Hindrances to Self Knowledge, Part I

black male holding his head

Hindrances to Self Knowledge, Part I

 

Knowledge of self is an important topic to discuss. Knowing oneself can lead to a source of abundance; this abundance can be observed in persons: intellectual ability, financial stability and relational capability. If this is the case, why is it that there are so many of us here in Toronto who are unsure of who we are, what we want out of life and exactly how to get what we want? To my readers, please understand that this is common, and we should not feel bad if we are one of the people in this situation. We never have time to really learn who we are; many of us are still trying to live the life that we are expected to live. I completely understand this, and I am taking the time to assist the community in learning who they are. The next few issues will be discussing hindrances to self knowledge; the unconscious and conscious behaviours that hinder our ability to become the powerful entities that we are.

Dr. Lilian and Paul T.P. Wong are the leading Meaning Centered Psychologists, practicing within Toronto. They are the most intelligent, humble and noble individuals that I have had the pleasure of working with. They have dedicated themselves to working within the greater Toronto community by opening their home, and their hearts to hundreds of Torontonians every year. Not only do I enjoy working with Dr. Lilian and Paul T.P.Wong, they have served as my: mentors, educators and parental figures. Each year they hold conferences and seminars, which are open to the community, and focus on growth and healing of the mind and spirit. I have had the ability to attend many of these conferences, and now I am able to share some of what I have learned with the community. Many of the hindrances that are discussed may strike a cord in some readers; it is meant to do this. If you feel anything when reading the next few issues; focus on that! Understand that it might be the beginning of your learning experience.

The first hindrance I would like to address is the idea of ego and pride. Webster Dictionary defines Ego as the self especially as contrasted with another self or the world. Pride had three definitions; the two that best fit with this article are: a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people and a feeling that you are more important or better than other people. Ego and pride are siblings in the intrapersonal world; they play off each other and can either really hurt someone, or help someone. It is important that we have healthy egos; they allow us have pride in who we are; to have pride in our skills and abilities; to have respect for ourselves, and to know that others respect us. The problem that can occur is that we may feel that we deserve respect because of what we are able to do. This sense of entitlement can be disastrous and cause a rupture in true awareness of self. I know that we can all think of a person who fits this bill; be mindful though, that person could be you.