I understand that I don't do well in some types of situations, so I adapt, or avoid. That's testable and verifiable. If I go into a situation with a crowd which makes me uncomfortable, than I can adapt by example a, b or c. There's a proper hypothesis and pretense too if you need. Self knowledge is not some rigid set of ideas. The self is. Exists isn't the right word but it is, and we know that and can know our individual self. If you want to know more about the psychology of phenomenology I highly recommend Being and Time by Martin Heidegger. He literally picks apart these ideas and breaks them down for you showing the scientific process in depth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Heidegger