The Dangers of “They Know Me Better than I Know Myself”

Most of us have that person in our lives. That person that we think knows us better than we know ourselves. That person that can say one sentence and make us rethink our entire world.

That person is dangerous.

No, I’m not going to say that they’re dangerous because they’re going to manipulate you or because it’s easy for them to take advantage. They’re dangerous because we place so much of our world view on that person that we can actually change our reality based on what they say.

I firmly believe that our reality is how we perceive the world around us. We all see the world through our own, unique lens based on our experiences. This shapes our perception. Perception is an extremely important thing when it comes to self care and our own well being. If we truly believe that we are on the right path, then it is the right path.

That person can, unintentionally, place a seed of self doubt in your brain that will eventually become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’re no longer on the right path because the person who knows you better than you know yourself thinks something else is better or that you’re not as happy as you think you are.

Once the seed is planted, your perception starts to shift. The more you think about it, the more you convince yourself that you’re not on the right path. You’re no longer happy with your situation because so-and-so was right. You’d be happier pursuing whatever they suggested.

I see this all around me. I’ve been on both sides of it. I, personally, don’t want anyone to have that sort of power over me. This is why I don’t do well in relationships. I’d rather my perception of my world change based on experience than have someone unintentionally cause me to convince myself that I’m unhappy.

This isn’t to say don’t discuss your life or your path with your loved ones. Take their feedback and assess it for yourself. Make changes to your life accordingly because they are a part of it and will have good insight. But don’t let that idea of someone knowing you better than you know yourself put so much power into that person’s hand that they can shatter your world.

The only person that can truly know you inside and out is you. The only person who can say whether or not you’re on the right path is you. Not your parents, not your best friend, not your significant other. You.