Self-awareness is All You Need
Switching from auto-pilot to manual mode can be instrumental to your self-improvement in many domains
If I had to pick one habit that’s instrumental to self-improvement across all areas of life, it would be consciously maintaining a high level of self-awareness. This means constantly paying attention to your thoughts and emotions.
This might sound odd. Don’t most people have self-awareness?
Surprisingly, we spend a significant amount of our time on auto-pilot. We often navigate our daily lives mechanically, without conscious thought or deliberate decision-making. Routines and habits take over, leaving little room for introspection or intentional action.
Max Weber aptly described this phenomenon:
"In the great majority of cases, actual action goes on in a state of inarticulate half-consciousness or actual unconsciousness of its subjective meaning. The actor is more likely to 'be aware' of it in a vague sense than he is to 'know' what he is doing or be explicitly self-conscious about it."
The portion of instinct-driven, automatic decisions and actions we make daily is higher than we think.
Only a minority of people regularly maintain a high level of self-awareness. Even for these individuals, much of their time is still spent in auto-pilot mode and a semi-conscious state.
There’s an evolutionary reason for humans entering auto-pilot mode. It helps and protects us throughout the day without overloading our brains. However, like many human instincts, such as fear of rejection and sugar cravings, the instinct to enter auto-pilot mode is not necessarily optimal for modern society.
If you want to pursue persistent self-development, you need a high level of self-awareness. You need to switch to manual mode often and take charge of your mind.
The Impact of Self-Awareness
Emotional Intelligence
What determines high or low emotional intelligence? Some might list traits like focus, self-control, and sociability. However, these traits are merely the surface—external manifestations derived from deeper roots. The fundamental factor is self-awareness. Highly self-aware individuals can become aware of their psychological changes and processes, recognizing the existence of problems. In contrast, individuals with low self-awareness often fail to recognize problems at all.
Persistence
Self-awareness also influences one’s level of persistence. People with high emotional intelligence understand persistence, but how do they maintain it? The key is that those with a high level of self-awareness notice their negative emotions during persistence and address these issues promptly. In contrast, those with low emotional intelligence do not see this as a problem—they do not realize, "I hate this task, which is a bad sign, so it needs to be addressed.”
Relationships
Relationships can enhance emotional intelligence because lovers constantly monitor their words and actions, self-monitor, and be mindful to avoid losing the other's interest. They control their emotions and behave differently than usual, paying attention to details. However, not everyone realizes this—some people remain immature despite many relationships. They feel confused and see the changes as sudden, unable to recognize any issues, and merely follow their feelings unconsciously and without reflection.
Highly functional individuals who excel in various aspects of their lives often share one major trait: heightened self-awareness. They recognize problems in various life aspects that need attention. Instead of staying in auto-pilot mode and being complacent with mild, sufferable issues, they switch to manual mode and address problems early on before they worsen.
Self-awareness is an obvious and essential sign of a mature and rational person. Growth is necessarily a process filled with epiphanies, counter-habits, pain, and boredom, but not without interest. Only those aware of problems can progress—self-awareness is the key to maturity and self-improvement. Problems are always a matter of one's thinking—you need more self-awareness and attention to more issues. Achieving this is not easy; it is a long-term and courageous endeavor.