How to to be the person you want to be: The Socratic method!

[Nicolás25]

Before you embark on the trip to becoming a better person you should first want to come to a true conclusion of what being a better person even is. The best method to do so is the socratic method.

The socratic method is a way of coming to a true conclusion and reflecting.

For example:

What is an apple?

You might say it's a fruit.

Well then is every fruit an apple?

No then that statement is either false or just not precise and needs to be better explained.

An apple is a sweet fruit well then are all sweet and red fruits apples?

And are all apples sweet?

No not all apples are sweet and no it's not the only sweet red fruit for example a cherry is sweet and red.

And so on and so forth until there is no exception or objection to the truth of the sentence. This is the best way to make sure that your thought or idea is not false or imprecise.

Now that we've understood the Socratic method to truth we try to use it for qualities and if those qualities are good for example (you don't have to agree).

Is patriotism good?

A lot of people would say yes. Has there ever been a circumstance where patriotism was not so good? I would say yes colonizers and socialist nationalist parties were very patriotic.

So is patriotism bad?

Not necessarily.

Has there ever been a circumstance where patriotism was good?

Yes after the civil war patriotism helped to unite the states instead of concentrating on the differences between the south and the union.

Should I adopt patriotism as my own personal quality?

Here's where you have a really good think and come to realize if you wish to adopt that quality or any other quality after using the socratic method.

I only used a very brief example because these sort of reflexions can go on for hours. If everyone thought about the qualities they pocess and put them under scrutiny using the socratic method and then chose to either dispose of that quality, keep it, or even aspire to one I believe we would become the person we want to be.

Thank you very much for reading. I look forward to your comments below and let me know what you think.

Will you yourself embark in this trip to self discovery and growth? Do you think it's completely stupid? All opinions are welcome, have a good day everybody.

[Anonymous]

Plato and Socrates were both a geniuses, they knew that democracy is flawed system :)

Plato: "You see my friend the three shepherds on the hill? As long as they can outvote me and Socrates, and then makes decisions, I will not believe in democracy".

Socrates: “Democracy will pay because they will try to reply to everyone.
The poor will want possessions of the rich - democracy will give it to them.
Young people will want to be respected as a man, a woman will want to be
as a male, the party will want the rights of indigenous people - democracy will give it to them.
The thieves and fraudsters will want important state functions - democracy will give it to them.
And when thieves and fraudsters finally democratic, take power, because criminals and strive for power, there will be a worse tyranny than during any monarchy or oligarchy".

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[Anonymous]

Excellent take. People should be willing to introspect more, as opposed to just doing whatever other people are doing.

[serp777]

Except that socrates was an idiot who reasoned himself to death with his method by allowing himself to get killed because he thought it was right to follow laws even if they were unjust. Only socrates could reason that its morally right to follow the lies and even die for the unjust ones.

Also patriotism is stupid entirely and its what leads to a ton of different wars and conflicts (this also applies to religion); it segregates humans from each other. It would be better if everyone didn't have patriotism or religion, but rather supported humanism-- the country or religion you're in is irrelevant and what matters is that you're apart of the group of conscious entities of the universe. I firmly believe in world government and the installation of secular humanism and utilitarianism instead of patriotism and religion.

[karahiri]

I am a big fan of the Socratic method... and I use it often when trying to figure things out. Hope others do as well :)

[Nicolás25]

You'd be surprised how many people don't reflect on their own ideas and just go on through their lives haha also I like how you get disliked for using the Socratic method like who gets mad about that? Hahaha

[Mcpulp]

I think this method helps you UNDERSTAND who you are, rather than changing who you are.

Of course, when I say that, it's more just correcting your title, right? I think this method works on an unconscious level, meaning that everybody uses it without knowing that they are.

Very nice articulation of thoughts. 'Twas an enjoyable read.

[Nicolás25]

Thanks but say someone is lazy and they think is being lazy good? And then continue on with that thought to realize it's not they are changing by understanding themselves 'twas a pleasure sir.

[AnOrdinaryGirl45]

So the goal of the Socratic method is to come as close as possible to the truth?

[Nicolás25]

Not as close as possible but to come to the truth what is a triangle?
Its a shape
Are all shapes triangles?
No a triangle is a shape with three sides and three angles
There are no further questions since that is a true statement.

[AnOrdinaryGirl45]

Okay, thank you!

[Marge308]

It is very pleasant to know that there are still people who read philosophy. Well, I assume you do. Have you read The Last Days of Socrates?

[Attractive_Guy]

I avoid the Socratic method like the plague. It is self-defeating and infinitely recursive thinking.

[Nicolás25]

I don't see how it's self defeating it makes you look past your biasees and focus on reasoning

[Attractive_Guy]

Your reasoning is always biased. It's infinitely recursive because of that; for instance "Patriotism", can it ever be wrong? Depends on how you define it. Is there a truly objective definition? No there isn't. So then it goes back into depending on how you define it. When people say they can see past their biases they fail to realize that their biases are literally guiding them to new biases beneath their biases, but that's it, esp. regarding "non-facts". We can talk about triangles because triangles have a clear definition but to talk about morals as such?

Nonsense. What is good and bad shifts faster than the sands of the desert in a sandstorm for a number of reasons depending on the situation you are in and your vantage point. It's why justification is never a steady thing and self-justification only makes sense to the inherent party despite being ludicrous otherwise.

[ImaginativeDreamer]

Socrates was the greatest philosopher in ancient Greece, even Aristotle knew that ;)

[TheDevilsAdvocate]

This is cool!

[93stepsawayfromhome]

Good take!