? Through contemplation, this is generally impossible, it is possible only through action. Try to do your duty - and then you will know what is in you."
Self-knowledge of personality- a complex process of studying himself by an individual, as a result of which the entire continuum of his own properties and qualities is reflected in his mind.
In psychology, a consensus has been established that this process has a level organization. Disagreements concern only the number of such levels. Most domestic psychologists consider the development of self-knowledge as a two-level process. Cognition begins (according to A. Leontiev) with the allocation of external, superficial properties and is the result of comparison, analysis and generalization, the allocation of the most essential. In other words, at the first level there is an accumulation of primary fragmentary information about oneself through the correlation of oneself with the surrounding social world. This level, as it were, prepares the individual for intensive and deep self-knowledge, realized on the basis of introspection.
At the second level, the individual cognizes himself by operating with information about himself obtained at the first level. The greatest flow of information now comes not from the sphere "I - the surrounding social world", but closes on the sphere "I - I".
The mechanisms of self-knowledge include the processes of identification, reflection and attribution, which are closely interconnected with each other.
Identification (lat. identificare - to identify) is mental operation(emotional-cognitive process) of varying degrees of awareness (from unconscious to fully conscious), with the help of which the individual:
- recognizes objects (phenomena, processes) by comparing them on some basis and, establishing the degree of similarity or difference between them, assigns them to some group, type, type;
- identifies (attributes to himself, transfers to himself) the characteristics of other people on the basis of the acceptance of their values and norms (or direct imitation of them);
- projects himself onto another person, endowing him with his own personal characteristics;
- comprehends and penetrates into the other person's overturning, putting himself in his place and at the same time showing a readiness to emotionally respond to the problems that torment him (empathy).
Reflection (lat. reflexio - conversion; back, reflection) - self-knowledge by the individual of his internal mental states. It characterizes the ability of the individual's consciousness to focus on itself. In philosophy, this concept was associated with a person's reflection on what is happening in his mind, what is the content of his thoughts. Social psychology has expanded the scope of understanding reflection. Here it is transferred to the interaction of two people or the interaction of people within a larger group and acquires the character of mutual reflection by individuals of each other. Each individual not only strives to know himself, but also to understand how he is displayed in the minds of other people. This is displayed by a number of positions that form a reflexive process:
- individual A, what he really is;
- individual A's vision of himself;
- vision of individual A by individual B;
- individual B, what he really is;
- individual B's vision of himself;
- the vision of individual B by individual A.
Thus, reflection is not only an introspective immersion in the world of one’s mental processes, states and properties, but also an awareness of one’s goals, motives and behavior, as well as a vision of one’s image that is emerging in the thoughts of the interlocutor.
Attribution (English attribute - attribute, endow) - the process of endowing individual A with any characteristics to another individual B and attributing to him some personality traits, motives, goals, attitudes based on the perception of his current behavior. Most often, there is a stereotypical "completion" of the image of the interlocutor, attributing the reasons for his behavior. Attribution is considered as one of the main mechanisms of social perception, or perception of a person by a person, as a result of which the individual expands the scope of self-knowledge.
Attribution is due to three interdependent factors (according to A. Bodalev):
- features appearance and behavioral manners of the interlocutor to whom the attribution process is directed;
- personal characteristics of the subject of attribution (his character, worldview, attitudes, values, etc.);
- the specifics of the situation against which: the process of attribution unfolds.
In psychology, the concept of causal attribution (lat. causa - cause) is distinguished as the fact of interpretation by individual A of the reasons for the specific behavior of individual B on the basis of signs obtained in the process of interpersonal perception.
To date, the most popular and sought-after word among healthy people is "perfection". In every sphere a person must move, grow, develop. However, few people understand how to do it, which is why they do not achieve it in the end. All people would like to develop as individuals, but they do everything that does not contribute to this. One of the important stages of development is self-knowledge, of which there are several types.
What role does self-knowledge highlight online magazine site in the development of oneself? A person is able to develop only when he knows what shortcomings he has in order to change and improve them. What do people usually do? They change those around them and the world as a whole, forgetting that the development and achievement of happiness, success, love begins with the development of themselves. People change and influence anything but themselves. And here psychologists identify two main reasons for this:
- It is difficult for a person to know himself, because he has been taught all the time to know the world. Moreover, self-knowledge will make a person see himself not as he is used to seeing himself, but finally be convinced of his own imperfection and the presence of many shortcomings.
- Development requires change, and it is difficult for a person to change himself, because it requires effort, time and effort. It is easier to force someone else to change and be offended if this did not happen than to develop yourself.
