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This graph was in some presentation by one of my teachers Radhakrishnaji, a few years ago, trying to present it here again.

Its based on some simple well-known psychology, and shows a graph of a common man’s personality. In the top right above the X axis, is what I know about myself which no one else knows. To the bottom-left is what others know about me but I myself don’t know. Isn’t this possible? Well, it isn’t as unlikely as it may at first seem to be! As Radhakrishnaji said – “To know that you do not know is also a part of knowledge“. In the top left there are certain things that are common, which I know about me as well as others.

But all these are merely small areas, compared to the bottom right part – what no one knows, not even me, about me.

This is where all my troubles originate, as well as the source of all my happiness.

An analogy is while cleaning my house, I open some dark part of the cupboard and find lot of dust accumulated and cockroaches running around (that used to damage the clothes and cause other damage all these days). The very fact that sunlight and fresh air enters that part clears up some of the cockroaches which just run out all by themselves.

This rare priviledge of having the ability to clean up one’s own mind is what a human is gifted with. But then wise men of India have said that while life is a gift, we’re so enamored with the wrapping that we hardly open the present to see what’s inside! 😉