Ticket number 18: Consciousness as the highest form of mental reflection. Structure of consciousness. Self-awareness and its forms.
Consciousness as the highest form of mental reflection.
Consciousness is the highest, human-specific form of generalized reflection of the objective stable properties and patterns of the surrounding world, the formation of a person’s internal model of the external world, as a result of which knowledge and transformation of the surrounding reality is achieved.
Properties of consciousness
S.L. Rubinstein identifies the following properties of consciousness:
- building relationships;
- cognition;
- experience.
Each act of consciousness can rarely be either only cognition, or only experience, or only attitude; more often it includes these three components. However, the degree of expression of each of these components is very different. Therefore, each act of consciousness can be considered as a point in the coordinate system of these three most important psychological categories. See: Rubinshtein S.L. Being and consciousness. – M., 1957.
When analyzing the mechanisms of consciousness, it is important to overcome the so-called brain metaphor. Consciousness is a product and result of the activity of systems, which include both the individual and society, and not just the brain. The most important property of such systems is the possibility of creating the functional organs they lack, a kind of new formations that, in principle, cannot be reduced to certain components of the original system. Consciousness must act as a “superposition of functional organs.”
Properties of consciousness as a functional organ:
- reactivity;
- sensitivity;
- dialogism;
- polyphony;
- spontaneity of development;
- reflexivity.
Functions of consciousness
The main functions of consciousness include the following:
- reflective;
- generative (creative, or creative);
- regulatory and evaluation;
- reflective;
- spiritual.
The main characteristics of consciousness are:
- reflection of the surrounding world using cognitive processes (sensation, perception, memory, thinking, imagination). Violation of any of the cognitive processes leads to a disorder of consciousness;
- the distinction between subject and object (i.e., what belongs to “I” and “not I”), which occurs in the process of forming a person’s self-awareness. Man is the only living being capable of self-knowledge;
- self-assessment of one’s actions and oneself in general. As Hegel put it, “man is an animal, but he is no longer an animal because he knows that he is an animal.
- ensuring purposeful human activity. Thanks to anticipatory mapping, a person reveals cause-and-effect relationships, foresees the future, sets a goal, takes into account motives and makes volitional decisions, makes the necessary adjustments, and overcomes difficulties. Through his activities he actively influences the world around him;
- the presence of emotional and evaluative relationships to everything that happens around, to other people and to oneself. This characteristic of consciousness manifests itself most clearly in such moral feelings as a sense of duty, patriotism, internationalism, etc. Experiences enhance the clarity of awareness of oneself and the world around us, and therefore are an important stimulus for the activation of consciousness.
Structure of consciousness
In a narrower and more specialized meaning, consciousness means not just a mental state, but the highest, actually human form of reflection of reality. Consciousness here is structurally organized, representing an integral system consisting of various elements that are in regular relationships with each other. In the structure of consciousness, the following moments stand out most clearly: awareness things, as well as experience, that is, a certain attitude towards the content of what is reflected. The way in which consciousness exists, and in which something exists for it, is - knowledge. The development of consciousness involves, first of all, enriching it with new knowledge about the world around us and about man himself. Cognition, awareness of things has different levels, depth of penetration into the object and degree of clarity of understanding. Hence the everyday, scientific, philosophical, aesthetic and religious awareness of the world, as well as the sensory and rational levels of consciousness. Sensations, perceptions, ideas, concepts, thinking form the core of consciousness. However, they do not exhaust its entire structural completeness: it also includes the act attention as its necessary component. It is thanks to the concentration of attention that a certain circle of objects is in the focus of consciousness.
Feelings and emotions are components of human consciousness. The process of cognition affects all aspects of a person’s inner world - needs, interests, feelings, will. Man's true knowledge of the world contains both figurative expression and feelings.
Cognition is not limited to cognitive processes aimed at the object (attention) and the emotional sphere. Our intentions are translated into action through our efforts will. However, consciousness is not the sum of many of its constituent elements, but their harmonious unification, their integral, complexly structured whole.
