“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).
In his day, Socrates was both loved and hated. Those who listened to him as he spoke in the marketplace or the Agora usually applauded the manner in which he took on the leadership of his day. His pungent, cutting remarks, however, were not always appreciated by the city fathers, whose hypocrisy and fraud were often the subjects of his salty comments.
Eventually, Socrates was destroyed by his enemies, who have long since vanished into obscurity. But his name is still voiced by schoolchildren studying philosophy or history. Now, Socrates wasn’t just ahead of his time; there never was a time for men such as he. Today, things aren’t much different, and they never will be. Of all of his advice, no truth or aphorism is more powerful than his injunction, “Know yourself!” In spite of our knowledge of outer space, we haven’t conquered the inner space of the human heart or mind.
“Know yourself!” If you really want to know yourself, there are seven questions you need to answer—guidelines which can help you really evaluate who you are and what you stand for.
Guideline #1: What do you really want out of life? Your desires and your ambitions—your secret yearnings—tell something of the real you. Fame, fortune, happiness? To do the will of God, to live a life of purpose, or just to live for pleasure? These reveal the real you.
Guideline #2: What do you think about most? Simply put: your thinking controls your life. Jesus said, “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart …” (Matthew 15:18). In a real sense, our lives become an extension of our thoughts, which is part of the reason that it’s terribly important to think positive, uplifting thoughts.
Guideline #3: How do you spend your money? The ledger of your checkbook is like a personal history of your life. It tells you what you value, what your value system is. You spend money on what is important to you, whether it is your home, your car, the food that goes on your kitchen table, clothing, or whatever. At the same time, money spent on entertainment, books, or videos is an expression of your value system.
Guideline #4: What do you do with your leisure time? Ancient Greece had as many holidays as working days, and Rome wasn’t far behind, with one day off for every two working days. Today, we haven’t arrived at such a liberal arrangement yet, but how you spend leisure time tells something of the real you. Some take advantage of time to donate to their church or organizations such as Guidelines. Some paint houses for widows, do shopping for Mom or Dad who can’t get out to the store, and others hoard leisure time strictly for pleasure.
Guideline #5: What kind of company do you enjoy? Take a look at your close friends. You will see a reflection in them of the real you. Far better to have a few really committed friends than many “acquaintances” who call themselves friends, who quickly disappear when your money or your popularity wanes.
Guideline #6: Whom do you admire? Your heroes tell something of the real person, the individual you would like to mirror. Tell me about the individuals or the things that you most admire—you will begin to describe the real you, the one Socrates said you should know.
Guideline #7: Answer: What do I really laugh at? Off-color stories? When something happens to you, though, can you laugh at yourself?
Knowing ourselves is not always pleasant, but very important. Think about it.
Resource reading: Psalm 139.
