The evolutionary psychologist Marc Hauser and others have been demonstrating that more and more of our decisions, thoughts, and actions are in fact unconscious processes. Think of the implications of this! There are too many, so let's focus on one - to what degree you think you know yourself.

Probably most people think they know themselves completely (or at least subconsciously think they know themselves completely) but probably only know their conscious selves, and probably not completely. Often people are surprised at the way they think, feel, and act in novel or irregular circumstances. Moreover, people act differently in these circumstances than they themselves predict they would. This is a well documented human phenomenon. So, is one's self based only on regular and predictable circumstances? I would think not; are not people defined by heroic and extraordinary deeds and ideas? So a person should be more defined on how they would act.

Yet again, we do not know exactly how people would act because we are only aware of our conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions which have only some bearing on the outcomes. What percentage is unconscious? Do we know 50% of ourselves? Would that mean we know 25% of our close friends and family? 10% of acquaintences? 5% of Barack Obama?

I think we just don't know how much of ourselves we don't know.