Know Thyself: How This One Exercise Shaped My Writing
âKnow Thyselfâ Interpretations
Heraclitus: âIt belongs to all men to know themselves and think well.â
Charles H. Kahn: this fragment echoes a traditional belief that âknow thyself" had an essentially similar meaning to the second Delphic maxim, ânothing too much;â both sayings might be considered alternative ways of describing the virtue of sophrosyne.
Heraclitus defines sophrosyne as the art of âperceiving things according to their nature,â apparently referring to the perception of objective, material facts. If so, and if self-knowledge is the same as sophrosyne, then, as Kahn writes, âthe deepest structure of the self will be recognized as co-extensive with the universe in general ⊠so true self-knowledge will coincide with knowledge of the cosmic order.â
A fragment from Ion of Chios provides the earliest explicit reference to the maxim. It reads: âThis âknow yourselfâ is a saying not so big, but such a task Zeus alone of the gods understands.â
âThe unexamined life is not worth livingâ -Socrates
Soliloquies of Augustine: The book has the form of an âinner dialogue" in which questions are posed, discussions take place and answers are provided, leading to self-knowledge. The first book begins with an inner dialogue which seeks to know a soul. In the second book it becomes clear that the soul Augustine wants to get to know is his own.
The Consolation of Philosophy: Boethius writes The Consolation of Philosophy as a conversation between himself and a female personification of philosophy, referred to as âLady Philosophy.â Philosophy consoles Boethius by discussing the transitory nature of wealth, fame, and power (âno man can ever truly be secure until he has been forsaken by Fortune"), and the ultimate superiority of things of the mind, which she calls the âone true good.â She contends that happiness comes from within, and that virtue is all that one truly has because it is not imperiled by the vicissitudes of fortune.
Meditations: Marcus Aurelius likely didnât intend for Meditations to be published, as the work centered around his own self-analysis and self-guidance. Aurelius advocates finding one's place in the universe and sees that everything came from nature, and so everything shall return to it in due time. Another strong theme is of maintaining focus and to be without distraction all the while maintaining strong ethical principles such as âBeing a good man.â
...to think that all of these classic works are âregularâ people figuring themselves out. I decided to do the same.
Writing My Own âSoliloquyâ
Iâd like to clarify that I, in no way shape or form, see myself as this great thinker or philosopher or anything like that. I recognize that this practice is but one way to understand myself, especially since I struggle with mental health and a lot of spiritual questions (but thatâs another topic).
In choosing to write my own soliloquy, I am becoming my own Devilâs Advocate. Like Boethius, Iâve decided to structure my journaling as if I am arguing with someone. I will choose a topic that I am passionate about or that I am having my own crisis over, such as âWhy do I not believe I am a good person?â or âWhy do I prefer logic over emotion?â or even âWhat draws me to classical paintings?â
What I found is that anything and everything that I am attached to says something about me on a deeper level.
Here is where it gets a little tricky: in continuing to argue with myself, Iâve found that I get better at coming up with counter points. In other words, this self-analysis becomes more and more complex the more used to it you get. Itâs almost like youâre playing some mind chess and this fictional opponent, who is also you, as they are but your own Devilâs Advocate, is also getting better and learning with you.
But, to me, that is what makes this âKnow Thyselfâ maxim important. You are not meant to have a full-fledged answer. We are constantly evolving and changing, as will our knowledge of how we perceive ourselves and how we perceive the world in response to it.
How It Affects My Writing
To start with the obvious, the character development and creation changes so much when you get to know yourself. At least, for me, the world becomes less and less black and white (not that it ever was black and white to begin with). Because of that, my characters become more dimensional.
I am no longer afraid to write controversy. There is a... debate, for a lack of better words, on the media literacy rate nowadays. Because of this, I would fear that, just because I wrote about it, people would assume that I am in support of it; or, for example, just because there is a mainstream focus on one demographic, that nuances of that focus cannot be written about (again, another topic).
However, writing my soliloquies reminds me that my work is meant to be a message from myself to the audience first and entertainment second.
As artists, authors, creators, etc., there is a danger in losing ourselves to appease the masses. There is the question of whether we should create what we want or stick to what is trending, and Iâm not immune to that spiral, either.
In knowing yourself, you become your #1 advocate. You know what your boundaries are, what your morals are, and what your values are. It gets harder to allow those who donât do that same work to sway your pen.
Whatever form that takes, get to know yourself. For me, thatâs journaling whenever I can as if Iâm debating with someone. Grab a journal meant specifically for this exercise and go crazy! No oneâs going to read it (unless you become someone like Marcus Aurelius and your own version of Meditations comes out. In which case... sorry?)
Never stop challenging the way you think, too. It can be uncomfortable and hard, but change always is. Perhaps you will stick to your ideals, and thatâs okay, too! Do not live life on the easy path.
As always, these exercises are not a substitute for professional or medical help. I will always encourage those who need it to seek therapy, as I believe it is a great tool to use alongside this exercise, should one feel inclined to do so.
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