A person "slows down" himself in his development, self-improvement, until he notices his weaknesses, patterned behavior, wrong actions and is not determined with the actions that he needs to take in order to correct them. As long as a person is deaf to the advice of other people, blames others for his troubles (and troubles are the answer of the world to human actions) and does not decide to change himself, he continues to fall into the same troubles and receive the same misfortunes as before. To change, you need to see your own weaknesses, wrong actions and patterned behavior, which leads to problems.
The most important step is to start changing yourself. People have already learned to see their shortcomings. But that's not all. We need to work on removing these shortcomings and developing virtues in ourselves. And this is a much more complex and difficult process that requires willpower and complete control over oneself.
To develop, you need to change yourself. It seems to sound quite natural, understandable. But for some reason, many people still believe in the illusion that it is possible to somehow develop without changing their habits, actions, lifestyle. How can you make yourself different without changing? It sounds quite natural, but when it comes to immediate actions, a person begins to hope that, without changing himself, he will be able to deceive fate and become perfect.
Don't deceive yourself. Development is possible only when you yourself see your weaknesses, patterned behavior and wrong actions that give you the life that you eventually live. You do not need to change all of yourself, but only a part of it. But even that is hard to do when you don't want to, deceive yourself and try to fool the whole world.
To develop, you need to change yourself. And this desire should be personally yours. It's up to you to want to change. It is up to you to engage and control yourself. Life will not change without your changes. You will not deceive fate. And you can understand this if you analyze your past, where your attempts at deception failed.
What is self-knowledge?
Self-knowledge is an important stage in development and improvement. This term implies a person's knowledge of his personality in any of its perspectives:
- The biological sphere is the knowledge of one's body, one's physical capabilities, the functions of the body, its changes.
- Social - the ability to gain knowledge, develop skills, contact people.
- Personal - the ability to make decisions, dream, draw conclusions, etc.
Man is a whole system that consists of body, soul and mind. If a person begins to know himself, then he specifically considers his body, his life, qualities of character and behavior, complexes and fears, advantages and disadvantages, etc.
self-knowledge modern man is given very difficult, because no one teaches it. Moreover, each individual is faced with the fact that thinking about himself, caring for and loving himself is considered selfish manifestations that are not accepted and condemned by society. If a person does not have to take care of himself and think, then he does not need to know himself. And what kind of development can there be if a person does not even know what to change?
From childhood, people are taught to think about others, to help and take care of others. So it turns out that people know each other, but not themselves. And influence own life they try by changing those around them or the outside world. Let's take an example that is offered to everyone who wants to change something in their life: it is recommended to change the place of residence, work, change the circle of acquaintances and even a loved one, if something does not suit the individual. But, as the sages say, wherever a person goes and runs away, he always takes himself with him.
Just as a pig finds dirt everywhere and everywhere, so a person will not change his life as long as he continues to have the same qualities and perform the usual actions with which he had brought himself to trouble before.
It is easiest for any person to be himself. By the way, people who accept this way of life often use the expression: "Accept me the way I am." But what happens when you do the same actions? You get the same result. And therefore, it is up to you to decide whether you will remain the same in order to stumble upon the “same rake”, or start developing in order to achieve new results.
You can be whoever you want to be and achieve whatever you want. To do this, you just need to organize your life so that it brings you what you want. In other words, develop in yourself such habits, way of thinking, life, worldview, so that all this leads you to what you want to achieve.
Many people are used to living like a Tetris game: the experience remains the same, but the number of errors increases. That is, time passes, but a person goes through life's difficulties with the repetition of his experience, accumulating mistakes. But life's problems are given in order for a person to develop, evolve, change, become better.
Why keep in yourself something that does not lead you to the desired result? You understand, for example, that alcohol does not benefit you, but only harms your health. Then why do you continue to develop the habit of drinking beer or vodka at the end of the working day, if you want to be healthy and successful people? Stop cherishing those habits in yourself that do not lead you to your goals. Rather, spend some time developing new habits and habits that will benefit and even benefit you.
A lot can be changed in this life, especially in your own. And it's up to you to decide whether to stay the same or develop in order to eventually get what you deserve.
Self-knowledge and personal development
There is a close relationship between self-knowledge and personality development. Since childhood, a person has a desire for self-knowledge in order to improve his skills and abilities. Self-knowledge is the recognition of one's abilities and qualities. Development is the improvement of one's capabilities and qualities.
