Introspection and Mental Health

 

“The unexamined life is not worth living." – Socrates 

The above words were spoken by Socrates, right before his death by drinking poison in ancient Greece. He had chosen to die instead of living the rest of his life in exile and not doing what brought out the life in him. And he was only able to find what brought out the life in him through examining himself and looking inwards. He accomplished this thorough what we now call introspection. Introspection is, in essence, the process of looking inward and describing one’s own experience. A device used by many greats throughout history, it is essentially a form of self-reflection to find meaning or a sense of purpose in life.

Nowadays, we live in a world that’s constantly changing and growing. And you would think that’s a positive because any growth, ultimately, is a positive thing. But that’s where the problem lies, you see. We, as humans, are wired to resist change at all cost. We want to control the things around us, and when we realize we cannot do that; we blame ourselves, become our own source of misery and, as a result, harm ourselves mentally. And that is where introspection comes in, it enables us to find meaning; it enables us to hold onto something, in a time where everything is changing day by day.

Like the great philosopher Socrates who died for his purpose, let us also start to find our purpose through introspection on the occasion of World Mental Health Day. For as long as we have something to hold onto, we shall never suffer through the tumultuous realities of this rapidly-changing world.