Only through awareness of others can an individual define themselves along some dimension. This is because one defines themselves in contradistinction to others. More specifically, one can only be aware of a characteristic when they observe a strong expression of this characteristic in another person. In this way, only though the social awareness of others can one define what one is.

To explain this we will assume that the individual maintains a neural cognitive state. Then an interaction occurs where a person expresses some characteristic that results in a negative cognitive state. To return to a neutral cognitive state the individual must manage this perturbation that has caused the negative state. One method to eliminate perturbation is explanation. Using this method, the explanation delineates how the characteristic expression and subsequent comparison between the individual and the person leads to perturbation. The explanation first states that the cause of the individual perturbation is the expression of the characteristic by the person. The explanation further clarifies this statement by comparing the relative levels of the characteristic between the individual and person and finds the individual lacking in this particular characteristic. At this point, that the explanation concludes that the cause of the perturbation is the individual's deficiency of this characteristic. This conclusion makes the individual self aware of this deficiency in this characteristic and will define themselves accordingly.

Perhaps an example would lead to better understanding. Assume as individual with a neutral cognitive state loses this state when they notice that a person in a math class displays strong proficiency to solve problems. To manage the perturbation the person explains the perturbation as a function of comparison along the dimension of intelligence. The explanation states that the person expresses great intelligence and the comparisons between individual and person shows the individual lacks such intelligence. This leads to the conclusion that the individual is not as intelligent and this realization is the cause of the perturbation. Notice how the individual must first be socially aware of the person's intelligence before attaining self awareness of his own intelligence. Social awareness causes the perturbation that leads to the explanation that forces self awareness of some deficiency in characteristic expression.

If the gained explanation holds predictive power in controlling subsequent perturbations one may say they have learned something. Knowledge gained in this way will be called deficit learning. It derives its name from the fact that an individual learns how to control an undesirable state caused by the realization of some deficiency. The perturbation leads to the realization of sine deficiency which leads to manifestation of cognitions directed towards explaining what perturbation has caused the negative cognitive state. Learning by deficit occurs when one of the explanations generated while perturbed leads to behavior manipulation that enables the individual either to return from that perturbed state or avoid falling into that perturbed state. The act of controlling negative states by developing explanations to control this state while in that perturbed state is the act of deficit learning.

As already stated, social awareness must always come prior to self awareness. The individual defines them self in contradistinction with those around them. However a reasonable counter argument to self awareness through deficit learning is those individuals that always have dominance is some characteristic expression. Such an individual will never experience a state of perturbation when expressing this characteristic How then can these individual become aware of this particular characteristic of them self? Effectively the question ask how can the best be aware that they are the best? If one always dominates in some characteristic they will never be placed into a state of perturbation that leads to explanation manifestation that characterize them the best according to some characteristic.

In this case, one attains awareness of their greatness when circumstances momentarily place them in situations where they are no longer able to dominant in this characteristic. If the individual excels in athletics perhaps they injure their leg or say they excel in mathematics, but find themselves distracted by a new love, in these cases, circumstances prevent them from dominating allowing other individuals to excel over them. Thus, the individual will lose the positive cognitive state via social awareness and experience perturbation. Explanation will be made for the perturbed state causing a comparison to be made. However this time the deficiency will be explained as a function of circumstance that has lead to momentary weakness and not some essential trait deficiency. In this way, when the individual is able to control the circumstance they will become dominant again restoring their positive cognitive state. Upon return to dominance they will be aware of their greatness because during their weakness they compared the dominating person's characteristic with their own and found that they were stronger, but some circumstance prevented proper dominance.

The conclusion the explanation draws then came be separated between two types of causes. Either the explanation settles on the conclusion that the individual permanently has a deficiency in some characteristic or concludes that some context has prevented proper characteristic expression. The success of either explanation relies heavily on the explanation's ability to evade subsequent perturbations when the individual is in similar situations. Ultimately it does not matter which explanation is the 'true' one, only that the explanation enables the individual to avoid a negative cognitive state. To this end, the person may switch explanations when one explanation consistently fails to prevent of avoid the negative cognitive state. Hence the existence of individuals that used to believe they controlled the level a characteristic is expressed but now believe such characteristic expression manipulation is impossible.

It should be noted that the truly great individual will constantly ebb and flow with their cognitive states. The desperate attempts to constantly attain the positive state while in the perturbed state is what leads them to attempt and succeed at all of the greatest accomplishments mankind has attained. Perfection attainment is striking a balance between positive and negative cognitive states.

Deficit learning is the only means by which one learns. The individual does not question a situation that maintains a positive cognitive state. The individual only questions their situation when circumstances lead to a state of perturbation. At which point an explanation will manifest enabling behavior manipulation and subsequent cognitive state control. In this way. deficit learning is learning what deficit has lead to perturbation, and what kinds of behavior can be employed to avoid or replace the deficit. In self awareness the person realizes that some other person has a characteristic that the individual lacks and this is the cause of the perturbation. The explanation used to restore and manipulate the perturbation and incorporates self awareness as a means to manipulate this negative cognitive state. But this can only come about after the individual has social awareness of the characteristic expression superiority of the person.