"I'm Socrates, But My Skin More Chocolatey"

     "Excuse me, is you say'n something? Nu-uh, you can't tell me nothing."  Kanye West is  one of the most controversial figures in pop culture. His lyrics and his actions seem to go against all popular ideas and poke fun at the establishment as well. This quote sums up his philosophy on receiving knowledge. Kanye's idea of not buying in to what everyone else thinks as true parallels that of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.
Socrates dedicated his life to studying the human condition and debating with others on how one should live their life.
      He reputedly challenged those in power in an attempt to make them look foolish and always went against the norm. In Kanye's first two albums ; college dropout and late registration, he insults   those who go to college. He discusses how much money people spend on there education and states that it isn't worth it with lyrics like, "look at the valedictorian,  scared of the future while I hop in the dolorian."
      The views of both Kanye and Socrates were seen as very controversial. As a result of Socrates persistent questioning the figures in power became very upset. Eventually they chose to kill him. On the other hand Kanye is viewed negatively by many figures in power because of his lyrics and his actions in public which reflect his beliefs on life. The comparison between these two philosophers are very evident. Kanye must be the modern day Socrates.

The unquestioned life is still a life

Socrates once said that the unquestioned life is not worth living. He also killed himself. Although Socrates may be the most well-known philosophers of all time, I can't agree with the idea that a life without question is not worth living. Unless your life is filled with pain, torture, and  misery from the moment you wake up to when you go to sleep then your life is worth living.
Socrates talked about how the only way to be happy is to constantly ask questions in order to find the truth, and that finding the truth is the only way to ever be truly happy. Yet to me in many ways ignorance can be bliss. Many times it seems as though the more you learn about life and all it's problems the more disappointing things can become. 
Think of a baby who knows almost nothing about life and whose mind is open to all information. According to Socrates this baby is living a worthless life and can't be happy. This doesn't seem right, babies smile all the time. Are they not happy?
In my opinion we should all be thankfull that we are alive. There is no standard way everyone should live according to. Different things make different people happy.

Eulogy

We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Ryan Lyles, a great young man. If you asked anyone who knew him they could tell you that he was a joy to be around. Its a shame that this young man with great potential had to leave us at such an early age. He will be missed dearly. Nevertheless, this is not a time for mourning but a time for celebrating the accomplishments that Ryan experienced during his short time with us. 

When recalling the events of Ryan's life I would like to start by saying he was not perfect, as none of us are. He made mistakes just like you and me, in fact he may have made a few more then most. What made him special was his ability to bounce back quickly after problems and correct the issue. I think we could have all learned a little about life issues from him. 

Throughout his life, Ryan's  family and friends appreciated his good character. He wasn't a liar, a thief, and he could be trusted. While growing up negative influences were all around him, but where so many others succumbed he managed to rise above and walk past all the things he could have been to become the honorable  person he was.