Personality IELTS Listening and Reading Practice

Personality IELTS Listening and Reading Practice

Personality IELTS Listening and Reading Practice

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Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/

“To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” This famous quote is often attributed to Socrates. But what exactly do you know when you “know yourself?”

This blog will reveal 6 elements of self-knowledge that can help you understand your own identity.  As you live your daily life, you can look for clues to these important building blocks of Self.

But first, why is it important to know yourself?

The Benefits of Self-Knowledge

Maybe it’s obvious, but here in a nutshell are a few reasons why you might want to know your own nature:

• Happiness. You will be happier when you can express who you are. Expressing your desires, moreover, will make it more likely that you get what you want.
• Less inner conflict.  When your outside actions are in accordance with your inside feelings and values, you will experience less inner conflict.
• Better decision-making.  When you know yourself, you are able to make better choices about everything, from small decisions like which sweater you’ll buy to big decisions like which partner you’ll spend your life with. You’ll have guidelines you can apply to solve life’s varied problems.
• Self-control. When you know yourself, you understand what motivates you to resist bad habits and develop good ones. You’ll have the insight to know which values and goals activate your willpower.
• Resistance to social pressure.  When you are grounded in your values and preferences, you are less likely to say “yes” when you want to say “no.”
• Tolerance and understanding of others. Your awareness of your own foibles and struggles can help you empathize with others.
• Vitality and pleasure:  Being who you truly are helps you feel more alive and makes your experience of life richer, larger, and more exciting.

Now that you are convinced that self-knowledge is worth having (not that you needed convincing!), we’ll move on to those “VITAL Signs” of self-knowledge.

The Building Blocks of Self:  Your VITALS

The capital letters in “VITAL Signs” form an acronym for the 6 building blocks of Self, or VITALS, for short. The letters stand for: Values; Interests; Temperament; Around-the-Clock; Life Mission and Goals; and Strengths/Skills. The details:

V = Values

“Values”—such as “helping others,” “being creative,” “health,” “financial security,” and so on—are guides to decision-making and motivators for goals.  Research shows that just thinking or writing about your values can make it more likely that you take healthy actions, for example. The motivation provided by worthwhile values can also keep you going even when you are tired, as shown in many psychology experiments. If you want to self-motivate, know your values!

I = Interests

“Interests” include your passions, hobbies, and anything that draws your attention over a sustained period of time. To figure out your interests, ask yourself these questions:  What do you pay attention to? What are you curious about?  What concerns you?  The focused mental state of being interested in something makes life vivid and may give you clues to your deepest passions.

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