How To Know Yourself | Jordan Peterson | Best Life Advice

Summary

The video script emphasizes the importance of self-awareness through radical humility, recognizing personal ignorance and potential. It suggests observing oneself objectively, like a stranger, to uncover flaws and strengths. The speaker advocates for setting small, achievable goals to foster self-improvement and challenging oneself to expand competencies. Embracing the journey as an adventure, despite the potential isolation and sorrow, is presented as a meaningful path towards realizing one's full potential.

Takeaways

• 🧘 Self-awareness begins with humility, recognizing both our ignorance about who we are and our potential for growth.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Observing oneself as a stranger helps in understanding one's true nature, including emotional reactions and behaviors.
• 🔍 Watching our actions and reactions without judgment reveals our strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
• 🌑 Acknowledging the darker parts of ourselves is crucial for discovering our potential for change and growth.
• 💪 Challenging oneself is key to discovering potential; it involves setting small, achievable goals and gradually pushing boundaries.
• 🚫 Recognizing and confronting our avoidance and fears is a step towards self-improvement and personal development.
• 📈 Continuously comparing ourselves to our past selves, rather than others, helps in tracking personal growth and progress.
• 🌱 Embracing humility allows for the necessary ego destruction that facilitates genuine self-improvement and moral progress.
• 🛡 Developing discipline through small, incremental steps is a practical approach to tackling larger challenges and responsibilities.
• ⛓ The process of self-improvement can be isolating and challenging, but it leads to a deeper sense of meaning and fulfillment.

Q & A

What is the first step in the process of self-discovery according to the transcript?

The first step in self-discovery is to understand that you don't know yourself and to adopt a position of radical humility, recognizing your ignorance about who you are.

How does recognizing our ignorance about ourselves lead to self-improvement?

Recognizing our ignorance can lead to self-improvement by acknowledging our flaws and areas of potential growth, which in turn can motivate us to set goals and take small steps towards self-improvement.

What role does humility play in the process of self-improvement?

Humility plays a crucial role in self-improvement by allowing us to acknowledge our limitations and failures, which can be the catalyst for setting realistic goals and making incremental progress.

How can observing our behavior and reactions help us understand our personalities?

Observing our behavior and reactions, as if watching a stranger, helps us to identify patterns, emotional responses, and motivations that might not be immediately apparent, thus providing insights into our personalities.

What is the significance of challenging ourselves in the pursuit of discovering our potential?

Challenging ourselves is significant because it pushes us beyond our current abilities, allowing us to uncover our potential for growth and to develop resilience, discipline, and a stronger sense of self.

How does the concept of 'comparing yourself to who you were yesterday' relate to personal growth?

This concept encourages personal growth by focusing on self-improvement rather than competition with others, which can lead to more genuine and sustainable progress over time.

What does the transcript suggest about the relationship between recognizing our darker aspects and our potential for change?

The transcript suggests that recognizing our darker aspects can be a catalyst for change, as it allows us to understand our potential for both mayhem and greatness, motivating us to incorporate that potential into a higher-order personality.

How can setting small, achievable goals contribute to our overall self-improvement?

Setting small, achievable goals can contribute to self-improvement by building confidence, fostering a sense of accomplishment, and creating momentum for tackling larger challenges over time.

What does the transcript imply about the importance of truth in speech and action in developing our potential?

The transcript implies that truth in speech and action is essential for developing our potential because it aligns our behavior with our values and intentions, which can lead to more meaningful and impactful personal growth.

How does the process of self-discovery as described in the transcript relate to the concept of 'moral effort'?

The process of self-discovery relates to 'moral effort' in that it involves a commitment to self-reflection, honesty, and the pursuit of personal growth, which are all aspects of moral development and self-improvement.

What advice does the transcript offer for those who struggle with self-discipline and avoiding tasks?

The transcript advises those who struggle with self-discipline to start with small, manageable steps towards facing their fears or tasks, gradually building up their capacity to handle more significant challenges.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Self-Discovery Through Humility and Self-Observation

The paragraph emphasizes the importance of self-knowledge, particularly in recognizing one's ignorance and potential. It suggests adopting a humble stance to observe oneself as a stranger, which involves acknowledging personal flaws and limitations. This self-observation includes examining one's reactions, emotions, and behaviors in various social situations. The speaker also touches on the idea that understanding one's darker aspects can reveal potential for growth and change. The process of self-improvement is likened to setting small, achievable goals and challenging oneself to progress from past performances rather than comparing oneself to others.

05:01

🚀 Embracing Humility and Incremental Growth

This paragraph delves into the concept of humility as a precursor to personal growth. It discusses the necessity of acknowledging one's flaws and fears to make small, incremental improvements. The speaker encourages setting small, manageable goals to confront and overcome avoidance behaviors. The paragraph also highlights the importance of challenging oneself with progressively larger tasks to expand one's capabilities. The speaker suggests that this process of self-improvement is not just about competence but also about moral effort, aligning one's actions with a higher vision of good and truth. The paragraph concludes by acknowledging the potential isolation and sorrow that come with this journey, but also the deep meaning and fulfillment it can provide.

