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Our Lack of Self-Knowledge Is Holding Us Back
And introspection may not be helping
Knowing about ourselves is more vital than we may realize. After all, research has found that a lack of self-knowledge is associated with poor academic achievement, increased emotional problems, and most importantly, bad decisions.
And yet, perhaps surprisingly, people are relatively unaware of how little they know about their behavior and what motivates them and remain clueless regarding the truth behind the choices they make.
Indeed, introspection may not provide the direct line to self-knowledge that we might expect. Instead, viewing ourselves from alternative perspectives–seeing ourselves through the eyes of loved ones or even work colleagues–may be more helpful.
And writing down our thoughts can help us focus and avoid the mental chatter we typically experience when trying to understand ourselves better.
Yet, often, simply revisiting a set of questions that prompt us to reflect on who we really are and what we have done can bring our greatest self-knowledge gains.
Why not get into the habit of asking yourself the following questions at the end of the day:
- What have I learned?
- What did I struggle with?
