The 2,000 Year Old Temple Inscriptions That Sum Up How Self-Improvement Works
It turns out that the ancient Greeks knew some secrets that we’re still struggling to learn
During the height of Ancient Greece’s influence, one could go to Delphi and visit the renowned Temple of Apollo. It was one of a series of temples built around 550 BCE. Unfortunately, it was destroyed under the influence of Roman emperor Theodosius I around 390 CE.
In one of the pillars in the forecourt of that temple were carved, 3 maxims — said to have been the best advice of the revered 7 sages of ancient Greece. They were:
- Know thyself
- Nothing in excess
- Certainty brings ruin
Over 2,000 years have passed since the temple was built, and these maxims still hold true. In fact, in the absence of established rules for yourself, you could do a lot worse than these.
Know Thyself
I’ve attempted to explain self-improvement and personal development to hundreds of people over the years. And I don’t think there’s a better way to sum it up than this:
Self-improvement is actually just ongoing, iterative self-discovery.
