Self-Awareness: Personality Test V

Materials from the Pathways Book

Alternatives materials that can be used

Knowing Yourself

By David Irianto

Before we connect with the outside world, we need to know ourselves. A simple question like “Who am I?” can be difficult to answer. Are we talking about who we were as a child, who we are now, or who we will be in the future? Should we describe our body, our thoughts, our feelings, or our behavior? No wonder it’s confusing.

Some people think we stay the same from childhood until now. But actually, we are always changing. The “me” from 5 minutes ago, now, and an hour later can be different. This can be explained by the story The Ship of Theseus. In this story, a hero named Theseus got a ship as a gift. It stayed in a harbor for 1,000 years, but every part was replaced over time. People asked, “Is it still the same ship?” The answer shows that we can change, but still be the same “person” in some way.

“I” is made of parts that always change — body, thoughts, feelings, situations, and habits. But somehow, “I” is still “I.” Many people think our brain and soul are the main parts of our identity. Philosopher Alain de Botton says our identity is not only about our body or memories, but about our character — our values, tendencies, and temperament.

Our identity is shown by how we act and respond. It is shaped by our biology, culture, role models, and choices. In psychology, the self has parts like self-concept, self-knowledge, self-esteem, and social self.

Self-concept has many sides: physical, emotional, social, mental, and spiritual. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs says people grow by fulfilling needs — from basic needs, safety, relationships, and respect, to self-actualization (reaching our full potential). Carl Rogers said everyone wants to become their ideal self. To do that, we need a healthy environment with honesty, acceptance, and empathy.

Carl Rogers said self-concept has three parts:

He believed healthy people don’t live only by others’ expectations but look inside for guidance. People with high anxiety may not accept their real experiences and may change themselves to protect their feelings or get approval from others.

John Turner said we have personal identity and social identity — meaning society also shapes who we are. Donald Winnicott talked about true self and false self. The false self is the personality expected by society, which is not always bad, but as children we should be allowed to live as our true self. Children naturally cry when sad, sleep when tired, or shout when excited. If we are not allowed to be ourselves as children, it can cause problems later in life.

Carl Jung explained four parts of the self:

The Johari Window says we have four selves:

Brian Little says we all have personal projects — things that matter to us, like people we love or our work. Sometimes we must act differently from our natural personality. For example, a talkative person might need to be quiet as a librarian, or a shy person might need to speak confidently during a presentation. These opposite behaviors can also become part of our identity.

Activity — The Johari Window Game