Book Review: Self Knowledge

‘Self Knowledge’ by Timothy D Wilson places as a matter of paramount importance, ones assessment or evaluation of own capabilities. Mainly because it can lead to positive illusions about oneself, this has many beneficial effects. However it has another side too, this might cause narcissistic turns that can make one pompous or unlikeable.

The author proceeds to examine the value of self-knowledge, where, he begins by analyzing the four myths that modulate all human transactions, namely,

-         That we are immortal,

-         That we are important,

-         That the world is as we see it, and,

-         That other people are predictable.

After doing a good job of shattering the above precepts, he goes on to describe the mechanism by which we create awareness. How this has varied throughout our history and how, there is more to mind than what we can possibly be aware of. The way we narrate things and events and how that can affect the interpretations, whether of ours or others', is considered next. What part our narration plays in this, and what therapeutic effect it parts with.

The book concludes with an observation that the way we interweave known processes and unknown entities during the process of self-examination is a rich topic to study.

This book deals with a topic of study that is ripe, for all who will ever yearn inward. And it mentions of the strides in understanding the limits and values of self-knowledge. This book also accords high priority to what we think of ourselves, in deciding how others will reckon us. “Consider first-year college students who unexpectedly receive a bad grade in a course. The way that they explain this to themselves is likely to be crucial to what happens next. If they construct a story that they are hopeless failures who will never succeed in college, they will not fare as well as if they infer that they simply need to try harder.” A well written treatise that makes easy, the path to self confidence.