Know Thyself
Want to know the world? Start with yourself.
A few days ago, while I was searching for a caption for a photo, I happened to read this quote from Lao Tzu, He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened, and it really struck me.
I mean, I was not sure about the underlying meaning of this saying but some unconscious forces stimulated my cognitive processes to give it a thought. Thus, I spent some time, figuring it out and it came to me as a surprise that most of us are so occupied with our daily lives and this hustle-mantra that we have forgotten the very essence of our existence; to know thyself.
Ever since that, I have been thinking about writing on this particular subject. However, I couldn’t break the vicious cycle of procrastination and spare some time to put my thoughts on paper. Until today!
As I woke up in the morning, I didn’t have a topic to write about. So, I did a bit of brainstorming before I decided to document my thoughts on this ever-expanding idea of ‘Know Yourself’. Hence, here it is.
Moreover, I am of the view that there is no better way of explaining this concept than talking about my own experiences and walking you through my own journey of self-exploration.
To be very honest, I have always been of the opinion that the one, who does not know thyself, cannot venture himself on the journey of knowing this world. And not to mention any fancy reasons for this belief, there has always been some kind of intrinsic feelings within me that unless I am sure of who I am, it is almost impossible for me to know those around me.
Especially, in this post-modern age, where things are getting even more complex with every passing day and everyone has this same longing of making the most of the opportunities on hands that we often forget to spend time on ourselves, to know our identity or to explore ourselves.
Unfortunately, I am no exception either.
Although I have always been a staunch believer of knowing oneself, yet for a long time, I could not find time to ask myself the necessary questions. I did not even have any time to enjoy this luxury of finding or exploring my identity but once I had this opportunity to embark on this journey of self-exploration, I didn’t waste any time, I just jumped right into it.
It wasn’t easy though. I had way too many questions but the answers were few and far between. One question, in particular, really gave me a hard time and even today, I can’t say with authority that I have the answer for this one.
What’s the purpose of my existence? (Here, I am not talking about our divine purpose.)
This question of existential purpose really troubled me for quite a long time. And it still haunts me. Because I am not ready to accept that we are here, on this planet, without a purpose. Contrarily, I am of the view that we are all destined for something — something bigger than what we can think of.
We all have a purpose to serve and the very first step of knowing yourself is to be aware of your purpose. One can’t find his true identity without knowing his purpose.
Furthermore, when an individual finds it difficult to know his existential purpose, he ends up facing the existential crisis. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that most people of my age mostly struggle with a sense of meaninglessness and they find it quite difficult to find the truth and meaning of their existence.
I also had this experience of meaninglessness, back in the day. I used to spend days, wandering purposelessly, and doing nothing but overthinking. I was so consumed with this ‘life is a race’ thing that I couldn’t realize that I was running backward.
Fortunately, I realized it before it was too late. Although I couldn’t find my true identity, yet I found a perspective. A rational one! And it really helped me in giving a positive outlook to my life.
(I have already discussed it in detail in the following piece.)
To conclude, I am not an expert on this matter but speaking from my experience, it is quite alright to let yourself go astray for some time. I don’t see any wrong in it. However, don’t let it happen for long. Try to curtail it. Find the meaning of your existence or at least try. Try to know thyself.
I am not proclaiming that I have found my true identity rather the point is, once you try to explore yourself, you may end up finding intriguing things, not only within yourself but also in those who are around you.
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