Socrates was wrong

The Socratic dictum "the unexamined life is not worth living for man," is actually a recipe for disaster, when applied too consistently and too forcefully. Despite my constant frustration with oblivious people who could surely do with more reflection in their lives, I think there is a danger that such reflection might be taken too far. Of course, the only ones likely to take it too far are the thoughtful minority in our society, so this should not be viewed as a general admonishment to avoid mindfulness--it should be taken only as a counterpoint to a common view among the thoughtful elite. It might even be viewed as the framework for another aporia (see the earlier entry on aporiae.)

Alfred North Whitehead (a second reference in such a short time--who knew he was so brilliant?) once claimed that decisions, like cavalry charges, should be taken rarely and only at crucial junctures. The rest of the time, one should cultivate productive habits, so as to free one's mind for more important things. Deliberation in every instance is not the mark of enlightenment, as Zen master Nan-in would have us believe. It makes one a slave to one's surroundings.

As Admiral James Stockdale, vice-presidential running mate to H. Ross Perot and self-avowed stoic in the grand tradition of Marcus Aurelius, once wrote, it is naive to show up and say "Okay, what's good and what's bad?" Some of that needs already to be settled.