Why Is Self-Knowledge Important?

When we talk about self-knowledge, most people think we’re going to repeat the sayings of ancient sages and philosophers. But think of it like this: when you buy a new electronic device, you read the manual to learn how to use it properly. Self-knowledge is similar to reading that manual—it’s about understanding how the human mind works.

For instance, if we don’t know how to treat our children properly, they may grow up into adults who harm society. Self-knowledge is present in fields such as medicine and all its branches, psychology, psychoanalysis, philosophy, sociology (the study of humans in society), social psychology, neuroscience, studies on consciousness, and political science (the study of human behavior in leadership). The development of artificial intelligence has opened a new path in attempts to understand consciousness and how it works.

To change the quality of our lives, we need self-knowledge, meaning, we need all of the fields mentioned above. Self-knowledge is a gradual process that has taken shape over history through trial and error. For any personal or societal change, we need to understand ourselves first. For example, to understand why we’re unhappy, we must first know ourselves. To understand why, throughout history and even now, many people have been dissatisfied with life, we also need self-knowledge.

Statistics show that globally, on average, about 25–35% of people are not satisfied with their lives. Among those living in constant crises such as poverty, injustice, or hopelessness, this number is higher, around 30–50%.

Satisfaction levels in past societies differ from today’s modern ones. In the past, life was harsher—there were more economic hardships, wars, famines, incurable diseases, high infant and maternal mortality—but expectations were lower. Simply put, people expected less from life and accepted their reality more easily. They were "content with God's will." They didn’t see themselves as experts on everything and didn’t fight life as much as we do. Their outlook on life was narrower and more limited, so they were less confused. They didn’t have the many options we do for careers, lifestyles, or belief systems—fewer choices meant less confusion and dissatisfaction.

The sense of being lost and the absence of meaning in life have increased in our time, and addressing this requires the various sciences related to self-knowledge.

However, there is one major obstacle: people’s lack of interest and patience for learning and expanding their knowledge. Even when we learn something useful, we may still feel too apathetic to act on it, depriving ourselves of important insights. Another barrier is related to the nature of understanding itself—bias and the desire to believe pleasant lies, a trait seen in many people. Reality is singular, and if it doesn’t suit us, we may turn to lies—because while reality offers only one version, lies come in endless varieties.

Let’s consider a metaphor. Imagine reality as a product in a shop. When you enter the “Reality Store,” you’ll see only one item in the window. You either like it or you don’t. If you don’t, you’ll leave empty-handed. But in the “Lies Store,” you're greeted with a colorful array of products—you’ll likely leave with your hands full.

In our belief systems and in social and political life, we humans are especially prone to being drawn to lies. Falling into the trap of lies disguised as appealing beliefs and propaganda is one of the great harms we face. Self-knowledge teaches us why humans are more attracted to lies than to the truth. To build the skill of avoiding such traps, again, we need self-knowledge—meaning, we need the sciences of behavior, personal and social psychology. And all of this requires that we have the patience and willingness to learn, rather than being chained by apathy.