“Only as you do know yourself can your brain serve you as a sharp and efficient tool. Know your failings, passions, and prejudices so you can separate them from what you see. Know also when you actually have thought through to the nature of the thing with which you are dealing and when you are not thinking at all.”
The idea behind the quotation
To think clearly, understand your own biases and feelings, and notice whether you have truly examined the subject or are not thinking carefully.