Insight: Why We Are Less Self-Aware Than We Think—and What to Do About It

by Tasha Eurich

They understood their values (the principles that guide them), passions (what they love to do), aspirations (what they want to experience and achieve), fit (the environment they require to be happy, energized, and engaged), patterns (consistent ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving), reactions (the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that reveal their strengths and weaknesses), and impact (the effect they have on others). In this chapter, we will examine a few of these Seven Pillars of Insight in more detail and begin to paint the picture of the rich, multifaceted understanding that makes up self-awareness (and if you’re interested in exploring all of your seven pillars, check out Appendices A–G). Then we’ll discuss an equally important dimension of insight: that to be truly aware, we can’t just understand ourselves; we also need to know how we’re seen by others.