Faith Journal #1
by Paul Marsek
click image to view source
Summary of the key idea summarizing the major idea of the section.
Socrates said, "the unexamined life is not worth living." Upon first hearing this quote, I simply ignored it. I thought that it had no relevance to my life, seeing as it was written 1,500 years ago. But when the examin of consciousness was instated last year, I gave this quote a second thought. Socrates examined his own life and his society. He urged others to do the same, and was put to death because of it. Examining your life, just means reflectioning on what you've done, your actions and your decisions. By doing this you can gain a better picture about your life, your personality, and the issues that you encounter everyday. The idea of the examined life appeared throughout our discussions of the key ideas of this section.
The three most important ideas I want to remember from this section.
1. The first major idea that I would like to remember is the story of the blind man and the elephant. The blind men were not able to see the elephant, so they thought the entire thing would be just like the small part that the felt. To me, the moral of this story is, there are multiple sides to every issue or story. You don't have to agree with all of the points of view, but if you at least listen to them you can gain further insight and a better understanding on the topic as a whole. If you choose only to listen to or acknowledge your side, than you are just like one of the blind men thinking that the elephant is just a pillar, brush, or pestle.
2. The next thing that I would like to remember are the five foundational lessons. Knowing and understanding these lessons is essential to understanding why we make the decisions we make and how to make better decisions. These lessons explain that everyday we make decisions that are unavoidably biased. the decisions I make will effect my health and happiness, and a change in my beliefs will effect my decisions. Our most important decisions should be based on our faith. Understanding these concepts can help us live more honestly and truthfully.
3. I would also like to remember the story of Icarus and Daedalus. Daedalus tells Icarus to stay away from the sun, or the wax holding his wings together will melt. Icarus wasn't a bad child, he didn't intentionally disobey his father. He got caught up in the idea of hubris. This is thinking that it won't happen to me. You realize that people fall asleep at the wheel yet you drive home at three in the morning anyway. This is hubris. This is why Icarus chased the bird ever higher toward the sun.
key images:
click on image to view its source
Question to ponder:
Q:Do I examine my life and try to live by the five foundational lessons?
back to faith06 page