See a Problem?
Thanks for telling us about the problem.
Friend Reviews
Reader Q&A
Be the first to ask a question about Insight
Community Reviews
If you live in the USA, are a managerial worker, and want to get more out of performance reviews then you will get a lot out of this book. Otherwise, if you hoped to learn something about the science of self-awareness, then you will likely be disappointed, because after reading this book I still do not know what that means a
An excellent apologia for performance review, not an account of the science of self-awareness as claimed in the blurb. This is not Thinking, Fast and Slow for self-awareness.If you live in the USA, are a managerial worker, and want to get more out of performance reviews then you will get a lot out of this book. Otherwise, if you hoped to learn something about the science of self-awareness, then you will likely be disappointed, because after reading this book I still do not know what that means and whether there genuinely is an established science on the subject.
I suspect after reading this book that there is not such a thing. Instead, the author has used this device to cohere a lot of helpful insights on how we can reflect on our behaviour. I base this suspicion on the lack of references to other researchers in the field beyond well known results that are only tangentially connected, and upon the basic problem with the material, namely that it fails to sufficiently distinguish between the in-the-present nature of awareness and the upon-reflection nature of assessment.
The account is further undermined by extensive anecdotes and overly stretched metaphors. The anecdotes are particularly problematic, because they are so clearly fictional. In particular, they are just too neat, employ an all seeing narrator, and trade almost exclusively in stereotypes. In person, they are probably great ice breakers. As part of a text, they weaken the case being made. This problem is worst in the opening and closing portions. Lacking a rich source material the final chapter devolved into a folksy and glib stoicism for dealing with self absorbed people.
UPDATE: For a superb book that does explain why we are not self aware see The Enigma of Reason.
...moreThis would have likely earned a 4th star had she not chosen to refer to people as unicorns. But for the most part, her non-original reorganization of recognized neurological-psychology was actually pretty
I will admit to being pleasantly surprised with the writing. When I raised this at Bookclub, it sounded like everyone else was flabbergasted by this opinion, but I stand by my point as the nearest comparison to a similar book is still that DREADFUL book about Drowning or Grief or whatever. Ugh.This would have likely earned a 4th star had she not chosen to refer to people as unicorns. But for the most part, her non-original reorganization of recognized neurological-psychology was actually pretty useful. The score is actually closer to 3.5 for me, if only because of the worksheets and appendices she chose to include with the book, which are actually supremely helpful and useful. Looking forward to working through it, just so I can verbalize some things to my self.
She actually sites things, which is refreshing and unusual, too. Still if she had committed herself to 1 anecdote per chapter and removed her self-inserts she would have accomplished her goal and the book would have been half as long.
...moreAuthor: Tasha Eurich
Publisher: Crown Business
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Insight: Why We're Not as Self-Aware as We Think, and How Seeing Ourselves Clearly Helps Us Succeed at Work and in Life" by Tasha Eurich
My Thoughts....
This was definitely a wonderful read for anyone wanting to increase their self awareness through scientific finding and some authentic stories that will definitely help in the way you may be perceived. The read will help one in asking the questi
Title: InsightAuthor: Tasha Eurich
Publisher: Crown Business
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Insight: Why We're Not as Self-Aware as We Think, and How Seeing Ourselves Clearly Helps Us Succeed at Work and in Life" by Tasha Eurich
My Thoughts....
This was definitely a wonderful read for anyone wanting to increase their self awareness through scientific finding and some authentic stories that will definitely help in the way you may be perceived. The read will help one in asking the question what instead of why as it offered ups such informative, colorful and even some humor. I loved how this author was able to give the readers some anecdotes coming from her own practice and in the end making the read a educational read along with her appendix which was a great tool to use too. By the end of this read one will be able to see "that we should never stop seeking personal insight in order to form stronger relationships, teams and growth."
These are definitely some steps one can do in order to evaluate just where you are now and even some ideas on how one must chance especially if you don't like the feedback you hear. Now, I will say one has to be in the right frame of mind to be open and receptive to any change one may want in there life. Sometimes it may be a forever journey getting to this place, but it is worth the effect to try.
