--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We all know that the un-examined life is…" description: "\"“We all know that the un-examined life is not worth living (socrates). But if all you are doing is examining, you are not living.”\" — Adam Leipzig" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b78/adam-leipzig-39955_examined-life_we-all-know-that-the-un-examined-life-is_700857.jpg" --- # We all know that the un-examined life is not worth living… ![“We all know that the un-examined life is not worth living (socrates). But if all you are doing is examining, you are not living.” quote by Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b78/adam-leipzig-39955_examined-life_we-all-know-that-the-un-examined-life-is_700857.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b78/adam-leipzig-39955_examined-life_we-all-know-that-the-un-examined-life-is_700857.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b78/adam-leipzig-39955_examined-life_we-all-know-that-the-un-examined-life-is_700857.jpg) > ““We all know that the un-examined life is not worth living (socrates). But if all you are doing is examining, you are not living.”” [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive introspection without action leads to a life not truly lived. **In simple terms:** Thinking alone isn’t enough. Key Takeaway Balance thought with action. Themes philosophy self‑knowledge action Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career decisions - personal growth - daily routines Key Concepts Socratic method life purpose Questions to Reflect On - What actions reflect your insights? - How do you avoid over‑analysis? A Different Perspective Too much analysis can cause paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Examined life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/examined-life/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Worth living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth-living/) ## Related quotes > [The unexamined life is not worth living. But if all you're doing is examining, then you're not living!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-but-if-all-you-re-doing-is/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [“SOCRATES: For doing evil to another is the same as injuring him? CRITO: Very true. SOCRATES: Then we ought not to retaliate or render…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/socrates-for-doing-evil-to-another-is-the-same-as-injuring-him-crito/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“The unexamined life isn’t worth living. – SOCRATES”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-unexamined-life-isn-t-worth-living-socrates/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In a speech, the columnist Charles Krauthammer… offered a new version of Socrates' famous saying, "The unexamined life is not worth living." In our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leo/in-a-speech-the-columnist-charles-krauthammer-offered-a-new-version/) [John Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leo/) > [Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. But the over-examined life makes you wish you were dead. Given the alternative, I'd rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/socrates-said-the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-but-the-over/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Plato says that the unexamined life is not worth living. But what if the examined life turns out to be a clunker as well?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/plato-says-that-the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-but-what-if/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The un-re-examined life is not worth living”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-un-re-examined-life-is-not-worth-living/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-for-a-human-being/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“The over examined life is not worth living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/culum-mccan/the-over-examined-life-is-not-worth-living/) Culum McCan > [The ancient Greeks were the first ones to say an unexamined life is not worth living. They don't tell you of course what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-quinn/the-ancient-greeks-were-the-first-ones-to-say-an-unexamined-life-is/) [Colin Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-quinn/) > [Socrates said, the unexamined life is not worth living. My dad said, Booty - mmm mmm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/socrates-said-the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-my-dad-said/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [As Socrates I believe said the unexamined life is not worth living. I believe that's true. I do believe that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-behar/as-socrates-i-believe-said-the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-i/) [Joy Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-behar/) > [“Socrates once said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." I would expand on his thought by suggesting, "The unexamined society is not worth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-workman/socrates-once-said-the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-i-would/) Eileen Workman > [“What do you think Socrates meant when he said, “The unexamined life is not worth living”? Third,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/what-do-you-think-socrates-meant-when-he-said-the-unexamined-life-is/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“Socrates had it backward. He thought the unexamined life is not worth living. I think no one's life holds up to examination. The more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-dow/socrates-had-it-backward-he-thought-the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth/) David R. Dow ## More by Adam Leipzig > [In order to be artists we need to be in our studios, in our private rooms... in our private personal space... that sacred protected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/in-order-to-be-artists-we-need-to-be-in-our-studios-in-our-private/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [You can shoot and edit a movie from your iPhone and upload it to YouTube. Of course, what's not universal is talent. Are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/you-can-shoot-and-edit-a-movie-from-your-iphone-and-upload-it-to/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [The one thing that cannot be outsourced is creativity. We have to find ways to support creative people because the only way we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/the-one-thing-that-cannot-be-outsourced-is-creativity-we-have-to-find/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [The one word you should forget when you start a new project is the word 'I' - you need to replace that word 'I'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/the-one-word-you-should-forget-when-you-start-a-new-project-is-the/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [Artists don't like the business side. None of us were born understanding money. We all had to learn how to do it. So it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/artists-don-t-like-the-business-side-none-of-us-were-born/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [The unexamined life is not worth living. But if all you're doing is examining, then you're not living!