Consciousness involves the subject identifying himself as the bearer of a certain active position in relation to the world. This isolation of oneself, attitude towards oneself, assessment of one’s capabilities, which are a necessary component of any consciousness, form different forms of that specific characteristic of a person, which is called self-awareness.
ABOUT low level of consciousness they say when a person is not sufficiently aware of the circumstances under which he acts and his attitude towards them. It is known that according to the rules of good manners, it is necessary to give up your seat in transport to older women and children. But not everyone does this.
High level of consciousness characterized by the fact that a person reveals essential connections, guided by a distant and socially significant goal and certain motives, and accordingly plans, organizes and regulates his actions. A conscious person acts in a certain way because he cannot do otherwise. The more complex and responsible the task, the higher the level of consciousness should be.
Conscious human activity does not exclude the presence in it unconscious. The purpose of the activity, the ways to achieve the goal, and partly the motives are understood, but the methods of implementation are often automated.
Self-awareness and its forms.
The main function of self-awareness is to make the motives and results of his actions accessible to a person and to give him the opportunity to understand what he really is and to evaluate himself. If the assessment turns out to be unsatisfactory, then the person can either engage in self-improvement, self-development, or, by turning on defense mechanisms, repress this unpleasant information, avoiding the traumatic influence of internal conflict.
Self-awareness manifests itself in: cognitive (well-being, self-observation, introspection, self-criticism), emotional (well-being, self-love, modesty, pride, self-esteem) and volitional (restraint, self-control, self-control, discipline) forms.
Self-awareness is a dynamic, historically developing formation that appears at different levels and in different forms. Its first form, which is sometimes called well-being, is an elementary awareness of one’s body and its fit into the world of surrounding things and people. It turns out that the simple perception of objects as existing outside a given person and independently of his consciousness already presupposes certain forms of self-reference, that is, a certain type of self-awareness. Psychologists say that awareness of reality at the level of perception presupposes a certain “scheme of the world” included in this process. But the latter, in turn, presupposes a certain “body schema” as its necessary component.
The next, higher level of self-awareness is associated with awareness of oneself as belonging to a particular human community, a particular culture and social group. Finally, the highest level of development of this process is the emergence of the consciousness of the Self as a completely special formation, similar to the Self of other people and at the same time unique and inimitable in some way, capable of performing free actions and bearing responsibility for them, which necessarily presupposes the possibility of control over your actions and their assessment.
However, self-awareness is not only the various forms and levels of self-knowledge. It is also always about self-esteem and self-control. Self-awareness involves comparing oneself with a certain ideal of the Self accepted by a given person, making some self-evaluation and - as a consequence - the emergence of a feeling of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with oneself.
Self-awareness is such an obvious property of every person that the fact of its existence cannot raise any doubts. Moreover, a significant and very influential branch of idealist philosophy has argued, starting with Descartes, that self-consciousness is precisely the only thing that cannot be doubted. After all, if I see some object, then it may turn out to be my illusion or hallucination. However, I cannot in any way doubt that I exist and that the process of my perception of something exists (even if it is a hallucination). And at the same time, the slightest reflection on the fact of self-consciousness reveals its deep paradox. After all, in order to be aware of yourself, you need to see yourself as if from the outside. But from the outside, only another person can see me, not me. I can only partially see my own body the way someone else sees it. The eye can see everything except itself. In order for a person to see himself, to be aware of himself, he needs to have a mirror. Having seen his image in the mirror and remembering it, a person gets the opportunity, already without a mirror, in his consciousness, to see himself as if “from the outside,” as “another,” that is, in consciousness itself to go beyond its limits. But in order for a person to see himself in the mirror, he must realize that it is he, and not some other creature, who is reflected in the mirror. The perception of a mirror image as one's likeness seems absolutely obvious. Meanwhile, in reality this is not at all the case. It’s not for nothing that animals don’t recognize themselves in the mirror. It turns out that in order for a person to see himself in the mirror, he must already have certain forms of self-awareness. These forms were not given initially. A person assimilates and constructs them. He assimilates these forms with the help of another mirror, no longer real, but metaphorical.
