Man's knowledge of himself: the real result of abstract searches. "Know thyself" - what does it mean

Our society is so arranged that with each new decade it is more and more difficult for a person to understand who he really is. People live in a system, and each individual is forced to live the way he should live, regardless of his desire. There are traditions of society, there are stereotypes, there are means mass media There are a lot of things to do and not enough time. In the usual rhythm of life, a person simply has no time to even begin to think about what his soul really requires, what his desires strive for, what makes him happy, and so on. There is no time for internal reflection, and moreover, there is not even an awareness that such reflection is necessary.

Travel is like separate life within the main life. Travel provides two factors that can help a person to know himself:

1. Lots of "free" time. In this context, "free" does not mean unemployed. And that means time that a person decides on what to spend.

2. The most saturated concentration of events, in which true desires and real man, not covered by any social norms. Why? Because the traveler breaks out of the usual context, the influence of his reference groups and his culture.

From high school to retirement, everyone is so busy with things that they just don't have the space to connect with themselves. It seems to me that many people live their whole lives like this, being someone else, never knowing their true self, not finding access to the strings of their “I”, in order to see how this instrument can play and how to tune it correctly. Probably, for some this happens intuitively and unconsciously, but there are situations in which the understanding of this mechanism becomes obvious. For example, travel.

It worked 100% for me personally. For the first time in the last 17 years of my life, I have acquired the ability to think as much as I need to. I finally saw my true self inside and out. I have the feeling that all this time I have gradually erased the filter from my eyes and internal "receptors". Now it's like I've discovered the thousands of antennae that cover my skin, and I can see how they react to the environment.

Travel pulls a person out of the usual daily patterns. Therefore, the brain seems to use some new areas that were not used before. I'm not familiar with medical research on this, but I feel it. Everything changes every day, constantly, and new life schemes do not have time to gain a foothold. It turns out an endless vibration of some kind of energy impulses that open up a new vision of the world and oneself. It sounds kind of complicated, but I'm trying to describe something that is almost impossible to describe.

This does not happen all at once, not in one second. For the first time I encountered the real me after four months of travel. I was attacked by all my fears, most of which I did not even suspect. All sensations intensified several times. As if I used to live in a black and white world, and then stepped into a color one. All previous emotions, experiences seem dull compared to what is happening now. This is me, pure and undisguised, without filters. If I cry, it is as if all the tears of the world have accumulated in my eyes. If I am angry, then lightning flies out of my eyes, and if I am happy, then it seems that the happiness of the whole universe is now in me.

Travel is an endless training of self-knowledge and personal growth.

What I have struggled with all my life is gone. And with something I stopped fighting, realizing that this was a senseless fight with myself.

I saw my weaknesses and no longer deny them.

I saw my fears and no longer depend on them.

I saw mine strengths and now I'm all over it.

A few examples.

In any super-stressful situation, I first fall into a stupor and hysteria, but this lasts just a few minutes. After that, there is always a solution. I realized that I am the kind of person who finds solutions and is not afraid to accept them. It gave me a real understanding that there are no hopeless situations. Now for me it's not just words.

I dreamed of traveling, and my life seemed incomplete to me without such an experience. Now I understand what I really want from life. I toiled from side to side in all aspects of life for so long that I did not see the main thing. Now I know for sure who I will be in 5, 10, 40 years. Not in details, but in general. I know where I'm going. It's a magical feeling that I've never experienced before.

I finally realized that I have intuition, and it does not deceive! All my life I whined that I had no instinct and did not understand my mother when she said: "You will feel." Now I feel. In moments of unfounded fears, experiences, I listen to myself and hear the answer. This is not a superpower - this is what is in our brain, but what we do not use.

I think this is what “knowing yourself” is all about. Look at yourself not just as a living organism that performs certain functions, but as a part of the universe. This is what helps to know the world and other people. Self-knowledge opens up new horizons.

I wonder what other situations, besides a long journey, help to get to know yourself? What do you think?

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Today we will consider with you such a topic as “knowing yourself”. What " know yourself”, who am I, what is the process of cognition and how these things are connected.

Know yourself. Self-knowledge. Who am I?

Different sources interpret this process, in general, it seems. God decided know yourself, created children or created this world in different variations, on different levels, in various combinations, endowed them with their capabilities, abilities. human being in this case as a costume, as an entity, as a person who is connected with God and is, in a sense, his eyes as an instrument of self-knowledge. This is one of the versions of what is happening and why different events, different actions, both good and bad, and interesting, and not very - they are all present, they are all relevant, and everyone relates to himself, to others according to some of his inner criteria, according to some concepts, lives, and this point of view may be different for everyone, they say about it: “How many people, so many opinions”.

