Everyday Canvas

Self-Awareness Claims

Prompt: Do you think “Know thyself" to be a highly overrated piece of wisdom? How can anyone know oneself perfectly? Along the same line of thought, how can anyone know someone else perfectly? Your thoughts…

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Well, if it is not highly overrated, it is somewhat overrated even though the origin of this wisdom came from Socrates. If anyone claims they know themselves perfectly, I would say they are full of hot air, lava-hot air.

On the other hand, self-awareness can be a lifelong study and hopefully an achievement at the finish line, as self-awareness means being fully perceptive about one’s innermost everything, which is not easily accessed because as human beings, we tend to hide things not only from others but also from ourselves. This is also a highly entertaining habit of us human beings since, if I didn't surprise myself once in a while or spotted a change in another human being, my life would be very dull.

One other thing, there is also the danger of claiming to know a self—one’s own or that of others—perfectly because it is a one-sided view and may cause an overestimation of positive qualities, and therefore, interpreting actions and events to make one look or seem more favorable to others. That, I would say is over-perception or a distorted view at best, if I may label it somewhat politely.

Then, I am sure, Socrates meant to say, “Study thyself” and the lack of proper translation distorted his true meaning. If so, I am all for it. And here on this site, being writers, we certainly should delve into a good deal of self-study and human psychology.