As every child goes through a process of upbringing, at some stage he is faced with the fact that he should think about the people around him and the world, and not about himself. On this, the process of self-knowledge stops, which leads to a lack of development.
To develop, you need to know yourself. An amazing process is observed here: when a person finally begins to see himself in a real light, he has an energy that makes him develop. He begins to understand why he is faced with those troubles that constantly haunt him. He understands why he made certain mistakes. Now it becomes clear what needs to be done to achieve success in those areas where a person sets goals and does not achieve them.
Self-knowledge already gives energy to a person so that he begins his development, as he begins to understand, and not to hover in his own illusions.
Illusions are inherent in all people who were forced to forget about themselves and start thinking about everyone else. Each person has a personal idea of himself. And here there is some dissonance:
- "I"-ideal - this is what a person wants to be.
- "I"-real - this is what a person really is, but he does not know himself that way.
- "I"-social - this is how a person is seen by people around him. Often, they also do not know a person well in real life, because they know him only as long as it is interesting and profitable for them.
Self-esteem is just based on how a person looks at himself and from what position he evaluates. Often a person's self-esteem is based on the opinion that he hears about himself from other people. For some people, self-esteem is based on perfect image, which they would like to be, which causes her to fall down every time they notice that they do not live up to their ideals. And only a small part of people have healthy self-esteem when they really look at themselves, without inventing anything and without being influenced by the surrounding opinion.
When a person knows himself, he has a chance to improve his own and make it adequate. Adequate self-esteem depends on how realistic a person evaluates himself and does not demand the impossible from himself. With a decrease in self-esteem, a person tries to be perfect, which she does not succeed in, and also the people around her constantly suppress her with their criticism. Inflated self-esteem is the result of the fact that a person already considers himself ideal, of course, in fact, he is not.
Self-knowledge helps to form a stable and adequate self-esteem. This does not mean that you will not have flaws. On the contrary, you will be aware of your weaknesses but you will not be upset because of them. Now you will face a choice: to change your shortcomings for virtues or to keep them in yourself without criticizing yourself for their presence?
Types of self-knowledge
The types of self-knowledge are:
- Self-observation is the observation of internal processes, thoughts and one's behavior.
- Introspection - the discovery of cause-and-effect relationships in ongoing events, the motives of one's own behavior, the selection of features based on the identified relationships.
- Comparison - comparing yourself with other people or images.
- Modeling is the creation of a new image based on existing characteristics.
- Awareness of opposites - a vision of the existing qualities and those that he would like to possess. If a person learns to see in his qualities, which he previously perceived exclusively negatively, also positive phenomena, then he will treat them less critically, which will make him stronger.
For self-knowledge, you can use the services of a psychologist who will become an objective observer.
Outcome
To change anything in your life, you need to know what to change. In the meantime, a person is afraid to look at himself, he will direct his forces to change the people around him or the world as a whole, which is absolutely impossible and even meaningless.
Who once found himself, he can not lose anything in this world. And who once understood a person in himself, he understands all people. S. Zweig
Self-knowledge begins the moment you become aware of yourself. This process is embodied very early, even in childhood, and reaches its peak in the years of youth, when the thirst for knowledge is great, the mind is insatiable, it requires new discoveries and impressions, and the soul strives for lofty goals and it seems that it is possible to embrace the immensity.
All this is exactly so, but with the burden of responsibility that imposes social status, new duties, and simply the daily whirlpool of events captivates with its speed, a person forgets about the purity of impulses that once filled his life with meaning. And now, realizing the vanity of existence, he looks back, sees himself in the past and understands that something is missing in his present life. Isn't that why she began to seem ordinary to him, so predictable.
Yes, there is stability in it: he has achieved recognition of his merits, he is valued by colleagues and respected by friends, there is stability in the family and support in life. However, this vague feeling inside does not cease to excite us and the fact that all this surroundings, the external component of being, does not exhaust the variety that life can offer us.
No matter how unique and beautiful the experience of life in society is, constantly encouraging us to serve our egregore, nevertheless, the material component of life could not exist if there were no inner life, the one that takes place inside, is manifested by the work of consciousness and mind. She is the most important thing in a person, what is hidden from the eyes, but where do we draw strength for the implementation of projects; she is a source of inspiration and creativity; the place where consciousness and soul live; reflection of all the purest that is in every person.
In moments of misunderstanding by others, you will turn to this source in order to regain self-confidence. This is the inner pulse that connects us with the Absolute. In it lies the entrance to the innumerable realm of knowledge and virtues. You need to be able to use it, find the key to it. The inner world of a person is huge. What we habitually call the inner world are just approaches to it. To know the whole universe hidden behind the inscription "inner world", we resort to a technique called self-knowledge.
