The Lessons from the Life of Socrates

OK, so for this post I'm not doing anything but ranting about how messed up the system is. Education, government, religion, etc. They're all systems now. They're all set up where an individual who asks questions that stump the higher ups or who tries to simplify things are looked down upon and outcast.

This all came to my mind when I was reading about the life of Socrates. I've always heard Socrates quotes, or read his writings, or his foundations that he laid for Western philosophy, but I had never really heard about his life.

**Side Note: I've been researching what people have done in their 20's to achieve levels of great success because I believe I am destined for that summit. Not trying to reinvent the wheel, I'm just trying to combine great people's footsteps and walk the same path. Hate if you want, join if you want.**

Anyways, you hear all about this great philosopher, arguably the greatest known to date, but you never hear about his life and death. So I researched it, not hard to find I just Google'd it. Found several pages so I went through them all. The most interesting page was a page that detailed the Trial of Socrates with the background to his death. -Since Socrates actually didn't write much, much of the details are found through Plato's writings, since he was Socrates' student and witnessed everything first hand. Or Xenophon, or however you spell it, because he was a student and a historian who may have been more accurate. I digress.

If you don't know the story it's pretty deep. This is basically what happened. Socrates was known as the wisest man in Athens or the surrounding areas because of his philosophy and all that he did, no surprise. He was regarded as a great man, until he disclaimed being wise.

"I know that I know nothing" is what he said, right? So from this point he went and questioned all of the authority of Athens until they were proven to not have the answers he was looking for. He did this to many greats in Athens, including politicians and councilmen, until he began an uproar.

Well of course these people in power don't want to be proven to be just normal people after all, so what did they do? They sentenced him to death by poison. Why? For corrupting the minds of the youth and impiety.

He also could have got out of his death by having his following convince the guards to let him out, but he took it like a boss and said he would stay for it was his time to die and no true philosopher fears death. My nigga. I digress.

Now did he do anything wrong? No. He publicly questioned the wisest men in the state, which is what you are supposed to do when you need answers right? Then he belittled them by saying that he was unwise, which them angry because of the paradox that he was the wisest man in Athens. Go figure.

So they killed him. Flat out made him drink some poison and told him to walk until he couldn't feel his legs, then lay down so the poison could get to his heart. Pretty ruthless.

How does any of this relate to the system? Simple. I'll give you a few examples from my life personally.

Many times as a Christian you are told to ask WWJD, right? but if you check The Gospels, the answer to that question doesn't exist when you're in your 20's. So, what have I been doing? I have been asking people what did Jesus do when he was my age. Did I receive any answers that have pleased me yet? Nope.

As a Christian, any religion, you must believe in blind faith or whatever, but what if that's not good enough? And, if you've read previous blogs, The Bible is very loosely translated and even the perception of Jesus has been tainted throughout Europe and into America, so why must I believe everything that these tainted church's have told me if they cannot answer this question?

Why am I not allowed to ask what Jesus was doing when he was my age, but I am supposed to believe that he lived without a single sin for 33 years on this corrupt earth and is the sole way to everlasting life? What is the problem with this simple question?

Easy, it can not be found by the majority of preachers. You know the same ones I talked about leading these corrupt churches. The system wants you to go to their services, give them money, and listen to the same little excerpts that they pick out of this loosely translated Bible instead of asking questions that they cannot answer.

Another example, ask a politician what's wrong with socialism. In a time where the top 1% of the country, who have made their money off of corrupting millions of people since the slavery days (maybe even before) to get their wealth that they continue to stretch to the point of no return, what's wrong with them giving money to the rest of the people who are driving the government into debt, from what politicians say, because of Social Security and government programs like food stamps and things of the sort?

Why can't those people, who spend millions of dollars on private jets and competing to have the largest super yacht give that money instead to black communities that have been on the decline since Reaganomics disrupted the black family and the black power movement started in the 60's and 70's. Digress.

Aren't these fair questions? I would like to think so, right?

Another question, why are people scared of a revolution when this sole thing is what this nation was founded on? If the system's broke, like our forefathers believed England was, you go to any means you can to fix it! And the government knows it's coming. Their preparing police all over the nation with hollow tip rounds and kevlar like they're preparing for a war. Armories that were dormant are being revitalized like an invasion is coming, but what America doesn't know is that the invasion is coming from within. I'll digress on this point until a later post, but if you don't believe me get on YouTube and search Civil Unrest in America. Crazy stuff that's happening without people even being aware of it. Whatever.

Back to the point

What happens in this system, is these questions are frowned upon. People who ask questions are written off immediately while the media portrays everything as "evil" and not as good as what we have now. WELL CLEARLY WHAT WE HAVE NOW ISN'T FUCKIN WORKING!

As a kid, you're only allowed questions in class when you raise your hand. If the teacher doesn't know, and the child continues to ask they are placed in detention or timeout or whatever.

If you ask these questions in church, you are written off as not having faith or some other question is brought up to make it seem as though you are wrong.

If you bring these questions up to a politician you are seen as a radical or a terrorist that doesn't have faith in the country.

I could really go on all day about the way the world doesn't want you to ask questions, but please don't give in. If you have a feeling, or there is something that goes against your logic question it until you find an answer.

My greatest hope with this blog is that by some way of the universe people spread it and see the questions that are on here and spark questions of their own. Because, there are answers for everything it's all a matter of how hard you are willing to search before you find them.

I'll be done with my rant now. I hope you read all of the way through.

As always feel free to comment where I was wrong or your personal opinions I appreciate all thoughts and perspectives that are given with respect.

These are just my thoughts.

-Marcus J.