What did Socrates mean when he said Know thyself

Later, socrates identified this as the pinnacle of human wisdom, and became famous for his words:Or why you act or feel a certain way.Socrates may have gotten this idea from the phrase, know thyself (γνῶθι σεαυτόν), that was inscribed on the temple of delphi.There had been philosophers before him, of course:What socrates meant when he said ''know thyself'' was to know why you get angry, sad, happy, or even determined.

They had sought for the physis or nature of external things, the laws.Strong men like thales and heraclitus, subtle men like parmenides and zeno of elea, seers like pythagoras and empedocles;Γνῶθι σεαυτόν) was a maxim actually inscribed near the entrance to the temple of apollo at delphi.