Seeding
Examined Life
- From Socrates famous quote, "the unexamined life is not worth living"
- Live a life where you question everything around you, your beliefs, your
values, and the assumptions you make about the world encouraging you to be
curious, think critically and never stop learning.
- Question your beliefs: ask yourself why you believe what you believe and whether there might be other perspective or viewpoints that you haven't considered
- Read widely: Read books, articles, and blogs that challenge your beliefs and broaden you perspective.
- Have meaningful conversations: Engage in discussions with people who have different opinions and perspectives than you do
- Be open-minded: be willing to change your mind if you encounter new evidence or arguments that are convincing
- Practice self-reflection: Take time t o reflect on your actions, decisions, and motivations
- Strategies to start living a more examined life:
- Start small: Begin by questioning small things in your daily life, like why do things a certain way or whether there might be a better way to do them
- Practice empathy: Try understand the perspectives of other who hold different beliefs or viewpoints. This can help you become more comfortable with questioning your ow beliefs
- Seek out diverse viewpoints: Expose yourself to a variety of perspectives and viewpoints, whether through reading, watching documentaries, or having conversations with people who think differently than you do
- Be open to feedback: Ask others for their opinions and be willing to consider their feedback, even if it's critical
- Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness practice like meditation can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, which can make it easier to question your own beliefs and assumptions
- But then we have the other extreme if one just accept thing as they are life becomes simpler because we don't have to ponder or challenge things
- So a life worth living may exist in the middle (more to examination side) where we accept some things to allow our mental capacity to work on the areas that are important to us
- But what thing one just accept without questions
- Consider the consequences: If the stakes are high and the potential consequences of being wrong are significant, it might be best to question more and accept less.
- Assess your expertise: If you're dealing with a topic or situation that
you're not familiar with, it might be best to accept the guidance of experts
or people with more experience.
- Just be careful of always accept what experts say because it may blunt innovation
- Trust your instincts: If something doesn't feel right, even if everyone else seems to accept it, trust your instincts and don't be afraid to question it.
- Be open to feedback: If people you trust are telling you that you're overthinking something or not questioning enough, take their feedback seriously and adjust your approach accordingly.