Levels of self-awareness:
Natural: isolating the subject from the environment, experiencing the subjective attribution of one’s own actions: what I experience is specifically me (phylogenetic prerequisites for self-awareness arise immediately with the prerequisites for consciousness).
Social: comparing yourself to others. The criterion is the appearance of speech, the emergence of a productive dialogue between the child and the adult, the child has the opportunity to decenter. The ability to speak does not mean the ability to have a productive conversation; egocentrism interferes (until it is overcome, there is no self-awareness, no understanding that this is my point of view).
Personal: reflection of one’s own experiences; awareness of one's own motives.
Levels of development of self-awareness
| Levels | Self-knowledge (cognitive part) | Self-attitude (emotional and volitional components) |
| Natural | Cognitive self-image, body schema, is associated with pre-verbal sensorimotor intelligence - sensory, motor and sensory aspects | Vague or muscular feeling - a general feeling of comfort or discomfort |
| Social | The self-image (perception of oneself) is formed by comparing oneself with others. Perceptual self-image, adaptation of perception and behavior | Self-esteem (Maslow) – affective, emotional self-regulation – volitional part |
| Personality | Self-concept (intellectual, mental idea of oneself), understanding of the circumstances of one’s own behavior | Self-esteem (Rogers) – understanding, experiencing one’s own real Self; understanding the immediate opportunities for one’s own development. |
Man, unlike animals, is a being who knows and is conscious of himself, capable of correcting and improving himself.
Self-knowledge – a person’s study of his own mental and physical characteristics.
Self-knowledge can be indirect(done by analyzing one’s own activities) and direct(acts in the form of introspection).
In fact, a person is engaged in self-knowledge all his life, but is not always aware that he is carrying out this type of activity. Self-knowledge begins in infancy and often ends with the last breath. It is formed gradually as it reflects both the external world and self-knowledge.
Knowing yourself by knowing others. At first, the child does not distinguish himself from the world around him. But at the age of 3–8 months, he gradually begins to distinguish himself, his organs and the body as a whole from the objects around him. This process is called self-recognition. This is where self-knowledge begins. The adult is the main source of the child’s knowledge about himself - he gives him a name, teaches him to respond to it, etc.
The well-known words of a child: “I myself ...” mean his transition to an important stage of self-knowledge - a person learns to use words to designate the signs of his “I”, to characterize himself.
Cognition of the properties of one’s own personality occurs in the process of activity and communication.
In communication, people get to know and evaluate each other. These assessments affect the individual's self-esteem.
Self-esteem – emotional attitude towards one's own image.
Self-esteem is always subjective, but it is based not only on one’s own judgments, but also on the opinions of others about a given person.
The formation of self-esteem is influenced by the following factors:
– comparison of the image of the real “I” with the image of the ideal that the person would like to be;
– assessment of other people;
– the individual’s attitude towards his own successes and failures.
According to psychologists, there are three motives for a person to turn to self-esteem:
1. Understanding yourself (searching for accurate knowledge about yourself).
2. Increasing one’s own importance (searching for favorable knowledge about oneself).
3. Self-test (correlating one’s own knowledge about oneself with others’ assessments of one’s personality).
Most often, people are guided by the second motive: most want to increase their self-esteem.
The level of self-esteem is associated with a person’s satisfaction or dissatisfaction with himself and his activities.
Self-esteem
Realistic(for success-oriented people).
Unrealistic: overestimated (in people focused on avoiding failures) and underestimated (in people focused on avoiding failures).
Self-knowledge through analysis of one’s own activities and behavior. By analyzing and evaluating achievements in a certain area, taking into account the time and effort spent on work, you can determine the level of your own abilities. By assessing his behavior in society, a person learns the moral and psychological characteristics of his own personality.
A wider circle of communication with other people provides a greater opportunity to compare and learn the positive and negative properties of one’s own personality.
Self-knowledge through introspection. Based on sensations and perceptions, the image of “I” begins to form. For young people, this image is formed primarily from ideas about their own appearance.
