The Irritant in the Modern Day

Socrates was a social gadfly in his own time because of the questions he posed. The ignorant character he played when posing these questions caused those he dealt with to question the way they saw things. So upsetting was his prodding of those around him to see the world from another perspective that he was eventually sentenced to death for it. Surely, there is no one so profoundly disturbing the status quo today as to warrant state disapproval to the extent of imprisonment and execution. There are still people living today playing the role of the social gadfly, attempting to make those around them more closely examine the lives they live. The most obvious and immediate examples to come to mind for me are Stephen Colbert and David Thorne. Both do so to comedic ends, but there is an entirely serious side to the things they do. Stephen Colbert plays a staunchly conservative character in interviews with politicians even though he is himself a liberal. It is usually used to humiliate the politician willing to appear on his show, but often also to point out how unexamined their positions may be. David Thorne is definitely second to none as an example of being irritating as a social gadfly is supposed to be. He usually uses a nonchalant demeanor to make those that send him hate mail seem foolish in their aggression towards him. David Thorne and Stephen Colbert both pretend to be in complete agreement with the things people say to them, and often try to take positions even more extreme than those they’re talking to in an attempt to make them appear foolish. In an email conversation regarding his son’s probation from his school’s computer lab, he tells the teacher that, “though physical discipline is no longer administered in the public school system, it would probably be appropriate in this instance if nobody is watching. I know from experience that he can take a punch.”

The Unexamined Life and Why It May or May Not Be Worth Living

Is the unexamined life worth living? Of course, Socrates would say it is not. For the most part, I do agree that for one to live without at any point questioning who they are or what they are doing is a waste of reasoning. I’ve always thought that people develop interests without any clue as to why they find them interesting. This rule includes myself, of course. There have been many times in the past when I’ve wanted to work towards some goal only to realize that I lacked any real justification for why it mattered to me at all. The examined life combined with an unhealthy apathy for most things, as well as the angst that comes naturally with adolescence, can be quite detrimental. In that sense, it can be said that leaving life unexamined at times is beneficial, namely when perception is tainted by distaste for ambition. However, I wouldn’t say I regret at all the time I’ve spent doubting my own interest in so many things; such experiences are lessons learned, stepping stones towards a more complete character. Raising questions of importance, of the reason behind thoughts, and of self is of utmost importance in the development of a person’s personality. The justifications given for the places we choose to be in life certainly mean more than the places themselves. Perhaps it is also so that someone can be measured by how far they are willing to go in the unending pursuit of answers to those questions about life left unanswered. Despite all this, I speak from personal experience, and as such I cannot say with certainty that any one way of living is superior to any other. The unexamined life may be filled with untold bliss to accompany ignorance. I haven’t even analyzed life to anywhere near the extent others have. Where I am now, it would probably be generous at best to consider my life anywhere near fully examined.

Self-Eulogizing

There is little to be said of Shayne, as the life he lived was a short one. As such, there are few accomplishments for praising. Most, at that point in life, have yet to achieve much, surely; he was no exception. What can be said of Shayne, however, is that in life, his presence impacted those around him. He is remembered by his family and friends whom he took pleasure in knowing. He enjoyed much of the life he lived despite his complaints. Unfortunately, this coffin does not contain his corpse, as the body has yet to have been found. We will just have to pretend it is here though, because he was last seen setting sail into shark-infested waters on a makeshift raft crafted entirely out of meat. Perhaps he would have had a better chance of surviving if only he had waited to recover from spinal surgery before attempting such a feat. We can never know why he chose to do such a reckless thing. It was actually rather uncharacteristic of him, as he never was much of a daredevil. Perhaps he resorted to such things because his creativity failed him when it came to other undertakings: writing a eulogy as a completely random example. Of his regrets, one is that he didn’t get enough sleep most nights, and on the nights he did, it was only because he did not spend enough time trying to actually think of more interesting ways to do things. Indeed, he was rather lazy at times. May he rest in peace.