"Make it thy business to know thyself, which is the most difficult lesson in the world" Miguel de Cervantes said in Don Quixote de la Mancha (1602). Quixote, accompanied by his loyal servant Sancho Panzo set out in search of adventure and battled injustice in this novel which has been translated into more languages then any other book other then the Bible.

His philosophy is consistent with the ancients. In ancient Greek "Know Thyself" was inscribed at the entrance to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Socrates (469-399 B.C.) advised "Know thyself! The unexamined life is not worth living." The Greek philosophy emphasized logic, democratic living, knowledge and the cultivation of the inner person. This they summed up in two words "know thyself." Every person should think rightly about self, the divinity, the laws of life and nature, according to the Greeks.

Muhammad is reported to have said "He who knows himself verily knows his Lord." In Islam, Sufism is a religious philosophy which sees each person as a unique representation of the Devine. If each person knew their inner secrets they would never look elsewhere for happiness and peace. Therefore, they believe, the essence of the Path is to find oneself. "Know thyself, know thy Lord" is an imperative of this viewpoint.

Many other religions teach the same. St. Bernard (1091-1153) said "No one can be saved without self knowledge." The late pope John Paul II in a Christmas address "Fides et Ratio" said the maxim "know thyself" is the beginning of wisdom by first knowing his own soul.

Psychology also sees the importance of self knowledge. Dr. Carl R. Rogers (1903 – 1987) is known at the father of client centered therapy. He believed therapists were preventing people from reaching self realization by their controlled approach with their patients. He argued that people had the right solution within themselves and therapist should allow them to discover the solution for themselves. He said the counselor should encourage free expression of feelings and accept what they say, clarifying negative feelings. By mirroring what the person says, there is insight, understanding of self and a grasp of solutions so that the patient solves their own problem rather then the therapist telling them.

Life experiences teach us that it is difficult to see how we can resolve our problems if we don’t first know ourselves. Taking off all the masks and getting to the real me is the first step to self improvement. If we want spiritual and personal growth we need to know who we are – warts and all. By facing the reality of who we are, we are in a position to determine what can be done to change or improve ourselves. The Greeks were right, know thyself."