How well do you know yourself?

Psalms 139: 23-24
Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. Don't let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true.

Is it ever possible for a man to know himself fully? 

I doubt it. We all think we know ourselves the best. But do we really? Many a time when I introspect I am often surprised at my own actions and reactions.

Personally, I don't even know how I would react in a particular situation. Yes, I might think that if I am in such and such a situation this is what I would do. But depending on the extremity of the situation I might find myself reacting or behaving in an entirely different manner. 

Recently, someone told me, there are four "yous". The first "you" is the you that you know about yourself and others know as well. Then there is the hidden "you" that you know but others don't. Similarly, there is the "you" that others know about you but you yourself don't. And finally, there is the "you" that neither you nor others know about you. Many of us might not even reach a stage where we will ever get to know this last "you". This is the "you" that probably reveals itself in extreme situations that one has never faced earlier.

But the point is there is so much about you that yourself don't know. Even the "you" that you think you know might not be the true picture of you. You might be living in delusion for all you know. 

But the omniscient knows. And that's why Psalms 139 holds such a strong appeal for me personally. You can only grow and develop and change when you understand yourself. And that's why the prayer, God you know me better than I know myself, and if ever there is a situation where I am likely to choose the wrong path because of my base natural instincts, please stop me and nudge me towards the right direction. 

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