The path of self-knowledge
The path of self-knowledge is so close, and at the same time its horizons are boundless, that a person sometimes does not know where to start his journey on the way to himself. But you just need to start, awaken the desire for self-recognition, internal growth of yourself as a person, and at the same time a passion for self-improvement will appear. They are like twins: they are similar to each other, the development of one implies the inclusion of the other in the work. Self-knowledge cannot live without self-improvement.
Self-improvement - the desire to achieve the Absolute, approaching the ideal
The process of self-improvement is immanent to human nature to the same extent as self-knowledge. Striving for perfection is what we live for. Perhaps this is loudly said, and yet in every person there is a thirst for self-realization, we cannot underestimate this. Due to the desire to realize oneself through various aspects of life, a person constantly strives to improve his knowledge and skills. On this road, he also reconsiders his goals, which are based on values.
The change in value categories leads to the transformation of the personality itself. Often the process of transition, finding oneself, is accompanied by changes in the external life of a person: his environment, friends, place of residence, occupation change. Only one thing remains unchanged - the desire for self-improvement through self-knowledge.
Types of self-knowledge. Ways of self-knowledge
Types of self-knowledge may be different. It all depends on the position from which the evaluator is looking. The main types are presented as follows:
- analytical - associated with the work of the mind, the mental plane;
- creative - the sphere of feelings, the ethereal and astral plane;
- spiritual - sacred sphere, causal, buddhial and atmic plane.
Each of these 3 types consists of subtypes that manifest themselves through a specific function.
Analytical self-knowledge of personality
This kind of self-knowledge occurs through both introspection and self-observation. In self-observation, written analysis in the form of diaries, passing tests, receiving automatic writing can be used - it is quite rare, but it gives excellent results, providing an opportunity to look deeper into your psyche. You can even talk about the first meetings with the subconscious.
Another way is self-confession. Being honest with yourself is not as easy as it might seem. Internal, uncontrollable fears usually shackle a person, which makes self-confession almost impossible. In order to pass through the barrier of fears, you need, as always in such situations, just start acting - start telling yourself about yourself.
Reflection differs from confession in that you do not report to yourself, but simply reflect on what is happening, trying to give less judgment. Although the role of evaluation is great in using this type of introspection, it should not be exaggerated, otherwise the role of the judge can lead you to excessive self-criticism, and this, in turn, will negatively affect your self-esteem.
Creative self-knowledge of a person
Creative self-knowledge is understood as its types when we begin to know ourselves through relationships with others, in interaction, including the use of game, theater, joint activities and events.
One example is participation in dramatic productions. Having chosen a role in a play, a person “tryes on” the character and habits of the character, he forgets himself at the time of the game, and this is the decisive factor. Reincarnation helps a person to get rid of many complexes, because through the game there is an experience of certain situations and states, which in real life cause discomfort. As a result, the role makes it possible to be transported to another, "unreal" space and already in it to solve a psychological problem, and as naturally as possible. After all, playing by all the rules of the “game”, a person must become different, that is, he does not work with his complex, instead he lives it through this character.
This technique has a beneficial effect on the psyche, because fear and rejection of internal blocks disappear by themselves - here is the theater, and you are an actor in it, portraying a specific hero. It turns out that in addition to the effect of deep self-understanding, which completes the process of reincarnation, this method also has a psychotherapeutic effect, makes a person more liberated and allows him to accept himself.
To the extent that playing in a stage production contributes to self-discovery, so do other joint activities, such as singing in a choir, participating in retreats, group yoga classes, allow a person to look at himself from the outside, enrich his experience of life in society, provide rich material for analysis and comparison.
After this kind of study, you can end the day by using one of the methods of analytical self-knowledge, recording and analyzing events in a diary. It should be noted that any kind of self-knowledge, whichever you choose, favorably affects the development of your creative abilities. Therefore, you can safely combine the types and methods that you use for self-knowledge, because they will allow your individuality to open up even more, penetrate into your true nature, help you find out who you really are.
Spiritual self-knowledge
Spiritual self-knowledge- this is separate view, standing a little further away, as he is different in his methods. Choosing for himself a spiritual tradition as an example and a model for practice, a person determines his entire further path of development and self-improvement. Those laws and concepts on which the practice is built will allow a person the best way understand yourself, penetrate into the deepest layers of consciousness and change yourself in a radical way.
