(6 minute read)

“To seek what is impossible is madness. Therefore it is bad to seek for it …”

Marcus Aurelius, “Meditations”

One of the most noted phrases in philosophy is the admonishment to “Know Thyself.”

Over the years the phrase has been credited to a myriad of Greek philosophers including Socrates and Aristotle. But, no one really knows to whom the credit belongs.

The earliest written form is found in the Greek writings of Pausanias. He noted that “know thyself” is the first of three inscriptions at the entrance to the Temple of Apollo. The other inscriptions are, “nothing to excess” and “certainty brings insanity.”

All three inscriptions are rich and worthy of study all on their own. But for now, let’s focus on the former.

It is a common phrase, know thyself. One doesn’t have to be introduced to a philosophy course to have heard the phrase. The theme permeates western thought and society.

Before we start it may help to answer one question.

Just what the hell does it mean to know thyself?

First, what we do know. In his book “Know Thyself” University of Connecticut professor Mitchell S. Green writes that the original translation is a military command to be carried out promptly if not sooner. It is not a get-around-to-it-when-you-can proposition.

In other words, if you’ve read or heard the phrase you become responsible for carrying out the order.

Beyond that are many suggestions that exist on the phrase’s intent. One of the most popular is to seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Another is that it is meant as a state of self-exploration.

More on that in a minute.

The Marcus Aurelius quote above, “to seek what is impossible is madness …” It is unhealthy to seek for what is out of our reach. So, should we even bother? Is the practice of knowing thyself even possible?

In earlier articles, we explored the consensus among philosophers. Trying to achieve a level of certainty is one of those impossibly maddening endeavors.

“Life is a journey” means the self-exploration of discovering, finding meaning, and the pursuit of purpose in life. That is what we strive for. Anything beyond that is impossible.

As usual, what philosophers offer is seemingly conflicting viewpoints. Encouraged to work hard, and NOW, we are admonished by some to burden ourselves with activity that guarantees a destination. Sweat the big and small stuff as long as you sweat, they say.

At the same time others offer hope by a willingness to change our way of thinking. Like a light switch the flip is made and the juices start running.

What is not needed is a ten-step program guaranteeing success. Anyone offering you that are selling you something.

What is needed is a recognition of what we already know about ourselves and start our journey there. You’ve already sweated enough about it.

So, some suggestions. Ask yourself what are the things that make me angry? Sad? When do you find yourself getting really excited about something or someone in your life? When do you find yourself at your emptiest?

To know thyself is to start to explore our own inner workings. It means to be brutally honest in self reflection. The way in which we know ourselves is as different as there are individuals. We can read about what and how others have learned. We can also share with others what we have found helpful. But each is different.

As we start to recognize what we already know about ourselves there will be obstacles. One of those are “the clutter of opinions” stored up in our psyche. They usual lead us into thinking they positively or negatively define us.

Where Do We Start?

“I know what I don’t know.”

-Socrates

Like all things philosophical we start by admitting what we do not know. There is a limit to what we “know.”

“You can’t know everything,” my grandmother used to say.

It is also important to know how and why we know what we know. At times it is even more important to know how the knowledge got there in the first place.

While teaching at the college and university level, I regularly practiced an exercise to prove this point.

While exploring the difference between fact, bias, and opinion, I often used a current social issue for discussion. Students are eager to offer their knowledge on things they “know” to be true.

The current event mattered very little as long as I it sparked a discussion. Leading them was a pleasure because they often became very spirited.

It often went like this:

A topic was chosen, a brave student would raise their hand to offer an opinion. After the opinion was offered I would then mirror their reply showing that I had intently been listening. When they acknowledged that my understanding was correct I followed up with a question;

“Why do you think that?”

They might have to think momentarily. Their answers usually were more personal. They searched for a deeper meaning. And then I would follow up with;

“Yes. But why do you think that?” or “How or what makes you think that is the correct way to think like that.”

A smattering of laughter from classmates as if they began to think I may be a little daft.

More struggle. A deeper answer. Another “Why” question, sometimes with an emphasis on the word “you.” This leads to more laughter. Then, another answer follows with another “yes, but why…”

This usually went on until one of two things happened. The student either ran out of words or another student would jump in to engage.

Eventually we got to the point I was hoping to land. They came to their conclusions because a family member, clergy, or politician, taught them it was the right point.

• We often take for granted our biases and opinions, not knowing if we have ever really thought about why we have them in the first place
• We often inherit those assumptions without examining where they came from in the first place
• That until we examine them and move them from assumptions they are not our own
• That it is often difficult to fully know and confidently show why it is that we think the way that we do
• That those same opinions could not possibly define who we truly are

To be fair, I understand that undergraduate students can not fully know themselves. They haven’t lived long enough.

Someone once wrote that, “education is like a time-bomb.”

Often, as a teacher, the best I could do was to lob the teaching material out there. If the students didn’t get it that day I hoped they would later with an aha moment.

Is the practice of knowing thyself even possible?

I think so, but I pursue it without expecting to arrive.

After all …to know thyself is a life long pursuit. To think otherwise is to seek what is impossible.