Understanding Who You Are discusses six elements of self-knowledge that can help one understand their own identity: values, interests, temperament, daily rhythms, life mission and goals, and strengths/skills. Knowing these "VITALS" can provide benefits such as increased happiness, better decision-making, self-control, and understanding of others. Values guide decisions and motivate goals, interests engage one's attention, temperament describes innate preferences, daily rhythms involve when one functions best, life mission and goals provide meaning, and strengths build confidence.

1. Understanding Who You Are
You and your body – Adolescence

2. Who are you?
• What kind of person are you?
• What is the common impression of
people to you?
• What qualities you have people would
likely misunderstood you?
• What do they think of you the first time
they meet you?

3. Know yourself
"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 lesson will reveal six 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 the self.

4. Why is it important to know yourself?

5. The Benefits of Self-Knowledge

6. Happiness
You will be happier when
you can express who you
are. Expressing your
desires will make it more
likely that you get what
you want.

7. Less inner
conflict
When your outside actions are in accordance with your
inside feelings and values, you will experience less inner
conflict.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.”

11. Tolerance and understanding of others
Your awareness of your own imperfections and struggles can help you empathize with others.

12. Vitality and
pleasure
Being who you truly are
helps you feel more alive
and makes your experience
of life richer, larger, and
more exciting.

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

14. V = Values
“Values"—such as “helping others,”
“being creative,” “health,” “financial
security,” and so on—are guides to
decision-making and motivators for
goals.
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!

15. 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.

16. T = Temperament
“Temperament” describes your inborn preferences.
Do you restore your energy from being alone (introvert)
or from being with people (extrovert)?
Are you a planner or go-with-the-flow type of person?
Do you make decisions more on the basis of feelings or
thoughts and facts?
Do you prefer details or big Ideas?
Knowing the answers to temperament questions like
these could help you gravitate toward situations in which
you could flourish and avoid situations in which you could
wilt.

17. A = Around-the-clock
Activities
The “around-the-clock” category refers to when
you like to do things—your biorhythms.
Are you a morning person or a night person, for
example?
At what time of day does your energy peak?
If you schedule activities when you are at your best,
you are respecting your innate biology.

18. L = Life Mission
and Meaningful
Goals
“What have been the most
meaningful events of your
life?”
You may discover clues to
your hidden identity, to
your career, and to life
satisfaction.

19. S = Strengths
"Strengths" can include not only abilities, skills, and talents, but also
character strengths such as loyalty, respect for others, love of learning,
emotional intelligence, fairness, and more.
Knowing your strengths is one of the foundations of self-confidence;
not being able to acknowledge your own superpowers could put you
on the path to low self-esteem.
Become a person who “takes in the good,” listening for compliments
and noticing skills that could be clues to your strengths.