People With Actual Self-Awareness Very Rarely Complain About 9 Things That Bother Everyone Else
Iuliia Zhemchugova / Shutterstock Very few people are truly self-aware enough to think about themselves with hardly any bias, but those who can are doing themselves and everyone around them a favor.
Taking a full accounting of your own behavior helps you see the world from a perspective that lets you accept many things that bother most people as nothing major to complain about. When you understand that everything we experience happens in a larger context, it keeps you from getting upset over little issues that may certainly be annoying, but that don't really have to be a bother.
If someone has true self-awareness, they'll rarely complain about these things that typically bother everyone else
1. Not being in control
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There’s not much any of us can control in life other than our own actions. Some people can accept that more easily than others, though.
A lot of people who want to control everything feel that way because they’re perfectionists. Of course, perfection isn’t possible, so anyone who’s trying to achieve it will be stuck in a constant cycle of disappointment.
Self-awareness helps people understand that they can’t actually control more than they already do just because they want to. So, even though they know they don’t have total control, they still feel confident from being grounded in reality.
2. Working with people who think differently
Everyone has their own unique personality and communication style. It naturally feels easier to get along with others, both personally and professionally, who think the same way you do, but meeting someone you click with like that can be pretty rare.
To get through life, everyone has to learn to work with people who have a different perspective from theirs. People who are self-aware have an advantage here because they don’t try to fit everyone into a box that feels familiar to them. This doesn’t mean differences never rub them the wrong way, but they are able to change the way they think about them.
3. Owing someone an apology
Apologizing is a wildly different experience based on the level of self-awareness someone has. People who don’t have a lot of it tend to feel threatened when they have to apologize because they believe that doing that means giving someone else power over them.
Those who are self-aware don’t see things the same. They don’t think it’s easy to apologize to someone else, but they have a deeper understanding of emotions that helps them remember a few minutes of wounded pride is worth it to repair a relationship.
4. Feeling uncomfortable with growth
A lot of people assume that personal growth happens pretty easily because that’s what they would prefer. Unfortunately, it’s often a painful process that many people hate, even though they want the results.
No one can progress in life without discomfort, including the most self-aware people. They’re able to use that discomfort strategically in a way that lets them grow even more, though. They learn a lot from leaning into it instead of running away from it.
5. Making honest mistakes
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Sometimes people do something wrong on purpose, but other times it’s a complete accident. Still, true mistakes that people didn’t want to make can still be hard to accept if they come with difficult consequences.
Someone who is self-aware pays closer attention to what the person’s actual intention was. Intentions are believed to be the main thing that drives behavior, so they won’t hold it against someone if they mess up when they truly do mean well.
6. Receiving constructive criticism
People respond to criticism very differently based on how self-aware they are. Constructive criticism is meant to be feedback that helps someone improve, but people who are really sensitive or stressed can even take that too personally.
Self-aware people are on the opposite end of the spectrum. They understand that constructive criticism isn’t a sign of a personal failure and consider the possibility that the person speaking to them could be making a valid, valuable point. This mindset keeps them from feeling as hurt as other people would in the same situation.
7. Facing logical consequences
All actions have consequences, but that doesn’t make them easy to accept. Even when someone has to deal with the consequences of their own poor planning or time management, there’s a good chance they would still take the opportunity to complain about how hard it was.
People with self-awareness are better able to connect things that happen to their own choices. When something that was basically inevitable happens, they don’t waste time complaining. They just take ownership of their own actions and move forward instead.
8. Feeling like life isn’t fair
There probably isn’t a single person on earth who would claim that life is fair, but people react to that fact differently based on their point of view.
Someone with a lot of self-awareness knows that dwelling on the unfairness of life doesn’t make anything better. It’s probably just going to make them feel worse, actually. They can shrug and keep pushing through when others want to stop and wallow, which makes them much more productive.
9. Changing their mind
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No one likes to admit they were wrong, even when they’re presented with evidence that makes that painfully obvious. People who aren’t very self-aware take in new information with frustration instead of gratitude for the new insight.
Self-aware people react differently because they have more cognitive flexibility. Instead of feeling like their wrong opinion was equivalent to doing something wrong, they’re willing to accept the truth, even if it’s not what they originally thought it was.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