In the end I will take from the read "Insight" being a good read of how to get a good sense of how others may see you through self-awareness with some detailed exercises for developing that skill. This is definitely a read for "therapist, managers and anyone interested in improving themselves as a human being." As for me I can only say its teaching me my own self-awareness and lack thereof. I am still working on this thought-provoking process.
...moreI came across this book from a post, shared on LinkedIn, by Susan Cain, author of Quiet. I read the post and immediately found out about Tasha's book and ordered it. This is one of the best investments in a book I've ever made.
It so happened that I was in the middle of a performance appraisal where I work, and it was not clear to me that I would be successful in completing it and getting my contract renewed for another year. The principles in this book about how we should
All I can say is...wow.I came across this book from a post, shared on LinkedIn, by Susan Cain, author of Quiet. I read the post and immediately found out about Tasha's book and ordered it. This is one of the best investments in a book I've ever made.
It so happened that I was in the middle of a performance appraisal where I work, and it was not clear to me that I would be successful in completing it and getting my contract renewed for another year. The principles in this book about how we should go about being "self-aware," and understanding how others really see us were of enormous value in my current situation and has given me much food for thought on how to handle my professional future, as well as other aspects of my future.
Thanks, Dr. Eurich for a great book that deserves to be read much more than once.
...more-Page 26 |
"self-awareness is the will and the skill to understand yourself and how others see you."
-Page 65 |
"According to Daniel Kahneman and other researchers, our brains secretly and simplistically morph the question from "How happy are you with life these days?" into "What mood am I in right now?""
-Page 70 |
"flying too low meant the sea would weigh down the feathers and flying too high meant the sun would melt the wax. But against his father's instructions, Icaru My fav quotes (not a review):
-Page 26 |
"self-awareness is the will and the skill to understand yourself and how others see you."
-Page 65 |
"According to Daniel Kahneman and other researchers, our brains secretly and simplistically morph the question from "How happy are you with life these days?" into "What mood am I in right now?""
-Page 70 |
"flying too low meant the sea would weigh down the feathers and flying too high meant the sun would melt the wax. But against his father's instructions, Icarus decides to fly too high. And sure enough, the wax melts, knocking him out of the air and sending him to his death. When it comes to the way we see ourselves, we must be brave enough to spread our wings, but wise enough not to fly too high,"
-Page 72 |
"In contrast, the process of double-loop learning involves confronting our values and assumptions and, more importantly, inviting others to do so as well."
-Page 79 |
"Conveniently, self-esteem was just one rung down, and all that was needed to achieve it was a change in mindset. In other words, we didn't need to become great; all we really had to do was feel great."
-Page 108
"Our subconscious, in other words, is less like a padlocked door and more like a hermetically sealed vault."
-Page 118
"why questions are generally better to help us understand our environment and what questions are generally better to help us understand ourselves." Why did this happen- can suck us into an unproductive spiral. What should we do- brings us out into solutions.
-Page 121
"True insight only happens when we process both our thoughts and our feelings."
-Page 133
"But people tell me that one of my strengths is making fuzzy concepts accessible and actionable, not necessarily that I always tell them something about leadership they didn't already know." Then, a blinding flash of the obvious hit me. "Maybe I should just say that at the beginning of my programs." And ever since then, I have."
-Page 148
"Negotiation expert William Ury aptly calls it "going to the balcony," but whatever name it goes by, this kind of reframing can be immensely valuable to be able to see the situation from a 3rd party view."
-Page 156
"Research shows that self-aware people tend to knit more complex narratives of their key life events: they are more likely to describe each event from different perspectives, include multiple explanations, and explore complex and even contradictory emotions."
-Page 160
"After getting feedback from his team that his biggest problem was delegation, he used the Miracle Question to explore what the solution might look like. If Matt's problem were magically solved, he thought, the first sign would be that he'd no longer see asking for help as a weakness. Instead, he would embrace it as a method for greater team involvement, improvement, and prosperity. Matt proceeded to paint a poignant picture of his desired future when the problem was solved (or, as the Heath brothers call it in Switch, a "destination postcard"). One where he would improve his team's engagement and performance, all while feeling less burdened and more efficient. But notice that Matt's solution wasn't an oversimplified single action ("I'll do a better job delegating"). Instead, he envisioned exactly how both he and his employees would change on a far deeper level."
