Know Thyself
We all yearn to improve ourselves in some way. Self help, personal development, and productivity are the buzzwords of the 21st century. Behind all that jargon is a basic search for answers, and a basic search for a higher existence, whether in the form of better achievement or simply greater satisfaction in our lives.
What often throws us off track in this search for answers is not asking the right questions. We ask too much of experts and gurus, who can only provide guidance on the path, but we rarely ask enough of ourselves. Each one of us has our own answers and those answers lie within. If we want to concentrate on personal development, the least we can do is to get to really know this person we want to develop – the stranger within. Seek that knowledge and wisdom of the inner world, and an understanding of the outer world and your part in it will naturally follow.
Know then thyself, presume not God to scan;
The proper study of mankind is Man.
— Alexander Pope, Essay on Man
Just stand aside and watch yourself go by,
Think of yourself as “he” instead of “I”.
— Strickland Gillilan, Watch Yourself Go By
I have to live with myself, and so
I want to be fit for myself to know;
I want to be able as days go by,
Always to look myself straight in the eye.
— Edgar A. Guest, Myself
Know Thyself
— Socrates
This post was guest blogged by Samir Bharadwaj. He is a freelance writer and design generalist who blogs about his ideas, and ideas in general at Samir Bharadwaj dot Com.
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