On one occasion, Thales of Miletus, a Greek philosopher, was asked what the most difficult task is for humans. Without hesitation, he answered, “To know oneself.” To know ourselves is an art. It calls for high doses of introspection, objectivity, and courage. It has been said that we each have four faces, or versions, of ourselves:
First, what is known by us and others: our public face;
Second, what only we know: our private face;
Next, what others know and we do not: our concealed face;
And finally, what is not known by us or by other people but by God alone, because this face is hidden in the enigma of God’s persona: our unknown face.
If to know ourselves we must be introspective, then to accept ourselves we must be humble. Humility is the price we pay to have a solid foundation on which to build. If we do not consciously and sincerely accept who we are—and who we are not!—we will not be able to take a single step toward spiritual maturity. We will be hopelessly lost.
Accepting ourselves does not mean resigning ourselves to the way things are. Accepting ourselves means recognizing our deficiencies and improving on them, as well as growing our strengths to make the most of them. We become better in what is already good, whereas, in what is bad, we become—at the very least—less bad.
To improve, or to become better, is not the same as appearing better. Seeking only the appearance of improvement is insincere. Frankly, being better might imply, in many cases, looking worse, as in being more humble, more aware of our own limits, and more realistic. Pride is a Goliath we have to conquer in order to grow. It is not a coincidence that the greatest men and women in history have been exceptionally humble, like Gandhi or St. Teresa of Calcutta.
Improving ourselves is always gratifying. Although our nature is wounded by our vices and sins, it does not cease to demand that we strive to be better. That is why when we grow and overcome our failings and limitations, we feel the joy of having fulfilled a duty.
From Vices & Virtues: Knowing, Accepting, and Improving Yourself by Fr. Alejandro Ortega Trillo, © 2015 (Liguori Publications, 826085). To order, visit Liguori.org or call 800-325-9521.