The Johari Window
Imagine a window with four panes of glass...
The first of the window's four panes is OPEN or
TRANSPARENT. Through it individuals can see certain
aspects of themselves and their behavior just as others see them.
The second quadrant is the BLIND SPOT. It is clear
to others but curtained off from the individual's personal awareness.
Through it others perceive a portion of individuals' behavior to which
those individuals are blind.
Through the third square PRIVATE or SECRET, individuals
can look out, but others cannot look in. Others are shut off from
what goes on within the individual because it is hidden from them.
The fourth pane, UNKNOWN, is opaque to others, as
well as to the individual. It consists of unconscious material of
which people may be partially or totally unaware. Other information
may be closer to the surface and become available.
The information contained in this window is not static, but opens up as the level of mutual trust and the exchange of feedback and self-disclosure take place. Hence the size and shape of the panes change. The open window, for example, increases in size as the level of trust develops.