Journal 1
1.)One paragraph summary of the key idea summarizing the major idea of the section.
The major idea of this section was "living an unexamined or an examined life". throughout this section, we have been trying to understand how living an examined life, that is taking the time to asses ourselves from time to time, can help us and lead to a better quality of life. Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living, meaning that if we don't stop to see how we are doing, then we cannot improve ourselves and our quality of life. Aristotle proposed an image of two different types of men. Aristotle said that there are men in boats out at the sea without rudders; they have no control over what happens to them. However, there are other men in boats out at the sea that have rudders and are able to go where they please and control their own lives. It is necessary, in order to live a fulfilled life, for one to examine how one's life is being lived from time to time.

2.)List and explain three of the most important ideas you want to remember from this week.
A. I want to remember Plato's "Allegory of the Cave". Plato explains that all people start off in a cave forced to see things and perceive them to be reality when, in fact, they are only illusions. Naturally, all people are seeking the truth and are shocked when they find the truth, but when every human's natural desire to spread what they have found kicks in and we attempt to spread the good news, the messanger is often rejected, ridiculed and sometimes even killed, like Gandhi, Jesus Christ, and Socrates.
B. I want to remember the myth of Icarus and Daedelus. Icarus and Daedelus were trapped until Daedelus made wings of feathers and wax. Icarus and Daedelus flew out of captivity. Daedelus had warned Icarus not to fly too low or he would fall into the sea and not to fly too high or the sun would melt his wings and he would fall into the sea, but Icarus, filled with excitement, forgot what his father had said, and he flew too high and he died. The message of the story is that sometimes people get caught up in the moment and do things that are potentially harmful to them. We must try hard to resist these urges powered by excitement.
C. I want to remember the five foundational lessons and that every decision i make or choice i have will affect the quality of my life and the lives of others.
FIVE FOUNDATIONAL LESSONS
1.I am necessarily and unavoidably making decisions all the time. These can and do affect me, others, and my world. By these decisions, I am determining who I am and the person I will become.
2.I see the world through "colored lenses." I am necessarily and unavoidable (to a greater or lesser degree) biased.
3.The value judgments I make determine my action. My mental health and happiness (and often those of many others) rests on the validity of these value judgments.
4.Any change in the particular beliefs that control my life cannot help but change and modify my life. It will affect the quality and texture of all that I experience.
5.The most significant decisions I make in my life need to be faith decisions. Faith is an opinion based on evidence to which I am committed.

3.)Images that remind me of the main topics of this section:

click image for source


image found at http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Sports/gallery.html

4.)One question that I will keep with me to ponder.

Am I living an exmined life or not? Does my ship have a rudder?

5.)What should I try to do to make myself a better person, a more faithful person, from this study?
I am very self concious and self aware, sometimes too much so. However, after reading Plato's "allegory of the cave" and hearing real life stories of metanoia, like Eric Clapton's story and Deon Sander's story, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I feel like my life is not so bad at all. I feel like I am blessed. But, at the same time, those stories help me to realize that i need to continue to examine my life so that i can improve myself.




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