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Do You Know Who You Are? The Dunning-Kruger Effect Explained
Do you know who you are? It sounds like an easy question, but if you spend a little bit of time reflecting on that question, the answer might not be so obvious. According to the Ancient Greeks, the source of all wisdom and clarity is to Know Thyself. That Motto Know Thyself was one of the maxims inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. With this inscription, the Oracles at Delphi invited people to gaze inwards and discover that the essence of one’s life is not be searched outside ourselves, but within. To know one’s self is to see clearly, to know the nature of the Universe and part of learning how to love yourself.
Knowing who we are, and the meaning of existence is at the core of what philosophers spend most of their time thinking about. Socrates declared that “The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing.”
So, if you listen to the Wise Men of Ancient Greece, starting from a position of humility and accepting the extent of your ignorance you may find the path to wisdom. A lot of us like to think of ourselves as pretty smart, rational individuals, and funny too. But what if we’re wrong? Do we overestimate our own abilities and are we completely blind to our own failings?