Image of “I” (“I”-concept) – a relatively stable, more or less conscious and recorded in verbal form, a person’s idea of himself.
An important means of cognition is self-confession- a complete internal report of a person to himself about what is happening to him and in him. A person’s confession to himself helps him evaluate his own qualities, establish himself or change the assessment of his behavior, and gain experience for the future.
Basic forms of self-observation: personal diaries with records of thoughts, experiences, impressions; questionnaires; tests.
Self-knowledge is closely related to such a phenomenon as reflection (Latin reflexio - turning back), reflecting the process of an individual thinking about what is happening in his mind. Reflection includes not only a person’s own view of himself, but also takes into account how those around him, especially individuals and groups that are significant to him, see him.
To understand your own “I” it is not necessary to conduct psychological experiments. Self-knowledge can be carried out through introspection, introspection and in the process of communication, play, work, cognitive activity, etc.
Sample assignment
A1. Choose the correct answer. The process of self-knowledge is not characterized
1) self-esteem
2) the formation of an attitude towards one’s appearance
3) knowledge of social norms and values
4) determining your abilities
Answer: 3.
Self-knowledge in psychology occupies a special position. This is a topic that worries many people seeking self-improvement. It is within the power of every person to make their life more meaningful and remarkable. You just need to make your own efforts to develop. The path of self-knowledge in itself cannot be considered easy. Many trials await a person on this road. Only by overcoming these obstacles does a person develop, fully moving forward. The mechanisms of self-knowledge are associated with its internal organization. Psychological life perfectly reflects a person’s personal experiences. Self-knowledge is a way to come to an understanding of your own true motives. You don't always have to worry about where to start. The development of consciousness includes elements and forms of reflection.
Self-knowledge and self-development are integral elements of human self-improvement. The more time you spend working on yourself, the more multifaceted your personality develops, and the deeper layers are revealed in it. Let's take a closer look at the features of self-knowledge. The psychology of self-knowledge is quite interesting.
Stages of self-knowledge
The process of self-knowledge in itself is quite labor-intensive. It requires enormous energy expenditure from a person. After all, you need to rethink a lot, make the right decision, and free yourself from the burden of additional experiences. Self-knowledge and character development always go hand in hand. One concept is conditioned by another, and a close relationship is revealed between them. Self-knowledge of a person consists of several stages. They, in turn, must be completed sequentially. The stages of self-knowledge bring the individual closer to finding his own essence.
Self-recognition
This stage begins with the child beginning to distinguish himself from the surrounding reality. Self-recognition is a natural process that helps us understand the world. Everyone must begin to approach his own individual essence through self-recognition. It is impossible to skip this stage, it happens independently, and a person, due to childhood, usually does not consciously track it.
"I am a concept"
Creating an image of one’s “I” develops gradually. A person must form an adequate idea of himself. Only in this case a positive “I-concept” is formed, which will contribute to individual development. “I am a concept” reflects what a person himself thinks about his own personality. The attitude towards oneself, in turn, forms the level of aspirations and helps to build personal boundaries. A person thus learns to better understand himself, his needs and desires. Self-knowledge and character development are integral components of self-awareness. Understanding the world around us always begins with self-knowledge. The process of self-knowledge a priori cannot be fast. Sometimes you need to go through quite difficult stages, which can be very painful in their lives.
“I am a concept” assumes that a person understands his true preferences and the motives of his own actions. When a person becomes independent, he has a desire to realize his individual aspirations and desires. In a sense, “I am a concept” significantly protects the personality from the invasion of any negative factors. Of course, it is impossible to protect yourself from everything, but the individual has the opportunity to learn to control them sufficiently.
