@FTThum #BookReview ‘Insight: The Power of Self-Awareness in a Self-Deluded World’ by Tasha Eurich

I have a particular interest in self-awareness, so reading this book is for pleasure and professional purpose.

Title:      Insight: The Power of Self-Awareness in a Self-Deluded World
Author: Tasha Eurich
Publishers: Macmillan
Format: Paperback
Pages:   357
Genre: Non-fiction, Psychology, Self-help

 

What’s it about?

Author, Tasha Eurich, begins with a lament on  the self-delusion of today’s people, identifying blindspots to how well we know ourselves.

An organizational psychologist by profession, Eurich claims self-awareness is THE meta-skill of the 21st century for success. In a world of operating in the shallows and privileging opinions of the external world, self-awareness separates the achievers and mediocrity.  She referred to studies which showed self-awareness to be lacking despite claims by many leaders to the contrary. The “cult of self”, Eurich states, prevents us from approaching with humility and self-acceptance to truly seeing ourselves.

Insight expounds what insight is, referring to internal self-awareness and external self-awareness, and strategies to survive in a unaware world. Eurich differentiates insight from introspection, stating that introspection does not a self-aware person make. “Thinking isn’t knowing” as a heading to one chapter says.

Being self-aware, or having insight of ourselves, helps us make better decisions in aspects of our lives.

Insight puts forth that no one will ever be entirely self-aware. It is an ongoing process and one which  requires us to let go of the search for absolute truths.

This book feels like a self-help book and yet at times, disguising itself as a theoretical text, or vice-versa. On occasions, the flow is interrupted by anecdotes from Eurich’s professional life.

Would I recommend it?

Yes. It is an interesting read on how we delude ourselves, in our personal and professional lives.

For those who want to better engage and relate with others say, within their organizations, this is a worthwhile read.

 

My rating:                 3.5 /5

~ FlorenceT

@FTThum
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