-Page 164
"There's an old science-backed adage that the words of a drunk person are the thoughts of a sober one."
-Page 169
"When I'm speaking to managers in organizations, I'll often ask, "Who is confident that your employees have the same opinion about your leadership as you do?" About half the hands go up. So I up the ante. "Keep your hand up if you'd bet your retirement savings on it." At this point, I usually see a lot of pensive looks, and most people tentatively lower their hands."
-Page 170
"A better metaphor for complete self-awareness than a mirror might therefore be a prism."
-Page 176
"It seems that nowhere is the adage "You don't get what you don't ask for" more true than when it comes to seeking the truth about how others see us."
-Page 194
"And instead of getting defensive upon hearing criticism, she said "I never noticed I was doing that.""
-Page 210
"When faced with feedback in an area that plays into our self-limiting beliefs, merely taking a few minutes to remind ourselves of another important aspect of our identity than the one being threatened shores up our "psychological immune system." Let's say that you're about to walk into your performance appraisal after a tough year where you haven't met your numbers. One way you can defend yourself against this looming threat is to remember that you're a loving parent, or a devoted community volunteer, or a good friend. This might sound simplistic or pie-in-the-sky, but I can assure you that the research supports it."
-Page 235
"First, you have to go all-in and make a total commitment to your team's self-awareness, starting with your own. As Mulally explains, "My role is to ensure awareness for everybody. To watch all the time—watch myself, watch others, watch the organization.""
-Page 256
""By behavioral feedback, I mean focusing on specific examples of what they said, how they said it, or what they did rather than generalities or interpretations," I said. "For example, telling someone, 'You're being aggressive,' is not behavioral; it's an interpretation of their behavior. Alternatively, if I said, 'During our last team meeting, you interrupted me three times and raised your voice each time,'"
-Page 257
"Getting feedback ground rules: 1. No pushback or defensiveness: be curious and remember that perception is reality. 2. Take notes and ask questions only for clarification. 3. Be open-minded and assume good intentions."
-Page 266
"Someone told me I was delusional. I almost fell off my unicorn. —SOMEECARDS.COM"
-Page 300
"Tools to use for better insights: What Not Why 2. Comparing and contrasting 3. Reframing 4. Hitting pause 5. Thought-stopping 6. Reality checks 7. Solutions-mining"
-Page 278
"his outrageous comments were often followed by a canned laugh track, to the viewer, they seemed comical and surprisingly endearing. I decided that the next time my boss said something so cruel that it made me want to cry, I'd imagine a laugh track behind it instead. Now, it would be inaccurate to say that this completely transformed my experience of working for him, but the tool did make it that much more bearable"
-Page 301
" Compassion without judgment 2. Float feet-first, let the raft pass the rough water patch 3. Reframing 4. What can he/she teach me? 5. Laugh track 6. State your needs literally saying "I need you to.. " 7. Clarify your boundaries 8. Walk away 9. Confront with compassion" ...more
The problem was I kept stopping to take notes. Notes! Who the heck does that unless they have to? So much of what Eurich wrote in this book resonated with me. Prior t
There are books that aren't meant to be consumed in a few days. To appreciate them, you need to absorb them slowly. That was the case with Tasha Eurich's book Insight, which took me almost three months to complete! There's a small part of me that's ashamed to admit that. It's the same part that's ashamed to admit I liked Waterworld.The problem was I kept stopping to take notes. Notes! Who the heck does that unless they have to? So much of what Eurich wrote in this book resonated with me. Prior to reading it, I thought I was pretty self-aware. I try to be empathetic and conscious of how my actions affect others. But, in the back of my mind, there has always been this nagging doubt that the person I project to others may not be the same person I am inside my head. Maybe that fight I had with my friend two years ago wasn't her fault. Maybe that job didn't let me go for budget reasons.
Insight is a detailed look into self-awareness and its impact on our lives, from business interactions to social relationships. Over the last 40 years, our society has shifted away from conformity and modesty as a measure of living well and, instead, started focusing on self-esteem and the glorification of individuality. While this sounds great (individuality), studies have found that higher self-esteem does not always equal higher success or happiness. In fact, the opposite is frequently true. In an age of selfies, Twitter monologues, and participation awards, we're lulled into thinking we're special and superior.
