Self-knowledge is knowing what you are really like — your character, why you do what you do, what you are good at, what you are bad at, what makes you angry or afraid. It is uncountable: 'a lot of self-knowledge', never 'a self-knowledge'. It is a calm, thoughtful, slightly serious word.

Self-knowledge is knowing就是知道 what you are really like自己真正是什麼樣子——your character你的個性、why you do what you do你為什麼做你做的事、what you are good at你擅長什麼、what you are bad at你不擅長什麼、what makes you angry or afraid什麼會讓你生氣或害怕。It它 is uncountable不可數：'a lot of self-knowledge'可以說，never絕不說 'a self-knowledge'。It它 is是 calm沉靜、thoughtful深思、slightly serious略帶嚴肅 a word的字。

You meet it in books about growing up, in psychology, in religion and philosophy, in job interviews and school reports ('the essay shows real self-knowledge'). It is almost always praised — having it is a good thing, and lacking it is the quiet criticism: 'he has no self-knowledge at all' means he cannot see himself as others see him, which is worse than being wrong about a fact.

You你 in books about growing up會在談成長的書、in psychology心理學、in religion and philosophy宗教與哲學、in job interviews and school reports求職面試和學校評語裡 meet it遇到它——'the essay shows real self-knowledge'這篇文章看得出他真的認識自己。It它 is almost always praised幾乎總是被稱許——having it擁有它 is a good thing是好事，and lacking it缺少它 is the quiet criticism就是那句安靜的批評：'he has no self-knowledge at all' means意思是 he他 cannot see himself看不見自己 as others see him像別人看他那樣，which這 than being wrong about a fact比記錯一件事實 is worse更糟。

Two things students find surprising. First, it is not about knowing facts about yourself — your blood type, your birthday. It is about seeing your own patterns, honestly, including the parts you would rather not see. Second, it is not the same as confidence. A person with real self-knowledge may be quite unsure of themselves, because they know exactly where they are weak.

Two things有兩件事 students學生 find surprising會覺得意外。First第一，it它 is not about講的不是 knowing facts about yourself知道自己的資料——your blood type你的血型、your birthday你的生日。It is about它講的是 honestly誠實地 seeing your own patterns看見自己的模式，including包括 you would rather not see你寧可不看 the parts的那些部分。Second第二，it它 is not the same as confidence和自信不是同一回事。with real self-knowledge真正認識自己 A person的人 may be quite unsure of themselves反而可能相當沒把握，because因為 they他 know exactly清楚知道 where they are weak自己弱在哪裡。

In fact people usually say self-knowledge comes slowly, and often from being wrong, so the word carries a feeling of hard-won honesty rather than cleverness. The old Greek instruction 'know thyself' is the idea behind it.

In fact事實上 people人們 usually say常說 self-knowledge comes slowly來得很慢，and often from being wrong而且常是從犯錯而來，so所以 the word這個字 carries帶著 hard-won honesty辛苦掙來的誠實 a feeling of的味道，rather than cleverness而不是聰明。The old Greek instruction古希臘的老訓言 'know thyself'認識你自己，is是 behind it它背後 the idea的那個想法。