Self-esteem
Self-esteem is an important component of a person's life. It determines the level of aspirations, teaches you to understand your aspirations and available opportunities. Based on self-esteem, a person gets the opportunity to develop self-awareness, or, on the contrary, becomes isolated in his problem. If self-esteem is low, then the person inevitably begins to suffer. She simply does not have enough strength for effective self-realization. Such a person is often lost in various life situations and does not know what to do. In order to feel truly happy, you need to gain significant self-confidence. And this is only possible with the formation of adequate self-esteem. Sufficiently developed self-esteem allows an individual to develop comprehensively and improve their skills. Self-awareness in this case develops rapidly. A person reveals himself in all the fullness of his capabilities. Fears, on the contrary, hinder self-realization. A person consciously limits himself in any form. The implementation of many plans and aspirations requires sufficient courage and activity.
Types of self-knowledge
Types of self-knowledge represent serious material for thoughtful and meaningful study. They are called ways of self-discovery because their function is to discover one's true potential. The stages of self-knowledge determine the level of development of the individual, his ability to evaluate his actions. Reflection in this case acts as a significant element for the disclosure of self-awareness. Let's take a closer look at the methods of self-knowledge.
Introspection
This method is quite simple to implement and accessible to everyone. In fact, it is the simplest and most understandable even to a person uninitiated in psychology. Self-observation helps you see your mistakes and track some significant reactions that were not noticed before. When observing his behavior, a person necessarily notes what he should refuse, what he should remove, what he should pay close attention to. Self-observation is an excellent way of self-knowledge. Its function is to track negative aspects and identify one’s own shortcomings in order to further develop them. Self-observation helps a person make fewer mistakes and listen to his inner voice.
Introspection
This method is a way of immersing yourself in a problem in order to find your own reserves for a timely response to the situation. The function of self-analysis is to be able to draw appropriate conclusions in a timely manner. Self-analysis helps to understand why this or that situation is repeated in life and for what reason people act in a certain way and not otherwise. At the same time, self-awareness necessarily develops, a person stops thinking in stereotyped categories. With the help of introspection, you can work out the deepest questions of existence that have gone deep into the subconscious. Self-analysis is quite effective in almost all cases, although it is a rather painful procedure.
Self-confession
This is a type of self-knowledge in which a person consciously immerses himself in his own thoughts. Such internal dialogue can be accompanied by similar movements, for example, walking around the room. Self-confession often ends in tears or awareness of one’s guilt regarding some situation. It’s important to stop here in time, and it’s better to find someone who could listen and give some practical advice.
Comparison
Most of the time, people compare their lives with others. At the same time, the achievements of others seem more significant and significant than their own. Comparison as a way of self-knowledge allows you to identify some additional goals where you can direct your aspirations. At the same time, it is important not to go deep and not compare your shortcomings with the advantages of others. You must try to think only in a positive way.
Thus, self-knowledge is a necessary step in personality development. When a person grows to the ability to analyze his life, he has a unique opportunity to try to change a lot.
- What is self-knowledge?
- Types of self-knowledge
- Primary self-knowledge
- Secondary self-knowledge
- Self-observation
- Detailed comparison
Having reached certain heights in life, many people do not receive moral satisfaction, since success sometimes has nothing to do with peace of mind. Every person sometimes asks himself questions directly related to self-knowledge and purpose in this world. As a rule, people begin to look for answers to their questions in open sources, re-reading various books or changing religions. At a certain stage of life, these methods can give results, but usually the initial concept is quite easily eliminated, so the process of self-knowledge is essentially endless.
What is self-knowledge?
Self-knowledge- this is a unique process during which a person studies himself independently - tries to look into the depths of his soul in order to better assess the level of physical and mental capabilities.
This need is common to all people, which is why every person is different from animals. Many religious movements are inextricably linked with self-knowledge. Thus, a few thousand years ago, thinkers believed that self-knowledge is an excellent way to retire with God, which any person can use to find hidden reserves in themselves that are so necessary for further development.
There is an opinion that people do all the fundamental actions in life on their own: they choose a specific goal, make mistakes (correct shortcomings), build relationships with relatives and friends. If a person begins to identify his strengths and weaknesses, then his self-esteem immediately increases, which means his quality of life automatically improves.
Watch the video on the topic from Alexey Tolkachev:
Self-knowledge and personality development - what are the differences and similarities?