Keywords

💡Know Thyself

This ancient Greek aphorism is the maxim of self-awareness and introspection. In the video, it is the central theme, suggesting that understanding oneself is the first step towards personal growth and potential realization. The speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's ignorance as a part of knowing oneself.

💡Humility

Humility is portrayed as a critical attitude for self-discovery. It is defined as the acknowledgment of one's own limitations and the admission of not knowing who one truly is. The script uses humility to illustrate the importance of being open to learning about oneself, including one's flaws and potential.

💡Ignorance

Ignorance, in this context, refers to the lack of self-knowledge and the unawareness of one's true nature and capabilities. The video suggests that recognizing this ignorance is essential for personal development, as it opens the door to self-improvement and the uncovering of one's potential.

💡Potential

Potential is the latent ability or capacity for growth and development that an individual possesses. The script discusses the idea that understanding one's darker aspects can reveal one's potential for change and the development of a stronger, more disciplined personality.

💡Self-Observation

Self-observation is the act of watching and analyzing one's own behavior, thoughts, and emotions as if observing a stranger. The video emphasizes this as a method for gaining insight into one's character and identifying areas for improvement.

💡Discipline

Discipline is the ability to control one's emotions and actions, often in pursuit of long-term goals. The script mentions the lack of discipline as a common flaw, suggesting that developing discipline is key to harnessing one's potential and achieving self-improvement.

💡Challenge

Challenging oneself is the act of setting and pursuing goals that push one's boundaries. In the video, the speaker encourages viewers to compare themselves to their past selves and to set small, achievable goals as a means of discovering and expanding their potential.

💡Moral Effort

Moral effort refers to the conscious and deliberate actions taken to improve one's character and moral standing. The script suggests that the development of potential is directly proportional to the moral effort one puts into self-improvement.

💡Responsibility

Taking responsibility involves acknowledging one's role in one's life and actions. The video implies that personal growth requires taking responsibility for self-improvement and facing challenges with courage and determination.

💡Adversity

Adversity in the video is portrayed as a necessary part of personal development. It is through facing and overcoming adversity that one can grow stronger and more capable, as it pushes one to confront their flaws and limitations.

💡Ego

Ego is the sense of self-importance or self-esteem. The script discusses the need to let go of an arrogant ego to allow for genuine self-improvement. It suggests that an inflated ego can hinder progress by creating a false self-image that prevents change.

Highlights

The Greeks' maxim 'know thyself' is the starting point for self-discovery.

Understanding oneself involves adopting a position of radical humility.

Recognizing one's ignorance is the first step towards self-knowledge.

The realization of one's potential is a double-edged sword, revealing both flaws and possibilities.

Watching oneself as a stranger is a method to gain self-awareness.

Self-reflection on communication can reveal one's emotional reactions and character traits.

The process of self-improvement involves confronting one's dark and aggressive fantasies.

Understanding one's procrastination habits can be a key to unlocking potential.

Self-congratulation and self-beratement are indicators of personal values and goals.

The potential for mayhem can be channeled into a higher-order personality.

Incremental self-improvement is a path to becoming more disciplined.

Setting small, achievable goals is a strategy for overcoming avoidance and fear.

The importance of taking responsibility for oneself in the journey of self-improvement.

Admitting one's flaws is a necessary step for growth and progress.

The process of self-improvement requires a balance between humility and ambition.

The moral effort put into self-improvement determines the extent of one's potential.

Aligning actions with the highest possible good is crucial for developing potential.

The journey of self-improvement is an adventure that requires courage and responsibility.

Self-improvement involves a willingness to undertake challenges and face isolation.

The deep meaning found in self-improvement outweighs the associated sorrows and alienation.

