自覚
じかく · jikaku · JLPT N1 · noun
self-conscious
自 = self + 覚 = awake/aware, so 自覚 is being aware of yourself
覚 also appears in 目覚める (to wake up). 自覚 is waking up to yourself: noticing your own feelings, state, or situation, which is where self-consciousness begins.
自 — pictograph of a nose
自 originally depicted a human nose, shown frontally with the bridge and nostrils. Ancient Chinese pointed to their own nose to mean 'me,' so 自 shifted to mean 'self' or 'oneself.' A new character 鼻 was later created to carry the original 'nose' meaning.