Hi Joseph: I think this one of those philosophical questions that can be looked from different perspectives. I always quote Stephen Covey’s “7 habits of Highly Effective People” with his statement “Seek first to understand, then be understood. I think that’s a powerful statement with deep meaning, really having more to do with communication than self awareness. At the same time, Covey begins with “Be Proactive”. To be truly proactive, one must have a keen sense of self awareness, or more simply, knowing ourselves. In the end, there is balance. Improvements, however they’re labeled, and however we achieve them is the goal of good instructors. I think we have to be willing to first recognize improvement is needed, then be willing to do what is necessary in order to make the change, and hopefully, permanently. Regards, Barry