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“Who Am I?”: Here Are 25 Example Answers To Improve Your Self-Knowledge

There are 1001 potential answers to the question ‘Who am I?”

It feels like a easy question nevertheless it’s bought an advanced answer, least of all as a result of there isn’t any single you.

Your personal answer will probably rely upon who’s asking and the way deep you need to go.

Answering “who am I?” in an interview or on a date, might be going to be extra descriptive and fewer philosophical.

But on one other degree, the higher we all know ourselves, the extra insightful we turn out to be. As Aristotle as soon as stated: “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

Get to know your self higher with these “who am I” example answers that show you how to to delve deeper into who you actually are.

Why is it tough to answer the question: who am I?

“Who am I?” is how we see and outline ourselves. It creates our identification, and in flip our actuality.

I am my identify, I am my job, I am my relationships, I am my community, I am my sexuality, I am my affiliations, I am my hobbies.

These are all labels you may use to describe your self. Even although many give clues and pointers to who you are, they’re nonetheless restricted.

One of the the explanation why answering “Who am I” is so tough is as a result of the social roles you play in life —as an accountant, a brother, a father, a heterosexual man, and so forth.— don’t get to the center of who you actually are. Neither does merely itemizing your pursuits or hobbies.

You could also be a eager bicycle owner, who enjoys crosswords and watching anime. Although that can provide you and others a snapshot of you, you are clearly a lot extra.

If you’re looking for self-knowledge, and even simply extra attention-grabbing conversations, the actually juicy stuff tends to dwell under the floor.

Beyond the mundane classes, we put ourselves into is what makes us really tick.

It’s typically a group of our pursuits, experiences, traits, decisions, values, and beliefs that present us who we are.

Understanding these items about ourselves is what helps us to perceive the complexity of our identification.

“Who am I” example answers for self-reflection

1) What lights me up?

Figuring out what lights you up is probably the important thing to determining your objective in life.

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” — Fyodor Dostoyevsky

What kind of labor would I additionally do totally free? What do you spend hours on and the time simply flies? The issues that gentle us up are so extremely distinctive to you.

2) What drains me?

All sorts of issues can drain your energy — whether or not it’s dangerous habits like doomscrolling by way of your cellphone at 2 am when you ought to be sleeping, or taking every thing personally when you already know you want to let that sh*t go.

Figuring out the individuals and issues that are our energy zappers make clear who we are, and helps us determine what we’d like to let go of.

3) What are the issues that are most vital to me in life?

Asking your self what actually means probably the most to you helps you figure out your values.

Sometimes it’s not till you’re taking the time to make clear what issues most to you that you simply see the place your phrases and actions aren’t matching up.

Plenty of the time what we are saying is vital isn’t mirrored in the place we put our effort and time.

Your values ought to decide your priorities, which then turn out to be a measure of whether or not life is popping out the way in which you need it to.

Plenty of the time after we’re feeling pissed off, caught, or sad we uncover we’re not dwelling by our values.

4) Who are the individuals who are most vital to me in life?

One of the most important mirrors we have now in life is the relationships we create. Who you are is to a sure extent a collaborative effort between you and the numerous individuals you meet.

It’s been formed by the dad and mom that raised you, the individuals who have liked you, and those that have harm you too.

Relationships mildew who we are, the place we belong, and what we’ll depart behind.

5) What stresses me out?

Stress is our physique’s response to strain. This is strictly why it could possibly inform us loads about ourselves.

It might be triggered while you are coping with one thing new, one thing unexpected, while you’re feeling uncontrolled or when one thing threatens your sense of self.

Even the way in which we deal with stress says loads about us. According to the Yale School of Medicine, stress dates again to the origins of humanity however all of us expertise it in a different way:

“In general, women are more likely to think and talk about what is causing stress. Women also are more likely to reach out to others for support and seek to understand the sources of their stress. Men typically respond to stress using distraction. And men often engage in physical activities that can offer an escape from thinking about a stressful situation.”

6) What is my definition of success?

Who doesn’t need to achieve success in life, however what precisely is success?

For some, being profitable may be money, fame, or recognition. For others, the legacy of success is extra concerning the affect they need to make on the world or serving to others.

Success isn’t at all times concerning the greatest wins, with a few of life’s most rewarding successes coming from extra humble pursuits — elevating a household, cultivating loving relationships, living a balanced life.

Finding success in success means pursuing your personal definition of it, not another person’s.

7) What makes me indignant?

Anger isn’t all dangerous. Rather than attempting to sweep it underneath the carpet, what actually will get us mad has loads to inform us.

There are loads of events when anger is highly effective. It fuels energy and braveness to rise up for the stuff you consider in. It highlights the behaviors and the social causes we really feel strongly about.

Working out what will get you aggravated can provide you clues to what you are most keen about.

8) What will get me away from bed within the morning?

