Self-reflection
[2][3] Self-reflection depends upon a range of functions, including introspection and metacognition, which develop from infancy through adolescence, affecting how individuals interact with others, and make decisions.
More than 3,000 years ago, "Know thyself" was the first of three Delphic maxims inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.
[9] From the third-millennium Old Kingdom of Egypt, belief in an eternal afterlife of the human ka is documented along with the notion that the actions of a person would be assessed to determine the quality of that existence.
[citation needed] The dominant world-view of medieval Europe, as directed by the Catholic Church, was that human existence is essentially good and created in "original grace", but because of concupiscence, is marred by sin, and that its aim should be to focus on a beatific vision after death.
The term "original grace" is not a phrase directly derived by the Bible, but is used because it reflects the Catholic Church's interpretation of humanity’s initial state before the Fall.
And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?René Descartes famously and succinctly proposed: Cogito ergo sum[13] (French: "Je pense donc je suis"; English: "I think, therefore I am"), not an assessment of humanity, but certainly reflecting a capacity for reasoning as a characteristic of humans, that potentially, could include individual self-reflection.
In the early twentieth century, Sigmund Freud dealt a serious blow to positivism by postulating that, to a large part, human behaviour is controlled by the unconscious mind.
[14] Joseph Conrad uses the analogy of chemistry to describe how the tiniest idea can stimulate a person during reflection like a "little drop precipitating the process of crystallization in a test tube containing a colourless solution".
Self-awareness enables a person to comprehend their feelings, qualities, shortcomings, drives, and objectives, and recognize their effect on others.
Self-concept includes the capacity to control or divert their troublesome feelings and motivations and adjust to changing circumstances.
Self-esteem is significant for dealing with a filled, complex life that incorporates meetings, vocation, family, network, and self-necessities.
[23] Incivility has been found to be the most pernicious outcome when members of a group exhibit a lack of self-reflection, decreasing productivity on average by 30%.
[25] A study involving clients in a twelve-step program explored the role of self‑reflection through diary writing, not only as daily therapy, but in a retrospective context.
The study concluded that clients who read and reflected on their past diary entries demonstrated increased participation in the treatment program.
