IJSP Number 3, 2021

40 into one’s own life? For ultimately this is the most important question: how can we envision such a translation from the theory and the practice of psychotherapy applied to clients, to the deepest own psychological insight, and the most appropriate psychotherapy applied back to the psychotherapist or the supervisor herself/himself? Ultimately, it is not easy to understand how psychological knowledge and expertise could be engaged in one’s own life in order to manage one’s own existential problems. Furthermore, it is as difficult as to comprehend how , to comprehend why it would be necessary to apply psychology, or the therapies derived from it, to change or develop one’s own personality. The most important aspect however is knowledge, and that is to be acquired by everyone who wishes to grow out of the modest background she/he originates and to evolve towards something unexpected, and maybe surprising, but somewhat different from the origins. However, we should acknowledge that knowledge is more complex than we may think on a first superficial glance. Knowledge is not just acquisition of a ‘bunch’ of theories, or explanations, or cultural items learned in school, but it is also something that can be developed for growing in a more complex way and henceforth to become quasi-autonomous. We have to agree with Maturana and Varela when they say: “ We affirm that at the core of all the troubles we face today is our very ignorance of knowing . It is not knowledge, but the knowledge of knowledge, that compels.” [2]. However, before that, the Chilean authors developed the idea by affirming that: “ The knowledge of knowledge compels . It compels us to adopt an attitude of permanent vigilance against the temptation of certainty. It compels us to recognize that certainty is not a proof of truth. It compels us to realize that the world everyone sees is not the world but a world which we bring forth with others. It compels us to see that the world will be different only if we live differently. It compels us because, when we know that we know, we cannot deny (to ourselves or to others) that we know.” [2] ( authors’ italics ). One significant hindrance in this matter is that life itself is normally lived on a day-to-day basis and not from a carefully planned perspective combined with some very insightful principles or profound theories. Another impediment that remains in the way of self-development is the enormous disparity between theories learned somewhere in school or training and the concreteness and urgency of life problems. Furthermore, one noticeably significant hindrance is the fact that all the lessons of psychology are intended to be applied preferentially to others and not to oneself. On the other hand, although hundreds of self-development hours are required in any serious training, they do not touch deep-seated behavioural habits, which could come from some past frustrations, or emerge from co-lateral emotional agendas. People in general, and psychotherapists in particular do not change because they are told to do so in therapy courses or classes, or during their training (although that is what they intended from the very beginning by attending university).