You Don’t Know Yourself as Well as You Think You Do

The dream of perfect self-knowledge is unattainable, and chasing it too doggedly can leave you more confused and stuck than when you started. Humans’ ability to see themselves clearly and accurately has limitations that neither personality quizzes nor Fitbit data can overcome… Knowing yourself is difficult, in part, because some behaviors and attitudes stem from the unconscious mind, outside your sphere of awareness.

[…]

Just as a good novel doesn’t have one single truth in it, a person has many truths as well… The notion that each person has one real, abiding self buried within, waiting to be discovered, is both widespread and difficult for many people to shake.

[…] 

Not every habit or preference has to become an identity. Sometimes we just do things… Instead of conceiving of our true self as set in stone, the secret to a healthy pursuit of self-knowledge may lie in building a flexible sense of self, one that allows for surprise and even mystery. Research has linked the belief that the self is changeable to positive outcomes: lower stress, better physical health, and less negative reactions to hardships.