How to Improve Self-Knowledge by Tapping into Others Knowledge

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How to improve Self-Knowledge by Tapping into Others’ Knowledge
The concept of self-knowledge has been debated over years by philosophers and psychologists with an aim of establishing the best way to enhance it. It is natural for one to think that they know themselves better than anyone else but in reality this perception is untrue. One may have a vague sense that others perceive them differently, but they might conclude that the difference between the perceptions is because the others do not know them. While one’s opinion about their personality may be accurate, it contains significant omissions that they are blind to. Getting an opinion from someone is always a wise decision because there are some aspects of one’s personality that may be better understood by others. Self-knowledge is important in determining one’s personality, but it is incomplete without the contribution of others opinions. Although some opinions such as those held by parents and close family members may be biased, it is wise to seek opinions from people who are close because they often have the best perceptions. In a bid to understand one’s personality, it is important to learn the various causes of blind spots that hinder objectivity in self-judgment. This helps in understanding the best ways to enhance self-knowledge by tapping into other’s perceptions about one’s behavior. The major challenge is getting an honest opinion from the others because sometimes they are not open especially when it involves negative traits. This paper looks at the major blind spots in self-knowledge with an aim of identifying the ways in which one can improve their self-knowledge.
As much as one may be well-informed about themselves, there may be some blind spots where their wishes, unconscious desires and fears may obscure reality (Fugate, Kinicki and Ashforth 34). It is not easy to face the reality at times because one tries to maintain a better self-image. One might think that if they watched themselves on a video tape they would have an accurate perception of their personalities, but this is not the case. In such a scenario, if others watched the same video they would have a different opinion on the traits. Although there are higher chances that those who spend most of the time around someone know them better strangers can also tell one’s personality. Observable features such as the mode of dressing and their music preferences indicate a lot about one’s personality and traits.
One of the reasons behind the distortions in one’s perceptions about their personality is the lack of information. The gaps in one’s self-knowledge may lead to the misperception of their traits. For instance, there are behaviors that one may have that bring out a different perception of who they are but different from what they believe. Frowning when listening intently for instance may create a perception that one has an intimidating personality, but they may be blind to this. The feedback they get from others is what makes them realize that they need to change their behavior in line with their self-perception (Vazire and Carlson 108)....