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Essential Ideas: Self-Awareness
The School of Life’s approach to self-awareness - in a pocket format.
In the second of a series of pocket books, The School of Life has distilled its most essential ideas on self-awareness in order to produce a bitesize manual that is both useful and entertaining.
Understanding ourselves is the key to unlocking our true potential. Here is a collection of The School of Life’s most penetrating insights into the puzzles of self-awareness. By exploring key themes within the topic of self-knowledge, such as Emotional Intelligence, Anxiety, Normality, Pessimism and Self-sabotage, this book teaches us how to look into ourselves, how to make sense of our past, and how to overcome anxiety and confusion.
In a highly accessible form, The School of Life introduces us to a person we’ve been in flight from for too long and will benefit hugely from getting to our deep selves.
Pair with the Know Yourself Prompt Cards, designed to help lead you through the important task of knowing yourself a little better in life.
In the second of a series of pocket books, The School of Life has distilled its most essential ideas on self-awareness in order to produce a bitesize manual that is both useful and entertaining.
Understanding ourselves is the key to unlocking our true potential. Here is a collection of The School of Life’s most penetrating insights into the puzzles of self-awareness. By exploring key themes within the topic of self-knowledge, such as Emotional Intelligence, Anxiety, Normality, Pessimism and Self-sabotage, this book teaches us how to look into ourselves, how to make sense of our past, and how to overcome anxiety and confusion.
In a highly accessible form, The School of Life introduces us to a person we’ve been in flight from for too long and will benefit hugely from getting to our deep selves.
Pair with the Know Yourself Prompt Cards, designed to help lead you through the important task of knowing yourself a little better in life.
96 pages, Paperback
Published November 12, 2024
22 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
The School of Life
173 books3,131 followersThe School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives.
We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.
Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.
That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.
We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.
Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.
That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 16, 2024
This book from The School of Life is thought provoking, insightful and explores our life long pursuit of “knowing ourselves” in the kindest and most thoughtful of ways.
This book is a series of short essays (25 in total, 1-3 pages each) that explore different ideas on self-awareness that will set you on a path to understanding yourself.
Excerpt from the Introduction: Socrates, the earliest and greatest of philosophers, summed up the purpose of philosophy in one resonant phrase: “know yourself”. A capacity for self-awareness is at the heart of our inclinations to forgiveness, kindness, creativity and wise decision-making, especially around love and work. Unfortunately, knowing ourselves is the (always unfinished) task of a lifetime. We are permanently elusive and mysterious to ourselves.
I loved the format, allowing me to read an essay with my morning coffee, pondering the ideas and taking something from each of them to consider or apply for myself. Reading some of the essays to my husband and discuss how they resonate differently to both of us.
I loved how the book takes popular and common concepts or issues, such as anxiety, self-sabotage or defensiveness without simply providing cliche definitions, condescension and tactics, but instead finds the perfect balance of exploration with depth and thoughtfulness that make you think and reflect well after you put the book down.
Excerpt from the essay on Anxiety: Anxiety is not a sign of sickness, a weakness of the mind or an error to which we should always locate a medical solution. It is mostly a reasonable and sensitive response to the genuine strangeness, terror, uncertainty and riskiness of existence. […] The single most important move is acceptance. There is no need to be anxious that we are anxious on top of everything else. The mood is no sign that our lives have gone wrong; merely that we are alive. […] Anxiety deserves greater dignity. It is not a sign of degeneracy. It is a kind of masterpiece of insight; a justifiable expression of our mysterious participation in a disordered, uncertain world.
Overall, this book had an uplifting and hopeful impact on me, as it deals with each of the topics raised with so much kindness and gentility that I didn’t feel “bad” for not having figured things out yet, but was rather left optimistic that with age comes wisdom and insight and there is so much to gain if we only have the courage to keep on the path of self-exploration.
At the risk of repeating myself, I absolutely loved everything about this book. I read it way too fast and will certainly read it again and again, depending on what I need to “hear/read” at any given time. I most certainly will purchase a “real” copy when this gem becomes available in print.
There is a philosophical flair to this book, if this is your thing, you will - like me - absolutely delight in this book. If you are looking for a self-help book on how to become a more self aware that is filled with Do’s and Dont’s, clear tactics and scientific explanations, keep browsing as this is not that book!
ARC - Review: book will be available November 12 2024. I received an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
#EssentialIdeasSelfAwareness #NetGalley #Schooloflife
This book is a series of short essays (25 in total, 1-3 pages each) that explore different ideas on self-awareness that will set you on a path to understanding yourself.
Excerpt from the Introduction: Socrates, the earliest and greatest of philosophers, summed up the purpose of philosophy in one resonant phrase: “know yourself”. A capacity for self-awareness is at the heart of our inclinations to forgiveness, kindness, creativity and wise decision-making, especially around love and work. Unfortunately, knowing ourselves is the (always unfinished) task of a lifetime. We are permanently elusive and mysterious to ourselves.
I loved the format, allowing me to read an essay with my morning coffee, pondering the ideas and taking something from each of them to consider or apply for myself. Reading some of the essays to my husband and discuss how they resonate differently to both of us.
