Is The Unexamined Life Not Worth Living?

[Calderownz]

"The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates.

Considering where it comes from, some people just assume that it must be true. It -- at the very least -- carried a lot of weight. However... does it apply for everyone?

Must you examine life? Or... can you go through life questioning and studying very little about the universe, your surroundings or yourself and still feel content?

I question virtually everything, everyone and all that comes before me. However, I'm sure there are those that feel life is simply something that you try to enjoy and do very little else with. So long as you can get by comfortably, you might feel pleased with just that -- getting by.

So.. the questions:

1. Must you examine life to truly get the best out of it? Why or why not?

2. Do you try to understand and study as much as you can. Why or why not?

Any other thoughts would be welcomed.

 

[Xemmy]

I agree with the statement as my own personal philosophy. Whether or not it applies to everyone else is another story. I don't see how someone can go through life stupid. That being said, most human beings manage to do it- some even living happy lives. Most do nothing with their lives or cause harm. They're stupid- the fall for propaganda, and then they do nothing to benefit society. Others on the other hand use their other traits to do good for themselves and others and have lives worth living. They're not intelligent or philosophical, but they may be brave, hardworking, or charismatic- bringing good or fun to the lives of friends, family, or even their community.

To get the best out of life, you do have to examine at least in the basic sense. You don't necessarily have to read, but maybe travel and indulge in the world's cultures. Getting the best out of life is taking in what the world has to offer in my opinion. You can't do that by sitting in one country and not doing much.

I study on a regular basis and love college for being an educational environment where I can where what I want, not worry too much about the things I have to say, and being around other people. Reading and studying are a must for me to enjoy myself- but then again I don't have much of a social life. My personal experience says that I have to do these things to enjoy my life. Someone else may be perfectly content to get drunk every night.

 

[lenguy]

First off,what in interesting idea for a thread. A tip of the hat to you good sir. I'll do my best to type a response that makes sense.

1. Must you examine life to truly get the best out of it? Why or why not?

It really all depends on the person I suppose. Some would rather live a simple life and try not to create or stir up any sort of controversy because it would just make life that much more difficult. Others live to examine life and the world around us because it plays such a big role in how we understand things that its kind of hard not to take a step back and analyze our world too some degree.We are cognitive(thinking)beings and we are constantly trying to get a grasp of something. As far as getting the best of life, as I've said it really all depends on the individual. Some urn for the simple life and try not to complicate things so far. Other will spend their entire lives trying to examine their surroundings and try to fully understand them in order to get a better sense of themselves in hopes to gain a better sense of fulfillment.

2. Do you try to understand and study as much as you can. Why or why not?

If you would of asked this same question too me 6 or 7 years ago I would have told you to fuck off lol. Thankfully I've been through things that have changed my perspective on life has a whole. I consider myself an observer, I like to observe my planet and its people because I've had enough of trying to figure out myself. So I figure if I view the world from a unbiased standpoint and just observe and analyze, I might be able to paint a clearer picture. I've become all about information and comprehension. I try to get an understanding of everyday life from the ordinary,to the extraordinary, from the big to the small. But sometimes I feel the more I learn the less I know because there is in fact an over abundance amount of information out there and sometimes it can drive one mental, especially when its a struggle to comprehend. Intelligence can come across as a curse sometimes. So I try to limit myself and defaulted back to just being an observer because I find its much easier to observe someones behavior rather than make an effort to understand it fully. Its a gradual process of putting a few pieces together. I restrain from making big leaps because my head might just implode. But I think I'm just rambling on about nothing so I might as well conclude all this. Yes, I do examine life because I feel in order to understand yourself you have to understand the world you live in and the fellow people you share it with.

 

[Calderownz]

I agree with the statement as my own personal philosophy. Whether or not it applies to everyone else is another story. I don't see how someone can go through life stupid. That being said, most human beings manage to do it- some even living happy lives. Most do nothing with their lives or cause harm. They're stupid- the fall for propaganda, and then they do nothing to benefit society. Others on the other hand use their other traits to do good for themselves and others and have lives worth living. They're not intelligent or philosophical, but they may be brave, hardworking, or charismatic- bringing good or fun to the lives of friends, family, or even their community.

To get the best out of life, you do have to examine at least in the basic sense. You don't necessarily have to read, but maybe travel and indulge in the world's cultures. Getting the best out of life is taking in what the world has to offer in my opinion. You can't do that by sitting in one country and not doing much.

