By Steven Harris Jr., NSU Student

While we are living, we will encounter people who may disagree, dislike, or who may even provoke an argument with us. It is almost impossible to go through life and never have a dispute with someone, but I believe it is pointless to argue with another person about who you are or what you believe. I think it is extremely important for us to know ourselves.

When I was younger, I felt that I had to validate my every decision and prove myself to people. My sophomore year of high school, I met someone named LC, who is now my best friend. He noticed this problem I had and he told me, “You have to know how you are built. Don’t let other people tell you about you, because you know you better than anyone else.” Since that day, when I have heard someone say something about me that was untrue or something negative, I would ignore it and live my life.

This principle makes life easier. It helps me to focus on me and not others, which also causes me to work on improving the areas in my life where I am weak. Knowing oneself doesn’t just mean ignoring people when they say something false, but it also means knowing one’s own strengths, weaknesses, and flaws. Knowing oneself can truly be a liberating moment.