Make it thy business to know thyself

“Make it thy business to know thyself, which is the most difficult lesson in the world. Yet from this lesson thou will learn to avoid the frog’s foolish ambition of swelling to rival the bigness of the ox.”

—Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Many people will recognize this famous quote, “Make it thy business to know thyself,” as a popular saying in discussions of leadership, but may not know the depth or scope of its wisdom, or the irony of its source.

The quote is from John Ormsby’s popular nineteenth-century English translation of Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, first published in two parts in 1605 and 1615.?The famous quote is from Part ii, Chapter 42.

A mighty gulf of troubles

In this chapter, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are given a gift of an island by the Duke and Duchess. Don Quixote congratulates Sancho and wants to give him some advice on how to govern the island, saying, “for offices and great trusts are nothing else but a mighty gulf of troubles.”

The advice that follows emphasizes virtue, fairness, mercy, and selflessness. The famous quote is part of this advice, where Don Quixote tells Sancho not to attribute his new position as governor to his own merits, but to be thankful for the opportunities given to him. He also warns against puffing himself up with arrogance and pride.?

That’s where Don Quixote says “know thyself,” basically meaning, keep yourself in check. To paraphrase, he says, “Try to understand who you really are, which is the toughest challenge for any mind. If you know yourself, you won't get a big head like the frog who thought he could puff himself up to be as big as an ox. And if you do start feeling too full of yourself, remembering your modest roots tending pigs back home will get you grounded again."

Quixote reminds Sancho of his humble background as a swineherd and tells him not to forget where he came from.?

Knowing yourself means knowing where you came from

Sancho Panza has a reply, though.. "It's true," said Sancho, "but that was when I was just a kid. Later, when I was more grown up, it was geese I watched over, not pigs. But I don't think that matters much here. Not all governors come from royal bloodlines after all."

"True," says Don Quixote.

The man of La Mancha tells Sancho that by not being ashamed of his humble birth, others will have no reason to belittle him for it. Sancho should take more pride in having lowly virtue rather than being a lofty sinner. Quixote values morals over status. Virtue is earned, not inherited, and therefore more praiseworthy.

Overall, Don Quixote urges Sancho to stay grounded in his roots and focus on cultivating virtue, which has more merit than a privileged bloodline when it comes to deserving respect and handling authority. Moral character trumps social class.?

That’s what the man of la Mancha means when he says, “Make it thy business to know thyself.”

Yes, but...

There is a certain irony in the fact that Don Quixote is advising Sancho about humility and virtue despite Quixote's privileged status as a hidalgo (lower Spanish nobleman). While Quixote was an impoverished member of his class, he was still a member—his hereditary title still afforded him a certain respect and higher social status than commoners like Sancho.

However, Quixote seemed to show little arrogance about his status. He treated Sancho as an equal despite Sancho being his squire. Quixote did seem to value moral character over social class. He believed virtue could be cultivated by anyone. He was idealistic and seemed largely detached from class consciousness and social conventions. His advice to Sancho was sincere, if a bit naive.?

As a hidalgo, Quixote had an expectation of dignity and honorable conduct. This shaped his worldview and advice. But Quixote himself often acted foolishly and was satirized in the book. So he didn't fully live up to the virtuous ideals he espoused.

Quixote exhibited some double standards and lack of self-awareness. However, his well-meaning advice to Sancho still conveys universal wisdom—that status should not obscure our shared humanity and capacity for virtue. Quixote was an imperfect vessel for a profound message.

Yes, and...

This critique reminds us to be conscious of privilege when discussing humility and to walk the talk. But we can still extract wisdom from Quixote's words, even while noting his social contradictions.

Truly knowing oneself is a monumental, lifelong challenge. As we grow and evolve, the "self" we must know morphs as well. Self-knowledge requires continuous? self-reflection, courage to face our flaws, and the wisdom to recognize our essential nature beneath our transient identities.

In modern life, we often define ourselves by our accolades, possessions, titles, and other surface traits. Don Quixote's quote is a timeless reminder that these are not our core essence. Peel away the layers of self-importance, and you find character, values, and human dignity underneath.??

With success comes temptation to inflate the outer self and forget the inner self. However, lasting fulfillment stems from virtuous character, not inflated status. Quixote's warning to avoid the frog's foolish ambition highlights the absurdity of pegging self-worth to titles or wealth rather than moral fiber.

True self-knowledge enables humility. You recognize the grace by which many of your? talents or privileges are granted. This helps us embrace gratitude and avoid arrogance. You see your intrinsic common ground with all people, regardless of background. This empowers compassionate leadership.

So, the next time you see the quote "Make it thy business to know thyself" scroll by on your feed, remember the wisdom of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, and of Miguel de Cervates Saavedra.