Reading it is extremely insightful, but my assumption is that despite reading it, this sort of thing is something that has to be realized on your own.
Absolutely, but the post helps. What I was referring to, also, was feeling jealous that the author can go through life without seeking the approval of others. I've found this a big problem in myself - something I'm trying to rise above.
We're not really encouraged to be introspective--we're pushed from one experience to the next, without stopping to think how the experience affects us.
Moreover, unless you put in the time to assimilate your experiences (why did I behave this way? why did I react this way? why did this trigger emotion X? etc), you're unlikely to have these self-reflective a-ha moments.