Uncovering Blind Spots to Aid Personal Growth

Every time we open our eyes, light enters through the pupil and hits the retina. Inside the retina, there are photoreceptors, which are nerve cells that interpret light and transmit information to the brain, so we can see things around us.

This process is very simple, except there is a small area on the retina that does not contain photoreceptors, thus, we cannot interpret light that falls on this part, which is why it is called the “blind” spot.

In theory, our blind spots should appear as black spots in our field of vision, but they do not. For some of us with normal vision, we can see our surroundings, read all the words in a book, and see everything on a monitor screen so well. How is that?

Our brain has the ability to assess our surroundings, so it estimates the missing spot, and shows it the place of the blank area. Thanks to that, we get an integrated view of what’s in front of us as we’re doing now.

The aforementioned information may seem a bit complicated to you if you are a visual learner, so I will give you an example of the blind spot experiment, which demonstrates how our brain is able to project the background, no matter how complex it is, and fill up the blank space in the blind spot.

It also shows that the mental projection of our brain is not an accurate reflection of reality although it may seem real, and it is real most of the time. While we think that we can see everything, what we see in front of us may not exist. This goes hand in hand with the concept of blind spots in personal development.

Blind spots in personal development:

Blind spots, as they are known in the context of personal development, refer to aspects of ourselves that we are not fully aware of, and this can refer to a wide range of different things. Our traits, values, actions, characteristics, habits, feelings, thoughts, and more.

For example, suppose you don’t like arrogant people, what is the reason for that? Your immediate response may be that they make you feel uncomfortable, or that they are arrogant, but these are just superficial reasons. What is the deeper reason why arrogant people affect you?

The reason is usually outside the scope of our direct observation, and we cannot identify it unless we dive deeper. We cannot notice the blind spots immediately, because we always see things from our point of view, but when we consider the opinions of people who have known us for a while, or the opinion of a specialist in identifying blind spots, such as the life coach, we can form a deeper knowledge about ourselves. Besides our beliefs and attitudes, blind spots also include our physiological behaviors.

For example, I have always spoken so fast since I was little, that every person I meet would point it out, especially during my school years. People used to say that my speech rate was like a “bullet train”, and they would often ask if I was a member of the debate team. One of my friends even suggested that I become the leader of a rap group, which was very funny to me.

When I heard their comments at the time, and paid attention to their opinions, I didn’t consider them quite right, because in my opinion, my speech rate was not fast at all.

This continued until I saw the videos and heard the audio recordings of my presentations. I still remember the first time I played a recording of my voice, and the first thing that came to my mind was, what makes this person talk so fast? It was very funny, because this idea came to my mind the moment I heard my voice, and although I knew that the voice I was going to hear was mine, I could not recognize it, for the speech rate was greater than what I had heard before.

Even after this incident, I was unaware of my problem most of the time until people, usually acquaintances, commented on it, and I still suffer from it to this day, but I deal with it much more consciously than before, since I give speeches during events and conferences. I try to speak more slowly during my presentations and speeches, but then go back to my usual rate when I’m with friends.

Why do we have to uncover blind spots?

Why is it important to know blind spots? This is because they are a very important part of your personal growth. Blind spots are things that you are oblivious to. Therefore, identifying and understanding them increases self-awareness.

As we develop a higher level of self-awareness, we become more in tune with the spiritual part of ourselves. This increases our level of self-control. Having a personal coach is an excellent way to uncover your blind spots, and it will also help you become a better person.

Blind spots aren’t necessarily negative traits or weaknesses, although they usually are. When you’re oblivious to something, there’s a good chance you haven’t paid attention to it before, and that leaves room to work on improving it.

In addition, it is an invisible barrier to what you can do. For example, if you are not aware of the weakness in your time management skills, your work will be characterized by poor planning and poor prioritization, without realizing that it is because of your lack of the said skills.

Also, if you are not aware that you have weak communication skills, you will often feel frustrated when communicating with others, without realizing that the gaps in the aforementioned skills are the reason for this.

When you uncover your blind spots, you can effectively address them, and increase your awareness of your strengths, the opportunities available to you, and the limits within which you operate. However, if you do not do this, you will never be able to address them, simply because you are not aware of their existence.

As a person with a passion for growth and development, I have always been on the lookout for situations where I feel resistance or where my level of awareness is low, because that indicates a blind spot, so I accept the feedback I receive from readers on my blog, whether positive or negative, and during my one-on-one coaching, I encourage my clients to provide feedback to help improve coaching sessions.

I have uncovered and worked on many blind spots over the years. In the past, my idealism — which almost drove me insane — often resulted in shortsightedness and ineffective work patterns. This hindered my efforts to achieve better results, and also made me a constantly anxious person, which I never liked. Not to mention emotional deficiency, which made me hateful and selfish. These qualities prevented me from being the person I wanted to be, but through consciously working on these blind spots, I was able to address these problems, and I became a better person.

In conclusion:

The process of uncovering blind spots never ends, and just like growth, it is a lifelong journey. With every blind spot that we uncover and address, there is always a next blind spot that has to be uncovered. Due to the vastness of our minds and the limitless nature of the growth process, it is impossible for us to identify every blind spot within us as soon as it appears. It is more important to work on improving every second, and every moment, as we move forward in our life journey.