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The Difference Between Self-Consciousness and Self-Awareness
How one leads to the other.
As I’m not a native speaker, it took me a while to realize that “self-conscious” isn’t the same as “self-aware” in the English language. But why? After all, “consciousness” and “awareness” are close synonyms when they stand on their own.
According to Google:
self-consciousness
noun
undue awareness of oneself, one’s appearance, or one’s actions.
self-awareness
noun
conscious knowledge of one’s own character and feelings.
From the first glance at these definitions, it seems like “self-awareness” is a more accurate, while “self-consciousness” — an exaggerated perception of self. But are they really all that different?
On my personal growth journey, I have encountered both states: self-consciousness and self-awareness. After all, the core of what I am doing is trying to strengthen my connection to the present moment. That’s the pursuit of self-awareness: becoming more aware of what is happening in my mind, body and heart at any given point.
I have already experienced this ability to be helpful in how I relate to the world around me. Take relationships, for example. I am much better with empathising with my family and friends if I recognize what is going on inside of me in the first place. I am also more available for others if I am at peace with that which I recognized — for example, feelings of anxiety or agitation.
In this sense, self-awareness can be seen as a useful tool for tuning in to reality, rather than living based on what’s going on in our heads. But once you start consciously working on raising your awareness, this can produce a “side-effect”: self-consciousness.
This happened to me — especially at the beginning of my meditation practice and reading about the concepts of “no separate self” or “childhood conditioning.” These first startling insights that were supposed to bring me wisdom (and, eventually, did), first worked as a magnifying glass for my insecurities and ignorances.