Self-knowledge and personality development are processes that affect the success of each person. As mentioned above, self-knowledge is the individual’s ability to objectively assess his capabilities, as well as the desire to find additional reserves. In turn, development is a person’s ability to gradually improve, placing hopes only on one’s own strengths, and reach new heights.
Psychologists presented a special concept, which states that the process of self-knowledge largely depends on the following factors:
- Human health (physical and psychological).
- The presence of personal potential (the ability to realize it).
- The ability to achieve harmony (primarily in your inner world).
All of the above factors can ensure high efficiency of self-knowledge if they are correctly combined.
In general, self-knowledge, as well as personality development, are quite long-term processes that are interconnected. They can continue throughout human life.
Types of self-knowledge
The scientific concept, called “I,” perfectly characterizes a person’s ability to understand his role in the modern world. Of course, if an individual’s ideas are far-fetched or not truthful enough, a contradiction with real life inevitably occurs. Of course, if the assessment corresponds to reality, then the person will continue to develop until he achieves serious progress. In the process of improving his skills, an individual, as a rule, undergoes the following types of self-knowledge:
Primary self-knowledge
It assumes an individual’s trusting attitude towards other people who express any opinion about him.
Conflict with primary self-knowledge
The time comes when a person begins to realize that people express different opinions that do not fit in with each other. That is why the individual makes certain conclusions, relying on personal experience.
Secondary self-knowledge
This process involves a radical change in a person’s ideas about his own life. As a result, the active development of the individual begins - the old principles are completely or partially rejected, so the person changes his essence. Essentially, a phenomenon occurs that can be described by the phrase “I am not quite the same as you imagined in your head.”
All of the above stages of self-knowledge can take place in different ways, because each person is an individual with his own character and life principles.
5 simple exercises for self-knowledge
As a rule, the process of self-knowledge begins only when a person sees certain shortcomings in himself that must be corrected without fail. This can be done using the following methods (exercises):
Self-observation
Experts often call this process “introspection.” His principle is as follows - every person can control himself, relying on intuition and various sensations.
Detailed comparison
An individual must compare himself with other people in order to find an answer to the question of what norms of behavior are acceptable in modern society.
Drawing up a personal portrait
Using this method, a person can understand what kind of people he is attracted to, why conflict situations and other troubles usually occur. Of course, an individual must carefully analyze all of the above nuances and draw certain conclusions on the basis of which further relationships with people will be built.
Union of opposites
Over time, each person begins to realize that the pattern of behavior that he usually professes can lead to both positive and negative consequences. That is why it is extremely important that an individual accepts his true self (with positive character traits and character flaws).
Evaluating people with an emphasis on new knowledge gained in the process of self-development
Each person must compare the behavior of other people with his own in order to correctly assess what is happening around him.
Generally, self-knowledge- this is a multifaceted process, so it is difficult to predict in advance what success this or that person will achieve, but one must always strive for the ideal, pinning hopes only on one’s own strengths!
If you are interested in this topic, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the free program “ Life at Full Power».
Self-knowledge is a unique process associated with the study and development of oneself as an individual. This is a way of harmonious and holistic formation of an individual. The process of self-discovery begins in early childhood and continues throughout a person’s life.
Meaning and general characteristics
The definition of “self-awareness” includes the study of personal characteristics, awareness of one’s deeper essence, as well as mental and physical abilities.
Self-knowledge is a serious need that only humans experience. This is the process of learning one’s potential and actual capabilities, personal, intellectual qualities, character traits, and one’s relationships with other people.
For some, self-awareness does not take much time: it happens in one moment. And for others, it takes years, decades, and sometimes their entire lives to define themselves in this world.
In science, this definition is best explained in psychology. It helps to identify the semantic functions of self-knowledge. For example, in psychology the following facets of self-awareness are distinguished:
- criterion of psychologically healthy;
- a way to achieve inner harmony and psychological maturity;
- and self-realization of the individual.
All these functions are interconnected and help to create a holistic portrait of a mature and healthy person.
