Know yourself: The foundation for a meaningful life

Lesson Description

Self-knowledge is the foundation for building a meaningful and fulfilling life. The journey of healing depends importantly on recognizing our own brokenness. Similarly, the pathway to flourishing depends on knowing our strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, most people are afraid to find out the truth about themselves. A positive psychology that focuses only on what is right may be guilty of tapping into people's propensity for self-deception, which is well documented in psychology. In this lesson, we try to identify the sources of self-deception (unconsciousness and pride) and point out the dangers of self-delusion and repressed emotions. This lesson also focuses on how to take responsibility for one's life and develop a healthy self concept.

Exercises for Lesson 1:Please attempt these exercises before the Meetup.

Describe the “real you” in one sentence. Ask your best friend to describe the “real you” in one sentence. What kind of person do you want to be five years down the road? What might be your blind spots? What aspects of yourself do you have the most difficulty facing?

Helpful Resources

Websites:

http://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.html

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/vanm0049/psy1001section08spring2012/2012/04/correlation-between-self-esteem-and-personality.html

http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/1

Books:

Man's Search for Himself (Rollo May)

How Will You Measure Your Life (Clayton Christensen)