Do I Live an Examined or Unexamined Life?

Since at a young age, I asked questions about things that I was curious about or unsure of as any kid does. The answers I received were mostly from the people I was surrounded by, whether they were opinionated or not. Due to the fact I was a child, I shaped my beliefs around those answers without giving much thought or question to it, thinking they were right. Even to this day, most of my beliefs are somewhat inherited from the people around me. Most of my thoughts and ideas have come from my family members or friends, whether they were about morals, religion, or politics. Now that I have more knowledge about what an examined or unexamined life is, I believe that I live an unexamined life. I have not put much thought into or questioned as to why I think what I think or believe what I believe in, like most. Religion can play a big role in people’s lives, affecting one’s interpersonal interactions, health, diet, and exercise, and even social consciousness. With my grandfather being a former pastor of a Baptist church, it may seem as if I have no other choice than to believe what he has passed down to us. Yes, I have a choice in believing the same ideas, and I do, but I haven’t really asked myself why I really do believe or agree with him. I think of myself as more of a spontaneous person, dealing with issues as they come, making decisions at the spur of the moment. Living my life like this makes it near impossible to examine my actions or decisions because there’s not really any time to think about what you’re doing. Even though a majority of the time I may live an unexamined life, there are instances where I do look at all the outcomes of a situation or thought. For example, if there is an upcoming test that is worth a lot of points, I would see when I should study, what times, and the consequences of not studying at all. I’m exercising self-control, making the most rational decision based on what I believe would work. Unlike Socrates who believes that “the unexamined life is unworth living”, I do not practice elenchus. I do not observe my beliefs, search for moral knowledge for that belief, and rarely arrive at a new moral opinion. I believe Socrates lived a so-called “examined” life by gaining his wisdom and through his open-mindedness, along with his virtue. Since no one is wiser than him, how is anyone supposed to achieve an examined life? In the Apology, Socrates would disobey the law at all costs, if ever the state were to try to prevent him from discussing his philosophical views. Then we see in Crito that one must “persuade or obey” the laws. How do we even know whether Socrates lives a true examined life? To sum up, no I do not live an examined life. I have not taken much time questioning my religious, political, or moral beliefs. I’m content on how my life is going, and these beliefs that I have, have shaped me to be the person that I am today. While yes, some opinions that I have towards an idea could change, for the most part, my life is unexamined.

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