Self-knowledge helps resolve conflicts and understand the motives of one’s own actions. Through self-knowledge, a person learns to manage his life.
Only through knowledge does a person find happiness and share it with the people around him.
In the process of self-awareness, creative abilities develop, the individual finds new ways to solve problems that are based on mutual understanding, empathy and mutual assistance.
The definition of “self-awareness” has several meanings:
- Religious. Here this is a means that helps to achieve unity with God, to realize the Divine principle in oneself.
- Everyday. Here this is a way to make the most extensive use of your abilities, this is a method with which you can control other people.
- Psychological. Here it is a means that helps to gain psychological health, inner harmony and maturity.
Psychologists and philosophers agree that self-awareness is initially an instinctive process, while conscious perception is a product of life experience.
Types of self-awareness
In psychology, the following types of self-knowledge are designated:
- indirect;
- natural;
- self-confession;
- reflection;
- knowledge of oneself through knowledge of others, in the course of communication, play, work, developmental activity.
In practice, there are such methods of self-knowledge as:
- analysis;
- self-observation, the following forms are used: diary, questionnaire, tests;
- truthful internal self-report;
- thinking about what is happening in the mind.
A person devotes his whole life to getting to know himself, sometimes this happens unconsciously. The process begins with birth and ends with death. Formation develops in stages as the external and internal world of the individual is reflected.
You can get to know yourself through gradual, conscious recognition of others. The baby does not separate himself from the surrounding space. At the age of 3-8 months, the child learns to identify himself, his organs, and the body as a whole from the environment. This is called self-recognition - the first step towards self-awareness. For a child, parents and surrounding adults are the main resource of information about himself. It is the parents who give the name, teach them to respond to it, etc.
From the moment such an expression as “I want it myself” begins to appear in a child’s vocabulary, a new stage of self-knowledge begins. The child begins to use words to describe himself, to characterize himself.
The study of one’s own qualities occurs through activity and contact with the outside world. In the process of communication, they evaluate others. These indicators directly affect an individual’s self-esteem.
- emotional-subjective position in relation to one’s image.
Factors that influence self-esteem:
- comparing your Ego with a fictitious standard;
- assessing the people around you and comparing yourself with them;
- own attitude to successes and failures.
The ego concept is a more or less stable, conscious concept of a person about himself. This idea is usually recorded verbally. The concept can be either adequate or inadequate. A person is capable of inventing an image for himself that does not correlate with reality and comes into conflict with it. A correct assessment of oneself helps to successfully adapt to the world and the people around you.
The structure of self-awareness
Human self-knowledge includes the following elements:
- Ego image. This is the structure of knowledge about oneself. The way a person treats himself shows his way of building relationships with other people.
- Self-control. This is the regulation of one’s own actions and mental state depending on the requirements and norms of behavior and communication.
- Self-esteem. The procedure for assessing oneself based on the principle of acceptance or non-acceptance.
Features of self-knowledge are expressed in the interaction of three expressions of one’s own Ego:
The psychology of self-knowledge is a unified system, the components of which are inextricably linked. Having realized this structure, a person can more easily realize himself in the future.
The process of self-discovery
In psychology, the definition of “self-awareness” includes stages such as:
- Primary self-awareness. A person begins to get to know himself through the people around him. This stage refers to the passive, constructive stage of self-knowledge. This is a naive acceptance of the opinions of other people and the creation of an Ego-concept that is formulated by a person’s environment. At this stage, there is a possibility of a problem of inconsistency arising, it can be caused both by the individual himself and by society.
- Crisis of primary self-knowledge. It arises as a result of a clash of opinions about a person. Some opinions do not fit into a person’s usual system of views about himself, which leads to cognitive dissonance. Mechanisms of self-knowledge at this stage lead to a change in the role of the “other”. The personality can no longer rely on this role, its definitions, but moves on to self-determination.
