The Freedom of Knowing Yourself

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

~ Aristotle

At the most fundamental level, how do you see your-self? Do you view yourself in a purely individualistic sense? Or, do you see your-self as something which exists in relationships with other selves?

In daily life it may seem like we define ourselves by the people or things we like or love. We may see ourselves by our personality or character traits, interests and emotions. Yet if we look deeper, we may begin to see that what we think of as our-self, is actually dependent on everything that is not our-self.

If I see my-self as someone who is compassionate, it requires recipients of my compassion for that to be true. If I see my-self as a father, mother, brother, sister, friend or member of a community, that too requires others in order to be true.

The more I have searched for myself, the more I find that who and what I am, is wholly connected with everything else there is around me. And in seeing that relationship at the foundation of identity, I start to see how that is the place wisdom can be found.

Wisdom is that which produces a good life, and a person who practices living a good life. Wisdom is the foundation of leading a life of compassion, peace, understanding, generosity and kindness.

Wisdom cultivates healthy relationships. And life, is a relationship.