Other than the alarm on repeat for half an hour adopted by a gallon of espresso, what will get you away from bed within the morning?

Figuring out what motivates you is the cornerstone of success and objective. Much like success, while you strive to observe another person’s model, it received’t final lengthy.

As the creator of ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ Stephen Covey, puts it: “Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.”

9) What relaxes me?

If all people is susceptible to stress, then all people wants to know the way to destress too.

Especially within the digital age, stress-free is commonly simpler stated than performed. Plenty of us have forgotten how to really unwind, with consultants suggesting that is why we spend so lengthy glued to a display screen as an alternative.

Speaking within the Guardian newspaper, Psychoanalyst David Morgan says:

“People have got so used to looking for distraction that they actually cannot stand an evening with themselves. It is a way of not seeing oneself, because to have insight into oneself requires mental space, and all these distraction techniques are used as a way of avoiding getting close to the self.”

10) What brings me pleasure?

Do you ever get the sensation that determining precisely what makes you cheerful in life is simply as difficult as attempting to work out who you are?

Psychotherapist Linda Esposito says one in all the reasons happiness is so hard is that we frequently get all of it fallacious.

We suppose life is about at all times feeling good and so we desperately do no matter we are able to to dodge struggling while concurrently chasing exterior rewards and validation.

“Sure we expertise joyful moments and blissful reminiscences, however life is concerning the journey and having fun with the steps alongside the way in which.“

11) What scares me?

The issues that scare us most are the evident massive flashing indicators to our interior psyche.

Roller coasters, medicine, and getting actually shut to somebody are a number of of mine. They all have one massive underlying factor in frequent — they set off my concern of shedding management.

If you’re afraid of public talking, you’re in all probability a individuals pleaser with perfectionist tendencies. If you’re afraid of the darkish then in accordance to (*25*), you could be extra artistic and imaginative.

Your greatest fears are reflections of your character.

12) What makes me curious?

Another vital breadcrumb to observe on any path to objective in life is that little spark of curiosity inside.

One of probably the most distinctive options of human beings which has been essential to our evolution as a species is the lifelong capability to study.

This childlike characteristic of curiosity, generally known as Neoteny within the science world, helps us advance by way of exploration.

As psychologist and cognitive scientist, Tom Stafford writes “Evolution made us the ultimate learning machines, and the ultimate learning machines need to be oiled by curiosity.”

13) What are my failures?

We’ve in all probability all heard the saying that “failure is feedback”. Our greatest failures might be concurrently our biggest disappointments and our biggest alternatives.

Failure could trigger struggling within the short-term, but when handled in a wholesome manner, failure allows us to learn in a manner that finally contributes to our wins in life.

The world is full of people that refused to outline themselves on their failures and as an alternative used past failures to fuel success.

14) What retains me awake at evening?

What retains us awake at evening affords us perception into the modifications we might have to make — even when it’s simply to cease consuming caffeine after 5 pm.

Whether it’s daydreams of one other life (quitting your 9-5, shifting nation, discovering love) or the troubles that have you ever tossing and turning unable to swap off.

The nightime hours when it’s darkish and quiet can inform us loads about who we are.

15) What disappoints me?

How we deal with disappointment typically comes down to how we handle our expectations. It occurs when our hopes and expectations a couple of scenario fall out of line with actuality.

Some individuals strive to keep away from disappointment by turning into underachievers, while others search to keep away from it by way of the alternative of overachieving.

The disappointments we really feel are signposts to our greatest needs, in addition to our beliefs about ourselves and different individuals.

16) What are my insecurities?

Everyone feels insecure from time to time. One survey discovered that 60 % of girls expertise hurtful, self-critical ideas on a weekly foundation.

Our insecurities have a tendency to be formed by our “critical inner voice”.

According to Dr. Lisa Firestone, who co-authored ‘Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice’:

“The critical inner voice is formed out of painful early life experiences in which we witnessed or experienced hurtful attitudes toward us or those close to us. As we grow up, we unconsciously adopt and integrate this pattern of destructive thoughts toward ourselves and others.”

17) What do I would like to study?

Countless lockdowns over the coronavirus pandemic left a variety of us pondering how we spend our time, and the way we are able to use it to improve ourselves.

Life’s countless learners are normally probably the most profitable and joyful. A progress mindset sees every thing as a possibility to develop.

Lifelong studying builds the psychological flexibility that helps us to modify and thrive.

18) What do I respect most about myself?

Self-respect is about treating your self the way in which you’d need others to deal with you.

The respect we really feel in the direction of ourselves is the qualities, achievements, and areas of life by which we maintain ourselves within the highest esteem.

It is a way of admiration for all that’s good or worthwhile that you simply see in your self.

19) What are my regrets?

Regrets can form or break us.

Research found that it’s additionally true what they are saying, you’re extra probably to remorse one thing you didn’t do than one thing you probably did. Results confirmed inaction regrets lasted longer than motion regrets.

