In our Age of Selfies, the most important kind, not to be overlooked, is the philosophical selfie.
Inscribed in marble at the holiest spot in ancient Greece, the Oracle at Delphi, was the advice: Know Thyself. It's probably the most famous piece of advice ever given, it could be the shortest, and it might even be the hardest. But it's the central key to living well in the world, and becoming the people we're capable of being. It's hard to get where we need to go if we don't know where we are now. And self-knowledge is the starting point for any GPS of the Soul.
Consider your soul, the deep you. Pick one of the options in each of these questions, and say why:
Are you solid, liquid, or gas?
Are you animal, vegetable, or mineral?
Are you straight-lined or curved?
Are you still or moving?
Are you music, painting, sculpture, or lit?
Are you mountains or sea?
Are you heart or mind?
Are you a stormy day, a gentle rain, or a sunny blue sky?
Are you summer, fall, winter, or spring?
Are you forever young, or mature beyond your years?
I've given you these questions, silly on the surface, but deeper as you probe them, almost as an act of stream-of-consciousness on my own part. I could have come up with others. You can, too. But these will do to make my point.
Self-knowledge doesn't just grow like grass, or hair. It's not a naturally occurring phenomenon, or we wouldn't have to be encouraged to make it happen. It requires reflection, examination, contemplation, and that can all take forms that are both serious and silly - as long as you're genuinely trying to dig a bit deeper in your own self-awareness.
You may come up with your own questions, or you can play with these. What do they tell you about you? Any serious answers you arrive at can help with your journey now, and next.
Knowing yourself may not be the easiest thing in the world, but it could be the most productive.
So, take that selfie now.
