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Essay on Why Is the Unexamined Life Not Worth Living?
The Greek philosopher Socrates believed that the unexamined life was not worth living. Reflection is something that is very important in our lives. It should be a priority in the life of every human. All of us should reflect on our past experiences in order to direct and control our life in the future. From that reflection we can gain insights on the value of human life. This can add meaning to life and enable us to live fuller lives.
If we are to live life fully we must know, understand, and own the experiences and events happening in our story. Leslie Stevenson in his book, Seven Theories of Human Nature, said that Socrates’ main concern was with how we can know the right way to live. If we don’t discuss or evaluate things, external forces take control in our life and it lacks meaning.
In a reflective life it is possible for us to choose the good; moreover, as we ponder, reflect and evaluate we can change the good. It becomes less possible for us to embrace the bad. We can even change the bad to good when we evaluate and make ourselves aware that things need to change. In other words, by reflecting we can learn from our mistakes and turn them into opportunities to choose the good.
Max Oliva in one of his works, The Masculine Spirit comments that reflection is the way to become aware of wounds from our childhood, some of which trap us into unhealthy behavior as adults. It is the way to learn from our mistakes so that we are not doomed to keep repeating them. “It is the way to discover the positive traits of what it is to be a man."(Oliva, 1997)
The conscious decision to make a cup of coffee. When I drink the coffee, I taste the flavor...............