In principle, there is a certain life as a tool, as an element that allows know yourself. Some say it's some kind of game. In principle, I really like these concepts, I seriously immersed myself in them, studied them, there is a lot of truth in them. It is the choice of everyone - how to relate to your life, to the process of what happens in this life, to play life and treat self-knowledge as a process of creation, the process of revealing your capabilities - this is quite an exciting activity, and it changes your attitude to what is happening . That is, realizing that everything is God, and you are a part of him and, to some extent, his children, in a sense, his eyes, ears and tools of knowledge, but at the same time individual no less respected and with the same potential, which you just need see, reveal, manifest, polish on some deeds and work out a range of lessons in which you still don’t know something and what you can manifest further, but you have already learned something and are moving on.

It's like with matches: matches are not toys for children, so parents carefully monitor that the children do not run somewhere, do some deeds, fires, or limit their access to matches, to gas. Those who have children either had or saw, at first, either a walker, or all these corners were smoothed, rolled up, or you just walk all the time so that, God forbid, the child doesn’t get stuck somewhere while he still doesn’t know how to play. Here, approximately the same process of creation or the process of getting to know this world takes place at more adult stages, it’s just that there are other games, other interests, but nevertheless the essence remains the same: we want to know ourselves through manifestations in outside world, through the study of the structure of oneself, through the study of the concept in general, who I am. And in exactly the same way, this process is observed with us and actively participates somewhere, somewhere not so noticeable, invisibly, the same higher world or God, the so-called manifested, unmanifested - all these concepts that add up to the meaning of God can be used here. calmly, this is just one of the options, one of the interpretations of how we relate to God. “As we treat him, so he treats us,” they say, but in fact not quite. He is patient and merciful, boundless and omnipresent, so he has nowhere to rush, and he watches himself with pleasure, actually learning even through some, in our opinion, painful or unpleasant situations, his capabilities.

If we move away from the concept of knowledge through us and joint creative activity with upper world, look at it from the point of view of individuality, from the point of view of human essence, then nothing changes. According to the “as above, so below” principle, the attitude to those events, to those actions, to the reality in which we live, is a direct consequence of our thinking process, our actions, our attitude towards what we would like to do . That is, there is your life, this is your reality, you somehow manifest in it, you learn through work, relationships, children, parents, some diseases, some achievements, some goals that you set, some then the stereotypes with which you rush about - through all these points of view, models, or through these elements you look at the world as through a certain set of filters, through a certain set of restrictions somewhere, and somewhere, on the contrary, some kind of magnifying pipes, accelerating processes and, in general, observe and immediately track that result. That is, if that set and those representations, those tools that you have chosen, through which you want to know the world, or, as it seems to you, you immediately ended up in them and did not participate ...

This is not so important, it is not entirely true, but, let's say, at some point you realized that this is reality, I am in it, how it turned out - it is not clear what to do next? In fact, all the same, previous events formed this point where you found yourself. But even if we assume that this is not so important now, then in this moment you are ready to make an inventory of what is happening around you, inside you, compare these processes, take a point of view on faith, take a point of view as one of the options, try to play with yourself, with an attitude to the world through this creative process of childish immediacy.

In one of the interesting seminars, such a phrase sounded with the assumption: “What if ... If only.” That is, it reduces some criticality and binding to one of the options, which will be the only way. If you allow yourself to relate to the process - if it were so, then how would you live, how would you relate to this. And this “if only…”, which you like better, and this “if…”, which helps you move, develop, achieve your goals, evolve, expand your boundaries, use with pleasure. It's just a tool. To treat some kind of reality, yours, someone else's or an illusion, as a kind of stable, static picture that is unchanging, unshakable - this is just one of the relationships. “And if it were unchanged ... And if it were changeable ...” Try not to fixate on one point of view “if it is like this and only like this, nothing else”, but find different “if only ...” and from each angle of view, find differences from each approach, find advantages somewhere, find something that is not very interesting and can be corrected somewhere. And allow yourself in these "if only ..." to know different faces myself.

There are certain criteria where you know yourself and where this reality of your knowledge is to some extent your game, to some extent your interest and your direct task and some kind of destination as some kind of milestone on the path that you have planned for yourself in this life and where environment, what is happening suggests that you have gone beyond your game and those approaches to cognition that you once decided to take as the main ones, as a kind of standard of your actions, intentions and some other processes occurring around you, where you turned in the wrong place, they went into someone else's game, but for some reason they got stuck in it.

Let's start as usual with you. If... I will understandable words. Vitality, if the mood, expectations are joyful, when will tomorrow begin faster, when will new events in which you are already participating begin faster, and you move joyfully with energy, with enthusiasm, with interest, with pleasure in this process of creating events inspiration, and a series of subsequent events involves you, and you have more and more certain plans, thoughts, tasks for the future, you can say that each next step opens up two more new ones and you just choose from that a large number actions that you manage to do ...