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-but-if-all-you-re-doing-is/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [How do I get it made? How do I get it seen? How do I get it in front of the people I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/how-do-i-get-it-made-how-do-i-get-it-seen-how-do-i-get-it-in-front-of/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [Frightening for many artists is promoting themselves. They feel it is... artificial and not what we want to be known for. Yet if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/frightening-for-many-artists-is-promoting-themselves-they-feel-it-is/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [When we are in our studios, in our private space... we need to block out the outside world; we need to disbelieve anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/when-we-are-in-our-studios-in-our-private-space-we-need-to-block-out/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [At a certain point you have to make a decision in your life about where will you best serve, and I decided that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/at-a-certain-point-you-have-to-make-a-decision-in-your-life-about/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) [Explore all 11 Adam Leipzig quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) ## More Examined life quotes > [Courage is the enabling virtue for any philosopher - for any human being, I think, in the end. Courage to think, courage to love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/courage-is-the-enabling-virtue-for-any-philosopher-for-any-human/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-for-a-human-being/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“If truth is what you seek, then the examined life will only take you on a long ride to the limits of solitude and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/if-truth-is-what-you-seek-then-the-examined-life-will-only-take-you/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [“Taking a lot of selfies doesn’t mean you live an examined life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/taking-a-lot-of-selfies-doesn-t-mean-you-live-an-examined-life/) [Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/) > [Contemporary philosophy illustrates Hegel's dictum that philosophy is its own time apprehended in thought, for in our age philosophy yields to the objectifying technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-phillip-verene/contemporary-philosophy-illustrates-hegel-s-dictum-that-philosophy-is/) [Donald Phillip Verene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-phillip-verene/) > [It takes tremendous discipline, takes tremendous courage, to think for yourself, to examine yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/it-takes-tremendous-discipline-takes-tremendous-courage-to-think-for/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Emerson, I am trying to live, as you said we must, the examined life. But there are days I wish there was less in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/emerson-i-am-trying-to-live-as-you-said-we-must-the-examined-life-but/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [I have a sneaking suspicion that leading an examined life and being really tan aren't consistent with one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dov-davidoff/i-have-a-sneaking-suspicion-that-leading-an-examined-life-and-being/) [Dov Davidoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dov-davidoff/) > [It's important to have an examined life - but it's a fine line between having an examined life and being hypercritical of oneself. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-nettles/it-s-important-to-have-an-examined-life-but-it-s-a-fine-line-between/) [Jennifer Nettles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-nettles/) > [“When I examined my own life, I realized that I had been standing at the foot of my mother's casket for 35 years, grieving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-j-williams/when-i-examined-my-own-life-i-realized-that-i-had-been-standing-at/) Nathaniel J. Williams > [“Thurough examination will do the healthy no harm, and it may bless the sick.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/thurough-examination-will-do-the-healthy-no-harm-and-it-may-bless-the/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [“How, I wondered, can we wake up for this amazing journey that is so quickly ended? How can we experience the live performance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/how-i-wondered-can-we-wake-up-for-this-amazing-journey-that-is-so/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [The ancient Greeks were the first ones to say an unexamined life is not worth living. They don't tell you of course what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-quinn/the-ancient-greeks-were-the-first-ones-to-say-an-unexamined-life-is/) [Colin Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-quinn/) > [“There are all these things that you never know whether they're features or bugs- in a company or organization, or even in a personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/there-are-all-these-things-that-you-never-know-whether-they-re/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [It's the desire to study the human condition, the desire for collaboration, to learn and absorb, and to lead a well-examined life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/it-s-the-desire-to-study-the-human-condition-the-desire-for/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) [Browse all 41 Examined life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/examined-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We all know that the un-examined life is not worth living (socrates). 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