I study on a regular basis and love college for being an educational environment where I can where what I want, not worry too much about the things I have to say, and being around other people. Reading and studying are a must for me to enjoy myself- but then again I don't have much of a social life. My personal experience says that I have to do these things to enjoy my life. Someone else may be perfectly content to get drunk every night.

Good post. I get what you're saying. However, I don't think the person really has to get drunk or even be a stupid person.

For example; my friend Justin is a relatively smart person. He's solid when it comes to math and he's a well-spoken individual and has a decent understanding of common sense. However, the guy simply doesn't care about his surroundings. It's actually quite shocking how little he cares about.

Sure, he cares for his own health and his family and what have you. But, he's not interested in traveling, learning things he feels are not essential to him. He's a smart guy, but doesn't care.

But, I get what you're saying. Someone can be on either side of the spectrum.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I agree that you must examine life in order to truly get the best out of it. That way you learn more, experience different things, and can make a larger impact on those around you. I also try to understand or study as much as I can. Granted when I was in school I hated studying for tests and stuff, but I like to learn about things that I feel will benefit me to know. Even if that means going into google to search for information. I like to understand and study things often because the more you learn, the more this knowledge gets passed on and you can potentially make an important impact on peers this way. What if somebody really needed to know something and you're meant to be the one to tell it to them, but you're too lazy to read up on it? They might never learn about said topic otherwise. The unexamined life may very well not be worth living.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

1. Must you examine life to truly get the best out of it? Why or why not?

There is so much to know in life that by the time a person knows a lot, he/she is already near-death. Knowledge is truly endless. Examining life surely opens up numerous ideas, but how that is applied to individuals entirely depends on their goals/preferences.

2. Do you try to understand and study as much as you can. Why or why not?

I try to understand and study as much as I can, not because I want to but because I can. Ignorance isn't bliss. Ignorance is dangerous. Again, understanding and studying builds new ideas and makes one discover different ways of thinking. It's beneficial to the maturity of the mind. Knowing a lot helps a lot.

 

[LSN80]

1. Must you examine life to truly get the best out of it? Why or why not?

Socrates was right, but heres the thing. We ALL examine our lives in some way. If consequences come from our actions, we look at ways to avoid said consequences again. If good comes from actions, we find ways to try and continue that pattern. Even if its slightly, its still being intrspective. I defy someone to tell me they dont look at these things and not examine their actions or motivations in some way. Why? Because the person who is incapable of intrspection is a narcissist. I believe most of us strive and want to be good people. That alone tells me that people are examining their lives on a daily basis, even if its for small things.

2. Do you try to understand and study as much as you can. Why or why not?

Maybe too much. But I will say this. Every day I wake up, I am determined to be better then I was the day before. I want to be a better boss and friend to my employees.When I go to the gym, I push myself to work as hard as I can to eventully reach a goal of what shape I want to be in. I want to be the best husband I can possibly be to my wife, and Im dissatisfied with myself if I feel I wasn't as good of aa husband as I could have been. Introspection allows me to maintain relationships, as well as keep myself in balance.

Any other thoughts would be welcomed.

In the end, the unexamined life leaves one devoid of true relationships. And there are people who do misguidely attempt to avoid true relationships with anyone out of the fear of being hurt. But theyre still being introspective in planning how theyre going to avoid relationships, and subconsciously, theyre looking at why theyre avoiding true connection with people. In the end, the unexamined life is an empty hollow one. I can only speak for myself when I say that sounds completely unbearable.

 

[Hammerfist]

1. Must you examine life to truly get the best out of it? Why or why not?

2. Do you try to understand and study as much as you can. Why or why not?

Any other thoughts would be welcomed.

No. Different people want different things out of life. Of Course a philosopher is going to say you must examine and ponder over things. A philosopher will have that bias. I don't everyone out there needs to think deeply about things to live. Some people just want a simple life without much pain or stress. That could be all someone wants. It could still be a good life for that particular person. Other people find meaning in service. They don't really think about why they are doing it, they just find fulfillment in the act of service itself.

I personally spend a good bit of time mulling things over. If everything around us is made of the same atoms you see on the periodic table of the elements, and the elements themselves were mostly created inside the extreme pressure and heat of stars, what exactly does that leave me? Am I just left over star stuff? And if evolution is true, where exactly does that leave me? Am I just part of a chain that began with single cell bacteria? I think about that kind of stuff a lot, even though I was never that good in science.