Cameron Conaway's Blog - Posts Tagged "reflection"
3 common barriers to the examined life
Socrates is often credited with saying, "The unexamined life is not worth living."
While many of us strive to live by this quote, there isn't much out there about the barriers that prevent us from examining our lives (let alone strategies for how to help us break through these barriers).
Here are 3 common barriers, plus some insight based on what's worked for me:
1. Dogma. It fills up more of our thinking than most of us would like to admit. Whether it's a Bible verse or a mantra from Tony Robbins, it's important to see these as gateways to inner work—not as the inner work itself. Dogma, at its best, serves as a gateway. At its worst, it serves as a crutch. The examined life examines crutches and uses them strategically, not as defaults.
2. Lack of privilege. It takes a certain degree of privilege to have the space necessary to observe how we live. If you're reading this post on Goodreads there's a good chance you have enough to get started.
3. Negativity bias / self-judgement. While examining, it's critical to be aware of and work to break free from negative energies so you can view your life objectively. The alternative is getting stuck in thought patterns that propel you towards questioning and criticizing yourself rather than discovering opportunities for growth. There is a fine line here, and it continues to demand a lot of my energy to remain on the positive side.
While many of us strive to live by this quote, there isn't much out there about the barriers that prevent us from examining our lives (let alone strategies for how to help us break through these barriers).
Here are 3 common barriers, plus some insight based on what's worked for me:
1. Dogma. It fills up more of our thinking than most of us would like to admit. Whether it's a Bible verse or a mantra from Tony Robbins, it's important to see these as gateways to inner work—not as the inner work itself. Dogma, at its best, serves as a gateway. At its worst, it serves as a crutch. The examined life examines crutches and uses them strategically, not as defaults.
2. Lack of privilege. It takes a certain degree of privilege to have the space necessary to observe how we live. If you're reading this post on Goodreads there's a good chance you have enough to get started.
3. Negativity bias / self-judgement. While examining, it's critical to be aware of and work to break free from negative energies so you can view your life objectively. The alternative is getting stuck in thought patterns that propel you towards questioning and criticizing yourself rather than discovering opportunities for growth. There is a fine line here, and it continues to demand a lot of my energy to remain on the positive side.