The process of life is not like a commotion, of course, vanity, I manage to do one thing and a lot has piled up. It's not about that. The thing is that you are so interested and you have so many ideas, desires and energy to embody them that you simply choose the most interesting ones. How, I don’t know, they bought fruits, apples, pears and grapes, but everything doesn’t fit, so you choose one or several, and leave the rest for later. And this abundant source, like an allegory of fruits or actions that you can do, it just grows and develops, accompanies this with the acquisition of new knowledge, and reaching some new levels, both professional and personal, and improving the quality of relationships, health, and the movement you're making, it's dynamic. These are some criteria that you play your game, you clearly understand that it is interesting to you and what you have created, what you are participating in, this process of creation that you launch with your attitude, thinking and self-organization of your life, it brings you satisfaction, it gives you energy and opens new doors for you, new frontiers, new horizons for further action.

There is an option that at some point you suddenly fit into some other rules, into some other game, start and continue the process that allows know yourself, but not through those natural, light, pleasant sensations, but through another reverse side: through some kind of pain, suffering, negativity, and so on. In principle, this is one and the same process, it just so happened that you chose this process, this lesson, this step of development to go from the back side, from that angle to get involved in it.

Did you go there yourself or circumstances, as many say, contributed to this, the question is not that. The question is that at some point you lost touch, control with your higher self, soul, with your interests, with your true goals and objectives, and a little began to study these lessons, which are close to your interest, but already show the back side. This is also a normal natural process, since you are not the only one playing. Many have chosen to play in just such a negative light and to some extent, as they say, without darkness there would be no light, that is, if there is only light everywhere, why is darkness visible? Yes, because it makes it possible to distinguish one from the other, to choose in which direction you want to move.

And if we talk about the criteria of someone else's reality, other people's games, knowledge in some other ways of yourself not in the ways that you wanted, but in those that were offered to you, this is just like a set of criteria: lack of joy, satisfaction from life, no ideas , what will change if you do this and how satisfied you are with the result. That is, it is a kind of routine, a kind of stagnation, laziness, somewhere heaviness, somewhere tension, somewhere doubts, unrest and other such internal sensations or moods, not to say panic, rather, some unsatisfactory, not characterizing high level quality of life. And this process of learning through the game, that is, you seem to be playing, but not by your own rules, not on your own territory, that is, you are playing some kind of game. But this is your choice, that is, at some point, when the mood began to fall, the attitude to what was happening began to change, at the same moment you could stop, think, see what signals inside you and why this attitude is happening, or not. this very moment, but at the moment that you think about why this is happening, why I feel this way, what speaks about it in me, what facets, aspects of myself I know through this negative process, through these paternal behavior or thinking positively. And you will see that these are the same qualities of creation, these are the same qualities of manifestation, the ability to know yourself, you just decided to get involved in this process and you were offered, you agreed, or you woke up, and around you already underway game and you start to kind of watch what others are doing and do the same.

But in any case, you do it, in any case, you always have the opportunity to refuse to participate in some games that you are tired of or seem uninteresting, and offer your game or, even when playing another game, do not forget that you can always create your own whenever you want. And, in general, those relationships, those interactions in society, in the family, internal reflections - this is this dialogue between illusions and reality, other people's games and their own games, between darkness and light. We can say that this is a kind of polarity of knowledge from different sides of the same truth. At some point, the desire to learn from both sides - it develops into an interest to take a more neutral position and a healthier, or something, position of balance, which does not contribute to rocking you, like on a swing, either in plus, then in minus, then in positive, which euphoria, joy, then negative experience. And at this moment you ask yourself the question: what other tools, and what other ways are there to know yourself and how can you reorganize so that these manifestations are present in your life to a minimum?

This is the so-called attitude to the world, this is the so-called attitude to reality. It is connected with the level of knowledge, and with the amount of energy, and with the sources that you try on yourself, knowledge or energy, choosing a suit, choosing those qualities that you think can be applied correctly and effectively, and then continue the process of learning . We chose to behave like this, you start, you will know, but what is it like that. See the results, that is, no problems. If you commit some deed, even not a very good one, you will simply be responsible for its consequences later.

Chose, made, answered, concluded, corrected, moved on. If you didn’t notice, you will fall into this trap a second time. You can walk until your life resource, potential, runs out. This is also your choice, everyone respects it and no one has the right to make claims: why do you live like this, and why do you need it? That is, it is only your inner desire, your inner feelings of what is right in your opinion, and what you would like to do, in what aspects to study this life, this creation.

Returning to the beginning, God looks through you in exactly the same way and somewhere understands that no one has done this interesting moment yet, you can take it into service, broadcast it on some other scale, something is inappropriate, it must be limited in the future by some then situations of manifestation, so as not to do some big, colossal troubles on the entire planet, for example. Therefore, it turns out that knowing yourself is just a choice of the point of view through which you look at this world. You can look through pain, suffering, resentment and fears and see the same thing everywhere and experience them yourself, thereby learning firsthand what it is, and this is also sometimes useful, because, not knowing from the inside, from the outside it seems that this is not, how is it. But this does not mean that one should linger on this floor, linger in these ideas about oneself as the only possible option knowledge and manifestations of creation in your reality, this is just some kind of information that is somehow reflected in your reality.

