Coming soon · Book Profile

Insight Eurich

Self-awareness—the ability to see ourselves clearly and understand how others see us—is the foundational meta-skill for success and happiness in the 21st century, and this book provides a research-backed framework for developing it.

A profile of this book is on the way.

Get the book →

What it’s about

While most people believe they are self-aware, research shows that only 10-15% truly are, and this critical insight gap sabotages our careers, relationships, and happiness. In *Insight*, organizational psychologist Dr. Tasha Eurich dismantles the myths surrounding self-knowledge, revealing that common practices like introspection can often make us less aware. Drawing on a landmark three-year study of 'self-awareness unicorns'—individuals who made dramatic gains in self-knowledge—this book presents a powerful, two-part framework for developing both internal self-awareness (understanding who we are) and external self-awareness (understanding how others see us). Readers will discover practical, science-backed tools to overcome the hidden barriers to insight, seek and use feedback effectively, and ultimately make smarter choices, build stronger relationships, and lead a more rewarding life.

The through-line

Who it’s for: A motivated professional, leader, or individual who wants to be happier, more successful, and have better relationships, but feels stuck, confused, or occasionally blindsided by feedback and life events.
The problem: Despite intelligence and hard work, they are not advancing in their career, their relationships are strained, their teams are underperforming, or they feel a general sense of unfulfillment. They feel frustrated, anxious, and insecure, wondering why their efforts aren't yielding the desired results and feeling disconnected from both their true self and how others perceive them.
The plan: Learn the building blocks of insight (the Seven Pillars) and the roadblocks that stand in your way (Blindspots, the Cult of Self).
Use proven tools like 'What Not Why' and mindfulness to build your Internal Self-Awareness.
Proactively seek and effectively process feedback from 'loving critics' to build your External Self-Awareness.
Apply these principles to become a better leader and build more self-aware teams.
The payoff: A life of clarity, confidence, and fulfillment. · Smarter career choices and accelerated professional success. · Stronger, deeper, and more trusting personal and professional relationships.

See our guide

Related profiles we’ve built

Additional reading

The Nicomachean Ethics · Aristotle
It provides the philosophical challenge that frames the entire book: the quest to manage our emotional life with intelligence.
Frames of Mind · Howard Gardner
The book's theory of multiple intelligences, particularly the 'personal intelligences,' is cited as a key precursor to the concept of emotional intelligence.
Civilization and Its Discontents · Sigmund Freud
Referenced to illustrate the historical and societal need to enforce rules from without to subdue and domesticate our inner emotional excesses.
Learned Optimism · Martin Seligman
The research on optimism and pessimism as explanatory styles is central to the chapter on motivation, showing how a positive outlook contributes to success.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience · Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The concept of 'flow' is presented as the ultimate state of harnessing emotions in the service of performance and learning, representing emotional intelligence at its best.
Bowling Alone · Robert Putnam
Cited as an acclaimed analysis of the fraying American social fabric and the decline in 'social capital,' providing a societal context for the book's concerns about social corrosion.
I and Thou · Martin Buber
The book heavily uses Buber's philosophical distinction between 'I-You' (authentic connection) and 'I-It' (objectification) as a central framework for understanding the quality of relationships.
The Prince · Niccolò Machiavelli
Provides the historical and philosophical basis for understanding the 'Machiavellian' personality type, one of the 'Dark Triad' of socially malevolent characters discussed in the book.
A Secure Base · John Bowlby
Bowlby's foundational work on attachment theory is central to the book's discussion of how early parent-child relationships create a 'secure base' that shapes a person's relational style for life.
The Roots of Evil · Ervin Staub
This book, by a psychologist who designed reconciliation programs in Rwanda, is cited to explain the psychological forces that lead to genocide and the 'Us vs. Them' mentality.