Too Deep For Me . . . But Interesting, No?

It's funny this life we live . . .   We are such weird, unusual animals, human beings.  We have self-awareness and the knowledge of our own inevitable death almost as long as we're self-aware enough to know we're going to die.  Animals know when death is close but they don't ponder it for years and years and they sure don't build tombs and mausoleums to appease god or the gods.

Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand your own thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and how they affect you and others. It’s essentially “seeing yourself clearly.”   

Psychology sees self-awareness as both beneficial (better regulation, empathy) and potentially burdensome (overthinking, self-consciousness).  

Philosophy asks what it means to be aware of oneself, and even whether the “self” is real.  

Psychology tends to ask: “How does self-awareness develop, and what does it do?”  

Philosophy tends to ask: “What is the nature of the self that is aware, and is it real?”  

Together, they show that self-awareness is both a practical tool (for growth and regulation) and a deep mystery (about identity and existence).