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Strengths and Weaknesses

Albert Camus once wrote, "At 30 a man should know himself like the palm of his hand, know the exact number of his defects and qualities, know how far he can go, foretell his failures--be what he is. And, above all, accept these things."

I do not believe I know yet how far I can go--indeed, perhaps like others, I somewhat fear finding out-- but I have understood myself better as I've grown older. I am definitely better at accepting myself than I once was, but I have more to do in this area. In any case, it is important to understand your strengths and weakness so you can choose those endeavors that depend on your strengths, and avoid those that depend on your weaknesses (or, at least, understand why you are less effective in those endeavors than in those that depend on your strengths); and more importantly, so you know why you behave as you do, and so predict this behavior in your relations with others. More specifically on this last point, you can be sensitive enough to your weaknesses when relating to others to notice when those weaknesses surface. Because of this, I believe that knowing yourself will render a life of greater peace than would be the case if you did not. With that said, here are a few of my strengths and weaknesses (Note: I created this list a few years ago. Since then, I think I've changed somewhat in both my strengths and weaknesses. I don't believe that I am as empathetic as I once was, for instance, but I do believe I am less guarded.).

Strengths
1. I am positive. I look for ways to see a situation in its best light. Difficulty is meaningful to me, and I believe God uses it for our benefit.

2. I am empathic. I try to understand the emotions, circumstances, and perspectives of others when they talk to me. This trait has encouraged me to be more of a peacemaker than a fighter. Part of the reason for that is because I myself need peace. It is of the utmost importance to me to feel at peace about myself and the things I do.

3. I am responsible. I hate feeling like I have failed myself or others, so I make it a priority to follow through with the things to which I have committed.

Weaknesses
1. I avoid conflict. Since I value peace so much, conflict is difficult for me. I tend not to communicate the things bothering me, because I can't be sure that the problem isn't my doing in some way. At the same time, I'd rather try to solve things on my own than let others see that I am in need.

2. I am selfish with my time. I can become resentful when I perceive that others are taking too much of it.

3. I am guarded. With some, I avoid any type of intimacy (friendship or otherwise) either because I don't believe they will accept me, or because I take on others' problems too easily.

Probably, weakness one has influenced weakness three. In short, I am guarded because I refuse to communicate my thoughts.

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