Looked, liked - please. I didn’t like it, I want to rebuild - choose other areas of life, choose other teachers, teachers, play other games, get to know yourself through something else. Someone likes to argue, swear, humiliate, insult or be insulted and humiliated and thus manipulate in relation to the world, like everyone owes me, because I am so flawed, unhappy. This is also a position, these are also lessons, this is also knowledge, but how such a model of behavior, what it consists of, what results it leads to and how much it generally contributes to your growth.

Or, in the same way, having entered, having studied the main components of these, one can call it so, qualities, beliefs, beliefs of human concepts, what it is, get out of them and say: “Yes, I understood this for such and such purposes, for such- then the lessons. Was wondering and now I made up full view, played, got to know myself in this aspect. What other aspects are there? What can be explored further? What other possibilities can there be for me?” And you take all sorts of further vectors of development, climb into them. If you want, go into strength and control, if you want, go into some kind of contemplation and observation. They are just different facets of you.

Knowing yourself. Getting to know yourself

It is clear that a holistic personality, a structure integrated with the higher "I" and evolving - she has a concept of all aspects and not at all lessons she learns through herself, an average degree of awareness and desire to analyze what is happening around you is enough, not between you and someone something else, but observe from the outside in order to draw conclusions: what actions, behavior, thoughts contribute to your interests, your desires, what you would not like to have, and you start even before these processes have taken root in you and began to somehow appear, you begin to get rid of them, replacing them with some other ideas. This is what I call “learning from the mistakes of others”, and there is even a certain more deep meaning. Learning from your mistakes or eradicating your shortcomings, minuses is a little more difficult, because, having this minus or some kind of emptiness, unfinished quality, you don’t see it from the outside, because you don’t have it, and treat this process as to natural. And just by looking at how someone else makes mistakes, messes up or misbehaves, but not through your life, through some emotions associated with these actions, but simply by observing, you see a slightly wider picture. The moment you notice it, keep in mind that once you notice it, it means that it lives in you, it just doesn't manifest itself that way, it's not seen that way. Therefore, those situations that you pay attention to and something does not suit you, they are just indicators, beacons and mirrors of what you still need to tweak in yourself, to know these qualities, disidentify with them or transform them, send them to the appropriate floors. where they serve your purposes and clear out where they have climbed into foreign territory.

There are also levels of perception of reality, when you create with inspiration and create your next, your every day, every minute, being in a state of lightness, joy, harmony, balance and tranquility. It is also just a matter of your choice. It's not about how I chose it and now I'm like this, I'm straining with all my might, demonstrating calmness, although internally everything is seething and going wild. No, the point is that this is a complex process of not one day, not one year. Everyone is different: maybe it will take someone a month, someone two.

One quality, as psychologists say, a habit takes 21 days to form. Stable neurosynaptic connections that are burned in the brain like a kind of path, a well-trodden channel, fixing similar algorithms of actions, thinking - this is a process of about 20, sometimes 40 days - I have seen about such data. If during this time you form some definite attitude in yourself, think about it from different angles, meditate, manifest, discuss, read on this topic, then during this interval your worldview on this issue begins to be corrected in the direction of the one you you model for yourself, if I may say so, what you pay attention to, and the thoughts that you affirm. This is the so-called process of creation and creation precisely by repeated repetition.

If we return to the question of “learning from the mistakes of others”, it is clear that for the most optimal study, some people are needed who you can learn from. Like-minded people, these will be friends, some colleagues, partners in seminars, some Internet users with whom you common topics are discussing, that is, this kind of collective joint process studying any one point of view makes it possible to look at the world a little more objectively, it would seem, on the other hand, if the points of view are opposite, instead of accelerating, increasing attention to the same question, you will receive, on the contrary, games of the polarity from which you were going climb out. Again, you will see that either so, or differently. Everyone imposes their point of view, and here, again, the choice is yours: if you want to learn a lesson from different angles, but at the same time come to a holistic understanding, then just choose the places, territories, societies, places of residence or places of spending time where you more will be surrounded by those people who will help or who will be interested in doing the same as you.

And vice versa, if you constantly oppose yourself, your idea of ​​​​a company that thinks differently, it will only be in a sense a provocation, in a sense a demonstration of some inappropriate demonstration of its supposedly significant ideas, which, as it were, differ from others. But why, what's the point? If you have different currents of view and you can’t comfortably agree, then it’s just that in your realities there are much more different than common. Everyone is satisfied with their own, and this is a natural and correct process, that is, you should not try to shift your problems onto others or retrain those who do not ask you about it. It is not obvious that what you know and can do is useful, necessary for them, or you understand something better than them. Just different points view, choose those with whom your certain commonality, synchronicity, resonance are present for the most part. Then some shortcomings jointly as a common collective effort will be worked out much faster.

