--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One must know oneself as one is, not as…" description: "\"One must know oneself as one is, not as one wishes to be, which is merely an ideal and therefore fictitious, unreal; it is only that which is that can ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_ideals_one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-o_1014850.jpg" --- # One must know oneself as one is, not as one wishes to be… ![“One must know oneself as one is, not as one wishes to be, which is merely an ideal and therefore fictitious, unreal; it is only that which is that can be transformed, not that which you wish to be.” quote by Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_ideals_one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-o_1014850.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_ideals_one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-o_1014850.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_ideals_one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-o_1014850.jpg) > “One must know oneself as one is, not as one wishes to be, which is merely an ideal and therefore fictitious, unreal; it is only that which is that can be transformed, not that which you wish to be.” [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True transformation comes from accepting reality as it is, not from chasing imagined ideals. **In simple terms:** Change requires seeing reality plainly. Key Takeaway Accept reality, then transform. Themes self-awareness authenticity transformation Mood reflective serene Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - therapy - coaching - conflict resolution Key Concepts existentialism psychology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of yourself are you denying? - How does acceptance enable growth? A Different Perspective Idealized self‑images can blind us to actionable change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Knowing oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-oneself/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Yoga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yoga/) ## Related quotes > [To know oneself is to study oneself in action, which is relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/to-know-oneself-is-to-study-oneself-in-action-which-is-relationship/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Of course the other and more serious way in which it all happens is that one finds in poems and language some quality one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fitzgerald/of-course-the-other-and-more-serious-way-in-which-it-all-happens-is/) [Robert Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fitzgerald/) > [ \[To\] know oneself is, above all, to know what one lacks. It is to measure oneself against Truth, and not the other way around.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/to-know-oneself-is-above-all-to-know-what-one-lacks-it-is-to-measure/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [It is difficult to know oneself, but it isn't easy to paint oneself either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/it-is-difficult-to-know-oneself-but-it-isn-t-easy-to-paint-oneself/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [The purpose of life is undoubtedly to know oneself. We cannot do it unless we learn to identify ourselves with all that lives. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-purpose-of-life-is-undoubtedly-to-know-oneself-we-cannot-do-it/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [To know oneself is not necessarily to improve oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/to-know-oneself-is-not-necessarily-to-improve-oneself/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [To be enlightened is to know oneself and not run away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronique-vienne/to-be-enlightened-is-to-know-oneself-and-not-run-away/) [Veronique Vienne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronique-vienne/) > [It is wisdom to know others. It is enlightenment to know oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/it-is-wisdom-to-know-others-it-is-enlightenment-to-know-oneself/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Josh Billings said, It is not only the most difficult thing to know oneself, but the most inconvenient one, too. Human beings have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/josh-billings-said-it-is-not-only-the-most-difficult-thing-to-know/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [To know oneself is the first step toward making flow a part of one's entire life. But just as there is no free lunch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/to-know-oneself-is-the-first-step-toward-making-flow-a-part-of-one-s/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [ Thus one should know oneself to be of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss\[Sat-Chit-Ananda\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adi-shankara/thus-one-should-know-oneself-to-be-of-the-nature-of-existence/) [Adi Shankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adi-shankara/) > [Psychology is action, not thinking about oneself. We continue to shape our personality all our life. To know oneself, one should assert oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/psychology-is-action-not-thinking-about-oneself-we-continue-to-shape/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Is a little experience too much to pay for learning to know oneself?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-van-vechten/is-a-little-experience-too-much-to-pay-for-learning-to-know-oneself/) [Carl Van Vechten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-van-vechten/) > [To know oneself means, among other things, to know oneself qua non-sage: that is, not as a sophos, but as a philo-sophos, someone on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things-to-know-oneself-qua-non-sage/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) > [Is it true that one travels in order to know mankind? It is easier to get to know other people at home, but abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/is-it-true-that-one-travels-in-order-to-know-mankind-it-is-easier-to/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) ## More by Jiddu Krishnamurti > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I have only one purpose: to make people free, to urge them towards freedom, to help them to break away from all limitations, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/i-have-only-one-purpose-to-make-people-free-to-urge-them-towards/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Its beautiful to be alone. To be alone does not mean to be lonely. it means the mind is not influenced and contaminated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/its-beautiful-to-be-alone-to-be-alone-does-not-mean-to-be-lonely-it/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Knowing the cause of something is not going to help you to be free of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/knowing-the-cause-of-something-is-not-going-to-help-you-to-be-free-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Whatever discipline you exercise should be based on the goal your child is eventually to reach, namely, freedom and happiness. I would show him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/whatever-discipline-you-exercise-should-be-based-on-the-goal-your/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Begin where you are. Read every word, every phrase, every paragraph of the mind, as it operates through thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/begin-where-you-are-read-every-word-every-phrase-every-paragraph-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Without discontentment, without revolt, you can never attain harmony. It is a necessary stage, which must be gone through by everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/without-discontentment-without-revolt-you-can-never-attain-harmony-it/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Meditation is a state of mind which looks at everything with complete attention, totally, not just parts of it. And no one can teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-a-state-of-mind-which-looks-at-everything-with-complete/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Learning is the very essence of humility . