How well do you know yourself? It's a question many of us struggle with, as we try to figure out how close we are to who we actually want to be

new report

D. Wilson

describes theories behind self-knowledge

cites challenges psychologists encounter while studying it, and offers ways we can get to know ourselves a little better

The study of self-knowledge has tended to focus on how accurate we are at determining our own internal states

Wilson notes that self-knowledge can be broadened to include memory, like recalling how we felt in the past, and prospection, predicting how we will feel in the future

There are a number of theories

Wilson notes that these theories are pessimistic in that they view the unconscious as something that cannot be breached. However, he remarks that "self-knowledge is less a matter of careful introspection than of becoming an excellent observer of oneself."