Know Thyself?

[gaz7224]

Is knowing yourself worthwhile? Why or why not? Do you try to know yourself? How do you inquire? What have you learned? Has it changed as you grew older?

I feel it is. It allows you to re-integrate energy, rather than project it onto other people. It allows you to be more in control of your emotions, rather that letting others push your buttons and control how you feel. You become aware of your inner gold, as well as your shadow side. You see others for who they are, instead of seeing yourself superimposed on them.

The most effective method is acknowledging how you feel about others - what about them do you admire and what is it about them that irritates you? Dreams are also insightful if you understand how to interpret them. Arguments are helpful too as we are usually arguing with our shadow self when we argue with others. It's good to argue both sides as this can be insightful and gives the shadow an opportunity to express itself.

Question one's beliefs. Are they just ego beliefs? Who we think we are may not be who we truly are. The ego is small and short sighted - it cannot comprehend our Trueself and all of its many facets.

Knowing Thyself is a hard, never-ending journey, but IMO a worthwhile journey.

Gaz

[Pathfinder]

Does knowing thyself simply mean becoming aware of what and who you are, or does it imply an obligation to actually make an effort to become who and what you are?

What if a person gets to know their self and discovers darkness and cruelty there.

[Khethil]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder

Does knowing thyself simply mean becoming aware of what and who you are, or does it imply an obligation to actually make an effort to become who and what you are?

What if a person gets to know their self and discovers darkness and cruelty there.

Nice prods,

I'd say that becoming aware is a graduating level of knowledge and understanding - that awareness itself. No, I don't think the awareness itself implies any obligation per say - though depending on one's ethics and moral standards, such a thing could likely follow (as in the example of your 2nd question).

Thanks

[richrf]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder

What if a person gets to know their self and discovers darkness and cruelty there.

I believe that we all have opposites within us. They manifest together. I also believe that the extreme of one will manifest in the extreme of the other - like a pendulum. So, I try to be aware of those things that I may be extreme about and try to moderate them. I try not to want or desire too much of anything by simply being aware of it. But even this notion I am aware of. Being aware seems to moderate.

Rich

[Pathfinder]

Originally Posted by richrf

I believe that we all have opposites within us. They manifest together. I also believe that the extreme of one will manifest in the extreme of the other - like a pendulum. So, I try to be aware of those things that I may be extreme about and try to moderate them. I try not to want or desire too much of anything by simply being aware of it. But even this notion I am aware of. Being aware seems to moderate.

Rich

I agree with the notion that we all have both light and darkness within us but I don't agree with the extremity views.

I see the extremes as the exact opposites of each other instead of a blend. I sort of take the stand that there is a middle blend of the two and it is up to us which direction that pendulum tends to swing from there. And I do think that it matters which way we strive to make it swing.

It is the xtremes of either that create more imbalance, and although I would say that there should be more of a swing toward the light, that also does not tend toward a good balance either. So I am not sure how the balancing act plays into this scenario.

What I do know is that extreme darkness is not a good environment or state for the human soul or the human species.

[richrf]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder

I agree with the notion that we all have both light and darkness within us but I don't agree with the extremity views.

I see the extremes as the exact opposites of each other instead of a blend. I sort of take the stand that there is a middle blend of the two and it is up to us which direction that pendulum tends to swing from there. And I do think that it matters which way we strive to make it swing.

It is the xtremes of either that create more imbalance, and although I would say that there should be more of a swing toward the light, that also does not tend toward a good balance either. So I am not sure how the balancing act plays into this scenario.

What I do know is that extreme darkness is not a good environment or state for the human soul or the human species.

As you know, I take more of a Daoist view that everything naturally balances each other out. So more of one side creates more of the other. This is symbolized by the natural balance of the Taiji symbol. Pouring in one will pour more into the other.

http://deepesthealth.com/wp-content/..._yin_yang1.gif

[Pathfinder]

yeah I am more in line with that portrayal than the swinging pendulum.

[richrf]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder

yeah I am more in line with that portrayal than the swinging pendulum.

A pendulum does carve out a very nice spiral in 3D.

Pendulum Photography


http://bulbphotography.com/_images/u...lum-image1.jpg

It is very nice, how everything fits together.

Rich

[Subjectivity9]

I may be coming at the idea of "Know Thyself" from another angle than many of the others speaking to this here, more of a metaphysical angle if you will.

In my way of seeing this we have two selves, one being the finite self that changes and adapts constantly over time, or the ego self, and another more constant or infinite Self that never changes or is not becoming.

Subjectivity9

[kennethamy]

Originally Posted by Subjectivity9

I may be coming at the idea of "Know Thyself" from another angle than many of the others speaking to this here, more of a metaphysical angle if you will.

In my way of seeing this we have two selves, one being the finite self that changes and adapts constantly over time, or the ego self, and another more constant or infinite Self that never changes or is not becoming.

Subjectivity9

Could be. For all anyone knows. But have you any reasons for thinking this? It seem clear that I am the same person I was yesterday, and 20 years ago, but, of course, there have been changes. After all, a leaf is the same leaf it was ten days ago, only, it has changed color. Things remain the same object, even when they change. It is not for philosophy to deny it. Rather, philosophy should try to explain it.