Self-education is the only method for adults to change not only their behavior, but also their character traits. Its formation begins in childhood. New tools and approaches are gradually being used. Among them are self-criticism, introspection.
Self-education is a conscious work of a person aimed at the formation and improvement of positive qualities in oneself, elimination of shortcomings. One of the main conditions is the presence of adequate self-esteem, developed self-awareness. These qualities allow you to know your true self.
The motivation for self-education is provoked by various reasons:
- aspirations;
- the desire to comply with the norms established in society;
- obligations to yourself;
- difficulties appearing on the path of life;
- the presence of a positive example.
Due to the inability to form goals and evaluate oneself objectively, it is difficult for a person to realize himself. Therefore, work always starts with setting the right goal.
Means and stages of self-education
There are three main stages:
- initial;
- compulsion;
- conscious.
The first is typical for primary school children and adolescents. It is formed in the course of educational activities under the influence of parents and teachers. The child begins to fulfill the requirements of significant adults, focusing on patterns of behavior or instructions indicated in verbal form. Over time, the ability to choose the right action appears, social requirements become regulators.
At the second stage, it becomes possible for changes to appear due to the need to adapt to a particular situation. Changes begin with awareness, and only then are arbitrarily regulated. At this stage, imitativeness and the need to follow instructions remain.
At the last stage, awareness is turned on. It is driven by the inner desires of a person. Motivation becomes the main driving link. Under the influence of various external actions, self-motivation, self-motivation and self-order are formed.
The means of self-education include methods of influencing oneself, various material and non-material objects. Real activity is a good example. Additional tools include objects of art, culture, everyday life, displaying human actions, books and diaries.
Self-education at different age stages
In childhood, before the onset of adolescence, the first steps of adaptation to the requirements of elders take place. They express themselves in an attempt to correct their negative actions. The main feature is the desire to change a specific type of behavior, and not some personal qualities.
In adolescents, individual characteristics are asserted through individual actions. There is a hard work on oneself, expressed in frequent, impetuous attempts to change what has already become recognized as a personality or character trait.
The feeling of adulthood, the desire to be independent leads to contradictory feelings: maximalism in relation to oneself and others and limited opportunities remain. At this age, children are not yet ready for long-term volitional efforts, for overcoming life obstacles. Psychologists say that this process takes place in a milder form in girls.
In adolescence, there is a change in social roles, relationships with other persons. A person accumulates life experience, due to which there is an awareness: not only actions, but also individual characteristics of a person characterize a single individual. The main motive is the desire to realize oneself in social and professional terms. At this stage, conscious self-education begins.
Many psychologists say that the process of self-education forms personality traits many times faster, especially in comparison with imitation and adaptation.
Methods
Among the fundamental methods, the following stand out:
- self-belief;
- self-hypnosis;
- empathy;
- self-criticism;
- self-punishment and some others.
The first method is based on self-assessment. Having identified any negative aspects in himself, a person convinces himself that they need to be eliminated. An example is saying out loud what needs to be done to eliminate a deficiency. S. Doletsky wrote that it is much more difficult to say the problem out loud, to forgive oneself.
Self-hypnosis refers to the articulation of your goals. More effective in this aspect is the discovery of the right paths. Eliminating the negative, you need to find a positive replacement for this. Thanks to this approach, a person often begins to note the good in himself, increases his strength in his own capabilities. This also gives a chance to consolidate in your subconscious the rules, guidelines for action.
Empathy is used to develop moral qualities, compassion and empathy. With her, a person learns to see himself through the eyes of other people. There is an attempt to understand yourself, to realize how other people see you.
Self-punishment is another popular and practical method. It is based on monitoring compliance with previously established rules. If you do not apply the technique, departing from what was intended without regret, a person can again act in the same way. Self-punishment makes it possible with great striving to make efforts to fulfill them. This is an important aspect in personality formation.
It is important that a person speaks out the obligations that he makes to himself. With constant reminders, the mind tends to fulfill them. This leads to the formation of the right habits. Encouragement is an assistant in the realization of one's own desire for self-improvement. For example, if you managed to accomplish your goals, achieve your goal, you can make yourself a small gift. Self-stimulation is great for suspicious and proud people. This technique is used for persistent application after failure, so as not to lose confidence in their own abilities.
Summing up the results of work on yourself
When the goals are set, and the techniques have been tested, it is necessary to take stock, evaluate the effectiveness of the work. In this direction, self-control and introspection are applied. Ideally, use a diary for this purpose. If there is no time to maintain it, it is enough to realize what has been done during the day to achieve the set goals, to comprehend your behavior.
Self-control contributes to the concentration of all forces in the right direction, the right energy expenditure. Thanks to him, you can save yourself from mistakes. This direction needs to be learned: before controlling a large number of objects at the same time, it is worth starting with one thing. Otherwise, the number of errors can increase significantly. In each case, you need to determine:
- what do you plan to control;
- How can I do that;
- what should be discarded in order for the result to be positive.
Can auto-training be used for self-education?
Autogenic training is really used for this purpose. It is not always possible to achieve good results using only volitional effort or conscious control. When applying the technique, it is necessary:
- Introduce yourself into a state of calmness and relaxation. For this, special musical accompaniment can be used. The training should be done alone.
- Provide in detail the desired image of yourself and your behavior. Imagine that the desired qualities are already there.
- Feel the inner state of mind, imagine how the attitude towards the environment, important events, and one's own life is changing.
- Imagine different life situations in which you can demonstrate the desired character traits or behaviors.
The duration of such auto-training should increase from one lesson to another. You should start with two minutes. Complementing the image with smaller details, bring the time to 10, 20 or 30 minutes. Observations show that persons using this method, after 2-3 months, begin to feel the need to form the desired quality. It becomes an integral part of their life.
