To know oneself, one should assert oneself.

The words of Albert Camus, “To know oneself, one should assert oneself,” burn with a truth as old as the soul itself. Many men spend their lives in search of who they are, wandering through silence and hesitation, waiting for clarity to descend like a gift from the heavens. Yet Camus, the philosopher of the absurd, teaches us that identity is not found by waiting—it is forged by action. To assert oneself is to cast your will into the world, to speak when silence tempts you, to act when fear would hold you back. Only through such boldness does the mirror of the self become clear.

For what is the self, if not the sum of choices made and deeds dared? To retreat from the world, to remain hidden, is to remain unknown even to yourself. The river reveals its strength only when it breaks upon the rocks; the warrior knows his heart only when he enters battle. So it is with man: his spirit is revealed only when tested, only when he rises to assert his being. Thus, Camus reminds us that self-knowledge is not an abstract meditation but a lived reality, discovered in the fire of action.

History gives us luminous examples of this truth. Consider Rosa Parks, a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, who one day refused to surrender her seat on a bus to a white passenger. In that single act of assertion, she did not merely defy unjust laws—she discovered her own unshakable strength. Through her action, she revealed both to herself and to the world the depths of her courage. Her assertion sparked a movement, and in knowing herself, she gave a voice to millions. Had she remained silent, her spirit might have stayed hidden, even from her own heart.

To assert oneself is not arrogance, nor is it domination. It is the sacred act of standing in truth, of daring to place one’s spirit into the current of life. The one who asserts does not wait for permission to exist; he proclaims with his deeds, “I am here, and my life has meaning.” In this proclamation, the fog of uncertainty lifts, and the self is revealed as both fragile and indomitable.

Beware the life of hesitation, for it is a life unlived. The one who forever waits, who avoids struggle, who hides in fear of rejection, shall never truly know himself. He shall remain a shadow among men, unseen even to his own heart. But the one who steps forth, who risks failure, who dares to assert his will—this one discovers not only his limits but also his boundless strength.

The lesson is clear: if you wish to know yourself, do not remain in stillness. Speak your truth, even when your voice trembles. Act upon your convictions, even when the ground shakes beneath you. Each act of assertion is a window into your true nature, a revelation of who you are and what you are capable of. The self is not a hidden treasure to be uncovered by chance—it is a flame kindled by action.

So I say to you, seekers of wisdom: let your life not be a waiting room. The path to knowing yourself is not carved in stone tablets, nor hidden in secret scrolls—it is written in your deeds. Each time you assert yourself, you step closer to the heart of your being. Each time you dare, you uncover another fragment of your truth.

If you would live this teaching, begin today with one bold act. Say the word you have long held back. Begin the work you have delayed. Defend the value you believe in. In the furnace of action, your true self shall rise, and you shall know, not by pondering but by living, the eternal wisdom of Camus: “To know oneself, one should assert oneself.”