Know Thyself

So often we are influenced by the opinions of others. Watching the news we can hear the same story from two different perspectives and come out thinking two different things about the same topic. We can see a billboard advertising for beer that will make you more popular than the biggest Hollywood celebrity within a few miles of another that is telling you there is help for alcoholism. While buying milk, bread, and a few other odds and ends we can read the headlines at the checkout that tell all kinds of juicy gossip and the latest info about the aliens’ meeting in the Whitehouse. What do we believe anymore?

Even closer to home we may hear all kinds of things from all kinds of people. Some people may want something from you and be buttering you up and inflating your ego so that your head will not fit through the door. Others may want to knock you down a notch or two because of jealousy or spite. Some people are well meaning. Others are just plain mean. Everyone looks at you through the lens of their presuppositions that will distort the reality of their picture of you. Some see what they want to see while others see only what you want them to see. It is not that different from what you see in the news or advertising. It is a matter of perspective.

The most important thing is to know yourself. The temple of Apollo at Delphi had that inscription on the forecourt for those seeking knowledge. It has been attributed to Heraclitus, Socrates, Pythagoras, and the Oracle. It has been found in ancient tomes, Greek mystics, Roman poets, medieval monks, and modern movies. It is intertwined in our culture and counter-culture. It is a common denominator from the Greatest Generation to the 9/11 Generation. This is a message that transcends generations to reach to the core of what and who we are.

How well do you know yourself? To paraphrase former President Bill Clinton, are you as good as your strongest supporters believe? Are you as bad as your harshest critics claim? The answer to both is probably “no”. It doesn’t matter how good or bad others think you are. Whether hero or villain, it is a matter of their perspective and presuppositions that they see. Rare are the individuals who can see past the perspective to the reality within. There are very few people who know you like you know yourself.

Check your reality. Can you look in the mirror before going to bed at night and be pleased with your actions that day? When you wake up, do you dread the consequences of the last night? Knowing that God forgives, can you also forgive yourself?

Do you know yourself?