7 March 2017

Publications

KNOWING THYSELF By: Maria Luisa B. Ruiz

Many of us will think we really know ourselves well. Name, age, gender, favorites,

habits, attitudes and the like are simple things about one self. But what if the self you think you

know is not really you at all?

According to Socrates, people make themselves appear ridiculous when they are trying to

know obscure things before they know themselves. Plato also alluded to the fact that understanding

“thyself” would have a greater yielded factor of understanding the nature of a human being.

To Lao Tzu, a Chinese Taoist Philosopher, “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing

yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; Mastering yourself is true power.”

As for me, knowing thyself means “self-discovery.” Accepting who you are, what you are

and doing what you can do to develop your personality. It is very important to take a little time

reflecting on yourself to better understand the real you.

But, can we really know ourselves?

As the world became complicated and the advancement of technology is unstoppable,

instant 24/7 communication is rampant. As a result, we got little time for introspection. People

come and go and things changes constantly. Sometimes, we let them go without truly knows their

worth and how important they meant to us.

How do you know who you are?

You have to identify your values and strengths. Values reveal themselves when you feel

strongly about certain things and your strengths showcases in activities you excel in and feel good.

It also reveals your talents. To gain a better sense of self-awareness, think of your actions in the

past. How do you react in certain situation and what behavior you shows in a given conditions?

7 March 2017

Publications

Consider also your present in understanding your behavior. Observe, examine and reflect. It will

help you decide if these notions are accurate.

Another way to know who you are is through the eyes of others because people tell you

who you are. Best friends often claim that they know each other too well. Even the smallest details

about you. Also, your family will give you the best description of who you really are because they

were the witness of your behavior and attitudes from day one. It’s not really a bad idea if we ask

for their help and if you are willing to accept what you heard no matter what.

Why it is important to know yourself?

Most of the time, we believe that money is everything. If we are rich, we can buy anything

we want and have a very comfortable life. But don’t forget that genuine passion or interest will get

you far and high in your future career. Manny Pacquiao is a living example of using his strength

and become successful.

When we do what we really want, we are likely to be happy. Happiness and satisfaction

lies on what we are fascinated. Following on what we believe in and using our talents will lead

you to victory. We are all unique and talented. All we need to do is to utilize them and improve

more.

Self-awareness builds confidence. The more you know about you, the greater you will feel

emotionally and more adept you will become at dealing with situations. You then become more

intuitive about what works for you and what doesn’t. It will improve your competence because it

will direct you to the things that you will feel good rather than focusing on the things you are not

certain.

Knowing yourself also boosts identity. If you don’t know much about your background,

history, culture, and values, how will you get on with others in mutual respect? They cannot respect

what they do not understand. If we lack self-awareness we make others feel uncomfortable because

we don’t know what to do. Self-awareness builds self-esteem through personal appreciation.

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Publications

In teaching, knowing thyself is very relevant. According to The Joy of Teaching by Peter

Filene, he claims that, in order to be a truly effective teacher, you must know your students, and

most importantly, you must know yourself. You will never understand your students if you don’t

understand yourself truly. He also stresses the importance of knowing thyself in developing your

own unique teaching style. Many of our instructors make the mistake of imitating the style of

someone they admire, often with awkward and disastrous consequences. It will not work, because

your teaching style should be a reflection of your own personality. You can ask yourself, “Are you

fierce, funny or gentle? Do you lecture, question or coach? “Because these are the things to be

consider in creating your own individual style in teaching. Be true to yourself and good teaching

will follow naturally.

Knowing yourself more will do you more. This is the way to your own happiness and to

have a better relationship with others. The more you know yourself, the more control you will have

in your life. So, give a little time to get to know the real YOU. The greatest power is to know

yourself. If you do not really know much about you, how can you appreciate others? Most

important, how will others know, value and appreciate you?

References: Bonaparte, D.2015. Why It Is Important to Know Yourself. http://brightsparks.com.sg/article.php?title=knowing-yourself-significance Accessed January 19, 2015. Filene, P.2005.The Joy of Teaching: A Practical Guide for New College Instructors; 176 pp.;University of North Carolina Press (Chapel Hill, NC) Mapes, J.2008.Know Thyself. http://www.jamesmapes.com/know-thyself Accessed August, 2008. Mc Kinney, M.2011.Know Thyself. https://www.vision.org/visionmedia/personal-development/self-knowledge/44343.aspx Know thyself- Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_thyself