The first thing that must be done for the evolution of consciousness is to see oneself objectively.
Each person has false pictures of himself and imagines he is further ahead on the esoteric path than he actually is. He creates buffers which hide his real state.
This illusion is the ego, and is one of the attributes of sleep.
The Gnostics inscribed above the doors of their temples 'Hence thee profane', and inside the temple, 'Know thyself'.
To know oneself is to see oneself impartially, without the buffers interfering. To throw out the profane is to get rid of the buffers and negative emotions. The only way for a person to get a clear picture of himself is to constantly try to observe himself, in an active way.