Who are we really? That question has been asked for thousands of years and I do not believe that humanity has an answer. However, we all have experiences that have shaped our lives in unimaginable ways, from a mundane walk in the park to the extraordinary climb up a steep mountain face after hours of sedulous work. Our experiences shape who we are, no matter how big or small. Thus, our path to self-knowledge cannot be shaped just by the rejection of the familiar but also by the acceptance of it.
Familiarity is like a comforting hand in life. When we are down, we go to our favorite places and people; like the old worn-down treehouse in the backyard, to grandma’s kitchen for her homemade cookies; to your favorite person like your best friend or parent who can make you laugh even while in the worst mood. Thus, these places, things and people who are familiar can help to shape who we were. Take for example, a young girl who scrapes her knee and her father comes to bandage her up. He explains to her that it is not only the injury itself that needs the care, but the person behind the injury. Many years later, that same little girl goes on to become a trauma surgeon at a level 1 Trauma Center in the heart of Chicago. Thus, her past experiences helped to shape who she would become and taught her enough about herself to pursue a life-long career in medicine and assisting others. Consequently, these past experiences are an advantage on which to draw from such that you know what to do, how to behave or even help you to make informed decisions. 
However, different scenarios and situations can also help to push us out of our comfort zones and show us what we are truly capable of. Take for instance, a young woman who was a victim at the Boston Marathon. The woman lost part of her right leg and thought she would never run again because of her deformity. When she was fitted for a prosthesis, she had to work every day through the pain and discomfort, and she sweat blood and tears to make herself better than she was when she was “whole.” She competed two years later at the same race, and even though she didn’t beat her old time, she still crossed the finished. Like her, how would others know what they could do if they did not push themselves? It is an advantage in and of itself simply to step out your comfort zone and try new things. 
Life is a grand mixture of things, both new and old, boring and invigorating. Life, then, too, is then an amalgamation of things we have learned either through past experiences or lessons taught to use by those we love/hate/are indifferent to and through events that have pushed us beyond what we thought we were capable of. We hope to come out on the other side with knowledge of who we are and why we matter. Past knowledge gives us a sense of what we are now but pushing ourselves could make us experience new highs and set our goals infinitely higher. No longer are you reaching simply for the glass ceiling, but to the stars. 
In summation, the path to self-knowledge is shaped not only by the rejection of the familiar but also by the acceptance of the familiar. It is advantageous to look at both sides of the equation, so to speak, to see how we can learn from our past experiences to shape our future but also to push ourselves past what we think we are capable of. Only then can we really start to understand what exactly the concept of self-knowledge means for each of us.