And vice versa, if you are trying to study in an environment that does not contribute to your versatility, but only somehow brushes you in its direction, this is also your choice, in general, try, maybe at some point you will understand that there is something interesting in this too. Just don't forget that it's your choice, it's your process of getting to know yourself just as much as it's the process of getting to know them through different facets. That is, together you will learn how relationships of this level lead to what they lead to and what results they produce. You can choose as another level of knowledge to know joy, love, faith and hope in all manifestations, in all your life motives, interests and deeds, actions that you carry out. That is, the very awareness and development of certain spiritual qualities, the development of spirituality and a certain high morality or ethics of relationships with oneself, relationships with the world, the formation of one’s realities and non-judgment of some other realities - this is also a variant of creation, that is, several possible scenarios how you can know yourself, through what points of view and through what views this knowledge can take place.

And how you want and with what attitude, mood you will move on - everything is in your hands. I wish you to continue the process of creation, the process of knowing yourself, to accept yourself in any form and to consider those lessons that suit you from the point of view of a new interesting experience knowledge, to thank for what they have come, and further by the power of thought, intention to form those further steps that will take place.

How to know yourself - practice

If you are interested in the information, I suggest you watch the video lesson on this topic:

Welcome to the "World of Reality". Happily!

I began to be fond of questions of self-knowledge back in early childhood if parents are to be believed. For example, at the age of five, I shocked them with the question: “What is life? Why do we live?" To tell the truth, I don't remember it, but these questions are still spinning in my head. But before you answer them, you need to understand yourself. That is to know yourself.

In general, self-knowledge, in fact, resembles, with the only difference being that it is aimed at, and not just at the soul. Therefore, the effectiveness of this method is many times greater, although it is more complicated.

Having known ourselves, we are able to bring our personality to a higher level and will be able to move in this direction with real leaps and bounds. We will know how to act when we are faced with a choice. We will know exactly what will benefit us and what will only harm us.

Certainly, important point in life is what we want from life, what we dream about. However, if there is a desire to achieve the goal, nothing is impossible. If your goal is your own house, then you can contact the Kostroma company, which manufactures and installs timber houses. Many years of experience and satisfied customers guarantee that your goal will be achieved and will delight you for many years.

In general, it is possible to describe the advantages of self-knowledge for a long time. I am sure you yourself know what the use of certainty is, and you certainly strive for it. Well, let me help you along this difficult path and give you three tips that will help you learn how to know yourself.

Start a diary

It would seem that a well-known attribute of life, but in fact - it's really effective remedy inner self-knowledge. It is like a reflection of yourself: your thoughts, emotions and feelings. You can look at yourself from the outside and find out what you want.

If you've ever kept a diary, then you know what I'm talking about. For those who have not practiced this method, I will write in more detail.

Even if you had a normal day, still write down what happened during the day and how you reacted to it. This will help you understand the impact of certain processes on you.

Plus, journaling is a lot of fun. You can then re-read your notes 2-3 months ago and wonder how much you managed to grow during this period.

With the help of a diary, you can even improve your memory. I already wrote about this in the material "".

Meditate

Usually, by the word meditation, people mean some kind of prayer in Eastern countries. At first, I was amused by people's responses in this style, but then I realized how sad it is. Not only do they themselves do not know what they are talking about, but they also convince others of this. Well, okay ... the post is not about that.

Meditation is a kind of dialogue between a person and himself. There are many directions for this practice, but now we will look at it from the side that is most practical for us.

The bottom line is simple: find some quiet place, it is desirable that you associate it with something. For example, many meditate next to a tree that they themselves have planted. If you do not have such an opportunity, you can adapt your room for this activity.

It is not necessary to sit in the lotus position, as many people think. It is enough to take the most comfortable position for you (you can even lie down). Next, I advise you to take 10 deep breaths. It will calm you down, let you gather your thoughts and, moreover, stimulates the work of the lungs.

Try to turn off all pressing questions, like: “Does my iron burn there?” and be alone with your mind. And then ask yourself various questions, the answer to which you want to know and try to answer them as clearly and specifically as possible until you are completely satisfied with it.

Questions may be:

Do I really like this guy/girl?
Do I enjoy the work I do?
What is mine?
What happens if I change something now?
Am I doing enough to achieve my goals?
Other…

After meditation, you can write down all the thoughts that come into your head in your diary. For example, during meditation I like to come up with ideas for the following posts.

Ask around

The fastest and easy way To know yourself is to ask the people around you. It is desirable that you communicate with them for a long time, otherwise a subjective picture may come out. By the way, many people think (especially teenagers) that those around them do not understand them at all and do not know anything about them. On the one hand, this is true, but on the other hand, others can show you your shortcomings or advantages. For example, I recently, quite by accident, found out that I am a very good speaker.

It's best to approach your spouse and ask what she or he doesn't like about you. Usually there are always a couple of points about this. Maybe you spend little time with your family and have not even thought about it. Or maybe you forget to congratulate your parents on the holidays.

And how many items can parents pick up. After all, they also want to make you better, and no less than you.

That's all. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments. And don't forget to subscribe for updates!

A close friend of Socrates, Chaerefon * once went to the Delphic oracle with the question: "Is there a man in the world wiser than Socrates?"

