Unexamined Life is not worth living.

Socrates

Have you ever thought of yourself being buried under the ground for how many
years and not even one remembers you? Or being killed in an accident and not even a
droplet of tear fell for you? isn’t it sad? Knowing that you only existed in your own mind,
knowing that to others you totally don’t exist at all, because I do think of it sometimes
and it is indeed a nightmare. A nightmare that I wanted to wake up but the truth is that
there is a possibility that it might happened. The question now is how can I prevent this
to become a reality?

I still remembered when someone asked me what I wanted to be in the future,

and I answered, I wanted to be rich so I could buy and do everything that I’ve wanted.
Well most might answer the same as me but is it really that matters? To live a life on the
top of a castle and by just a move of my finger everything can change. I know this might
sound crazy but it is how I see it if I live a life that is not worth living.

As one of the greatest Philosopher in ancient time used to say “Unexamined life
is not worth living” is one of the phrases that made me realize that life is too short for
regrets. Life may not be perfect but just like a diamond, despite of its imperfection it is
beautiful.
Meaning of – An unexamined life is not worth living.

Through this statement, Socrates means that an unexamined human life is deprived of the meaning and

purpose of existence. To become fully human means to use our highly developed faculty of thought to

raise our existence above that of mere beasts. For if we don’t think, we are no more than animals,

simply eating, sleeping, working and procreating.

Importance of examined life

Just like a seed needs soil, sunlight, and water for its germination, human life needs introspection and

examination for its growth. An understanding of the experiences gained in life at any particular time

enriches one’s engagement with the self and the universe.

Mahatma Gandhi’s examination of self through his autobiography ‘My experiments with truth’

highlights the significance of reflection on life. Mahatma Gandhi was not only able to map his

weaknesses and vulnerabilities through the examination but was also able to question his prejudices

and understand his strength as a human being.

This very ability to reflect on life adds more depth to the character of ‘Arjun’ in Mahabharat than most

of the other characters like Bheeshm, Yudhishthir or the Kauravs. Instead of following the norms and

fighting with his clan, Arjun questions the meaninglessness of the war and the purpose of his life.
The fast-changing societies and consumerist culture in the contemporary world leave less time for

human beings to examine and think about the changes. Adaptation to changes has become automatic

and unquestionable.

The current relevance of the statement

The quotation has strong relevance in the present times where human beings are burdened with the

histories of war, colonization, nationalization, erosion of morality in the scientific and technological

advancements and the sense of spiritual uprootedness.

It is in these times that one needs to delve deeper into the conscience to find the purpose of existence

and engage in a more meaningful manner with society.

The unexamined life is not worth living because…

One day we all are going to die. And when you will be looking back at your life on deathbed, what kind

of life you will expect from yourself. A life made of happiness, satisfaction, and purpose or a boring

ordinary one in which you didn’t do and achieve anything.

You have to question and find the answers about life by yourself. Most people live mediocre living

because they are not even aware that they need to examine life. If by chance if they do it, then they

don’t know how to do it, so they try to copy the life of others just like they copied homework in school.

Their life is based on the opinion of others, not knowing that everyone is unique, so their life and

answers to its questions.

The unexamined life is not worth living because here a person doesn’t examine his life. He does not

really know and understands himself. And this is what Socrates tried to say. If you don’t examine your

life, then you would not question and then miss on the answers to make it worth living.

“Our lives are but specks of dust falling through the fingers of time. Like sands of the hourglass, so are

the days of our lives.” ~ Socrates

What if you don’t examine your life?

If you don’t examine your life, then you are just going passively through life without any goals, dreams,

enthusiasm, and purpose. You are not making any effort to make it worthwhile and losing the autonomy

on it. You are just getting carried away, looking for fun and entertainment most of the time.

So, there are two choices — to make it worth living or passively live an ordinary life. Both kinds of life

have got its own challenges. Worth living life challenges are made by you which makes you strong, alive

and happy. In ordinary life, you avoid challenges and passively accept everything which comes to you.

Signs you are living an unexamined life

You lack a sense of who you are.

Happiness mostly depends on external factors.

Not sure of what to do and what not to do.

Have regrets and hopelessness from the past.

A lot of time spent on TV, mobile, movies and social media.