"It's far easier to feel wonderful and special than to become wonderful and special." – Tasha Eurich
Fortunately, self-awareness is a surprisingly learnable skill. Eurich helps readers uncover the areas they are weakest in and discover the areas of their life they'd be better off focusing on.
Her book is full of anecdotal stories from people she's known personally and famous figures throughout history, interesting social experiments, and hilarious (often humbling) revelations. Like the chapter where she highlights our "Cult of Self" by pointing out the growing trend of parents naming their children unconventional names in an effort to make them stand out. I had to laugh. My children are named Troy and Beau. Ah, well, I guess I'm a product of my environment after all.
...moreInsight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think
I'm not sure that the book lives up to either subtitle. It's predominantly war stories from the author's consulting career (so many stories...) with a few take-aways for each chapter. It provides a reasonably cohesive statement on self-awareness (in that the author is for it). More than that, it acts as a kind of pr
Oddly, my copy of this book had a different subtitle. It was:Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think
I'm not sure that the book lives up to either subtitle. It's predominantly war stories from the author's consulting career (so many stories...) with a few take-aways for each chapter. It provides a reasonably cohesive statement on self-awareness (in that the author is for it). More than that, it acts as a kind of professional memoir for someone who I'm guessing is in their early to mid-thirties.
The author may be taking their cue from other management writers like Angela Duckworth or Brené Brown, but I'm firmly over this practice. The irony of a book on self-awareness being so self-absorbed may be what pushed me over the edge. Or perhaps it's just one too many books conforming to type (I vaguely remember a similar experience reading The Phoenix Project shortly after working through several of Lencioni's management-lessons-in-YA-novel-form books. In any case, I found it tedious.
Let me say that there are some good take aways here, and every reason to believe that Eurich knows her stuff and is a very capable consultant. However, I wouldn't call this a good book and I don't think I would recommend it, even to the people who desperately need its message.
...morePenned by Organisational Psychologist Tasha Eurich, it is based on extensive research that helps delve deeper into the usually 'unasked' questions pertaining to Self-awareness. It plays with the contours of internal and external self-awareness and then
This is a fascinating book and with 50 pages in, I knew that I was going to love it. Took me a while to finish but I am glad I took time to let it seep through. Books like this make me stop and take note of self and that's why such should be read.Penned by Organisational Psychologist Tasha Eurich, it is based on extensive research that helps delve deeper into the usually 'unasked' questions pertaining to Self-awareness. It plays with the contours of internal and external self-awareness and then jumps into 7 pillars of Insights which adequately covers most use-cases.
It also talks a lot and emphatically so about the relevance of getting and using feedbacks. I personally think it is the single most important personal takeaway from the book for so many people I see around. The stigma around giving and taking feedbacks is massive.
There is a good text herein on what Dr Tasha calls 'Alarm Clock Events' which I think is wonderful and will stay with me for a long time. The concept of Meformers and Informers on Social Media is also very captivating. Another key takeaway for me was the whole segment on the journey from 'Why to What' and that's a note I have made in my personal diary for posterity.
I think Dr Tasha has made it amply clear that Awareness is the single most important leadership trait and eventually it all boils down to that because as a Chinese Proverb quoted in the book goes - 'When the winds of change range, some build shelters while others build windmills'
Strongly recommended for those who have just started working in professional settings and for those who have been at it for long. Because sooner or later, you will come across situations that will demand these Insights.
Happy Discovering!
...moreBook is superbly positioned as a classic on self awareness. While Daniel Goleman gets all the credit for popularizing Emotional Intelligence, I think self-awareness didn't get the much needed spotlight it deserves amongst all other components of emotional intelligence. This book serves the purpose of putting the spotlight back on self-awareness and it does a great job at it. Loved all the narratives and stories in the book. Do give it a read.
Fascinating insightBook is superbly positioned as a classic on self awareness. While Daniel Goleman gets all the credit for popularizing Emotional Intelligence, I think self-awareness didn't get the much needed spotlight it deserves amongst all other components of emotional intelligence. This book serves the purpose of putting the spotlight back on self-awareness and it does a great job at it. Loved all the narratives and stories in the book. Do give it a read.