- Secondary self-knowledge. This is the evolution of a person's ideas about himself. These are already active actions on the path of self-knowledge, since here the key role is given to the individual himself and his own feelings. The “Other” can now only act as a passive ideal. A redefinition of the ego concept occurs due to the fact that the individual begins to doubt the truth of his usual construction. The process of changing yourself in accordance with your plans begins. Goals and plans change, which often affect the external appearance of the individual.
Based on activity, the stages of self-knowledge can be divided into:
The whole process of self-knowledge is painful in cases where a person is not satisfied with any part of his life, for example, there is no family or favorite activity. Creative individuals experience the most difficult periods of crisis of self-awareness.
Self-discovery exercises
Self-knowledge in psychology is a complex, but interesting and useful process. Many people are concerned about where to start on this difficult path. There are various methods of self-discovery that you can use at home yourself, some of them are presented in a playful form.
Self-knowledge and self-development of character can be trained through certain exercises.
Exercise “4 squares of psychology of consciousness”
It is aimed at realizing one’s essence, searching for positive and negative personality traits.
Start the exercise by dividing a sheet of paper into 4 parts in the form of a square, numbering each of them from 1 to 4. In the first part you need to write 5 of your positive qualities. In the third part you need to write down your negative aspects.
The main requirement of this exercise is honesty; you need to sincerely answer these questions for yourself.
Positive qualities from the first square also need to be converted into negative ones and the result written down in the 4th square.
Then you should close the qualities from parts 3 and 4 and read the qualities from squares 1 and 2.
The essence of the exercise is for a person to understand that any characteristic can be described both from a positive and negative side. What is good for someone may be bad for another. You should not waste time on the opinions of others; it is better to concentrate on developing qualities that the person himself likes and can help him in the future.
Exercise “My desires, dreams and goals”
This exercise will take 30-40 minutes to complete. In a calm environment, you need to write down your dreams and desires on paper. The scale of what you want does not matter. It is recommended to write down all dreams in the smallest detail. It is best to make at least 100 entries. There must be complete confidence that this is exactly what you want. It is important to answer the question of why this is necessary.
If everything is done correctly, then an understanding of your intentions and true needs will appear. This will help you live a more conscious, energetic life.
Results of self-knowledge
Self-knowledge and self-education of character help to obtain complete data about yourself. The information received is combined based on the principle of proximity, for example, character traits, emotional characteristics, etc. All this further forms the concept of Ego. It is impossible to fully realize and understand this theory, since an impressive part of it is in the sphere of the unconscious. Therefore, the path of self-knowledge is an incomplete process.
The degree of awareness of the completeness of this system largely depends on the desire and intention of the individual to know himself.
All ideas that a person has received about himself can turn out to be either true or false. It all depends on an adequate assessment of yourself.
General results of self-knowledge from an emotional point of view include:
- Sense of identity. It is born through an understanding of the continuity of one’s existence, a sense of completeness and involvement in the world around us. This feeling may increase with age. If a person fails to gain this awareness, then despair sets in and life loses all meaning.
- Accepting yourself as you are. It is inextricably linked to a sense of identity. The individual accepts all his positive and negative sides. This does not mean that a person does not set goals for self-improvement; it only creates the basis for self-development and work on oneself. If a person does not accept himself or only partially accepts himself, then a struggle arises with himself, which not everyone manages to win.
- Respect for your personality. This is the level of a benevolent attitude towards oneself. A person generally accepts himself positively, appreciates and is proud of his successes. Respect must be based on real results. With a low level of self-respect, internal conflicts begin in an individual. A disdainful attitude towards others also develops. Self-esteem should be based on the success/aspiration formula.
- Feeling of personal competence. It is formed on the basis of data about oneself, one’s abilities, awareness and understanding that a person himself is capable of building a life in accordance with desires, and confidence in one’s abilities.
The results of knowing yourself, your essence, are quite extensive. This is a system of information about a person and an emotional and value-based attitude towards oneself.
Self-knowledge and self-development is the path through which an individual comprehends himself. Through this process, a person can comprehend and realize his inner Ego, and better know his psychological and physical capabilities. Self-knowledge is the development of integrity and unity of personality.