Conclusion. James Hollis bridges profound psychological insight and practical application. Professor Richard Kraut wrote an article in 2007, called “The Examined Life.” The most fulfilled persons I've known have been deeply aware of their own strengths and have taken on assignments, jobs, careers, friendships, partners, experiences, adventures, projects and pursuits of all kinds that capitalize on those strengths." In some cases, the unexamined life is better than the examined life. Socrates said that an unexamined life is not worth living. Living the examined life is really about thoughtfully questioning your choices, engaging with your actions, and being willing to change and grow. In conclusion, when he speaks of the importance of living an examined life he is of the mind that such examination will allow one to discover an objective meaning in life. Critics of the idea claim that only the elite can live an examined life. In the book, Dr. Hollis argues that we are free to choose to become the person we believe we are and want to be. The Examined Life: 7 Questions ... 2 COMMENTS. So, what did Socrates really mean? Source: history. With reference to Socrates, life is worth examining by questioning the greater or lesser degree. An examined life enables one to think critically. But what does it mean to live an examined life? I studied philosophy, sociology, psychology for years when I was young trying to understand how people think. This objective meaning, for Socrates, consisted most of all in living virtuously and coming to as complete a knowledge as one can of the divine. That said, I had contacted him after reading Living An Examined Life. It also enables one to make informed decisions about ones life. "We need to be introspective to live an examined life. Living an examined life calls for one to strive for excellence. Examined life assists one to deal with moral problems (Kagan). Fyodor Dostoevsky defines examined lifelike human’s resistance from evil and misery. In modern times, the phrase has come under scrutiny for being elitist. The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear that question is a beloved passage from Psalm 139:23-24 (NASV): Being silent implied his agreement with the government, and in his eyes, this equated to living an unexamined life. “Living the Examined Life is a gift of rare gold: the accumulated logos of a life lived deeply and fully, generously shared and beautifully crafted. Whilst, Socrates see it as becoming wise and humble as human. The philosopher was probably misunderstood, like the Oracle of Delphi often was. Unwilling to live that type of life, Socrates killed himself. Socrates is credited with saying that the unexamined life is not worth living. An Alternative Interpretation to Socrates Dictum. And I’ve used what I learned to drive a 44 year career in the technology game. 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