Self-awareness is the first factor that makes up authenticity. Self-awareness is key in understanding who you are and the inner workings of what creates the psychological you. In its essence, self-awareness is your emotions, what you hold as values and beliefs, your preferences, and your needs. Being self-aware is important because it enables you to know your emotional patterns or triggers and to be able to communicate, adjust, or work on those emotions accordingly. Without awareness, these tendencies can affect both you and others negatively. Being self-aware is a tool that enables self-control but also acts as an aid to help communicate with others, both emotionally and verbally.