Psychotherapists are fond of quoting Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living”.
This is not surprising as most of us go into this field because we are analytical and introspective with an interest in existential concerns.
There is probably also a pragmatic reason why we like this quote – examining people’s lives is our bread and butter.
But mainly I think that we like Socrates’ quote because we understand that self-reflection and examination can lead to better mental health as well as the strengthening of important human qualities such as kindness, empathy, compassion, and caring.
Clinical psychologist Ronald Siegel suggested that: “ Prescription labels neglect to list: “may lead to an unexamined life” among possible side effects”.