Know Thyself

To know, or not to know, for that is the question.

Chiseled into the stone at the entrance of Apollo’s temple in Delphi, Greece, are the words “Know Thyself.” Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, often referred to as the “founder of western philosophy,” was dedicated to this injunction, and thus he spent much of his life trying to know himself. Socrates had no written work of his own, so most of what we know about him was through his most well renowned student; Plato. However, regarding whether Socrates ever truly ended up learning who he was in his entirety, Plato’s record showed that he hadn’t even come close.

The Temple of Apollo // Photo via Pinterest

“I only know one thing: that I know nothing,” attributed Plato to Socrates in his written work ''Apology”. This means that in 71 years, Socrates had a more successful time thinking and discovering notions of rationality and ethics that are still used in modern philosophy two millenniums later, rather than discovering himself. Surely that means there’s no hope for a modern day adolescent like me. It seems as though wisdom lies more in knowing the limitations of self-knowledge, rather than the attainment of the knowledge itself. So why do we embark this journey upon ourselves in the first place? Isn’t it enough to be aware of our basic likes and dislikes?

Self-discovery opens doors to a variety of positive attributes that bring betterment into your life. Discovering the parts of you that are raw and unnurtured leads to self-love and acceptance as you navigate your flaws and insecurities. Loving yourself then, leads to higher self-confidence, improving your relationships with others and ultimately your happiness. The problem then, is this; humans are constantly changing.

Let’s use a student as an example. One who was put into advanced level mathematics classes from the age of 5 through 16. Throughout this decade, they developed their mathematical abilities so that mandatory math classes in elementary and high school went by like a breeze. Their teachers praised them for their good grades, their peers looked up to them, and everyone treated them like a genius in their field. They thrived off of this academic validation, and it was a no-brainer that when time for University applications came around, they would enroll in a program that would allow their mathematical abilities to be an asset.

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That was, however, until they fell in love with books, writing, and literature. They found solace in the expression, the free flow, and lack of limitations present in the subjectivity of the English language. They were no longer satisfied with the monotonous equations and algorithms of numbers, and became annoyed at how many layers and processes there were behind solving each problem, that they no longer felt the adrenaline of having finally cracked the code. By this time, their peers had caught up to their understanding of the subject matter. In the haste between following the longings of the heart which yearned to read, analyze, and understand, whilst attempting to keep up a reputation of understanding the complexities of objective arithmetic truths, their peers had begin to understand them the same, if not, better, and they no longer had an academic pedestal that kept them one step above.

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Well, that student is me. I used to call myself lucky that I had my “literary epiphany” before I began university, thus avoiding “wasting” my time, money, and energy into a program I would have ended up hating. I now realize this is a dangerous mindset for a student to have. There’s nothing wrong with changing majors. If anything, it’s a transformative decision that shows growth and self discovery. As you change, so do your interests, so it’s not a poor lapse in judgment but rather a way to stay in touch with yourself.

Moreover, “knowing thyself” is a barrier in the pursuit of reconciling with constantly changing values. It is an unattainable goal that will leave you frustrated and unsatisfied, as you will try to adhere yourself to labels that may no longer apply. So, what do you say we start a movement? The next time you’re amidst a lack of internal and external harmony, Accept Thyself.