Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live. ~ Socrates. In modern times, the phrase has come under scrutiny for being elitist. Its true that many people around you now may think you are weird or even a danger to society, but you dont care. There is a lot more that contributes to a persons happiness and well-being besides examining their lives. We must occasionally question ourselves and the world, as otherwise we will act without reason, and be unable to distinguish between good or bad actions, and without this way of thinking Socrates might argue we are no better off than animals. If they dont have access to modern inventions that doesnt mean they are unhappy about it, in fact, they are probably more happy and healthy in their simple life. Since Socrates was religious and trusted his religious experiences, such as his guiding daimonic voice, he accordingly preferred to continue to seek the truth to the answer to his question, in the after-life, than live a life not identifying the answer on earth. The point is youd still be lost. There are more talks about other people and food. A lot of time spent on TV, mobile, movies and social media. And chances are it will go into more confusion on examining, but after clearing this confusion, your design of life will be infinitely better than it was unexamined. Both kinds of life have got its own challenges. 2296. The saying, "An unexamined life is not worth living" is very true in its words because living life on autopilot or having no purpose in life is having an unworthy life. Examining life means creating a self-map for life. They have to answer the questions. This lesson is from Plato's Apology, where Socrates is on trial for his life and argues that his philo. Latest answer posted December 26, 2019 at 5:58:03 PM. And this thought, alone, sends negative . Patterson (16) posits that apology is one historical account of Socrates' defense during his trial, and these words appear at the end of the Apology when . There is a lot more that contributes to a persons happiness and well-being besides examining their lives. In context, Socrates is choosing death, which he prefers . It is hard to look inside. Living life is an art, most important art, difficult and complex, which is not taught in school and like every art, it takes time to learn. IS THE UNEXAMINED LIFE WORTH LIVING OR NOT? - Cambridge Core Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find. Updated 4 minutes 21 seconds ago|4/29/2023 2:11:18 PM. What is the difference between Socrates and the Sophists? Clearly this thesis portrays the authors lack of understanding of Socrates. But those who have some sense of who are they also have a context for understanding how all the elements of their life fit together. Socrates was teaching the need to live a life where all things are parsed for their meaning. In ordinary life, you avoid challenges and passively accept everything which comes to you. Everything that makes one happy, and a happy life should most definitely be lived whether its examined or not. (Soccio). What Does "the Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living" Mean? - Reference.com