Comments on: Knowing Yourself http://themoderatevoice.com/15613/knowing-yourself/ An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:17:37 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: cosmoetica http://themoderatevoice.com/15613/knowing-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-101993 cosmoetica Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:12:53 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/philosophy/15613/knowing-yourself/#comment-101993 The caveat is if the self is worth knowing. After all, knowing oneself of you're a great thinker, inventor, leader, artist, scientist, is a task, but if you're Joe Slobovsky, third man on the assembly line, whose idea of a good time is a good talcum powder for his hemorrhoids, well, bupkus. The caveat is if the self is worth knowing. After all, knowing oneself of you’re a great thinker, inventor, leader, artist, scientist, is a task, but if you’re Joe Slobovsky, third man on the assembly line, whose idea of a good time is a good talcum powder for his hemorrhoids, well, bupkus.

]]> By: domajot http://themoderatevoice.com/15613/knowing-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-101973 domajot Tue, 16 Oct 2007 19:16:31 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/philosophy/15613/knowing-yourself/#comment-101973 This reminded me of Sartre's play 'No Exit'. Three people exist, isolated, in a house with no mirrors, so the only way each can know him/herself is to read how the others treat and react to him/her. This manner of self-knowledge contains many traps of error, of course, because social interactions also involve the self-interest and poissible deceit of the others. I've had many imaginary debates with Sartre, and I always win, BTW. Still, how others react can be one source of self-knowlege. When they see you coming, do they smile or cross the street? Strenuoulsy resisting self-knowldge contains an element of weakness, IMO. It takes a certain degree of self-confidence to accept some bad reviews of the self without fear of breaking. . The wisdom of self-knowlege is hard to gain, but seeking it always leads to interesting avenues of thought. This reminded me of Sartre’s play ‘No Exit’.
Three people exist, isolated, in a house with no mirrors, so the only way each can know him/herself is to read how the others treat and react to him/her.

This manner of self-knowledge contains many traps of error, of course, because social interactions also involve the self-interest and poissible deceit of the others.
I’ve had many imaginary debates with Sartre, and I always win, BTW.

Still, how others react can be one source of self-knowlege. When they see you coming, do they smile or cross the street?

Strenuoulsy resisting self-knowldge contains an element of weakness, IMO. It takes a certain degree of self-confidence to accept some bad reviews of the self without fear of breaking.
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The wisdom of self-knowlege is hard to gain, but seeking it always leads to interesting avenues of thought.

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