“Know thyself”; my answer to Ecotrain’s QOTW: What lessons will you take with you for your potential next life if you die tomorrow?

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“Know thyself” is one of the most profound pieces of wisdom throughout all human history. Ancient Egyptian and Greek philosophers believed that only those who know themselves are worthy of entering their sacred temples. In Sufism tradition, there is the famous quote” He who knows himself knows his God”. In the Bible, it is written: "the kingdom of heaven is within you". Buddha said” The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart”, and we have the famous quote by Carl Jung “He who looks outside dreams. He who looks within awakens”.

I believe there is something otherworldly about knowing one’s self that many different religions and philosophies included it in their core teachings. It is a universal law that works for anyone regardless of his worldview. It is both an endeavour and a reward.

For most of us, life had been much simpler at an early age. We knew what we want, love, value, and what is none of our business. As we grow up we receive a great deal of conditioning from our societies.
At a certain stage of our lives, we start to see ourselves through the eyes of society. We become keener to be recognized by others, to be validated by them, to be loved, accepted and cared for.

Along the way of conforming to society, we are taught to desire more of what is valuable by it, to be anxious about what others think of us, to compare ourselves to them, to cling to material and immaterial possessions, and to make our decisions based on what fits our social images.

Eventually, we grow oblivious to whom we really are, having no authentic, more critical and less compassionate with ourselves, living in constant state of fear of losing what makes us worthy of other’s appreciation. We feel more like salves. Life becomes more stressful, and nothing seems enough to heal the emptiness we feel within our souls.

It is very difficult for the conditioned mind to accept the fact that happiness, fulfillment, and joy are free for all, for it had long ago associated them with acquiring something or keeping another. Happiness for many comes with a price that should be paid beforehand. In egoic terms, the less worthy are prone to less happiness, and that is why many of us perceive life as a perpetual race where only winners deserve happiness, and nothing feels more frightening than losing.

The more we unburden ourselves of social conditioning the more we become free, the lighter we feel and the more room there is for our own light to shine. We earn clarity of mind by filtering out external values and standards that don’t resonate with us. We become consistent in our paths when we stop following external temptations. We become more aware of our real identities when we break free from social molds we had put ourselves into.

I believe what makes many refrains from becoming real with themselves is the fear of losing what they have already acquired and is considered by the conditioned mind critical to their lives. Careers, relationships, wealth and maintaining certain social image are among many things that if not authentically done can be obstacles to ones tuning into his soul. That is why the willingness of dis-identifying and sacrificing what someone isn’t is a turning point in his path of getting acquainted with himself.

“Knowing thyself” is the most difficult and precious lesson I have learnt and still learning so far, and that I would rather take to the next life if I would ever have one.