Self-Awareness
Oct 25, 2019
Years ago, one of the things that got me interested in psychology and human development was a book I read written by a therapist who recounted stories in her practice.
In one of the stories, there was a father who did not have the best role model in his father. He was a man that yelled a lot and did not help his children to feel loved. As this man grew up, he also had a chaotic home with lots of yelling and discomfort. At one point, he started to see this therapist. It was while he was seeing this therapist that he became aware and finally made a connection stating, “I am treating my kids the same way my father treated me, and I hated it!!” Prior to the meeting he knew that he needed to seek help but had no awareness that he was repeating this pattern from his childhood. This story was so interesting to me...
How could someone have no awareness of what he was doing?
But this happens all of the time.
We are all raised with experiences that shape our belief system about how to navigate the world. We have underlying biases, beliefs, and patterns that we continue to repeat. They are so innate in us that we don't even have an awareness of how they could be negatively affecting ourselves and our relationships.
By gaining awareness of his repeating patterns, this man was able to improve his situation at home. Without this awareness, he never would have learned his weaknesses or grown from his mistakes.
If our beliefs and our actions impact ourselves or others negatively or positively, we should always be willing to take a deeper, honest look at our behaviors.
