Knowing Others Is Intelligence, Knowing Yourself Is True Wisdom

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power.” ~Lao Tzu

Happily married people really know each other. A good mother knows her son. Astute teachers know their students. This knowledge is powerful. Insight into another human being provides the knower with a remarkable ability to meet needs, heal heartache, be emotionally supportive and above all, provide a prescripted and targeted kind of love.

Often times, we find that we know the people we love better than we know ourselves. We are able to anticipate and fulfill their needs and desires without them even having to ask. However, when it comes to understanding and addressing our own needs we are lost.

Getting to know you

Getting to know yourself begins and ends with personal introspection. Understanding what makes you tick, what makes you happy or sad, discovering your fears and assessing how you truly feel about yourself is a journey requiring time, effort and courage. There are myriads of excellent self-assessment tools^[1] that can assist you in navigating the path of objectively assessing who you really are. The best thing you can do for others is to understand who you are and allow that to be the foundation for all of your interactions. Because the only thing you can do is interact with them based on who you are and not who they want you to be. You can teach them how to love and nurture the real you.

The most positive thing you can do for yourself is to understand, accept and love who you truly are.

Knowing yourself requires an honest, transparent and often times difficult dive into the depths of your soul. It is acceptance of all of your past experiences, acknowledgment of your weaknesses and then cherishing all of it.

Get to know who you are—the good, the bad and the ugly.