To Know Oneself; To Live an Examined Life

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The first step to achieving any measure of progress in any activity is admitting the existence of an area in need of improvement and accepting the action necessary for successful development. In developing an identity and living an examined life, it is important to engage in internal reflection and evaluation for the benefit of truly knowing oneself. With this inner insight and personal identity, an individual can lead a successful and meaningful life. True personal progress can only be fully achieved through the procedural acquisition of awareness and acceptance and the performance of the action needed for improvement in regard to all aspects of individual health and prosperity. In the intellectual dimension, the process of obtaining awareness and acceptance and performing necessary action can be observed when discussing the development of intellect and effective use of education. When developing internal intellect, an individual must be aware of his or her inner self in order to acquire meaningful knowledge through the evolution of an identity. In The Seven Vectors: An Overview, Arthur W. Chickering and Linda Reisser discuss the importance of acquiring a “sense of self in a social, historical, and cultural context,” encouraging internal awareness and attention to one’s inner self (38). Also, in his Major Decisions, James Tunstead Burtchaell displays the critical influence of education as a method used “to see beneath and beyond what is well known,” encouraging the pursuit of intellectual depth (31). Personally, through my desire to learn and experience knowledge, I have found that an attention to my internal self is required in order to be able to accept the state of my intelligence and the areas in which it needs improvemen... ... middle of paper ... ...ercise-and-stress/SR00036>. Newman, Barbara M. and Philip R. Newman. "Individual Identity Versus Identity Confusion." Orientation To College: A Reader on Becoming an Educated Person. 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2004. 120-25. Print. Olson, David, and John DeFrain. “Conflict and Conflict Resolution.” Marriage and the Family: Diversity and Strengths. McGraw Hill, 1994. 48-54. Print. Palmer, Parker J. Let Your Life Speak. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000. 73-109. Print. Selye, Hans. "What Is Stress?" The Stress of Life. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1956. 163-65. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. Tartakovsky, Margarita. "Depression and Anxiety Among College Students." Psych Central, 27 Aug. 2008. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. Whitehead, Alfred North. "Universities and Their Function." Orientation To College: A Reader on Becoming an Educated Person. 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2004. 38-39. Print.

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