It is no news that since the beginning of time man has speculated on the origin of the world and the origin of himself, asking the question: ‘who am I’? This is reflected in every form of art, tradition and stories of the ancient world. All great philosophers, artists or thinkers have conveyed, in one way or another, ‘know thyself’ as their main message to help human consciousness evolve and human beings to find meaning. All of them implied that there is a secret knowledge and wisdom in finding out who we really are and that by finding the answer to that one question we will have the answers to all our questions – and prayers. However, there is something about knowing who we really are that goes beyond finding answers and that connects with finding the ultimate satisfaction and meaning in our life. Once we manage to connect to that deep true genuine part of ourselves, we will be able to look at things in a very different way.

The task of helping humans re-connect to their true self has been passed down through the centuries from philosophers to religions to finally fall in the hands of the first psychotherapists and psychologists (think of Jung, Adler, Maslow). All of these people have explored and understood the different facets of the quest for one’s inner self and identity in different ways; I believe that all the efforts produced so far have contributed to gain disjointed but still related outcomes. In the last few decades, due to the diffusion of Buddhism and other eastern traditions in western countries, psychologists and other professionals interested in understanding and studying the human mind, have tried to merge the main concepts of these philosophies and religions with their science-based practice. This makes me think of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Positive Psychology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-focused Therapy. All the approaches mentioned so far are equally valid, what we are lacking is a unifying model of understanding and approaching the human psyche and human beings as a whole.

Is ‘Know Thyself’ still relevant in modern times?

Too many people have never studied philosophy and have never come across the great thinkers of the past. Philosophy is the science that trains the mind to think and reflect, helping people have an independent and informed view of what’s happening in the world around them. All modern science from mathematics to psychology stems from philosophy; even modern medicine comes from there. Ancient philosophers also valued other arts or forms of knowing as science, for example astrology. Now things like astrology have been left to the realm of entertainment or superstition (and so is religion): what does not fit the criteria of scientific thinking is being snubbed and looked down upon. However, people still seek for alternative solutions when traditional methods fail to give clear answers; many claiming to have exceptional results from techniques such as acupuncture, reflexology and reiki. If we think about it, Mindfulness itself and other positive psychology techniques come from spiritual practices and were once discarded.

If we want to be objective, despite the technological advancement and various attempts to keep us busy and occupied with external ‘progress’, man has not found the answers to his questions. There is an internal progress to be achieved and mankind’s questions still stand and persist. In the last century, psychologists and psychotherapists have continued the task of philosophers to help man understand himself and make sense of his suffering and his existence. I believe that this innate desire of human beings to search for their origin and for something more, something that gives meaning to their existence and helps them make sense of their lives it’s reflected in every human activity and undertaking. Search for excitement, search to do something new, search for beautiful places, search for a soulmate, search for money, search for pleasure, search for the unknown, search for the spirit world and so on. Humans are always searching for something but seldom they become satisfied with what they find; therefore, the search perpetuates, continues, perhaps in the same direction, perhaps in different ways. This searching implies an inner state or feeling of being incomplete, of needing something to fill a gap within oneself and therefore wanting to compensate with external attainments. At times this void or gap can be felt at a more subtle level, therefore the search would be at emotional or psychological level, other times the gap is felt more in the matter that surrounds us, therefore the pursuit of material, tangible goods. Everyone has a friend who does not feel complete without their partner, having a so-called enmeshed relationship where they in fact then lose a sense of self. Think about that colleague who needs to own and brag about their very expensive car in order to assert their status. These are all examples of people who have turned to external factors to give meaning to who and what they are. The principle for which human beings are always dissatisfied (therefore searching for something) is at the very basis of consumerism, it is the principle on which financial systems and companies base themselves on.

All the people that I have met so far, in one way or another, express through their thoughts or behaviours that something is missing in their lives, even when on the surface they have everything they ever wanted. The problem is, they have been looking in the wrong place hence the eternal dissatisfaction.

‘Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens’ (C.G. Jung)

‘But your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart’, continues Jung. The heart here is intended as the centre of one’s identity rather than having romantic or emotional connotations. I advocate that if they want to find true love, true satisfaction, true happiness, true talent men need to look inside themselves. Simply put, if you are looking for love, you need to find that love inside yourself; if you are looking to be respected, you need to find self-respect first; if you are looking for happiness, you need to connect with that feeling inside yourself. The source of all what they are looking for is kept in the depths of their being, hidden amid thoughts, emotions, conditionings, beliefs and other various misidentifications. What I am talking about is capital letters SELF as opposed to the smaller case self which is composed of the things I have just listed. My work is all about unfolding the concept of SELF, offering different perspectives and ways to get to know who we really are and live happily ever after.

Want to read more? My next article will be on self vs SELF.