So, having opted for the yogic tradition, with each lesson you will begin to delve more into the essence of the positions on which the teaching is built. Studying the history of origin, reading texts related to practice, and shastras commenting on original ancient works, will allow you to find answers to questions that have long interested you not only of an internal nature, concerning you as a person, but also about the general structure of being.
Improving the thought process through understanding the shastras
Information from primary sources is reliable. It has not undergone many modifications. All that you get is concentrated knowledge that has been preserved through the centuries, and now your task is to understand it, pass it through yourself, get used to the style of presentation and be sure to start putting it into practice through personal experience- sadhu.
Theory, knowledge gained from books and seminars must be tested through practice in real life, only then will you truly realize the whole truth and the value that they store in themselves.
In the spiritual form of self-knowledge, there are two more components: shabda and sadhu. Shabda is a sound, but a sound that comes from a teacher, someone you completely trust on a particular topic. This person can point out to you how you can climb the path of self-development, through the implementation of which practices, reading which texts will help you achieve the desired result and understand yourself.
Guru directing personal quest
The teacher, your shiksha guru, or at more advanced levels - diksha gurus - guide you and your consciousness along the path of knowing the true essence of things by studying the texts of the scriptures - shastras, and you, through your personal experience - a sadhu - apply and test the knowledge gained in life. Nothing exists separately, abstracted from one another - everything is connected both in the world and within you.
I am not upset if people do not understand me - I am upset if I do not understand people Confucius.
The concept of self-knowledge
external experience and inner life interact, their influence on each other is equivalent. Knowing yourself, you know all others. Each person will become more understandable for you, you will find logic in the world order and the order of things. Then Goethe's words that "man knows himself only to the extent that he knows the world" will be filled with a new meaning for you. Think about it. External and internal are one. You are part of the universe, and at the same time you are a microcosm.
Values in self-discovery through the practice of yoga
Through the spiritual practices of yoga and meditation, a person comes to the knowledge of basic values, what to strive for and what to profess. The first stage of yoga - yama - represents a set of valuable rules that must be followed:
- Ahimsa - the principle of non-violence, also practiced through a vegetarian diet;
- Satya - truth and truthfulness;
- Asteya - non-theft;
- Brahmacharya - chastity and promiscuity;
- Aparigraha - non-attachment to worldly goods, renunciation of hoarding.
Through the practice of the 2nd stage of Ashtanga Yoga, a person lives according to the principles of niyama, where the following must be observed:
- Shauchya - the principle of internal and external purity;
- - practice modesty;
- Tapas - performing austerities on the spiritual path;
- Svadhyaya - development of thinking through reading primary sources;
- Ishvara-pranidhana - Following the ideal - the highest Mind.
So, having a formed list of spiritual life values, a person understands what to strive for and what criteria for the correctness of actions he needs to be guided by, going through life.
Need for self-knowledge
Why do we even question truth? life path, meaning of life, eternal values? How to understand yourself and others? These questions are generated by the need for self-knowledge, and it is inherent in a person, a seeker, someone who is not able to simply be satisfied with the material goods of the world around him. He is constantly in search, so the concept of the meaning of life comes to the fore, because it cannot be found without understanding oneself.
The practice of yoga and meditation opens the way to new discoveries on the road of self-knowledge. First of all, these classes allow you to increase your spiritual level, since initially these were exclusively practices of spiritual comprehension of the world. With the advent of the era of modernity, the understanding of these disciplines has somewhat changed, and the physical aspect has come to the fore, strengthening not only the spirit, but also the body.
However, correctly understanding the goals of yoga and meditation as its integral part, one can continue to practice yoga asanas, strengthening health and improving spiritually. One complements the other. Although the world is dual, its two parts - physical and spiritual - can be harmoniously reunited using yoga techniques, implementing the laws prescribed on the first 2 steps of the octal system.
Inner peace and self-knowledge
In fact, the very meaning of life is not outside. He is just inside - in the inner world of man. Once we are able to realize this, life and our understanding of it changes completely. Therefore, there are monks who sell their Ferraris, and we see sadhus who have left their past life in order to fully follow the spiritual impulses that they have felt in themselves. But it's not all that simple.
For such people, following the path of spirituality is not just a fleeting, emotionally colored hobby, it is primarily a conscious decision dictated by rare spiritual needs. Their life is no longer determined by the laws of modern society built on consumption, they have chosen for themselves the needs of the inner world as a beacon, and now their whole life is directed from within. They observe what is happening in the outside world, but now life has turned into meditation for them, where consciousness contemplates actions, but does not participate in them.
