March 29 is the day of self-discovery This holiday is an excellent reason to think about the meaning of life What is self-knowledge? Each person has a unique perception Self-knowledge is formed gradually and constantly changes, from the first cry to the last breath
The motto “Know Thyself” originated in Ancient Greece According to Plato's records, one day seven wise men gathered together - Bias, Cleobulus, Mison, Thales, Pittacus, Solon, and Chilo These outstanding philosophers carved their sayings on the column of the Delphic Temple The collection of tablets was dedicated to Apollo of Delphi One of the wisdoms is still relevant today – “Know yourself”
Some individuals take tests from the series “I am the best at push-ups”, “how IQ has changed over the last 3 months”, “how much money can be earned in a year” for self-knowledge Such people will always depend on external circumstances and accidents
Another approach is to turn to philosophical, religious, psychological movements For example, in Buddhism there is a section of the theory of correct knowledge called “Tsema” Christians know themselves through merging with the divine In Hinduism, the Absolute is taken as the starting point
For self-knowledge in Eastern philosophy, the method of questions and answers is often used For example, meditation on the topic “Who am I?” Am I a physical body? No, because the soul lives countless lives Maybe I am feelings or thoughts? No, because emotions and judgments are constantly changing, including to the exact opposite As a result of such meditations, a person learns his unity with the Absolute Mind, the Universe
Self-knowledge frees you from external conventions, imposed opinions, and secondary factors But don't get too carried away with abstract concepts As you know, Buddha Gautama devoted his entire life to self-knowledge and achieved Enlightenment But this prince from the royal family could not prevent the enemies who came and destroyed all the valuables in the land of his ancestors An optimal balance is required between searching for oneself and spending time on “self-sufficiency” And then life will not be wasted, only on acquiring material values that will become obsolete in a few years
Ideally, self-discovery should be a creative and constructive process According to the concept of psychologist K Rogers, this is a necessary condition for self-improvement, personal growth, and self-actualization And then, in the process of personality development, feelings of fullness of life appear, joy from realizing the true meaning of existence