The oracle conveyed God's answer: "There is no man wiser than Socrates."

Chaerephon happily conveyed this answer to Socrates. But, to his surprise, Socrates acted as if he was puzzled and even somewhat embarrassed.

Socrates did not believe that he was the wisest and smart person on the ground. In order to refute the conclusion made by God, he decided to find a person who would be more wise and whose reputation would be of a higher level.

First he found a politician. The politician had a high opinion of his knowledge and talked non-stop with Socrates. Socrates saw the complacency of the politician and his ignorance. He thought, "Although this man knows nothing about mercy and beauty, he thinks he knows everything. At least I admit that I am ignorant, so it seems that I am wiser than him."

Socrates remained dissatisfied and continued his search. He found the poet. This man was brilliant poet, but believed that he was the most a wise man living simply because he can write poetry.

Then he met a craftsman. To his chagrin, the craftsman made the same mistake as the poet. He believed that he could do anything because he had good craftsmanship. Pride destroyed his own intellect.

Eventually, Socrates realized the true meaning of God's words. God did not say that Socrates is the smartest man on earth. The meaning of his words was that among other mortals, Socrates is the wisest, because he is aware of his ignorance.

In our world, you can find many people who have a high opinion of themselves. But how many of them will look for evidence of their ignorance with a humble heart?

"Know thyself" - these famous words, inscribed on the main column of the temple of Apollo at Delphi, brought deep wisdom to Socrates. Today the confirmation of Socrates opens the gates of wisdom to us. Often the knowledge of oneself and the knowledge of truth begins with the realization of one's own ignorance.

In the process of cultivation, some people may see their own attachments and shortcomings. They regard the Fa as a teacher, give up their attachments, and improve their xinxing. (nature of the mind, morality, moral level). And others can't see their faults, or they don't even consider that they might have any faults, and they don't even want to take the trouble to identify their own problems. In fact, the wisest and most diligent people are probably the most humble and humble, the ones who can look at their own problems comprehensively.

Knowing ourselves thoroughly, taking the right stand, knowing what to do and what to avoid, having the courage to look at our own weaknesses and honestly correct our mistakes, only then can we become true cultivators, we can improve and move forward.

The most important stage in the development of Socrates as a thinker was the proclamation of him "the wisest of people" by the Delphic oracle (this is narrated by Plato in the Apology of Socrates). Reflecting on these words and comparing them with his own conviction that he "knows only that he knows nothing," Socrates came to the conclusion that this conviction makes him wiser, since other people do not even know this. Knowing the measure of one’s own (and other people’s) ignorance, to which a person is prompted by the words “Know thyself” appearing at the entrance to the Delphic temple of Apollo, has become the general principle of Socratic research. He did not consider himself a Hotel of wisdom, but only tried to arouse in a person a desire for truth. Socrates's saying is known: "I know that I know nothing. For Socrates, the problem of man, his inner world is the main thing. "Know thyself" is his saying, in essence, means the requirement of constant knowledge of each person of himself.Socrates saw the danger of dissolving a person in the chaotic, "baseless" subjectivity of the sophists, which turned a person into something random, single, optional even for himself. domestic law. This law differs from the laws of nature, it elevates a person above his own limitations, makes him think

Human existence is not given to man initially. He can only say: "I only know that I know nothing." A person can independently come to an understanding of his involvement in a single ideal principle, common to all people.

Repeating after the Delphic Oracle “Know thyself”, Socrates turns to the problem of man, to the solution of the question of the essence of man, of his nature. You can study the laws of nature, the movement of stars, but why go as far as Socrates says - know yourself, delve into what is close, and then, through the knowledge of accessible things, you can come to the same deep truths. Man for Socrates is, first of all, his soul. And by “soul” Socrates understands our mind, the ability to think, and conscience, the moral principle. If the essence of a person is his soul, then not so much his body as his soul needs special care, and the highest task of the educator is to teach people how to cultivate the soul. Virtue makes the soul good and perfect. Virtue is associated with Socrates with knowledge, which is a necessary condition for performing good deeds, because, without understanding the essence of the good, you will not know how to act in the name of good. Creator in his works should express the state of mind

Know thyself says Socrates to Alcibiades in Alcibiades I. But before the conversation with Socrates, Alcibiades was completely sure that he knew himself perfectly, and therefore he claims the highest roles in the political life of the policy, which he was about to enter by age. He is tall and handsome, rich and distinguished, but is it really him?! No. It is only what belongs to him, but not himself.

What is this self? The soul, only the soul can own the body, for it knows it. And in order to control itself, it must also know itself, its properties. You can see yourself in a mirror or in something similar, like an eye seeing itself in the best part of the other eye - the pupil, the soul sees itself in the best part of the other soul - the rational one. With the help of reason, a thing is known, and, consequently, the proper, fair treatment of it.

