Notes to Myself

Strengths and Weaknesses

One’s strengths and weaknesses are at the heart of any self-analysis but they are more often at the centre of self-denial and just muddling on. We don’t reflect on these traits very often ignoring Socrates’ famous maxim, Know Thyself. This is better than Kid Thyself. Self-deception is a bad form to wake up to.

A healthy life requires a clear focus on this life balance or edict: be mindful of your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t obsess about your strengths, or be coy, or in denial, about your weaknesses.

When a job interview is approaching people may revisit this topic as it’s often high up on the list of possible questions. It gives roundness to your personality and suitability for the advertised position. 

This may be related to technical skills required by the position and therefore weaknesses become a barrier that is not negotiable. But the questions may be probing soft skills such as personality, motivations, teamwork, organization ability, attitudes etc.

When a teacher in the Skillmax Program, a program for adult professional migrants looking for employment, I spent considerable time preparing my classes for job interviews, including this central issue of strengths and weaknesses. Cultural differences often emerged over trumpeting one’s strengths, or boasting, or revealing weaknesses and shooting yourself in the foot re the position. In an Australian context, it is recognised that weaknesses are natural and do exist, but need not be disabling excluding you from an advertised position. Weaknesses can be expressed as shortcomings you are aware of, but that are not central to the job, and steps you are taking to improve, via courses, classes, therapies etc. So whenever stating a weakness a “but” should follow indicating steps taken to deal with it.

But summing yourself up is not only about employment opportunities: we have challenges to negotiate in our social and private lives also. New Year’s resolutions become a bit of a joke and resolutions should be a shadow as you go forward in life. Everyone should have a quit list and a to-do list.

Goal clarification or Know Thyself (Socrates again) is an important exercise we taught in Skillmax. Goal clarification is a listing of assets and liabilities, or strengths and weaknesses, with alternatives should Plan A fail and a Plan B be set off. Everyone should have a Plan B, and even a Plan C. It’s important not to get too hung up on Plan A as we are often too ambitious, or overestimate our abilities.  Nor should Plan C be considered a consolation prize, or a wooden spoon award. Contrary to Donald Trump’s narrow view of the world we are all winners in some respects and can shrug off losing when it’s insignificant. In the words of one of my favourite poets, Yevgeny Yevteshenko:

To each his world is private and in that world one excellent minute.And in that world one tragic minute

These are private.

What are you good at? What are you poor at? Split the difference and there you are. If you don’t succeed at first, or second or third, then switch to another target, play another game, whistle a different tune.

So celebrate your strengths and tolerate your weaknesses, as others will do unto you. You are a worthy person and much better than Donald Trump and his lies and deceptions.