...moreContinuing to understand what makes yourself tick, and how others perceive you can lighten up your path in navigating life.
Insight is filled with many tools, exercises, stories to begin to understand our perceptions of how we see ourselves and others see us.
Not to get all sappy about this book, but sometimes I wonder if books choose us?
I know, I went there…
This book gives you not only a comprehensive understanding of internal and external self-awareness, which can be summarised as how you see yourself and how you think other people see you, but also a deeper look at self-awareness in relation to work, management, cultural norms, and the psychology behind it. There are some great questions and tips in the Appendix of the book that can help you figure out how you fall on the spectrum of self-awareness. For the brave, there is also a quiz you can take. Be warned, this will mean you and someone of your choosing will rate how self-aware you think you are internally and externally. I did the test and was not really surprised by my answer. In fact, I already knew what I would get: Introspector. And to paraphrase Eurich, this means I am someone who is good at internal self-awareness and pretty bad at judging how others see me. This quiz prompted a conversation with my husband and I, and we both came to the conclusion that I often think people don't like me, and I lack confidence in how others perceive my abilities. Knowing this, and actually articulating it can do wonders. Even though I knew I had issues with self-confidence and felt so concerned about everyone hating me, actually knowing this, speaking this to myself, and using Eurich's suggestions to open up my external self-awareness has already been a pretty nice change. It actually can help you see that people actually think you're alright.
tasha eurich
Dr. Tasha Eurich
Whilst this books sounds super 'self-help-ie' it is not the usual sort of self help book. And I should know, since usually those books make me want to throw up. This book has a lot of honesty and a lot of practical ways to deal with self awareness. Eurich tackles cultural and gendered issues that can affect our self awareness. Her book only scratches the surface though and there is so much that goes into self awareness that can be interpreted through culture, gender, religion, age, ability, and economic status. I cannot wait to see more of Eurich's work.
Seriously, if you're a human who lives on our planet. Get. This. Book.
quote
Have you read any of Eurich's books? How self aware are you really? Remember as always, to share the reading love.
https://bound2books.co/2017/06/14/ins...
...moreI find any book that showcases the importance of self-awareness as a part of self-growth, and successful living an important edition to one's personal library. Some Authors are just better at executing the mission, then others. This one falls more into the latter category.
While the information in Insight is sound and based on a lot of research, I was not so happy about the presentation. Again, as I have mentioned in previous revie
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest reviewI find any book that showcases the importance of self-awareness as a part of self-growth, and successful living an important edition to one's personal library. Some Authors are just better at executing the mission, then others. This one falls more into the latter category.
While the information in Insight is sound and based on a lot of research, I was not so happy about the presentation. Again, as I have mentioned in previous reviews, I am not a person who likes it when non-fiction books base their teaching strategy on stories and expect the reader to learn from them, but I am rather someone who wants to learn from a more factual based presentation. And my main mission for reading non-fiction books is to learn as much as possible.
Insights contain too much fluff, too many little anecdotes that take away from the mission of the book. Worse yet, and what ended up bugging me the most is that the Author decided that it was a good idea to present factual questions and a workshop style content in the back of the book, as an appendix, rather than as a part of each chapter. Why could that not have been placed into the meat of the book?
That oversight – if Miss Eurich would have decided to place that information into the main text – would have made this barely readable book into a pretty decent and usable self-help book.
I also don't quite agree with the notion that self-awareness requires a creation of core principles. I personally have found that self-awareness enables the creation of core principles, not the other way around.
There are some interesting points made throughout the book. And if you are a person who learns from stories and anecdotes you might get more out of the book than I have. I do appreciate that the Author does not promise an easy path to total self-awareness, but asks the reader for patience and commitment in the process.
...more- It's very explicit. There are no real analyses about the psychology or the theory or the "science" behind why we are the way we are; it only offers examples of a pathology and some concrete suggestions for paths forward.
- It's full of personal anecdotes and those of "self-awareness unicorns" (which itself might inspire a hearty eyeroll) for the purposes of illustrating a principle
- It summarizes key points at the end of each chapter, in a very workman Reasons that a critic might hate this book:
- It's very explicit. There are no real analyses about the psychology or the theory or the "science" behind why we are the way we are; it only offers examples of a pathology and some concrete suggestions for paths forward.