There are more talks about other people and food.

Competition with others.

Dependence on opinions and advises of others.

Don’t have any goals or plan in life.

“Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” ~ Socrates

Characteristics of an Examined Life

When a person examines, he becomes strategic about his life.

There is progress in life.

The focus is on personal development.

Have clarity, values and internal compass.

Competition with self.

Talks are on ideas rather than people.

Happiness depends on personal decisions and choices.

Have goals and vision for the future.

The focus is on finding the unexplored potential, talents, and creativity.

“When it’s time to die, let us not discover that we have never lived.” ~Thoreau

Why don’t people examine their lives?

Unfortunately, most people do not make conscious efforts to use reason in establishing a set of values

that guide their lives. So, if examining life is the most important thing so why not we examine our lives.

The reason is very few people know, the unexamined life is not worth living.

Now, who should teach us to examine our lives? Our learning mostly happens at home by parents and at

school. If the school teaches to examine lives, our lives would have been much different and better.

Another reason, most people avoid leading an examined life. It’s not that they don’t have the time, they

actively avoid examining their lives. Because it is not easy to think. It is hard to look inside. It takes a lot

of courage to look inside and accept yourself with all your failures, guilt and disappointments.

The Examined Life

Everybody is unique and so their lives and their idea of examined lives. Our idea of examined life,

dreams and happiness differs from others. Our satisfaction, values, priorities, and definition of

successful life all are different.

“Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.” — Socrates

As you begin to know yourself, your answers of examined life and the self-map will become clear. Your

happiness depends on how well you are living an examined life.

“Most people, including ourselves, live in a world of relative ignorance. We are even comfortable with

that ignorance because it is all we know. When we first start facing the truth, the process may be
frightening, and many people run back to their old lives. But if you continue to seek the truth, you will

eventually be able to handle it better. In fact, you want more! It’s true that many people around you

now may think you are weird or even a danger to society, but you don’t care. Once you’ve tasted the

truth, you won’t ever want to go back to being ignorant.” ~ Socrates

Your life may be in lots of confusion. And chances are it will go into more confusion on examining, but

after clearing this confusion, your design of life will be infinitely better than it was unexamined. You

substantially reduce the probability of mistakes and save valuable time. Your life is not difficult, your

ignorance of examining life makes it difficult.

Living life is an art, most important art, difficult and complex, which is not taught in school and like every

art, it takes time to learn.

“The really important thing is not to live but to live well. And to live well meant, along with more

enjoyable things in life, to live according to your principles.” ~Socrates

How to examine your life?

Examining life means creating a self-map for life. What really matters most to you. What you want to do

for yourself, parents, country and for the world. For this, you have to know yourselves, who you are.

“To find yourself, think for yourself” ~ Socrates

If you don’t create a map, no matter how fast you are going or how high is your confidence, without this

map, you are directionless and clueless in life. The point is you’d still be lost. The fundamental problem

has nothing to do with your behavior or attitude. It has everything to do with not having a map.

The map gives you an understanding of your location and destination. It means to know who you are,

where you are now so that you move can ahead in the right direction.
Conclusion

Happiness cannot be pursued directly. It is always a by-product of your choices and decisions. People

who examine their lives are happier than those who don’t. No one has all the answers. But those who

have some sense of who are they also have a context for understanding how all the elements of their

life fit together.

It is only in striving to come to know ourselves and to understand ourselves do our lives have any

meaning or value.

If there are two people, one with a map and one without a map, who has the better chance of reaching

the destination? The one with the map, of course. When you begin to know yourself, you take control of

life. You decide what you want to be and begin a revolution in life.

“Do not go through life like a leaf blown from here to there believing whatever you are told.” ~ Socrates

Note :

Now, somebody would say that they have seen people who have not examined their life but still are

happy.

About a hundred years back, most of the people were living in the agricultural age, they had very simple

lives. Like people in villages, remote areas today who are not aware of the issues and complexities of

life. The answer to this question is that maybe they are blessed with their lives. If they don’t have access

to modern inventions that doesn’t mean they are unhappy about it, in fact, they are probably more

happy and healthy in their simple life. But we are probably not and that’s why we need to strive for it to

make it beautiful, meaningful.

 San Lorenzo Ruiz

SANLORENZORUIZ