Know Thyself

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Summary: This text challenges the modern, ego-centered interpretation of the famous Socratic precept. The author explains that trying to know oneself as an individual (personality, ego) is an existential dead end, because this “self” is constantly changing and illusory (Māyā). The true purpose of life is not to dwell on oneself, but to discover inner peace. By rising above one’s opinions and emotions, one discovers that the true self (Purusha) reveals itself naturally in peace. The Path proposes, through practice and acceptance, not to seek who we are, but to immerse ourselves in this peace already present within.

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Some people want to live fully fulfilled lives, which is perfectly legitimate. To achieve this, they try to know themselves, as the famous saying invites them to do: “Know thyself.”

What does it mean to know oneself? Which “self”? The child we once were, the adult we have become? The ideas we have about ourselves? Is there nothing more important to know, in this short life, than oneself?

Do you really believe that the purpose of life is to know yourself? Certainly not. There is something more important to know, and it is the very purpose of your life: why have you come into this world, into this life? What is the purpose of this life? Because there is one!

Once that purpose is found, the task is to work toward it. And you know what? When you do that, you find the “self,” the real one! The one we were as children and the one we still are today, even though this true self is often hidden, blurred among all sorts of things: memories, traumas, experiences, acquired knowledge, concepts, and so on.

“Gnothi seauton,” as it was inscribed on the front of the Temple of Delphi… Socrates took this maxim as his own. According to Hegel, it marked a major turning point in the history of thought, as Socrates made inner consciousness the seat of truth and therefore of decision.

Since then, it has been believed that knowing oneself is the essential prerequisite for any spiritual or even philosophical fulfillment. If Socrates said it and Hegel confirmed it, then… Not to mention Lacan, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and many others. Many people think it is an invitation to know oneself as a particular individual, and in an age dominated by ego-centeredness, this reference to Socrates seems to justify the fascination we have with ourselves.

This endorsement from the ancients reinforces our “egotropism.” We spend our lives revolving around ourselves, trapped in this existential dead end. That is ego-centeredness.

But could it be otherwise? Could it be that this interpretation of the inscription on the Temple of Apollo is mistaken? Could it be that “Gnothi seauton” does not invite us to focus on our personality?

The misunderstanding may lie here: this “yourself” spoken of by the ancients is not the one we observe today. It is not the ever-changing collection of our thoughts, emotions, or personal history.

What if it meant observing oneself as a thinking being, rising above one’s particular feelings and opinions, which are nothing more than an illusion of data? This echoes what The Path teaches: our true self (Purusha) is not the one we think we are.

Seek and you shall find

“Seek and you shall find…” says Jesus. But seek what? You will find what you seek: if you seek to know yourself, you will find yourself. But is that the most important discovery to make in your life? Is knowing yourself the highest form of knowledge?

It is easy to believe that knowing oneself is a necessary prerequisite before knowing anything else, but this belief is a trap. We are undoubtedly small, and yet the task of knowing ourselves is endless, because we constantly change with events and moods, and whatever knowledge we gain is quickly dissolved in the confusion of thoughts and emotional states.

Who is this “we”?

Even if this egocentric ambition were within our reach, what would we gain? Ourselves? What a gift! Let us follow the example of Narcissus and bend over our own reflection, which is nothing more than ourselves—an illusion, or Māyā.

“The source is better than the well. One who knows the cause of illusion enjoys the world without being lost in it.” (Bhaktimārga, 181)

And this “ourselves”—who is it? The one we were as children, enjoying every moment? The one from our first love? Who is this “self”?

It is not what we think

No, in truth, “Know thyself” is not a prerequisite for discovering oneself, and this “self” is not what we believe it to be. There is indeed a quest—but we are not its object. That quest is the search for peace.

If you are not in peace, then seek it—do not seek yourself. If you seek peace, you will find it. And in finding peace, you find yourself, and discover that you are not who you thought you were: you are peace.

When peace is found

When peace is found within, our personality, our qualities, our flaws no longer concern us—only peace draws us. To find inner peace, one must forget what one believes oneself to be.

Some people dislike themselves because of what they consider to be flaws, and they suffer from it. This lack of self-esteem leads them into a spiral of failure: they withdraw and stop taking action. Others rise up and struggle to become what they think they should be (therapy, makeovers, martial arts).

A positive but insufficient approach

This approach is positive, certainly, but it will not succeed without an essential virtue, both on The Path and in ordinary life: acceptance. Accept reality, accept who you are—or who you appear to be—then work to improve.

But above all, do not believe that you are the one you despair of being. There is within you a peace so peaceful that it would be a shame not to taste it. It is easier to accept being in peace. According to the teaching of The Path, it is not about being at peace with oneself, but being in peace, immersed in it.

This peace does not impose itself on us: we must go toward it and remain there as often and as long as possible. It is for the thirsty one to go to the source, not the other way around. The spiritual path does not prevent one from building a family or choosing a profession.

Starting from the right place

For everything, one must start from the right place—and to know oneself, this true self that we have been since birth and will remain until the end… that is the right place.

Through the practice of The Path, it becomes easier to turn in the right direction, to seek and find peace. It becomes possible to remain in this peace by practicing the revealed techniques and relying on the four pillars of the agya.

If you feel this need, we are here to help. This is not about theories or book knowledge, but simply about finding peace—the kind that does not depend on circumstances, the kind that is already within you.

If you have any questions, please write here:

madhyama.marga@gmail.com