Can we ever really understand ourselves?

Yes.
- Learn the skill of neutral and non-reactive self-observation. Learn to keep it on full time.
- Adopt a policy of 100% honesty with yourself.
- Accept 100% responsibility for your own emotions, thoughts and actions. No one else can cause them.
- Keep a journal if you have problems with memory.
- Over time, the patterns become clear, the common thing that underlies and drives the pattern becomes clear - and then one is free to choose a different approach.

- Or, if something's not working, try a different approach anyway, and let the deeper understandings reveal themselves later.

Yes... but by understanding ourselves through others and not by ourselves. By studying how others' mind work, is how we condition ourselves. We can say others' mind works the same way our's work and vice versa.

It's better to have your mind in your control, and works the way you want it to, rather than letting your mind controlling you.

"The" human mind does not exist, I'm afraid. All we can do is to observe others (from the perspective and with the limitations of our own mind, of course). We can then draw conclusions, but they won't carry us very far, given the tiny and unrepresentative sample on which we can base them. But then it's a nice thing to keep your brain occupied with.

Yes.. by understanding others and how their minds work.. for we think only our mind works and try to objectify others..

But once we realise us as they and they are nothing but our own manifestation.. we can realise our nothingness.

All the pop psychology fans I know believe they understand life and people very well--NOT!

It seems to promote a shallow outlook on life.

Help in finding cures for diseases.