“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle # personal development
There are many benefits of inquiry and learning about yourself. These include living with a sense of peace and contentment from within and having happier relationships. There are however many obstacles that can get in the way of this journey of learning about ourselves, and in this article, we are going to explore some of them.
As we look within, our image of ourselves may be challenged. We may realize that we are not as loving and kind as we thought we were and that may challenge the image we have created of ourselves as kind and loving people. Or we may think we are good listeners, when in fact we are not. This creates a conflict in our minds and may push us to stop exploring further. It is important to keep going because it is only in understanding and accepting ourselves as we are that we can change if we need to, and find peace within. # personal development
Our fear of change can block our inquiry. As we look at ourselves we may realize that there are aspects of our lives that need to change, like our jobs, our relationships, and our addiction to shopping, or the phone. The possibility of change may however make us feel insecure and anxious, and that blocks any further exploration of our own personality. It is important, however, to explore our fear and keep going, because the understanding that flows from this brings its own insight, and change follows without effort. https://blogs.humanwisdom.me/
Watch this short video to understand how wisdom can help you with your self-discovery:
Video – https://humanwisdom.me/course/adults/benefits-of-enquiry/s26011
Understanding ourselves feels unfamiliar – something we have never done. While exploring the cause of fear, we may say ‘But it’s only human to be afraid’ and give up without even taking the first step. When it comes to problems in the outside world, we humans are so good at solving them – look at the advances in medicine for example. Why do we assume, without trying, that our internal problems like fear and sorrow have no solution? Surely, we are very capable and do much better than that.
We may be keen and have read many books on self-inquiry and know it all, but get frustrated because, despite all that knowledge, we find that there is no real change. The difficulty here perhaps is that we may be repeating what others have said, and not have taken the effort to look at ourselves deeply. It is only in looking at ourselves as we are that real understanding and change come.
Being aware of these pitfalls in our journey of self-inquiry may help us to avoid them and keep going. It leads to wisdom, compassion, and goodness and is a lifelong journey.
To find out more download the HumanWisdom app, or visit humanwisdom. me.
# personal development
