>> Damn, why didn't I realize this was happening? We're not really encouraged to be introspective--we're pushed from one experience to the next, without stoppi

>> Damn, why didn't I realize this was happening? We're not really encouraged to be introspective--we're pushed from one experience to the next, without stopping to think how the experience affects us. Moreover, unless you put in the time to assimilate your experiences (why did I behave this way? why did I react this way? why did this trigger emotion X? etc), you're unlikely to have these self-reflective a-ha moments.