Transcripts

the Greeks had the maxim know thyself

how did we come to know ourselves in

terms of our personalities and more

importantly potential well one of the

first ways to come to know yourself is

to understand that you don't you know

you can learn to kind of watch yourself

like you're watching a stranger but you

have to adopt a position is a position

of radical humility I would say humility

in two senses so one sense would be the

humility of recognizing your ignorance

so you have to understand that you don't

know who you are and that's not easy to

understand because you think you know

but then you know you remember you can't

control yourself very well you're not

very disciplined you're full of flaws

maybe you don't know yourself as well as

you think but it's hard to get low

enough to understand how deeply it is

the case that you are ignorant about who

you are

now there's an upside to that too which

also is that you're also ignorant about

who you could be and so the discovery of

that you know is some reward for the

horror of determining who you actually

are then I would say well then he watch

yourself you watch yourself like you're

watching a stranger you watch what you

say and you listen you think well what

sort of person would say that and how am

i reacting emotionally when I'm

communicating in that manner is that

making me feel stronger weaker is it is

it is filling me with shame is it

helping my confidence am i laying out a

lie am i deceiving myself and other

people am i adopting this personality at

parties that is designed to impress and

to amuse and it comes across as nothing

but self-centered narcissism what are my

dark fantasies what are my aggressive

fantasies what is it that I'm willing to

do what am i interested in so that I'll

spontaneously pursue it what do i

procrastinate about and why what am i

unwilling to do

what do I think is good what do I

congratulate myself for accomplishing

and what do I berate myself for failing

to confront and to implement those are

all incredibly complicated questions and

you don't know the answers to them so

that's that's a start and then in terms

of potential well he'll discover a

little bit more about your potential as

you discover who you are especially the

darker parts of yourself because then

you discover your potential for mayhem

there's some real utility in that it's

actually something that strengthens you

because the first thing that a

realization like that can in fact

produce is the ambition to incorporate

that dangerousness into a higher-order

personality and that can make you

implacable I can make you someone who

can say no when you need to say no you

know that can make you someone who won't

avoid necessary conflict and so that's

unbelievably useful and so that's one of

the potentials that you might discover

the other thing you do to discover your

potential is - well you challenge

yourself you know it's like rule 4 in my

book 12 rules for life is compare

yourself to who you were yesterday and

not to who someone else is today and

that's kind of a good way to start this

is like well

take a bit of a look at yourself and

think about what's not so good that you

could improve that you should improve by

your own standards and that you would

improve you know and set yourself a

little goal you know maybe you're not

studying at all idea at university or

maybe you're at work and you've got this

stack of paper there you know and you

haven't looked at that damn stack for

like a month and you know that you

should be and you're bothering yourself

at night because you're avoiding that

think oh I've avoided that stack of

paper completely for one month I'm quite

a coward when it comes to whatever

snakes might be hidden in that stack of

paper how about tomorrow I just like put

that stack of paper in front of me on my

desk and I I glanced through it for 15

seconds see if I can do that it's like

well you set yourself a goal of

improvement you know it's a humble goal

because really are you such a coward

that the best that you can bloody well

manage after a month of avoidance is 15

seconds of exposure to a stack of paper

you know it could easily be you've been

avoiding it you're obviously afraid of

it and so the situation could be that

dismal and dire and you might think well

geez it's no bomb to my ego it's no it's

not fostering the strength of my ego to

recognize myself someone who could only

withstand 15 seconds of exposure to that

thing I'm afraid of and so that's a form

of humility - it's like there's things

you could do to improve and you know

what they are and there's small steps

that you could take that you might take

that would put you in that direction and

then the question is are you big enough

to take those small steps you know are

you capable of grappling with the fact

that you're fundamentally flawed to the

point where you have to break things

down in almost childlike steps in order

to manage them and the answer to that is

yeah you are and that's the law of

I don't know if it's a lot of everyone

most people have things they avoid you

know and they're afraid of so I would

say to some degree it's the Lord of

everyone people vary in the degree to

which they've conquered them and you do

meet people from time to time who are

extraordinarily disciplined but most of

the time they've got disciplined and

exactly this manner it's through slow

incremental improvement and then you

challenge yourself it's like well could

I do this that would be better then you

find out and then you think well is

there something slightly larger and more

challenging that I could do that would

be better and and you try it and you

find out and as you try it and you find

out generally you get better at it and

you can take on larger and larger

challenges you know you take

responsibility for yourself that's part

of standing up straight with your

shoulders back it's like take on the

world man but only in the only at the

level that you can manage you know when

you're ignorant and biased and deeply

flawed and immature it's where everyone

starts you don't wanna bite off more

than you can chew but it doesn't mean

that you can't wrestle with a part of

reality you know some part that's small

enough so that you have a good shot at

victory and to put yourself together

this first step towards that is to allow

yourself to be a fool right it's because

you don't know what you're doing you

have to admit that and there's going to

be a loss of ego or destruction of ego

arrogant ego that necessarily

accompanies that but you need the loss

of that arrogant ego because it's

precisely what's interfering with your

movement forward you know it's part of

the adversarial process mythologically

speaking that stops moral progress

you're too proud of who you think you

are to notice what you're like so that

you could change properly you don't want

to sacrifice that part of yourself it's

probably associated with some delusion

that helps you maintain a positive

although very fragile self-image you

know in the absence of genuine effort

it's not to be recommended you know

yourself by watching and paying

attention it's watching like you're a

snake a snake watches like

cold-bloodedly with no emotional

reaction just to see what's there

doesn't allow symbolically speaking

doesn't allow what is wanted or desired

to interfere with what is observed so

you watch yourself like that as if you

don't know who you are well that's the

beginning and then you challenge

yourself continually to see how far past

yesterday you can push today and

tomorrow and to continually experiment

with expanding that domains not only of

your competence but of your ability to

increase that competence and the upper

limit to that is proportional to the

moral effort that you put into it the

more that's guided by the highest of all

possible visions right the alliance with

the highest of all possible conceivable

good and the more it's accompanied by

truth in speech and action the more you

will develop your potential and you also

I suppose have to be willing to

undertake that as an adventure because

it's a hell of a thing to bear that kind

of responsibility it takes a person out

of the ordinary

it takes them out of themselves and

there's an alienation and an isolation

that goes along with that and a great

sorrow all of that together but there's

deep meaning to be had in it and it's

and there isn't anything better that you

can do so

that's the answer that question

you