In the works of a great Sufi teacher we find the words, "In order to know God, know yourself." It follows that in order to know the desire of nations or of people, we should first know our own desire. Until we know ourselves, we cannot know about others. As long as we are ignorant of our own life's needs and wants and of the secret of our own nature, we can never understand the needs and wants and the secret of another person's nature.