The Johari Window

This is the Johari window. It's a personality awareness model that I studied in psychology and communication as an undergraduate student. I find it interesting, because although this is split into an even grid, the reality is that the lines are not as clearly drawn for most people. Some have a large blind spot, while others have a large unknown area.

It's fairly obvious, but the four quadrants are defined as follows:


The first pane, the "Arena," contains things that I know about myself and about which the group knows. Characterized by free and open exchanges of information between myself and others, this behavior is public and available to everyone. The Arena increases in size as the level of trust increases between individuals or between an individual and the group. Individuals share more information, particularly personally relevant information.

The second pane, the "Blind Spot," contains information that I do not know about myself but of which the group may know. As I begin to participate in the group, I am not aware of the information I communicate to the group. The people in the group learn this information from my verbal cues, mannerisms, the way I say things, or the style in which I relate to others. For instance, I may not know that I always look away from a person when I talk... or that I always clear my throat just before I say something. The group learns this from me.

Pane three, the "Facade" or "Hidden Area," contains information that I know about myself but the group does not know. I keep these things hidden from them. I may fear that if the group knew my feelings, perceptions, and opinions about the group or the individuals in the group, they might reject, attack, or hurt me. As a consequence, I withhold this information. Before taking the risk of telling the group something, I must know there are supportive elements in our group. I want group members to judge me positively when I reveal my feelings, thoughts, and reactions. I must reveal something of myself to find out how members will react. On the other hand, I may keep certain information to myself so that I can manipulate or control others.

The fourth and last pane, the "Unknown," contains things that neither I nor the group knows about me. I may never become aware of material buried far below the surface in my unconscious area. The group and I may learn other material, though, through a feedback exchange among us. This unknown area represents intrapersonal dynamics, early childhood memories, latent potentialities, and unrecognized resources. The internal boundaries of this pane change depending on the amount of feedback sought and received. Knowing all about myself is extremely unlikely, and the unknown extension in the model represents the part of me that will always remain unknown (the unconscious in Freudian terms).

I personally believe, as individuals, that we should endeavor to decrease the area of information not known to ourselves. Sometimes this isn't an easy process, especially in the blind spot area, because it requires others telling us things we didn't know. Sometimes those things are negative, but knowing them gives us the opportunity to improve ourselves!

I really wonder about the unknown however. God knows these things, because He created us, but think of all that information that no one else sees...not even in ourselves! I hope that my unknown area is full of positives, and that negatives are lurking in my blind spot for others to notice. Think of all those little amazing personality gifts to unlock over the years.

The facade, however, is the most dangerous of all the quadrants. It involves deceit, and misrepresentation. I'm guilty of this, as is everyone, but I'm trying to be open in a way that exposes my real self. I don't like to be fake, or to pretend to be something I'm not. It's always sad when a person has to use their mask, because they're telling someone that 1) they don't trust them enough to reveal who they really are, 2) they don't respect them enough to be honest, and 3) they don't believe they're good enough.

The reality is that showing the world anything other than who you really are is a disservice to the One who created each of us. All of these things that we prefer to keep hidden, are in reality our greatest opportunity to testify to the power of God in our lives. For those things we like to pretend about are usually things we're not proud of. The redeeming power of Christ, however, has made those things impervious to admission. For example, I'm not ashamed to say that I used to do hard drugs and was sexually immoral. It doesn't matter, because the saving grace of God has made those things a testimony of His glory.

I once heard a preacher say that the purpose of our lives was both redemptive to ourselves, and to others. This has the most amazing element of truth to it, because I used to be so ashamed of the things I had done. Now, I just realize that I screwed up, because I'm human, and that Jesus rescued me from that life, when He exchanged His life for mine on that cross. That was my death He died, so that I never would. Those nail scarred hands and feet should have been mine, the blood running from His head and side should have been mine, the complete distance from God that He experienced that day, should have been mine. But they're not. Just the fact that He died for me...is more than sufficient.

Grace is for the weary, for the weak, for the sinful, for the ashamed, for the lost, for the redeemed, for the broken, for the sick, for every person walking on this planet. It's such a sweet life to give everything I am to the One who gave everything for me.