I loved how the book takes popular and common concepts or issues, such as anxiety, self-sabotage or defensiveness without simply providing cliche definitions, condescension and tactics, but instead finds the perfect balance of exploration with depth and thoughtfulness that make you think and reflect well after you put the book down.
Excerpt from the essay on Anxiety: Anxiety is not a sign of sickness, a weakness of the mind or an error to which we should always locate a medical solution. It is mostly a reasonable and sensitive response to the genuine strangeness, terror, uncertainty and riskiness of existence. […] The single most important move is acceptance. There is no need to be anxious that we are anxious on top of everything else. The mood is no sign that our lives have gone wrong; merely that we are alive. […] Anxiety deserves greater dignity. It is not a sign of degeneracy. It is a kind of masterpiece of insight; a justifiable expression of our mysterious participation in a disordered, uncertain world.
Overall, this book had an uplifting and hopeful impact on me, as it deals with each of the topics raised with so much kindness and gentility that I didn’t feel “bad” for not having figured things out yet, but was rather left optimistic that with age comes wisdom and insight and there is so much to gain if we only have the courage to keep on the path of self-exploration.
At the risk of repeating myself, I absolutely loved everything about this book. I read it way too fast and will certainly read it again and again, depending on what I need to “hear/read” at any given time. I most certainly will purchase a “real” copy when this gem becomes available in print.
There is a philosophical flair to this book, if this is your thing, you will - like me - absolutely delight in this book. If you are looking for a self-help book on how to become a more self aware that is filled with Do’s and Dont’s, clear tactics and scientific explanations, keep browsing as this is not that book!
ARC - Review: book will be available November 12 2024. I received an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
#EssentialIdeasSelfAwareness #NetGalley #Schooloflife
December 20, 2024
The true blessing is to know ourselves, the good and bad parts.
Knowing about our weaknesses and acknowledging them is not a form of glorifying mental illness. We all have flaws and limitations. We also have growth. By truly understanding ourselves, we can accept and change.
We also can finally start to challenge and prove our potential.
Like what this books said in the beginning, Anxiety is not a sign of sickness, a weakness of the mind or an error to which we should always locate a medical solution. It is mostly a reasonable and sensitive response to the genuine strangeness, terror, uncertainty and riskiness of existence.
The part that explains about mechanisms of defense can help unmask the hidden self that may be unconscious to us.
This book is short, but I enjoy the selection of topics here.
Thank you The School of Life and Net Galley for providing digital arc.
Knowing about our weaknesses and acknowledging them is not a form of glorifying mental illness. We all have flaws and limitations. We also have growth. By truly understanding ourselves, we can accept and change.
We also can finally start to challenge and prove our potential.
Like what this books said in the beginning, Anxiety is not a sign of sickness, a weakness of the mind or an error to which we should always locate a medical solution. It is mostly a reasonable and sensitive response to the genuine strangeness, terror, uncertainty and riskiness of existence.
The part that explains about mechanisms of defense can help unmask the hidden self that may be unconscious to us.
This book is short, but I enjoy the selection of topics here.
Thank you The School of Life and Net Galley for providing digital arc.
November 11, 2024
Self awareness is an important topic for me, and I feel this book covered it quite nicely.
I've read some of the School of Life's books and I think this one represents best their ideas. There is a lot of talk here about emotional maters and a lot of related ideas to what it means to be a mature person.
As all their books, it's a collection of ideas, some come with a couple of inquiries that can help one start their journey into knowing themselves better.
I am grateful to have received this in order to share my view on it, from all the book I've read from them this one would be my first recommendation.
I've read some of the School of Life's books and I think this one represents best their ideas. There is a lot of talk here about emotional maters and a lot of related ideas to what it means to be a mature person.
As all their books, it's a collection of ideas, some come with a couple of inquiries that can help one start their journey into knowing themselves better.
I am grateful to have received this in order to share my view on it, from all the book I've read from them this one would be my first recommendation.
April 22, 2025
Another thought provoking read from The School of Life! I love their books and how they compact such interesting and mammoth topics into readable and engaging books. This one is a great book to enjoy on a train journey as it’s small and easy to carry around with you! I especially enjoyed the chapters "Being 'Good'", "Inner Idiot" and "Mind and Body” which delve into psychological aspects in such a simple and heartfelt way. Will definitely read again! 💓
March 3, 2025
This short book wrapped so many ideas within the confines of its scope that I found myself having to highlight portions for a return. ‘Inner Idiot’ and ‘Good Enough Parenting’ were just two themes of many, well worth the read alone. Relatable humor and applicable exercises were built into it.
Thanks to NetGalley and The School of Life for an ARC of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and The School of Life for an ARC of this book.
February 23, 2025
I needed to be confronted with this content.
May 19, 2025
The idea of not just having self-awareness but knowing what to do is indeed essential but not everyone knows how to act upon it and just let things be...
December 13, 2025
So much of this is recycled content. Obviously I know this because I'm The School of Life's #1 fan.
November 8, 2024
A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
This reading is definitely essential, if everyone read it I think the world would be a better place! I don't agree with everything it says so take what you want to with a pinch of salt but it's definitely a great way to start building self-awareness.
This reading is definitely essential, if everyone read it I think the world would be a better place! I don't agree with everything it says so take what you want to with a pinch of salt but it's definitely a great way to start building self-awareness.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews