I will start the topic with a funny incident.
Four of the orthopedic surgeons were returning after a morning walk. A man was passing through and crossed the road with small little jumps with one leg. One of the doctors commented, “I think he has arthritis!” The second doctor said, “ No, no, I feel he has plantar fasciitis.” The third doctor said, “But I am sure he has spinal lower motor neurons!” Lastly, the fourth doctor said, “ I predict that he has Hemiplegia Seizures!”
By the time man came nearer and asked them,” Excuse me, can you guide me? Is there any cobbler nearby? I want to get my slippers repaired.”
Everybody laughed. The man did not have any of the above orthopedic problems, but he could not walk properly because his slippers were worn out and needed repair.
1. You know yourself better than anybody else. There are four possibilities for self-knowledge.
2. Some of the things you only know about yourself (For example, your bad nightmares)
3. Some of the things you do not know about yourself but people know (For example, your walking style)
4. Some of the things that you know are known to people as well (For example, your education)
5. Some of the things are not known to anybody, neither you nor people (For example, your hidden potential)
You are the best doctor or psychologist for yourself. You know most of your physical comforts, food habits, preference of associates, your strength, and a few of your weaknesses. Some of the things are by birth, and some of them you acquired from the environment. Nevertheless, some of the following things may be useful for self-analysis.
1. You know what you know; you do not know what you do not know
You know many things, and you may be a master in your field, but few things you have not come across you may not be knowing, or you may not have a proper perspective. For instance, I learned how to get good sleep and emphasized exercise, reading, and meditation. But from a recent article, I knew that adequate consumption and absorption of nutrients play a vital part in a good night’s sleep. Some of the things that could be better known from positive criticizers of people too. Some of the things you learn better from your mentors.
For instance, I always used my running shoes for cycling, but one of my coaches explained why it was necessary to use them as outsoles play a significant role in better performance and effects.
2. Your perspective may be biased
Psychological researches show that we do not have limited access and accuracy for self-assessment and introspection illusion and run around the bush without proper guidance. As a result, we sometimes do not realize the actions and implementations despite some of the facts. For example, we often talk about charity but ignore the children at nearby footpath starving due to hunger.
3. Your behavior manifests a lot about you
Your behavior is the outcome of your thoughts. When you behave in a particular fashion, your mindset is understood by the people externally. Your facial expressions, gestures, and body language speak many strange things about you. In fact, you expose your inner faces and make them public that you might not consciously note. For example, you may not be aware of your frequently raising your eyebrow, but your friends may notice it and predict what is happening inside your head. It is sometimes difficult to observe ourselves without help, and therefore, we have to rely upon others for such potent facts.
4. Solitude may sometimes help you to know yourself better
A person has more than 50000 thoughts in his mind, and most of the time, he talks with himself. A person can realize many facts when he gains insight into himself deeply and changes his behavior patterns. Mindful meditation helps self-knowledge that can never be compared along with the external help of others. Sometimes we are alone although we are with everybody, and sometimes, we are with everybody although we are alone. Imagination and visualization have potent effects that are generally developed when the person is isolated. Ralph Waldo Emerson has genuinely quoted, “what lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
5. We sometimes overestimate ourselves than what we are.
There is always an actual performance gap between what we aspire to and what we achieve. There may be one of the psychological reasons for the said gap. During a study for judging the size of a coin, it was found among the children that the size of the coin was hyped by the children rearing from lower middle class compared to upper middle class and affluent. We sometimes overestimate our capacity for ourselves, generally termed as a superiority complex.
6. Tearing off status may result in a setback
When a person fails in a particular attempt, he may feel torn off, leading to distrust, despair, and even suicidal thoughts. Frequent setbacks due to tearing may be deadly for progress and success. It is also a fact that others will value you the way you love yourself. Concerning the married life, it was found that those who have a more positive attitude toward themselves found greater satisfaction in their relationship the more they received praise and recognition from their other half. But those who habitually picked at themselves felt safer in their marriage when their partner reflected their negative image.
7. Self-deception may stem from the desire to impress others
Self-deception is a process of denying or rationalizing away the relevance, significance, or importance of opposing evidence and logical argument. Self-deception involves convincing oneself of a truth (or lack of truth) not to reveal any self-knowledge of the deception.
Simple instances of self-deception include common occurrences such as the athlete who is self-deceived in believing that his timings are better than his competitors. The wife is self-deceived, considering that her husband is not having an affair. The jealous web designer is self-deceived in believing that her friend’s more tremendous professional success is due to ruthless ambition.
8. You behave more morally when you are insecure
It is generally thought of as a disadvantage. Still, insecurity is not entirely wrong, for example. Sometimes people are told that they are not generous for charity. Yet, they rush towards the donation box and contribute to a particular cause.
9. Think yourself flexibly, and you will have better performance.
If you view your personality as mutable instead of permanent, you are inclined to work on it and improve in any field you are working in. However, a rigid mindset creates a mental trap that makes it challenging to grow. A permanent perspective is always deadly for growth, and you quickly get discouraged by setbacks, and a single obstacle dents your belief in your ability. As a result, you generally tend to become uninterested and give up.