The result of self-knowledge. The process of self-knowledge
In the process of self-knowledge, any person becomes a sadhu to a certain extent, because he learns through personal experience. Knowledge gained from various sources, applicable in practice, as a result of acquiring new experience through spiritual self-improvement, a person comes to more high level self-awareness. He not only better understands the laws of the world and interaction with people, but he himself increasingly feels himself a part of this world, inextricably linked with all living beings and nature.
No wonder one of the goals of the meditation method is to merge with the Absolute, to dissolve in it. A person understands that there is no loneliness in life, everything is interconnected. Each part of the universe depends on the whole, all in all. The process of self-knowledge logically leads to this conclusion. You can understand this through logical reasoning, supplemented by spiritual insights gained through the experience of meditation.
,The most difficult thing is to know oneself, the easiest thing is to give advice to others Thales
Having reached certain heights in the material world, a person often remains unsatisfied, because. goals achieved do not bring peace of mind. In the life of any person, there comes a moment when he asks himself questions regarding self-knowledge, self-determination and awareness of his destiny. At first, the search for answers, through the process of self-knowledge, takes place in the outside world. A person can re-read a huge number of books, try a bunch of different practices, hit a religion. At some moments, it may seem that the truth has finally been reached. But one concept is replaced by another, and the process can continue indefinitely.
What is self-knowledge?
Self-knowledge is the process of self-awareness: one's deepest essence, the meaning of life, one's physical and mental capabilities. This need is inherent in man, unlike animals. In all religions, especially Eastern ones, self-knowledge is considered a means of comprehending unity with God, it makes it possible to find an inexhaustible potential within oneself and successfully apply it in life.
A person does everything basic in life himself: chooses a goal, makes and corrects mistakes, builds relationships with other people. Having come to an understanding of the meaning and awareness of his abilities, he becomes interesting not only to others, but also to himself, personal self-esteem, quality and fullness of life increase.
Self-concept and stages of its evolution
Self-concept is a person's ideas about himself and his role in the world around him. It may not correspond to the real state of affairs and lead to conflicts with reality. If it is adequate to reality, then a person successfully adapts to the world and achieves certain successes in it. In its development, self-awareness goes through several stages:
Primary self-knowledge - it involves trusting perception of other people's opinions about oneself.
The crisis of primary self-knowledge - at a certain moment a person realizes that opinions various people are different and can be opposite. A person begins to form his own opinion.
Secondary self-knowledge - there is a change in the habitual ideas of a person about himself and active self-knowledge begins. The old self-concept is rejected or significantly revised, a person comes to the need to remake himself. What Dale Carnegie called "I'm not what you think I am" is happening.
Self-knowledge methods
Self-knowledge begins at the moment when a person discovers in himself certain traits or characteristics behavior, it occurs using the following methods:
- Introspection. This process in psychology is called introspection and its purpose is to observe your inner feelings and behavior.
- Comparison. A person begins to correlate himself with other people, with his ideals and norms of behavior in society.
- Personality Modeling. This method determines personal likes and dislikes, investigates the causes of conflicts and, based on the findings, builds new relationships with people.
- Method of unity of opposites. A person begins to understand that certain of his qualities, depending on the situation, can be both positive and negative. Here decisive role plays the acceptance of oneself as it is (with all the advantages and disadvantages).
- Knowledge of other people from the standpoint of new knowledge. A person compares himself with others and evaluates their behavior.
Means of self-knowledge
Self-knowledge leads a person to a better understanding of himself, to increase his self-esteem. Periodically, there is a need for self-testing, for which the following tools are used:
- Self-report. It can be in the form of a diary, blog, articles on personal development, or maybe in the form of simple reflection and comparison.
- Films, books, theatrical performances give you the opportunity to put yourself in the place of the heroes and really appreciate their abilities.
- The study of psychology It will help you more accurately navigate the events and evaluate your behavior already from a scientific point of view.
- Passing various tests will give an opportunity to assess the achieved level of personal growth.
- Psychologist's consultations help a person identify problems within himself and find ways to solve them.
- Socio-psychological trainings- an excellent tool to accelerate and stimulate the further process of self-knowledge.
A person eventually understands that the main goal is learn to live and enjoy life . This understanding may not come immediately, but only after suffering or a long life path, which made it possible to gain the necessary experience. And it can happen instantly, like a revelation. If a person embarks on the path of self-knowledge, this will inevitably happen.
Video on the topic of self-knowledge: