You can only find what you are looking for and see what you are willing to see

To intentionally discover self further than normal people do, you have to be willing to look beyond where normal people stop. Have you ever noticed how the stinky parts of the human body are:

• Not directly visible to the person who owns them.
• Hidden from the sun.
• Among the most sensitive parts of the body.

Why do you suppose that God designed our bodies this way? Perhaps he was trying to show us that the worst parts about ourselves will not be the most obvious to us, nor the most easily addressed, nor the most pleasant to fix.

We introspect based on what we want to see, how we hope we are, and what we desire for the future. This cocktail of unsubstantiated optimism leads to many of the most pernicious problems in the world today. Those who see only what they want to see will never see what they most need to see, and will subsequently lack the motivation or information to achieve what is of most worth.

We have to learn to see things as they really are, not how we with they were. Some never get to the point where they dare to discover themselves. If you are to achieve an abundance of joy and happiness, you will have to brave an introspective journey unbridled by selfpromoting bias.

Human nature vastly over-exaggerates one’s virtues and vastly under-exaggerates one’s vices. By nature, your estimation of yourself is likely to be exaggerated.¹ You almost surely possess vices of which you are not aware, and some of those of which you are aware are likely far worse than you think. In order to become honest, you’ll have to recognize and acknowledge your vices. You likely possess virtues of which you are not aware, and some of those of which you are aware are likely far better than you think. In order to become honest, you’ll have to recognize and live up to your virtues.

You have to correctly perceive the distance between who you are and who you need to be in order to obtain what you desire. In this vein, it is of vital importance to see yourself as you really are.