Explore Thy Selves

The Ancient Greek aphorism “Know Thy Self” (Greek: γνώθι σεαυτόν or gnothi seauton) was inscribed in shiny gold letters above the entrance to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. It is a fundamental concept attributed to a number of philosophers, including Socrates, and an ideal that the human race has been striving towards for 2500 years. Yet modern culture continues to struggle with the basic question “Who am I?” and millions of dollars each year are thrown at magazines, media, fashion, music and therapists in a quest to grapple the mystifying issue of identity. We follow trends to help us feel like we ‘belong’, identifying with music, fashion or values and build our identities around them. Whether it’s “Everyone in Khaki” or “Meat is Murder” we’re reaching out for things we identify with in order to fulfill our basic human desire to pin down, classify and comprehend this illusive ‘Self’ we’re supposed to know so well.
The undertaking to fully “Know Thyself” is a seemingly insurmountable task. With so many factors and variables that change each day, with so many issues, conscious and unconscious, that cloud the picture, surely it is impossible to expect to achieve such an objective, finite state- to “Know”. The only thing I know for sure is that I will never fully know my Self. I have a million facets that shimmer and change in different light, in different circumstances, and I refuse to pin myself down, because to claim to “Know Myself” would only limit the potential of what I might actually be.
I’m not saying that I don’t think self reflection is a worthy pursuit; I’m just suggesting that a slight shift would create a more realistic and interesting aspiration.
The shiny gold letters I would inscribe on the lintel of my temple would be something a little more like “Explore Thy Selves”
I prefer to look at who I am in the moment, rather than who I am, period.
I watch the way I change when I’m around different groups of people, and how my reactions vary depending on my mood, my agenda, and what kind of shoes I’m wearing. There are countless external and internal factors that influence the ‘Self’ I project into the world; it can all be a bit mind-boggling. I choose to recognize that I have multiple ‘Selves’ which are unique and separate, and that gives me the opportunity to manage this multiplicity of factors and ultimately be whoever I want to be.
I use the term ‘Avatars’ to describe these distinct facets of my Self. You might have a work Avatar, a play Avatar, a special interest Avatar, or a family Avatar. Embodying a specific Avatar is like putting on an outfit which includes not just clothes, but also a tone, a demeanor, characteristics, talents and ideas. It’s still you, but it’s just one aspect of you. Separating out your Avatars and exploring the nature of each one on its own is a much more manageable way of achieving that ultimate goal to “Know Thyself”.
But what if you have an aspect of yourself that you’ve always wanted to explore but never had the chance? Crafting an Avatar to focus on a specific idea or agenda is a great way to give yourself permission to do things you might not otherwise do. For example, I always wanted to sing on stage, but was terrified of it. Since I was a little girl I fantasized about being in a band, singing into my hairbrush in my bedroom behind closed doors. Not watching myself in the mirror in a bratty, egotistical, teenage way, but singing songs that I truly loved that made the hair on my neck stand on end. Both my sister and my best friend were amazing singers with far more natural talent that I had, so my fantasy was a secret that nobody ever knew about. That is until a couple of years ago when I got up on stage for the first time and sang in front of hundreds of people (and I’ve done it a few times again since). It wasn’t bravery that got me up there, it was my singing Avatar. I created a vessel that allowed me to check both my insecure Avatar and my bravado Avatar at the door, get up on stage and sing my heart out. It was totally genuine, totally me, and yet I would never have done it without intentionally creating an Avatar for the task. Crafting Avatars allows you to explore facets of your personality in playful way, letting you try out new things and expose yourself to new situations. I would have never had the guts to get up on stage and sing, but luckily my Avatar is a natural.
Once you have an understanding of your multitude of Avatars, and the potential for creating more, you can begin to move fluidly between them, playing them like an orchestra to flow in and out of varied situations. This is your Superstar Avatar- that constant and definable ‘you’ that can use the talents of one Avatar with the characteristics of another to bring nuance and novelty to every interaction. It’s your constantly changing and growing essence that can never be fully understood, that’s impossible to categorize, and will always surprise you.