Self-description is categorized in the following four sections:
First, open self that represents all information, attitudes, behaviors and feelings about oneself that he or she knows and a few others know as well. These are precisely things that simply everyone knows about you. Second, hidden self, it represents the knowledge you have about yourself although you deem it wise to keep them as secret and others may not know about them. In addition, blind self represents knowledge about you that others have, but you do not have. These are things that you do not know, but others are aware of them, though they concern you. Finally, unknown self represents the part of yourself that neither you nor others know. The following are the results of an experiment I conducted with those around me on their perception of myself:
On open self, my close friend told me that I am an accomplished team player. I agreed with him since I believe in the concept of teamwork since it indeed makes the dream work, better still, a candle does not lose its light by lighting another. Furthermore, he acknowledged that in me is an art of friendliness. Small gestures such as checking up on my friend, acts of kindness and smiling as I speak has nurtured a beneficial relationship with my friend, moreover, guaranteeing an enabling environment for our friendship. My industrious nature is regarded heroically with my friend; he looks up to me and admires my actions concerning this attribute. My friend, however, considers me quick to respond when the need arises. A case in point, I once saved him from being knocked down by a passing vehicle. My friend appreciates my attention to details since I am always keen to all that he says however small they may seem and react accordingly.
As far as my hidden self is concerned, sincerely I wouldn’t say I like those who look down upon me. I believe in myself; hence any actions of despising almost tears me apart. I have a fright for heights. It is a major undoing since I have difficulty in crossing highly erected footbridges. Besides, my terror for water bodies makes me not a regular visitor in the swimming pool as my peers do. I put high expectations in all I do and the fact that expectation is the root of all heartache, more often than not, I get seriously disappointed when I do not attain an objective I desired. I usually have a stammer talk when in trouble and incredibly when guilty.
Nonetheless, my older brother informed me about some of my blind self-characteristics. To begin with, my love for challenging work that has enabled me to accomplish house chores that no sibling would desire to engage in. The organization in me that helps me do things in the proper ways possible. My brother also believes that I have empathy; he says I understand and share the emotions of those around me. The comprehension of other people’s feelings has helped me choose a suitable response on various occasions, my possession of the virtue of respect since I allow others to speak without any interruption. I am calm and consistent when there is a disagreement over an issue.
Most importantly, I would like to evaluate myself properly so that I am aware of my unknown self. I would love to know more about myself; hence I have always been open-minded to welcome any opinions about how anyone perceives me. In the quest of improving my self-awareness and minimizing the “blind spots” in my life, I organized one on one conversations with those in my immediate surrounding. I managed to gather the following about myself:
My roommate had the following impressions of me; my kindness is a beauty to behold, the talkative nature that goes hand in hand with my good communication skills, the consolation bit of me that is always willing to offer a shoulder to lean on in times of grief, the prayerful nature that has lifted me in various ways and the act of thinking aloud and soliloquizing in the situations I experience. The following qualities come to my mother’s mind upon thinking about me; the humble nature I possess, the discipline instilled in me, the virtue of patience and belief that good things come to those who wait, my dynamic nature to finish up something that I start and my practical usefulness for example, before I leave for school, I usually check under the bonnet of my mum’s car; adding water to the wiper tank and checking the oil level.
In addition, one of my classmates had the following positive things that he counts on me; the fact that I am always consistent and generous whenever he seeks my aid, the responsibility in me to often pick up litter around the class willingly, I am non-judgmental hence making my classmates at large feel comfortable about themselves, my loyalty especially to him and my low maintenance nature since I understand and appreciate that everyone has commitments and hence not demanding too much attention from him. My classmate further said that I sometimes study on my own and that he considers that as a negative side of me.
As a result of this study, I have learnt that we should always strive to do good since we may not know who is watching, or rather who is inspired by our deeds. From this exercise, I learnt that I am an outgoing person who is interested in the wellbeing of those who are around me.