Self-awareness is the ability to examine your own thoughts, words, and actions, and observe how they affect the world around you. It’s an important skill to have if you want to grow and learn as a person. Some of us are more self-aware than others…so, how self-aware are you?
Answer these 12 quick questions, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know. To discover whether you’re a super self-aware person or you’re blind to your own behavior, click “Start Quiz” now.
Questions Overview
- Rarely. I always carefully think about something before I say it.
- Sometimes. I don't always know what'll come out of my mouth.
- Often. I tend to say things I don't really mean.
- I don't know. I don't really think about the things I say, I just say them.
- I feel proud of how far I've come since then.
- I feel a little embarrassed of who I was, but I don't let it get me down.
- I yearn to go back to the person I was in those photos.
- I don't know, or I don't feel much.
- Yes. I tend to understand my emotions and why I'm feeling them.
- Usually. I know what I'm feeling, but why I'm feeling that way isn't always obvious.
- Not really. I have trouble grappling with and figuring out my emotions.
- I don't know, or I'm not sure.
- I call my friend, explain the situation, and apologize for the inconvenience. I'll set an alarm next time.
- I rush to meet my friend and make up a good excuse to cover my tracks.
- I'm not worried about it. They know I can sometimes be late, so it's not like it's a surprise.
- I don't know, or I'm not sure.
- I apologize and tell them that I need to sit down, but I don't give up my seat.
- I give up my seat and stand. As long as I can help someone else, I'll deal with it.
- I say no, and don't explain. I don't owe them anything.
- I don't know, or I'm not sure.
- I’m disappointed, but proud of myself for trying my best, no matter what anyone says.
- I feel embarrassed that I lost the game for my team, and like I should apologize.
- I'm frustrated my team didn’t work harder to help us win when I was giving it my all.
- I'm not sure, I'll have to have some time to process.
- I stop and consider the possibility that maybe I am wrong, then do more research to find the truth.
- I hear them out, but I probably won't change my mind. I know I'm right.
- I stop listening. They have it wrong, and there's no point in arguing.
- I change my mind. They must know something I don't.
- I bring it up and ask what’s wrong. If I did something to hurt them, I want to know.
- I let it play out and hope things get back to normal soon. I hope they’re just having a bad day.
- I put more distance between us. If they have a problem with me, they should say something.
- I don't know, or I'm not sure.
- Very easy. I have a good sense for people’s vibes, especially when it concerns me.
- Somewhat easy. I can’t always tell, but I can read the emotions of people close to me.
- Somewhat difficult. It’s often hard for me to tell what other people are thinking and feeling.
- Very difficult. It’s hard enough decoding my own thoughts, let alone other people’s.
- I decline and explain I'm not the best person for the job. I don't want to mess anything up.
- I offer to do it anyway, but let them know that someone else might be better.
- I accept and don't say anything. I'll figure it out as I go.
- I don't know, or I don't reply and hope they figure it out themself.
- I don’t think about it. There’s probably a good reason, and it’s probably not personal.
- I let it slide, but ask my other friends what they think. I can’t help but wonder why I wasn’t included…
- I ask the host why they didn’t invite me. It might be a bit much, but so is excluding me in front of everyone.
- I don't know, or I'm not sure.
- Yes. Enough time has passed that we're both different people. I'll give them a chance.
- I accept, but only to be polite, and I'll probably bail. There's no reason to expose old wounds.
- I turn them down. They had their chance with me, and they blew it.
- I don't know, or I'm not sure.
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The Scoop on Self-Awareness
What is self-awareness?
Self-awareness is a lot of things, but in a nutshell, it’s how we see and process both ourselves, and the effects we have on the world around us. Someone who’s self-aware has a decent grasp on their emotions and why they feel them, and understands how their own words and actions affect other people. You might say self-awareness has 2 major categories: introspective self-awareness, where you examine your own thoughts and feelings, and outward self-awareness, where you examine how those those thoughts, feeling, and actions influence your surroundings.
Why is self-awareness important?
Self-awareness influences how you interact with the world around you, and with other people. Just think: Was there ever a time when someone was standing a little too close to you on the subway, or when someone said something that hurt you without realizing it? If they’d had a little more awareness of themselves and their surroundings, you might not have been inconvenienced or hurt. The same rule applies to yourself. The more in tune you are, the more pleasant you can be.
And that extends to bigger things, too, like your politics and worldview. If you never examine your own values and opinions, those values and opinions are more likely to be influenced by other people, and not necessarily for the better. Also, if you’re not aware of how or why you’re making mistakes—in your art, work, relationships, and everything else—then you’ll never figure out how to correct and grow from those mistakes. That’s why it’s important to foster self-awareness.
What are some traits of a self-aware person?
Self-aware people:
- Acknowledge their mistakes, and ask themselves how they can fix them.
- Interrogate why and how they think or believe something, instead of just taking it at face value.
- Understand when they hurt others, and attempt to make things right.
- See things from others’ point of view, even if it seems incorrect.
- Recognize and understand their own strengths and weaknesses.
- Are constantly growing as people.
How do you become more self-aware?
Glad you asked! And actually, the fact that you asked means that you’re pretty self-aware, already. And if you want to hone your self-awareness, the first step is exercising your empathy. Empathy is an understanding of what other people feel, and why. If you can understand this, then you can more easily understand how your own words and actions affect others, for better or worse, and start working to figure out how to improve those thoughts and actions.
Here’s a simple exercise: Visit a public place, like a park, mall, or cafe, and do a little people-watching. As you do, ask yourself: What does this stranger want right now? Where are they going, what are they doing, and why? What would make them happy? What would make them frustrated? Then, as you move about the world, running errands and seeing friends, ask yourself: How do other people see me? What about me makes them see me that way? How do I see them, and why?
As you start to ask these questions, you’ll become more and more aware of your place in the world, and how you factor into it.
Want to learn more?
For more information about self-awareness, and fostering your own, visit these helpful resources:
Reader Success Stories
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"It helped me know about whom l am and how l can also improve myself in terms of my character."
