In Bob’s book is a section, under “Qualities for Survival,” titled “Study yourself, know yourself.” Here, he quotes the character Socrates in Plato’s Phaedrus:
I can’t as yet “know myself,” as the oracle at Delphi enjoins, and so long as that ignorance remains it seems to me ridiculous to inquire into extraneous matters. Consequently I don’t bother about such things, but accept the current beliefs about them, and direct my inquiries, as I have just said, rather to myself. (qtd in Tremmel 57)
In a way, I agree with this. The student Phaedrus had asked Socrates if he believed in myths. Socrates replies, in a nut shell, “I don’t yet know msyelf. Let people believe their beliefs. I’m going to study myself first.” I think this is really important. Instead of making a judgment about society and about cultural beliefs, one must explore the self. Who am I? What do I know? How am I creating myself? one might ask.
Tremmel, Robert. Zen and the Practice of Teaching English. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1999.
