About this quote

Most people spend their days running on autopilot, reacting to whatever happens next without asking why they do it. It is easy to slide into a routine of eating, working, sleeping, and repeating. But what is the point of a mind if you never use it to question your own choices? Look at your habits today and ask yourself if you actually chose them, or if you just inherited them from your peers. True awareness hurts because it forces you to admit when you are wrong, but staying asleep is far worse.

When to use it

• A software engineer realizes they have been writing the same simple code for five years without learning anything new, and pauses to ask what they actually want from their work.
• You find yourself buying expensive gadgets every month, then stop to ask yourself what void you are trying to fill with these purchases.
• A person realizes a childhood friendship has become completely one-sided and decides to analyze why they still feel obligated to maintain it.
• A college student pauses before finals to ask if they truly care about their major, or if they are just copying their parents' expectations.