“The Unexamined life is not worth living.” ~Socrates
When we think about our lives, we rarely think about our lives. No, the previous sentence is not a typo, it is a belief. Maybe a better articulation is to write the sentence: When we think about our lives, we rarely think about our lives. The underlined “think” is essential, for it differentiates the same word in two radically different connotations; “think” means the normal definition of the word, whereas think is a deeper meaning that includes a significant commitment. We must strive for the underline. (A similar pattern is exuded in reading: one can read a book, or one can read a book.)
The provocation for this post came from a rough morning. I did not get a flat tire, I did not slip on the way to my office, and thankfully, I did not forget my coffee. You may ask, “why was it so rough then?” Wonderful question, but I think it is hard for me to adequately articulate the answer without using the underlining dictation as noted in the previous paragraph. The morning was rough because I prodded to think.
When I got to the office, I settled into my daily rituals of breakfast, email, and two short half-page readings. Between the email and readings, I stumbled across two thought-provoking questions:
- Do you have the qualities to live out your boldest dreams?
- Have you taken the time to ask who you are, what to do, and what you believe?
I could have approached the two thought provoking questions with simplistic answers.
Question 1: Yes.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 2:
No, but I probably Should.______________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Look how easy those answers are! They are the robotic multiple choice answers that we have been programmed to think. They are the “true/false” answers of grade school. They are easy, comfortable, and simplistic.
However, sticking with the opening line from Socrates, we should truly take the time out of our lives to sit down and contemplate such questions. Do you have the qualities? Who are you? What do you do? What do you believe? Not five minutes, but a solid walk. Not at a bar, but in a period of self-reflection epitomizing the essence of Walden Pond.
But maybe a better way of posing these questions is: Do you have the qualities? Who are you? What do you do? What do you believe?
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