- It's full of personal anecdotes and those of "self-awareness unicorns" (which itself might inspire a hearty eyeroll) for the purposes of illustrating a principle
- It summarizes key points at the end of each chapter, in a very workmanlike manner.
... I loved it. For those reasons. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ To each their own.
...moreFor a book titled "Insight", there was very little substantial "Insight" in the book and a lot of verbiage, repetition and banal self aggrandizing anecdotes. This book could have been half as long as it was.
For a book titled "Insight", there was very little substantial "Insight" in the book and a lot of verbiage, repetition and banal self aggrandizing anecdotes. ...more
* Internal self awareness is just know-thyself. External is know how others see you.
* Self-awards requires 7 insights into our own value, passions, aspirations, fit (what environment suits me), internal patterns (how I think and feel in different situations), external reactions (how I reaction in different situations), and impact (my behavior on others).
* There are multiple hurdles to self-awareness: knowledge-, emotional
Sounds like a thorough analysis of self-awareness and how to increase it.* Internal self awareness is just know-thyself. External is know how others see you.
* Self-awards requires 7 insights into our own value, passions, aspirations, fit (what environment suits me), internal patterns (how I think and feel in different situations), external reactions (how I reaction in different situations), and impact (my behavior on others).
* There are multiple hurdles to self-awareness: knowledge-, emotional-, and behavioral-blindness: over-estimating our capabilities; unaware of our emotions, and failure to imagine perspectives of others.
* How to improve self-awareness: objectively self-observe, write down reflection everyday, use "360 survey" to gather anonymous feedback from trustworthy friends and colleagues.
...moreInsight provides an essential reminder that we are not as self-aware as we think. Rich with research data and evidence, Insight helps us question and examine our behaviour while offering practical ways on how we can do better. I found this book very eye-opening and it made me question whether I'm as self-aware as I thought I was. I appreciated how the author emphasized that becoming more self-aware is an ongoing process that needs to be checked on regularly, and no one is perfect at it. The
3.5/5Insight provides an essential reminder that we are not as self-aware as we think. Rich with research data and evidence, Insight helps us question and examine our behaviour while offering practical ways on how we can do better. I found this book very eye-opening and it made me question whether I'm as self-aware as I thought I was. I appreciated how the author emphasized that becoming more self-aware is an ongoing process that needs to be checked on regularly, and no one is perfect at it. The book also referred to extra materials available for readers to use, and even mentions a group you can join to share your journey with others. I took away many insights (heh!) from this book and I hope more people pick it up!
...moreI'm interested to read more from this author.
...moreIf you are in a phase where you are very unsure about yourself--who you are, what I like, what do I aspire to be, I think this book can help you with provided frameworks that will guide you to discover yourself better.
...moreINSIGHT is now available for pre-order.
Dr. Eurich's first book, Bankable Leadership, debuted on the New York Times bestseller list in 2013, and has since become a popular resource for managers and executives who want to make their employees happy and produce bottom-line results for their business.
Tasha Eurich is an organizational psychologist, researcher, and New York Times best-selling author.INSIGHT is now available for pre-order.
Dr. Eurich's first book, Bankable Leadership, debuted on the New York Times bestseller list in 2013, and has since become a popular resource for managers and executives who want to make their employees happy and produce bottom-line results for their business. Her second book, Insight, delves into the connection between our self-awareness – what she calls the meta-skill of the twenty-first century – and our performance and success, both in life and the workplace. Insight will be on sale 5/2/17
She's built a reputation as a fresh, modern voice in the leadership world by pairing her scientific grounding in human behavior with a pragmatic approach to business challenges. With a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Colorado State University, Dr. Eurich has spent the last 15 years helping thousands of professionals—from Fortune 500 executives to early stage entrepreneurs—improve their self-awareness and success.
In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, cycling, historical biographies, and is an unapologetic theater nerd. She lives in her hometown of Denver, Colorado with her husband and their rambunctious dogs.
...moreRelated Articles
Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account.
Source: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/31522008
Posted by: staciebaierae0193367.blogspot.com
Post a Comment