he who knows himself is intelligent.
Laozi (traditional attribution)
Tao Teh King · Chapter 33, §1 · excerpt
Translated by James Legge. 1891. Sentence clause from James Legge’s translation. The text is traditionally attributed to Laozi; historical authorship is uncertain.
Understanding other people can become a way of avoiding the harder study of ourselves. This passage places self-knowledge beside outward discernment. Knowing a personal pattern might mean noticing when praise changes a judgment, when fatigue sounds like certainty, or when a familiar fear is deciding in advance. Such knowledge is not achieved by endlessly inspecting every feeling. It becomes useful when it makes a response more accurate. Nor does it make outside perspectives unnecessary; other people may see habits that are difficult to recognize from within. A small, specific observation about ourselves can be more useful than an impressive general description.
A question for today
Which recurring reaction are you beginning to recognize in yourself?
