When we do not heed Socrates' wise admonition to us to Know Thyself, we waste precious time seeking for people's approval and acceptance in order to discover and to validate who we are through their opinions.  Then, one day, we finally grant ourselves permission to find out who we really are.  Once this is done, we must face the illusions and images we have created around ourselves - we must face the person we have led others to believe is "us."
 
When this moment of awakening dawns, we are presented with the first opportunity in life to truly be at peace with ourselves.  To preserve this peace, we must accept the reality that everyone will not accept this "new" you, which is really who you have been all along.  And that's okay.  However, not accepting yourself as you are is not okay.
 
Running with the pack can provide protection and a sense of belonging.  Yet, remaining as a part of any pack for too long keeps us away from self-knowledge, self-awakening and self-actualization.  Isolation and solitude are necessary to unearth the inner individual.  If we are ever to Know Thyself, we must take time apart from others, their opinions and ideas.  Once divorced from this noise, we are forced to listen and to dive inside ourselves to hear what we have to say.