“Hearing this, I began to think to myself in this way: what would God want to say and what does he mean? Because I myself, of course, do not in the least consider myself wise; what does he mean by saying that I am the wisest of all? After all, he cannot lie: he is not entitled to it. For a long time I wondered what he meant to say; then, gathering my strength, I resorted to the following solution of the problem: I went to one of those people who are reputed to be wise, thinking that here I would most likely refute the prophecy, declaring to the oracle that this one, they say, is wiser than me, and you called me the wisest.”1 As a result, no one was wise. Against their background, Socrates was not wise, but wiser, for he knows his ignorance, while others do not know this either. But before that, he did not know this either, he followed the opinion of the majority (in fact, the majority is formed through a common opinion). The opinion of the majority was such that there are wise people! Why wise? Because they say wise things! And why are their words wise? Because they are wise! It's a circle again, only now a circle of stupidity. At some point, it may open up, the ends will not meet, and misunderstanding will appear - a place for a new order (perhaps even the first real order). Circumstances lead Socrates to this, while Alcibiades opens up Socrates. Conditionally, natural (accidental) and artificial (specially constructed) reversal of the gaze on oneself.

To know oneself means to find the concepts of moral qualities common to people; Socrates' belief in the existence of objective truth, that there are objective moral norms, that the difference between good and evil is not relative, but absolute. Socrates identified happiness not with profit, but with virtue. But you can do good only if you know what it is: only that person is brave who knows what courage is. That is, it is precisely the knowledge of what is good and what is evil that makes a person virtuous, and knowing what is good and what is bad, a person will not be able to act badly: morality is a consequence of knowledge, just as immorality is a consequence of ignorance of the good. Doubt ("I know that I know nothing") was, according to the teachings of Socrates, to lead to self-knowledge ("know thyself"). Only in such an individualistic way, he taught, can one come to an understanding of justice, right, law, piety, good and evil. Materialists, studying nature, came to the denial of the divine mind in the world, the sophists questioned and ridiculed all previous views - therefore, according to Socrates, it is necessary to turn to the knowledge of oneself, the human spirit and find in it the basis religions and morals. Thus, Socrates solves the main philosophical question as an idealist: the primary for him is the spirit, consciousness, while nature is something secondary and even insignificant, not worth the attention of the philosopher. Doubt served Socrates as a prerequisite for turning to his own Self, to the subjective spirit, for which the further path led to the objective spirit - to the divine mind. The idealistic ethics of Socrates develops into theology. Developing his religious and moral teaching, Socrates, in contrast to the materialists, who call to "listen to nature", refer to a special inner voice that supposedly instructed him in the most important issues - the famous "demon" of Socrates. Socrates aroused people's interest in philosophy and self-knowledge, which the weeping philosopher Heraclitus, who pitied the "wet" souls of people, and Democritus laughing at their stupidity and absurdity, could not do. They towered over the crowd, and he walked towards it, open for communication, not boasting of the superiority of his intellect, passing on his knowledge to teenagers and young men, entering into long dialogues with them in order to get closer to the truth together, while teaching them to think logically, reason and analyze.

Know yourself.

According to the legend cited by Aristotle, Socrates visited Delphi in his youth (the Delphic temple enjoyed great prestige among all Hellenes). He was excited and captivated by the inscription "Know thyself". This saying served as an impetus for philosophizing and predetermined the main direction of his philosophical search for truth. Socrates took this saying as a call to knowledge in general, and to clarify the meaning, role and boundaries of human knowledge in relation to divine wisdom. It was about the principle of man's knowledge of his place in the world.

Socratic penetration into human beings required new, true ways knowledge. The philosophical interest of Socrates in the problems of man and human knowledge marked a turn from the former natural philosophy to moral philosophy. Man and his place in the world became the central problem of Socrates' ethics and the main theme of all his conversations. The transition from natural philosophy to moral philosophy, associated with the name of Socrates, did not occur immediately. Initially, the young Socrates was seized by a real passion for Posen. Nature, to the study of the causes of terrestrial and celestial phenomena, their emergence and death. In such spontaneous-scientific reflections, Socrates relied on the natural-philosophical positions of his predecessors. The explanations of natural phenomena offered by them did not satisfy the young Socrates. At the time of this disappointment, Socrates became acquainted with the teachings of Anaxagoras. For a while it seemed to Socrates that he had finally found a teacher who would reveal to him the cause of being. But he soon saw the inconsistency of the teachings of Anaxagoras.

It consisted in the fact that the Mind is first proclaimed by him as a principle that gives order to everything in the world and serves as a cause, but when it comes to explaining specific phenomena, this Mind is inactive, since the order of things and their causes are determined not by this Mind, but by themselves. natural things - water, air, ether, etc. Thus, the concept of the cause of natural phenomena is replaced by these phenomena themselves, their collisions and spontaneous play. According to Socrates, the true cause of natural phenomena is not rooted in themselves, but in the divine mind and power; the phenomena of nature themselves are only the sphere of application of the cause, but not its source.

