Socrates has said " The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living."...?

Question

But he failed to explain how that examination is conducted. What advice would you give in helping someone interested in examining their life?

Answer 1

Because reality mirrors the contents of consciousness, and learned ego beliefs are embedded in the subconscious, start with your experience. Notice what needs to change (to experience "full aliveness") and then turn within and contemplate, "Since cause and effect are never separated what must I believe about myself and the world to be experiencing this?"

Once you identify the feeling/belief, trace it to its origin and reframe it in the light of adult reason. Most of what controls our experience - only a child would believe is true - which is exactly how it got embedded into consciousness in the first place. Misplaced trust in other egos.

One step at a time, you will change your mind and reality will change with you. It helps to remember you are NOT the ego's thoughts or feelings, you are the OBSERVER of their patterns - in order to gain detachment from them. The goal? Authentic being, returning to your essential nature and purpose.

Answer 2

Probably as a remark of what someone else said that made their argument less valid. Socrates is not about to stand behind anything he or anyone else says. Protecting something you said before is not actually consistent, but inconsistent with what you think right now. Socrates knew only that he knew nothing. That is an incredible statement that keeps taking on new meanings for me. A disbelief is completely different from a belief.

Answer 3

Can only speak for myself but it involves stepping back and seeing things as they are. It also involves attaching as much meaning and analysing to phenomena as possible.

It involves not just the me me me - your life, your feelings etc which are all subjective, time specific and biased. It involves an interest in the macro picture. Where humanity has come from (history) where it is going to... the bigger questions too.

People interest me - life intruigues me - I never ever get bored. (Only boring people get bored!) People do not live enough in their thoughts/minds.. it is there that deliberate thought can help wisdom shine through.

Thinking sociologially would be another great start. Buy Anthony Giddens - read - take it in.

For me Socrates was talking about how people who see things only in the 2 dimensional way are in many ways just sheep or as sociologists call it 'happy little robots' - to question, to read, to think, to experience, to muse, to debate, to take this life malarkey and all the good/bad in the same hand - that is truly to live.

My own favourite Socrates quotes are these -

A man once said to him that he would die if he did not get even with him to which Socrates replied 'and I shall die if I do not make friends with you!'

When his friends expressed remorse at his death sentence he told them not to get upset 'If it were not now it would be another time.' he replied.

Socrates once said that a fact can only be ascertained when there are no exceptions to the rule - I like that - it means he would never make sweeping generalisations but instead would examine his theory and find exceptions to statements such as 'soldiers are brave'..

Great philosopher to study and be inspired by and refreshing to have such a considered question on here given the usual vacuuous ones.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Self analysis is a tough thing to do. Sometimes you find out things about yourself that are not so pleasant. It can be fearful at times. However, there is no other way to be completely honest.
Start by talking with someone well versed in the field. A psychoanalyst. An experienced psychologist. A wise philosopher. Or take out a subscription to "Tricycle" magazine. It's geared towards Bhuddists but there is much information that will steer you the right way.

Answer 5

I am a firm believer in examining the inner workings of the human psyche. It is important that you do it softly, gently and with no malice of forethought. Do not explore beyond your pain threshold unless you have plenty of band-aids at the ready. Never ever probe too deeply or push too hard. We humans are in many ways very fragile.

Answer 6

This is just a quick list and is not intended to be complete, but...

1) Compare yourself to others
2) Compare your potentiality to your actuality (are you fully being you?)
3) Compare your actions to the actions that you would deem as ethical (are you living a moral life?)
4) Read things unfamilar to you as well as works that argue for the opposite of what you think you believe--they will either undermine your belief and you will restructure yourself due to them or they will make you resist them and you will find yourself more fully believing what you already believed.
5) Ask questions (like this one) to see what you know and what you don't know

Answer 7

Read.....read......read.......read.......read !!!!!Anything you can get your hands on related to "self-realization". Reading has saved my life. There are so many wise teachers that we have to learn from...

Here are some wonderful authors, Carl Jung (psychology), Wayne Dyer, Neale Donald Walsch, Deepak Chopra, J. Krishnamurti, Marianne Williamson, don Miguel Ruiz (Toltec), Gary Zukav, James Redfield, Eckert Tolle, C.S. Lewis (christian), Ghandi, and the list goes on.............

The first step is self-awareness. These are the teachers that helped me get to where I am today. These are the "way-showers".

Answer 8

Perhaps the answer lies in the three questions Rabbi Hillel asked:
1. If I am not for myself, who is for me?
2. If I am only for myself, what am I?
3. If not now, when?
Good luck with your search for meaning.

Answer 9

Your subconcious mind has always examined yourself. That is how we know what we can and can't do. And many more.

Answer 10

Any life that gives life, imparts life, or creates life, is a life priceless, and of infinite value.