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| Self-Knowledge Vs
Self-Awareness |
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Riding with a burr under my saddle?
Here is another example (of an elite) who uses self-knowledge
and self-awareness interchangeably:
Do You Know Yourself Well?
[I left the link live for those who want to see the author
using this person's information.]
How well do you think you know yourself? Self-awareness is key
to
success in work, life, and relationships.
“Knowing yourself, and knowing the forces that affect the
people who
work for you, holds the key to being a successful leader.” ~
Kenneth
M. Settel, MD, Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard
Medical
School, CEO Psychology: Who Rises, Who Falls and Why
(RosettaBooks,
2012)
Many of us know our character strengths, and over time have
worked to
develop them. At the same time, not being cognizant of our
weaknesses
can blindside our success.
The very character traits that peg you as having high
potential may
prevent you from making it to the finish line. Every strength
has a
downside when carried to the extreme. Self-awareness can
prevent
self-sabotage.
You probably have a sense of your personal talents and
liabilities.
Learning how to leverage them—amplifying your strengths while
minimizing your weaknesses—sets the stage for good
interpersonal
relationships. You’ll become less vulnerable and less
sensitive to
criticism.
Self-awareness requires sensitivity to both inner and outer
realities,
knowing full well you can never perceive things without your
own
biases and filters. By keeping a growth mindset, you can ask
the
questions needed to listen and learn.
I can NOT disagree with one thing the author's state, it is a
fact that self-awareness is the key linchpin in so many
important factors regarding strengths and limitations.
However, what is key?
Helpful Hint: Self-Awareness potential, as all other
potentials like height, weight, color of eyes, and all traits
inborn, is also limited.
Action Step: Use self-knowledge to "allow whatever
self-awareness potential exists" and take the emphasis off of
self-awareness.
While it might seem like a petty thing, it's huge in my book
because of issues related to human dignity. Our cultures look
down on people who don't have enough x, y, or z. It's how we
are as humans, and probably necessary as a filter or set of
biases for survivability--difference is not to be trusted,
look out!
Yet, the scaffolding that we can put in place around
self-knowledge is a horizontal set of competencies which can
be learned by each person according to their ability, and
while there are indeed limits of various kinds, NOT the kinds
of limits we have on vertical capabilities or heritable
traits, like blond hair, or big feet and hands, etc.
I can wish all day long and go to schools for the
vertically-challenged to grow taller, but the likelihood of
any of it working is ludicrous...and YET, people have
self-awareness training and schools of thought everywhere, and
in some cases...it's just as ludicrous! I know no one wants to
limit anyone, so we don't talk about someone's height, or hair
color, although today you can make adjustments for sure, but
the same applies to self-awareness envy.
We have what self-awareness potential we have, and there are
many ways to get around that, scaffold that, and in most cases
just live with what we have very happily and successfully, but
like most things in our BS culture, we are continuously faced
with the onus of having ENOUGH.
If we didn't have height enough, we wouldn't always covet it,
because we realize that height is largely controlled by
inbornness. However, the same is not true with self-awareness
envy. Instead we continue to "pretend" that anyone can and
thus set people up for failure.
The way not to let your limitations sabotage you is to know
what they are...and just that is almost enough, because just
like your height, if it's not enough, you stop pretending and
look for ways of ameliorating any disadvantages--the same goes
with self-awareness, IMHO. |
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