Word Definitions: Self-Awareness

I was looking up the dictionaries online trying to find a definition of what is "self-awareness" or being "self-aware". I guess the closest I got to an objective definition was this from Merriam-Webster online dictionary:

• Main Entry: self–aware·ness
• Function: noun
• Date: 1880
• : an awareness of one's own personality or individuality

hmm... a definition that is defined by even more abstract concepts of personality and individuality.

Anyway this was what prompted me to wonder about this word. How often are we aware of how we behave in others' company? Are we too loud, too soft, too assertive, too timid, showing too much ego for our own good? Are we being intrusive or are we giving others the kind of quiet and private space they need to function?

Maybe some food for thought before the next time we carry out a conversation with another person / a group of people in the workspace.