In our pursuit of understanding our true soul, we pay attention to what lies behind superficial images and unsightly weaknesses.

The Mirror Within: Discovering the True Essence of the Soul

In our pursuit of understanding our true soul, we pay attention to what lies behind superficial images and unsightly weaknesses. Self-definition here becomes not merely an act of self-observation, but a profound practice of cleansing from ignorance that leads to the revelation of vices, idols, and passions firmly rooted within us. This internal process is akin to the importance of a mirror for the eyes – just as by observing a reflection we can recognize our appearance, so too does meticulous self-examination enable the soul to reveal its true essence. In moments of temptation and trials, our primary reactions sharply manifest: the striving for self-love, pride, or personal gain, which become the foundation for spiritual growth. Awareness of our internal contradictions and vices opens the path to the destruction of false idols and a return to the source of true comfort, which grants us the strength to overcome evil. Thus, self-examination not only exposes our shortcomings and sins but also serves as a catalyst for seeking the profound meaning of existence, allowing us to gradually move toward spiritual renewal and harmony.

What do we really come to know when we study ourselves?

By examining ourselves, we primarily pay attention to the profound aspects of our soul, uncovering what is often hidden from a superficial glance: our sins, passions, idols, and shortcomings. Essentially, self-examination is a means of purifying the sins born of ignorance, as well as a process by which the soul begins to reflect its true essence – just as eyes, incapable of seeing themselves without a mirror, can only recognize their external appearance through a reflection.

As noted in one of the sources:
"And so we know, according to the word of the parable, ourselves; for the knowledge of oneself is a means of cleansing sins arising from ignorance. But for one seeking to see oneself, it is not easy to do so, unless we devise a way to make the impossible possible. For just as with the bodily eyes, nature has arranged that they, while seeing everything else, remain unable to see themselves: in the same way the soul, experiencing everything else and diligently examining that which is outside of it, is deprived of the ability to see itself..."
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Furthermore, self-examination reveals our tendency towards sin and attachment to idolatry, when a person, created for true delight through God, seeks comfort and pleasure in something else:
"Know thyself, it is said, and thou shalt know God. Why is this so connected? Because if we know ourselves, we will see sin within us. We have not yet achieved this, and a long path of breaking down the idols within us still lies ahead. These idols—our sins—are what we use for diversion. Man is created by God to be delighted by God, yet he seeks delight in something other than God, thus straying away from God."
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Moreover, temptations and life's trials serve as a kind of mirror, allowing us to see the true state of our soul – our immediate reactions reveal which passions dominate within us, whether it be self-love, pride, or selfish ambitions:
"Such consideration will lead us to the knowledge of the passions that dominate us, or of one that prevails over all. It is well known to you that the root of all evil in us is self-love. From self-love arise pride, selfishness, and the passion for pleasures, and from these all other passions follow."
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Thus, in studying ourselves, we are not merely gathering knowledge about our weaknesses or sins, but rather exposing our true essence, which serves as the foundation for further spiritual transformation. This understanding enables us to recognize our inner vulnerabilities, resist the evil embedded in our passions, and strive for a deeper, rather than superficial, comprehension of existence.