It additionally confirmed that the majority of our regrets have a tendency to come from romance relatively than different areas of life. So it appears that evidently maybe we are our regrets in love. Although remorse can appear ineffective, feeling remorse permits us to make completely different (doubtlessly higher) decisions sooner or later.

20) What am I good at?

There are a variety of clues hidden within the stuff you appear to have a pure aptitude for which will help present you who you are.

Some have a present for communication, a manner with numbers, a artistic streak, an analytical thoughts.

Taking a have a look at previous achievements, asking what you’re keen on to do most, and attempting out new issues assist to reveal your skills and strengths.

21) What am I dangerous at?

Just like each yin has a yang, each individual is certain to have strengths and weaknesses.

It’s tempting to rapidly drop the issues we really feel like we’re not good at. But while you wrap your identification up in solely what you are good at, your identification can begin to be outlined by your abilities.

What we’re dangerous at is typically the place we uncover what we’ve been dodging in life. But asking what we may do with bettering will help push your consolation zone and put you right into a progress mindset.

22) What are my beliefs about myself?

Your beliefs shape your reality in a number of methods.

Who you consider your self to be is highly effective. On a elementary degree, your beliefs create your habits. As famous in Psychology Today:

“Research suggests that while guilt (feeling that you did a bad thing) can motivate self-improvement, shame (feeling like you are a bad person), tends to create a self-fulfilling prophecy, reducing hope and undermining efforts to change. By the same token, some evidence suggests that praising character as opposed to behavior is a more effective means of promoting positive behaviors.”

23) What are my previous hurts and pains?

The decisions we make for ourselves are typically influenced by our previous. When we are making wholesome judgments we could use our ache as a marker for what we don’t want in our lives.

But when reflection turns to ruminating on previous destructive experiences, we could begin to really feel caught and outline ourselves primarily based on the dangerous issues which have occurred to us.

24) What are my habits?

Happiness researcher and creator Gretchin Rubin says that

“Habits are part of your identity. Changing them means changing a fundamental part of who we are.”

“Habits are the invisible architecture of our lives. We repeat about 40 percent of our behavior almost daily, so our habits shape our existence and our future – both good and bad.”

25) What do I envy?

Do you want you may say “I am fluent in French”, “I am a world traveler”, or “I am a great cook”?

The issues we envy about others and need we had or had been ourselves give us nice pointers in the direction of our needs. They assist us to set objectives.

One of the very best issues about “I am” is that it isn’t mounted in stone, and you’ll develop and alter it to incorporate no matter you need to be.

“Who am I” religious answer

We’ve seen how tough it’s to answer “Who am I” psychologically, particularly as our identification is an ongoing course of relatively than one thing static.

But on some degree, “Who am I” is simply as massive of a question as “Is there a God?” or “What is the meaning of life?”.

The majority of individuals on this planet have some type of spiritual belief. That’s why, for many individuals, it turns into not only a psychological question to answer, however a religious one too.

In distinction to self-knowledge on a psychological degree, many religious academics say the important thing to discovering who you are on a religious degree lies in shedding who you understand your self to be.

In his e-book, The End of Your World, Adyashanti defines meeting the true self as a melting away of the very idea of self.

“In that instant (awakening), the whole sense of “self ” disappears. The manner they understand the world all of a sudden modifications, and so they discover themselves with none sense of separation between themselves and the remainder of the world.

“It’s this yearning that underpins all spiritual seeking: to discover for ourselves what we already intuit to be true— that there is more to life than we are currently perceiving.”

In a religious sense, the very notion of being separate from the entire is an phantasm to be overcome.

“We realize—often quite suddenly—that our sense of self, which has been formed and constructed out of our ideas, beliefs, and images, is not really who we are. It doesn’t define us; it has no center. The ego may exist as a series of passing thoughts, beliefs, actions, and reactions, but in and of itself it has no identity. Ultimately all of the images we have about ourselves and the world turn out to be nothing but a resistance to things as they are. What we call ego is simply the mechanism our mind uses to resist life as it is. In that way, ego isn’t a thing as much as it is a verb. It is the resistance to what is. It is the pushing away or pulling toward. This momentum, this grasping and rejecting, is what forms a sense of a self that is distinct, or separate, from the world around us.”

Perhaps any religious truths concerning the nature of who we are are certain to stay shrouded in thriller. In the phrases of the 14th-century mystical poet Hafez:

“I’ve a thousand sensible lies

For the question:

How are you?

I’ve a thousand sensible lies

For the question:

What is God?

If you suppose that the Truth might be recognized

From phrases,

If you suppose that the Sun and the Ocean

Can move by way of that tiny opening Called the mouth,

O somebody ought to begin laughing!

Someone ought to begin wildly Laughing ‘Now!”

Condensing the enormity of a whole Universe into phrases is little doubt an unimaginable job.

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