“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." Abraham Lincoln

     To know thyself may be the hardest task to complete in ones life. The best (and quite possibly the worst) thing about a human being is the fact that we are malleable. We bend, and we change and we are morphed into who we are at the present. We gain new experiences that shape our understandings of the world and challenge our opinions. One cannot ever be satisfied with knowing thyself because we are so often changed by the world around us. There is so much extra stimuli; whether it be through the media, through college flyers or through school, we are bombarded with reasons to be different. To know thyself is not only to understand the inner workings of ones mind, but to also be able recognize the changes that are taking place within thyself. This self- knowledge can be extremely important in the short term because understanding ones inner feelings and conflicts can lead to self therapy and a soothing period. Also, the knowledge of thyself can contribute to know knowledge of where one comes from, and ones past. By recognizing the changes being made throughout ones life. 
     One of my major weaknesses stems from a lack of confidence both socially and especially academically. Through this, I take everyones advice on how to make me a better person, and I strive for approval. This can be a huge detriment because I set unrealistic goals for myself and often set myself up for failure. I often do not feel good enough about myself and settle for less than I should. I give up easily and this revolves back to my extreme lack of confidence. There will always be someone better than I, and I will not always become friends with every person I meet. However, this is my goal. I need approval from my peers, my parents, and my teachers. When I do not meet standards or expectations I become furious with myself and often look to change various parts of who I am to fit in with a specific group. I allow people to put a tremendous amount of pressure on my shoulders, and allow people to decide exactly who and what I should be. Even so, I will do almost anything in my power to gain ones approval, especially academically. However sometimes, things are not in my power, and I cannot change someones opinion of me. When this happens I become devastated, and try my hardest not to accept it. That feeling of rejection sets me up to be the biggest failure. Ultimately my flaw is not that I attempt to win the approval of others, its the mere fact that I cannot be perfect, and I cannot win the approval of others. As I reread this paragraph, it sounds ridiculous, petty and is pretty embarrassing. It seems poorly written, and jumbled. But imperfection is my flaw, and it is speaks volumes. I guess it's easier to write about a flaw in a blog then discuss it with those who it affects most.
     Truthfully, I haven't done much to change this particular flaw. Peoples opinions matter to me, and they always will. Its not the best feeling in the world, but I don't have the mindset to change it currently. Hopefully, eventually, I learn to be who I am and not listen to anyone who tells me otherwise. 
     On a lighter note, my best character trait comes from my emotional intelligence. One of my greatest strengths is the ability to connect with other people. I have always been a social girl, but on a deeper level, I am able to understand human emotions at a subconscious level. I can connect so strongly to people that I often can allow myself to experience what it is they're going through both mentally and emotionally. Because of this, I have a strong sense of empathy towards other people. This connects back to my greatest flaw because while my ability to understand emotions can often be profound, I also tend to strap on emotions that other people are feeling. For example, College. I am not truly stressed about getting into a college, because I know I will get in somewhere and make the best of my situation. However, when I see my peers becoming stressed, I often link on to that emotion and actually feel stressed.  I love to connect with people, and understand their emotions. I am often the anchor for my friends. They tell me all of their problems, their worries and their fears and I bottle them up and exhibit a strong sense of empathy. Sometimes, after a long talk with one of my best friends, I go home and cry to my mom about a topic that is too upsetting talk about.I am often the giver and do not ask for much in return, even when I am emotionally exhausted. However, I do not see this as a flaw. I believe this is a huge strength, and I do not mind feeling beaten down sometimes because others around me tend to gain strength.
     One thing that is so hard about writing down our own flaws is that it forces us to admit that we as human beings are not perfect. We are not even close. The pressures in society to be perfect are overwhelming and when we are forced to explain the worst part of our character, it startles us. We choose to believe that we have nothing wrong with  human beings, and that nothing can be changed to make us better. We look down on those who deal with their flaws in the open; instead of acting as a Stepford wife. Another reason flaws are so hard to write down is because of the fear of judgement. Being judged on our strong points is one thing, but comparing and contrasting our flaws with others can be unnerving. 
     I felt as though this was a necessary and humbling exercise. I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a few tears as I struggled through this blog, but by the end it turned out to be emotionally cleansing. Acknowledging  our strengths and weaknesses is the first step in combating them. Many people in this world do not ever reach this step in their lifetime.