The ancient Greek aphorism "to know yourself" is perhaps the oldest of all the aphorisms inscribed on the facade of the Temple of Apollo in Delphidia, according to the Greek author Pausanius. According to Pausanius, the earliest known aphorism about self-knowledge predates even the very first defining statement of self by the sage Aristotle. The aphorism "to know oneself" was a favorite topic of philosophical dialogue in ancient Greece and was also the subject of much lyric and tragedy. In fact, the famous stanza of Homer's Illiad contains a variant of the aphorism: "To know oneself is the wisest of all actions." The belief that "self" is the most important quality of a person has been an important feature of many philosophies, religions, and ideologies throughout the history of mankind. This article will explore the concept of self-knowledge and how it applies to people's everyday lives.
How to get to know yourself begins with realizing that you are a limited individual, arising from a body of consciousness which is nothing more than a series of ideas, emotions, memories, beliefs, desires, goals, and opinions that has grown and been developed over the course of your life. When you begin to look within and examine your own true self, you will realize that you are bound to be nothing like the image of your false self. True self-awareness is vital for self-knowledge and self-awareness. If you fail to pay attention to your true self, the personage that you think you are or want to become may not materialize for you, because there will be no true self-knowledge to which you can commit.
True self-knowledge and true self-awareness are two peas of a pod. They cannot exist separately, for they are both part of a greater whole. To make a stronger connection with yourself, start with examining your deepest convictions and beliefs about yourself, and then work your way toward finding out what those beliefs really are. Only after you have done this will you be able to appreciate your own true self and gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your life.
Your core values are the most essential aspect of your character, and any good personal development program should seek to uncover them. Core values comprise your fundamental attitudes, moral code, personal ethics, and religious beliefs. You cannot have good core values unless you also have a good understanding of why you have those attitudes, and what these core values really mean to you. A personal development plan for self-discovery should first involve asking yourself several questions: What do I truly believe? What would I do if I were in situations similar to or different from those in which I believe?
Second, you must learn how to become aware of your own white lies. White lies are statements that you make to yourself about your own values, intentions, and behaviors. A key component of a powerful personal development plan for self-awareness is the skill of noticing your own lies and distortions. This involves a high level of listening skills and an ability to notice when you are speaking to yourself as if other people were present. When you can sense that your interpretation of events is actually invalid, you can begin to work on becoming more aware of how you truly feel about what you're saying, as well as what you are doing.
Third, once you have an awareness of your core values and behaviors, you need to start getting clear about how to get to know yourself. Do you really like to eat a big meal in the morning? Or is there some aspect of your eating that you find unpleasant? Do you find yourself becoming irritable when you're bored or frustrated? These are just some examples of the things that you might not be able to change if you continue to let them run in your life.
The final step in your self-discovery process is to start asking yourself questions about your own happiness. Are your passions and your pleasures balanced? How do you identify and express your passion? Can you feel your joy when you are involved in your passions or is it fleeting? The 29 questions above are intended to help you gain a fuller experience of your own happiness and to develop a deeper understanding of yourself as you move toward becoming a happier person.
While these questions might seem awkward at first, you will discover that they will help you get to know yourself better. In the process you will also discover important relationships that will support you in your efforts to become a happier person. The more you understand yourself, the more of your true strengths and weaknesses you will be able to tap into so that you can improve your life. Knowing yourself is the first step toward happiness.
