Inscribed on the portal of The Oracle of Apollo at Delphi was the saying, "Know thyself." The Temple itself was decked with chariots, suits of armor, diadems, and other precious gifts given by wealthy seekers of meaning to the priestess who spoke only in riddles. Today, such a Temple would have been investigated by the SEC.
In addition to being a command, it is a koan the needs to be decoded, and yet can never be fully decoded. Self-knowledge changes the self, hence the process can never be complete.
What is beyond the possibilities of a focused mind? We can learn anything we set out to learn, if we know our mind, our self well enough and have enough focussed time. What is possible when we work together?
Posted by: Gerry | February 05, 2008 at 07:24 PM
Maybe it is an imperative, or maybe it is the brand promise of the Oracle, their bold claim: enter, give us a chariot or two, hear our delphic prophecy, and know yourself.
Posted by: phil | February 05, 2008 at 07:31 PM
Or a warning, as: if you knew yourself, you'd know better than to seek our product.
Posted by: matrullo | February 06, 2008 at 09:54 AM
In a world of "Brand You", isn't "Know Thyself" a Google text ad ?
Posted by: JJ Commoner | February 06, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Yes, exactly, Tom. The Priestess has a mordant sense of humor. "Know thyself, Sucker, because you sure don't know me."
Posted by: phil | February 06, 2008 at 12:07 PM
Or a more euphemistic jag: "(Go) 'know' thyself, bucko."
I'll take your chariot, but I don't need your chariot, and it doesn't buy you nothin'. Apply thin veneer of civility, serve with wink, and dare the bored and wealthy to call the bluff or not?
Posted by: Josh Millard | February 06, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Get the chariot first; then you can play the client with an ambiguous prophecy. But get the chariot up front, would be my suggestion.
Posted by: phil | February 06, 2008 at 06:27 PM