Synod and the unknown
August 17, 2021
Code red for humanity
August 17, 2021

The unexamined life is not worth living

By Michael Lezama, 20

What do we value and how do we know that we value it? According to the online dictionary ‘Catholic Culture’, “value is what makes a thing desirable and considered worthwhile”.

So, what do we consider desirable, and how do we know we consider it worthwhile? Some might proclaim that they know what they value because they strongly believe that they value it and that no matter what, no-one can take that away from them.

However, while I am not disputing that people can make true claims about what they do and do not value, I would simply like to suggest one question to them. What makes us justified in our claims? Is it what we think and say or how we act? Consider for example St Peter’s act of faith when Jesus called him to walk upon water. His choice indicated that he considered attempting to walk on water more desirable or of more value than staying within the boat. Hence, if any of the disciples were to make a claim of them valuing, following Jesus, who would be most justified?

Even within our own lives our actions seem to reveal what we unconsciously value and what we do not—from our choices to wear masks to the time we spend or do not spend with our loved ones. Everything we do or do not, tells us what is of importance to us.

So, the question arises: why do we value certain actions above others? What seems to be motivating us to make these valued decisions? Are we acting for the sake of acting or are we acting for a specific purpose, to achieve a certain goal; something apparently good or worth pursuing?

St Thomas Aquinas would perhaps agree with the latter, stating that all human action is organised toward the fulfilment of what we perceive to be good. This simply means that the decisions we make get their value based on the degree to which they bring us closer toward our intended goals.

Think back at the decisions you made before this moment: what was your aim? Why was it important? And what actions did you put value on in order to reach here? We not only do this for immediate goals but for long-term ones as well.

We create plans which involve the preference of a specific set of activities over others so that we may reach a certain end. Oftentimes, these preferred activities call us to give up something we want in the moment, another perceived good that we know will not bring us long-term happiness.

It is in this manner that we become aware of competing goods all ‘dressing up pretty’ for our attention. Thus, we ought to ask which goods we should move toward. Is there an overarching direction our life should take or is it all subjective?

It seems to me that the answer to this question is known to us on some inner level. We know it when we find ourselves doing an exam for which we didn’t study; we know it when we wake up hung-over from the night before; we know when we overslept the day we had an interview; and of course, we know when we forget our wedding anniversary.

It is the uncomfortable feeling of being somewhere we aren’t supposed to be, the knowledge that we are making, or we’ve made a big mistake. We know God has an overarching plan for our life because when we pursue things regardless of the consequences, we sacrifice our well-being and happiness.

If we all have this intrinsic knowledge, why do we keep on sinning? Why do we keep on putting value on actions that bring about our demise? This sentiment is eloquently expressed in Romans 7, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I do I hate.”

In our social lives, we are so caught up in activities that we don’t take the time to properly acknowledge what we are valuing or where our preferred actions are leading us. We rather act without foresight so we can enjoy our temporary pleasures. We keep our goals obscure so we don’t have to bear the burden of knowing how we failed to live up to the standard God has set out for us. Knowledge of good and evil comes with the responsibility of valuing through our actions, goals which brings us closer to our intended purpose. Therefore, when we adopt wilful blindness, we think we get to enjoy the present without sacrificing the future.

Knowing that our actions have value, knowing that to act means to move toward a specific aim and knowing that we are also prone to self-deception are important things to keep in mind.

Moments of self-examination are required during and at the end of our day. Paying particular attention to where our actions are taking us and a reflection on how we can improve them in our day to best model God’s plan is integral.

We know we cannot stay still in a world of movement, so let’s at least take the time to ensure our actions are worth taking.

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