Self Knowledge is one of the most important foundations to
building a better self-esteem. Without
knowledge of self it is impossible to make the needed adjustments in your
life. Self-knowledge helps you to know
what makes you tick and why you are inclined to behave the way you do. This
being said, how can you find out who you truly are?
Experience
The best way to acquire self-knowledge is through your
experiences. As Sydney Smith said, “To
do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and
thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we
can.” Therefore, by getting involved in
different activities you will begin to understand your likes and dislikes, what
makes you cheerful or depressed.
A woman looking for a mate learns what she prefers in a man
by dating. By observing different
personalities she gains self-knowledge, what she likes and dislikes about a
man. She can then make her decision based
on a certain set of standards that she has set for herself.
A child gains self-knowledge of his skills by participating
in various activities such as sports clubs, arts, crafts, or volunteer
work. These activities teach the child
what they excel in and enjoy the most.
That is why it is essential to always live a life of
productivity. Participate in as many
activities as possible. This is how self
knowledge increases. Then you can make adjustments to build your
self-esteem. Your self esteem will grow
especially when you indulge yourself in experiences that you have the passion
and talent for. This triggers a sense of
pride and accomplishment because you know that you are capable of doing great
things.
Now that you know that experience is one of the key to
self-knowledge let’s explore another avenue that is equally effective.
Observation
Sometimes you might overlook certain aspects of
yourself. You go through life without
knowledge of this part of the self until you notice a friend or other has the
same trait or habit. You observe and
say, “Wow! I didn’t know that about myself.”
This often occurs with children once they have reached adulthood. As time passes they realize that the same
habits that they couldn’t stand about their parents often surface without
knowledge. Their actions, many times,
catch them by surprise. Sometimes low
self esteem might even be caused by the habits that you observe in your
parents. Once these habits are realized,
however, you can make the necessary adjustments to avoid those negative traits
or habits.
However, you would not have known about these flaws without
some reflection. Therefore, it is
important to take the time to observe others actions and personalities. Then you will gain a true understanding of
yourself.
Feedback
In other situations you will get feedback from what others
observe about you that you were not aware of.
This can be the most difficult of all the methods of gaining
self-knowledge, especially when it is negative.
Instead of instantly denying and
becoming defensive take an honest look at yourself. Is what they are saying legitimate? If so, you now have a better understanding of
yourself and what you need to work on.
If not, just dismiss what they are saying.
Remember that growth is a necessary part of building self
esteem but you have to know what to work on.
Self-knowledge will help you to do this.
Experience life and be productive.
Observe and listen to people around you.
Doing these things will help you to make positive steps towards your
journey for a healthy self esteem.
