We like to think we know ourselves.
But how much of our personality did we actually choose?
Our beliefs came from somewhere. Our fears came from somewhere. Our ideas about money, relationships, success, failure and morality came from somewhere. Family. Culture. School. Friends. Religion. Television. The internet. Experiences we barely remember.
We inherit an enormous amount of software before we are old enough to question the operating system. Then one day we call it "my personality."
Maybe some of it is. Maybe some of it isn't.
This is why questioning yourself can be uncomfortable. You might discover that a belief you defended for twenty years wasn't actually yours. You simply inherited it. You might discover that something you thought you wanted was really something you were taught to want.
You might even discover that some of your strongest opinions disappear once you ask a very simple question: why do I believe this?
Not what do I believe. Why.
That question can be dangerous. It can also be liberating.
Self-awareness isn't simply knowing yourself. It is figuring out which parts of yourself deserve to stay.