At its best, self observation allows an equanimous awareness of passionate or turbulent feelings. At a minimum, it manifests itself simply as a slight stepping back from experience, a parallel stream of consciousness that is "meta": hovering above or beside the main flow, aware of what is happening rather than being immersed and lost in it. It is the difference between, for example, being murderously enraged at someone and having the self-reflexive thought "This is anger I'm feeling" even as you are enraged. This is the first step in gaining some self control.

Self Awareness

Awareness of one's own feelings as they occur.It might seem at first glance that our feelings are obvious; more thoughtful reflections reminds us of times we have been all too oblivious to what we really felt about something, or awoke to these feelings late in the game.Self awareness or metamood as psychologists say, is the sense of an ongoing attention to one's internal states. In this self reflexive awareness mind observes and investigates experience itself, including the emotions.

Know Thyself 

Self awareness in short, means being "aware of both our moods and our thoughts about that mood"

A belligerent samurai, once challenged a zen master to explain the concept of heaven and hell. But the monk replied with scorn, "You're nothing but a lout- I can't waste my time with the likes of you! "His very honor attacked, the samurai flew into rage and pulling his sword from the scabbard, yelled, "I could kill you for your impertinence. ""That," the monk calmly replied, "is hell. "Startled at seeing the truth in what the master pointed out about the fury that had him in its grip, the samurai calmed down and bowed, thanking the monk for the insight."And that" said the monk, "is heaven."

An old Japanese tale

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An old Japanese tale

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