Know Yourself: Self Understanding

Understanding yourself helps you become more authentic

If self awareness is like putting your foot into a lake to see how cold the water is, then self understanding is diving into the lake to see how deep it is.

The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu placed great emphasis on self understanding. He wrote, "He who knows others is learned; He who knows himself is wise." 

Self understanding enables you to plumb the depths of your own inner spirit, and to seek out amazing discoveries about yourself. You will likely learn a lot more than you bargained for, including lessons about life, spirituality, other people, love, faith, and many other topics. As such, it's a journey well worth taking.

Here are some motivational quotes from our book Project You: Words of Wisdom to assist you in this journey of self discovery and understanding: 

Certain flaws are necessary for the whole. It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves, but deal in our privacy with the last honesty and truth. Ralph Waldo Emerson 

You can out-distance that which is running after you, but not what is running inside you. Rwandan Proverb 

Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lies comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, around him, and so loses all respect for himself and others. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky 

The highest form of human intelligence is to observe yourself without judgment. Krishnamurti 

Paul Coelho wrote, "The more you understand yourself, the more you will understand the world." Centuries earlier Aristotle told his followers, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." 

Self understanding will help you become more authentic and remain authentic in your words and in the large majority of your actions. And you want to be authentic.

Of course, you cannot be authentic if you do not know who you truly are. This is where self understanding comes into play.

Self reflection is the best school you will ever attend, and it is best that you become a lifetime student enrolled in this school.

This article is partially excerpted from the book Project You: Words of Wisdom, available in Kindle and paperback formats at Amazon.