Know yourself
On the Temple of Delphi, it was already written: γνῶθι σεαυτόν (gnothi seauton), meaning ‘know thyself’. The intention of this wasn’t merely to know yourself, but to know yourself as a human being. While we are all unique individuals, there is also much that binds us. The same expectations, the same hopes, joy, a desire for connection, but also the same fears, anger, and jealousy. The same goodness and evil. Last week, I visited the former concentration camp Dachau, and once again, the evil of humanity struck me in a raw way. But you also marvel at how many “normal” people can be swept up into evil. Apparently, we are easy to manipulate. And I don’t know what I would have done in that war. Our minds are capable of many things, but unfortunately, also much harm.
This harm isn’t only inflicted on others, but on ourselves too. We can literally make ourselves sick by worrying about everything. The ancient Greeks turned to philosophers for mental problems. They probably asked the right questions, tried to normalize the situation, and gave insight into the problem because many wise men and women had already thought about these issues in the past.
In our modern times, we are terribly manipulated, and as is often the case with manipulation – we don’t even realize it. Our social Darwinist system, with its focus on materialism and efficiency, subtly but dangerously hijacks our brains. Receiving information reactively, constantly having to perform, and looking good at all times can’t be good for you. It leads to a group of people who think they can handle the system and embrace it, but also to a large group that can’t keep up anymore. However, both groups experience a lack of critical thinking, fear of standing up for their own values, and a growing distance from the rest of the world, including nature.
Yes, there is a counter-movement of people who embrace more spiritual values, but I still see too many people mentally deteriorating, struggling to keep up, or slowly turning into a shadow of their original selves. I recommend these people, and really everyone, to delve into philosophy. I highly recommend the beautiful book Philosophy for an Amazing Life by the inspiring philosopher and theologian Lammert Kamphuis. And I myself have become a subscriber to philosophy.nl. There is still so much to learn about ‘ourselves’.