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/learning-is-the-very-essence-of-humility/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [We need tremendous energy to bring about a psychological change in ourselves as human beings, because we have lived far too long in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/we-need-tremendous-energy-to-bring-about-a-psychological-change-in/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“Life is a movement, a constant movement in relationship; and thought, trying to capture that movement in terms of the past, as memory, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/life-is-a-movement-a-constant-movement-in-relationship-and-thought/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“Meditation is like going to a well, the waters of which are inexhaustible, with a pitcher that is always empty. The pitcher can never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-like-going-to-a-well-the-waters-of-which-are/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [The observer is the observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/the-observer-is-the-observed/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [When we stop fighting with ourselves, we aren't creating anymore conflict in our mind. Then our mind can for the first time relax and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/when-we-stop-fighting-with-ourselves-we-aren-t-creating-anymore/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [A lily or a rose never pretends, and its beauty is that it is what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-lily-or-a-rose-never-pretends-and-its-beauty-is-that-it-is-what-it/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) [Explore all 807 Jiddu Krishnamurti quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) ## More Fictitious quotes > [So the poet, who wants to be something that he cannot be, and is a failure in plain life, makes up fictitious versions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-tate/so-the-poet-who-wants-to-be-something-that-he-cannot-be-and-is-a/) [Allen Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-tate/) > [My fictitious characters will take the bit between their teeth and gallop off and do something that I hadn't counted on. However, I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/my-fictitious-characters-will-take-the-bit-between-their-teeth-and/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [We live in a time when fictitious election results elect a fictitious president. We live in a time where we have a man sending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/we-live-in-a-time-when-fictitious-election-results-elect-a-fictitious/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [The state is the great fictitious entity by which everyone seeks to live at the expense of everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-state-is-the-great-fictitious-entity-by-which-everyone-seeks-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The transition state of manners and language cannot be too often insisted upon: for this affected the process at both ends, giving the artist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saintsbury/the-transition-state-of-manners-and-language-cannot-be-too-often/) [George Saintsbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saintsbury/) > [Politeness is fictitious benevolence. Depend upon it, the want of it never fails to produce something disagreeable to one or other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/politeness-is-fictitious-benevolence-depend-upon-it-the-want-of-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“Not even I know if this I that I’m disclosing to you, in these meandering pages, actually exists or is but a fictitious, aesthetic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/not-even-i-know-if-this-i-that-i-m-disclosing-to-you-in-these/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [The characters and events depicted in the damn bible are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-characters-and-events-depicted-in-the-damn-bible-are-fictitious/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [False judgement will only lead to a fictitious outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mercado/false-judgement-will-only-lead-to-a-fictitious-outcome/) [Joseph Mercado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mercado/) > [“The fictitious men in romance novels are as fake and imaginary as vampires. They're not real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/the-fictitious-men-in-romance-novels-are-as-fake-and-imaginary-as/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [“The real acts of a real devil you know have been made acceptable by the fictitious actions of a nonexistent devil that you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-klepper/the-real-acts-of-a-real-devil-you-know-have-been-made-acceptable-by/) [Mike Klepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-klepper/) > [“The characters and events in this book are fictitious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-abraham/the-characters-and-events-in-this-book-are-fictitious/) [Daniel Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-abraham/) > [I play fictitious characters often solving fictitious problems. I believe mankind has looked at climate change in the same way, as if it were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-play-fictitious-characters-often-solving-fictitious-problems-i/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [If a stranger is writing something completely fictitious, or insulting me on a blog or a tabloid, I don't take it personally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dasha-zhukova/if-a-stranger-is-writing-something-completely-fictitious-or-insulting/) [Dasha Zhukova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dasha-zhukova/) > [“The only wards I ever knew happen to be fictitious characters."--Augusta Evans Wilson, VASHTI, (1869).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-wright-stinchcum/the-only-wards-i-ever-knew-happen-to-be-fictitious-characters-augusta/) Sheryl Wright Stinchcum Browse all 68 Fictitious quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One must know oneself as one is, not as one wishes to be, which is merely an ideal and therefore fictitious, unreal; it is only that which is that can be transformed, not that which you wish to be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jiddu Krishnamurti" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-one-wishes-to-be-which-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fictitious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-one-wishes-to-be-which-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_ideals_one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-o_1014850.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_ideals_one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-o_1014850.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_ideals_one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-o_1014850.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One must know oneself as one is, not as one wishes to be, which is merely an ideal and therefore fictitious…” — Jiddu Krishnamurti", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jiddu Krishnamurti", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One must know oneself as one...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-one-wishes-to-be-which-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-one-wishes-to-be-which-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```