--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To know oneself means, among other…" description: "\"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 the way toward wis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/pierre-hadot-39367_knowing-oneself_to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things_478814.jpg" --- # To know oneself means, among other things, to know oneself… ![“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 the way toward wisdom.” quote by Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/pierre-hadot-39367_knowing-oneself_to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things_478814.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/pierre-hadot-39367_knowing-oneself_to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things_478814.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/pierre-hadot-39367_knowing-oneself_to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things_478814.jpg) > “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 the way toward wisdom.” [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑knowledge involves recognizing one's lack of wisdom and moving toward philosophical insight. **In simple terms:** Know your ignorance to grow wiser. Key Takeaway Pursue humility and philosophical learning. Themes self‑knowledge wisdom philosophy Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - personal journaling - study groups - mentor dialogues Key Concepts Socratic method epistemic humility Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be a non‑sage? - How can humility guide learning? A Different Perspective May be abstract for practical daily use. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Knowing oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-oneself/) [Sage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sage/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [It is not only useless, it is harmful, to believe in oneself until one truly knows oneself. And to know oneself means to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/it-is-not-only-useless-it-is-harmful-to-believe-in-oneself-until-one/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Individuals inherit a particular space within an interlocking set of social relationships; lacking that space, they are nobody, or at best a stranger or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-macintyre/individuals-inherit-a-particular-space-within-an-interlocking-set-of/) [Alasdair MacIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-macintyre/) > [ \[To\] 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/) > [One must know oneself as one is, not as one wishes to be, which is merely an ideal and therefore fictitious, unreal; it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/one-must-know-oneself-as-one-is-not-as-one-wishes-to-be-which-is/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [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/) > [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 Pierre Hadot > [Ancient philosophy proposed to mankind an art of living. By contrast, modern philosophy appears above all as the construction of a technical jargon reserved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/ancient-philosophy-proposed-to-mankind-an-art-of-living-by-contrast/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) > [ “All Hellenistic schools seem to define \[wisdom\] in approximately the same terms: first and foremost, as a state of perfect peace of mind. From… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/all-hellenistic-schools-seem-to-define-wisdom-in-approximately-the/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) > [One could say that what differentiates ancient from modern philosophy is the fact that, in ancient philosophy, it was not only Chrysippus or Epicurus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/one-could-say-that-what-differentiates-ancient-from-modern-philosophy/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) > [Socrates had no system to teach. Throughout, his philosophy was a spiritual exercise, an invitation to a new way of life, active reflection, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/socrates-had-no-system-to-teach-throughout-his-philosophy-was-a/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) > [There was a Socratic style of life (which the Cynics were to imitate), and the Socratic dialogue was an exercise which brought Socrates' interlocutor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/there-was-a-socratic-style-of-life-which-the-cynics-were-to-imitate/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) > [Socrates splits himself into two, so that there are two Socrates: the Socrates who knows in advance how the discussion is going to end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/socrates-splits-himself-into-two-so-that-there-are-two-socrates-the/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) > [Every person - whether Greek or Barbarian - who is in training for wisdom, leading a blameless, irreproachable life, chooses neither to commit injustice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/every-person-whether-greek-or-barbarian-who-is-in-training-for-wisdom/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) > [Philosophy - reduced, as we have seen, to philosophical discourse - develops from this point on in a different atmosphere and environment from that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/philosophy-reduced-as-we-have-seen-to-philosophical-discourse/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) > [One of the characteristics of the university is that it is made up of professors who train professors, or professionals training professionals. Education was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/one-of-the-characteristics-of-the-university-is-that-it-is-made-up-of/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) > [Only he who is capable of a genuine encounter with the other is capable of an authentic encounter with himself, and the converse is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/only-he-who-is-capable-of-a-genuine-encounter-with-the-other-is/) [Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) [Explore all 11 Pierre Hadot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/) ## More Knowing oneself quotes > [“If you take society’s definition of knowing oneself, you will become lost in the many translations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/if-you-take-society-s-definition-of-knowing-oneself-you-will-become/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) > [“It often happens that I don't know myself, which is typical in those who know themselves. I look at myself in the various disguises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/it-often-happens-that-i-don-t-know-myself-which-is-typical-in-those/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [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/) > [“Truly being authentic is knowing what matters to you, on the deepest level of who you are, and committing always to act from that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/truly-being-authentic-is-knowing-what-matters-to-you-on-the-deepest/) [Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/) > [“If, on the contrary, they hear from you about themselves, they will be in no position to say, “The Lord is lying.” Is hearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/if-on-the-contrary-they-hear-from-you-about-themselves-they-will-be/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“How frustrating to think you can be lost to yourself. And yet how often it is that a stranger stares back at you from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/how-frustrating-to-think-you-can-be-lost-to-yourself-and-yet-how/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Psychology is action, not thinking about oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/psychology-is-action-not-thinking-about-oneself/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The power of getting to know one another is so immense, eclipsed only by first getting to know ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-power-of-getting-to-know-one-another-is-so-immense-eclipsed-only/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“Learning to locate your own gut response is essential if you are to be able to identify and acknowledge your intuition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-nadel/learning-to-locate-your-own-gut-response-is-essential-if-you-are-to/) [Laurie Nadel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-nadel/) > [“The most incredible architecture Is the architecture of Self, which is ever changing, evolving, revolving and has unlimited beauty and light inside which radiates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-rufus/the-most-incredible-architecture-is-the-architecture-of-self-which-is/) [Allan Rufus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-rufus/) > [Insight occurs when, and to the degree that, one knows oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-schneider/insight-occurs-when-and-to-the-degree-that-one-knows-oneself/) [Andrew Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-schneider/) > [Even with limited intelligence, knowing oneself is not as difficult as some say, but to act according to what one has realized about oneself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/even-with-limited-intelligence-knowing-oneself-is-not-as-difficult-as/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [“Life is like a sandwich! Birth as one slice, and death as the other. What you put in-between the slices is up to you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-rufus/life-is-like-a-sandwich-birth-as-one-slice-and-death-as-the-other/) [Allan Rufus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-rufus/) [Browse all 92 Knowing oneself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-oneself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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 the way toward wisdom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pierre Hadot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things-to-know-oneself-qua-non-sage/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Knowing oneself" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things-to-know-oneself-qua-non-sage/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/pierre-hadot-39367_knowing-oneself_to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things_478814.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/pierre-hadot-39367_knowing-oneself_to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things_478814.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/pierre-hadot-39367_knowing-oneself_to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things_478814.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To know oneself means, among other things, to know oneself qua non-sage: that is, not as a sophos, but as a…” — Pierre Hadot", "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": "Pierre Hadot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To know oneself means, among other...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things-to-know-oneself-qua-non-sage/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/to-know-oneself-means-among-other-things-to-know-oneself-qua-non-sage/#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 } } ] } ```