Having come to the conclusion that it was wrong to study the cause of being, as he understood it, empirically, on the basis of the data of the sense organs, Socrates moved on to a philosophical examination of the truth of being and abstract concepts. From this point of view, the criterion of truth is the correspondence of what is known to its concept.

With his interpretation of truth in terms of concepts, Socrates transferred the problem of knowledge to a new plane, making knowledge itself the subject of philosophical knowledge. All being, devoid of its own mind and meaning, is ousted from this subject, excluded from it. Socratic philosophy does not deal with being, but with the knowledge of being. And this knowledge is the result of cognition in terms of a cause divine in nature, and not at all an empirical study of things and phenomena of being.

True knowledge, as Socrates understood it, is designed to give a person the right guidelines for his daily life. Therefore, the value of all knowledge - natural, human and divine phenomena and relationships - is to learn how to rationally conduct human affairs. The road of self-knowledge leads a person to an understanding of his place in the world, to an understanding of “what he is in relation to using himself as a person” 1 .

Philosophically elevating the mind and recognizing its universal power, Socrates subordinated to its domination all cosmic and earthly affairs. Knowledge in the interpretation of Socrates appeared as the only proper regulator and subject to the criterion of human behavior. In doing so, he breathed new life into the old wisdom: "Know thyself."

Socrates once expressed the essence of his philosophical concerns to Phaedrus with some annoyance: “I still cannot, according to the Delphic inscription, know myself.” The fact is that over the entrance to the temple of Apollo in Delphi it was inscribed: know yourself! The call "Know thyself!" became for Socrates the next motto after the statement: "I know that I know nothing." Both of them determined the essence of his philosophy.

Self-knowledge had quite a definite meaning for Socrates. To know oneself means to know oneself as a social and moral being, moreover, not only and not so much as a person, but as a person in general. The main content, the goal of Socrates' philosophy is ethical issues. Aristotle later in Metaphysics will say about Socrates: "Socrates dealt with questions of morality, but he did not study nature as a whole" (1, 6)

To be successful and rich, you need to understand something, something inside yourself. Open a small door and break into a huge world.

You came into this world not for someone else, but for yourself. Allow yourself to look at yourself, be surprised and rejoice. Be yourself. Below are the following 18 lessons of self-knowledge will help you on this difficult journey towards yourself and knowing yourself.

1. I can only be myself. If you are not yourself, then you do not live, but exist.
2. This is my life and my dreams are worthy of realization. Let your dreams go beyond and your actions move you forward. Act according to the call of the heart, and not according to the call of society.
3. Everything good and bad is a life lesson. Never forget what life has been trying to teach you. She usually does it for a reason.

4. A few REAL friends is all you need. Be with those who are dear to you and who care about you. Appreciate the time spent together and the warmth that was received from loved ones.
5. My actions and words directly affect the life around me.. Optimism attracts happiness, and real work gives real results. Do not talk in vain, live now, and there will be life after.
6. Broken promises ruin relationships. If you promise, do it. And if you don’t like something, then it’s better not to promise anything at all.
7. The little things are mostly important things. In the most simple things lies the most great joy and happiness. Catch him.
8. People usually regret what they did NOT do. As the cat said in one cartoon: “It is better to stop loving than not to burn with love at all.” It’s the same with everything else - do not delay it for later.
9. Little people can do big things. With simple actions, you can influence the world around you. Smile and the sun will peek out from behind the clouds. Give away what is not necessary, but valuable - and you will receive something new and important.
10. Failure makes us stronger and wiser. Here, as in a joke: “What do you want: money or wisdom?” - “Wisdom” - “As you say” - “Damn, I should have taken it with money!” Lessons must be learned.
11. Everyone deserves kind and respectful treatment. There is no such framework by which one can determine the degree of deserved respect. Be patient and you'll be fine.
12. Each person is interesting in their own way. Someone else's soul is dark, but how interesting it can be inside. Open up yourself and show tact if another person allows you inside. It's so easy to inflict a mortal wound on an open soul.
13. There's no point in doing something if I'm not going to do it properly.. Try to be the best in your business, or at least strive for it, because the ideal still does not exist. The main thing is not to stop.
14. Fraud is never forgotten. By acting honestly, there will be peace in the soul. You will lie and play around - there will be no peace.
15. Personal growth will be uncomfortable at first. In order to grow, you must shed old skin, get out of the native protective shell. Leave your comfort zone, feel a fleeting fear - and forward, in search of a new you. Do new things, visit new places, meet new people and you will meet a new "I".
16. Happiness is an internal choice. Choose the right environment, the right thoughts, the right people. Not ideal, this does not happen, but those who will support your state of happiness.
17. The more I invest in myself, the better I manage my life.. Don't forget about yourself. Feed yourself with new strength and knowledge. You too creature that needs to be groomed and cherished. Allow yourself this.
18. Having knowledge, but doing nothing, it is impossible to achieve anything. Do not rest your forehead against the barrier called "I lack knowledge." You can be a walking encyclopedia and achieve nothing. Life loves those who move, not those who remember.