the unconsidered life is not worth living

the oft-quoted words of Socrates, who for being a gadfly to Athens, paid the ultimate price for his unwavering insistence on discourse.

often, when encountering issues i perceive as unjust and feel very strongly against, i feel compelled to speak up. most of the time, i get lambasted as being strident or for not caring about the feelings of others; or for being too radical. i've learned that forceful reasoning on its own is insufficient. only when weaved together with tactful persuasion, then can it create lasting impact.

i go around sussing out popular opinion and end up asking the inevitable question - am i the only person holding these views? when i speak to other like-minded individuals, i realise that people share the same views as me, but do not speak up for various reasons. because they gain no reward out of the enterprise, or because they prefer to take the easier option of drifting behind in the tide i've created.

the most amusing reply i've received is to not think too much. if your belief (on whatever issue) is infallible, then it should stand up to scrutiny. defend your arguments. 'don't think too much' might be good advice for certain people, but it lacks intellectual honesty, so i cannot let such an adage form a core value in my life.

this video serves as a good reminder to me to constantly reflect on my life, and decide whether i want to just take the easy path and 'go-with-the-flow', or whether i should shape my life with my own hands.