Self-knowledge
My father used to say, "Self-knowledge is the first step to improvement!"
But what is self-knowledge, how important is it for me?
To know oneself means to reflect about oneself, without reflection there is no knowledge.
If you want to have a better life, you must first see your present life as it is, without embellishing it, without including your wishes and dreams, but simply acknowledging reality (which, by the way, does not exist according to Buddha).
If you think about yourself and your life, you will also recognize which advantages you have, how you stand out from the general public, what makes you special.
And self-knowledge is also enormously important when it comes to unpleasant things, such as: I drink too much, why? Smoking doesn't agree with me! I am overweight! My arrogant manner offends people! It is not easy to admit one's faults, we like to think that everything is "alright", that we have no problems, because we distort everything from our perspective so that the result "suits" us. This is also called "misjudgement". This happens to me again and again, I don't want to admit the small belly until the pants are stretched, then I have to notice it. Until then I put myself "advantageously" in front of the mirror, my assessment is clouded by my will, I e.g. feel ashamed that I can't discipline myself enough when eating.
Who has a "bad" image of himself, he estimates himself "worse", who has a "high" opinion of himself, he tends to overestimate, but the art is to be "honest" to oneself. Especially Buddhists (and first of all the "feel-good Buddhists") should (according to the teacher of all teachers) not look at things according to appearances, also not idealized, or through the glasses of one's own wishes, but as they are, which, however, requires a good portion of "courage". To classify things correctly and self-knowledge are interdependent in many areas, to gain knowledge about oneself is a process that must first emerge.
In general, it can be said that self-knowledge is the best thing that can happen to a seeker, because to make friends with the mistakes in the long run, that can not be the solution. Misconceptions happen to everyone, nobody is "perfect", even the perfect one needed his time to find the "enlightenment".
Whoever does not reach self-knowledge will always be determined by strangers, will lead a life determined by strangers, will always regret the decisions afterwards, will remain a slave of his emotions and feelings.
Will you find self-knowledge?
The way is the goal!

If the ignorant person seeks to know himself outside or outside the mind, how should he be able to find himself, since he seeks others than himself? He who seeks self-knowledge in this way is like a madman who flaunts himself in the midst of a crowd and forgets who he is, then seeks himself everywhere
- Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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