I Used Socratic Method to find Truth
- Madhukar Dama
- 13 hours ago
- 7 min read
What is the Socratic Method?
The Socratic Method is not a trick. It’s just a way of asking honest questions until the truth becomes clear.
Named after the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, this method believes:
“The truth is already within us. We just need to ask the right questions.”
Now let’s bring it home—to Indian life. With examples from daily life, we’ll show how this method works, and how it can help anyone—from a student to a street vendor—understand life more clearly.
Let’s Begin With a Simple Situation:
Scene: A teenage boy in India wants to drop science and pursue music.
Dialogue:
Father: “Why do you want to waste your life on music?”
Son: “Is music really a waste?”
Father: “You won’t earn enough.”
Son: “Is money the only measure of a successful life?”
Father (pause): “Well, no… but it’s important.”
Son: “Can people be happy with less money but doing what they love?”
Father: “Yes, I guess some are.”
Son: “Then is it fair to say music is a waste, just because it’s not engineering?”
Father (thinking): “Maybe not.”
Truth revealed: Music is not a waste. It’s just different from what’s commonly accepted.
How It Works:
The Socratic Method uses questions to peel away assumptions.
It doesn’t insult, argue, or force—it simply keeps asking.
Let’s Try a Few More Examples:
1. Caste System
Q: Why is someone treated lower because of birth?
A: Because tradition says so.
Q: Is everything in tradition correct?
A: No, some things are outdated.
Q: So should we continue doing what is clearly unfair?
A: No.
Q: Then why support caste discrimination?
Truth revealed: Caste-based inequality is tradition, not truth. It can and should be questioned.
2. Education
Q: What is the purpose of education?
A: To get a job.
Q: Only that?
A: Maybe also to learn.
Q: Can someone be educated but still ignorant?
A: Yes.
Q: Then is a degree alone proof of wisdom?
Truth revealed: Real education is about understanding, not just certificates.
3. Religion and Fear
Q: Why do you go to the temple every Tuesday?
A: To avoid bad luck.
Q: If you don’t go, will something bad surely happen?
A: Not always.
Q: Then is it faith or fear?
A: Maybe… fear.
Q: Should religion be based on fear or understanding?
Truth revealed: Blind ritual without understanding leads to fear, not faith.
Why Is This Powerful?
Because in India, many beliefs are inherited, not understood.
We follow:
“Because elders said so”
“Because everyone does it”
“Because society will talk”
The Socratic Method cuts through all that.
It doesn’t say “you are wrong.”
It asks—“Why do you believe that?”
And then lets you answer.
Who Can Use This?
Students asking: “Why must I do this?”
Parents wondering: “Is my idea of success outdated?”
Citizens thinking: “Do I really know what I vote for?”
Anyone trying to make sense of life.
The Indian Way of Knowing:
Ironically, India had its own Socratic tradition:
Upanishads used questioning between guru and student
Buddha used gentle inquiry, not dogma
Adi Shankara debated opponents with calm logic
So this is not foreign.
It’s ancient.
It’s ours too.
Conclusion:
You don’t need a guru, a PhD, or a degree to discover truth.
All you need is courage to question—yourself and the world around you.
Ask simple things. Ask honestly. Ask repeatedly.
“The ultimate truth is not found in answers—
But in the courage to keep asking.”
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LET’S FIND OUT 30 MORE TRUTH
1. At a Coaching Centre
Student: Why do I have to become an engineer? Teacher: Because it’s a safe career. Student: But what if I don’t enjoy it? Teacher: That doesn’t matter. Everyone does it. Student: So is safety more important than passion?
2. At a Marriage Proposal Meeting
Girl: Why are you asking about my cooking skills? Boy’s Family: Because you’re going to be a wife. Girl: Can a husband not cook? Boy’s Family: It’s not traditional. Girl: So tradition is more important than fairness?
3. On the Family WhatsApp Group
Uncle: Don’t share negative news. It’s anti-national. Nephew: Is asking questions negative? Uncle: It creates unrest. Nephew: Then is silence patriotism?
4. At a Religious Festival
Child: Why do we do this ritual? Father: It brings good luck. Child: Has it been proven? Father: No, but we just believe it. Child: So belief doesn’t need logic?
5. In a Government Office
Citizen: Why is my file delayed? Officer: These things take time. Citizen: Why? Officer: That’s just how it is. Citizen: So inefficiency is normal?
6. At a Family Gathering
Aunt: She’s 28 and still unmarried! Woman: Is marriage an exam with a deadline? Aunt: But people will talk! Woman: So their talk is more important than my timing?
7. At a Village Panchayat
Villager: Why can’t she inherit land? Elder: Because she’s a daughter. Villager: Isn’t she also part of the family? Elder: That’s not our way. Villager: Can fairness not become our way?
8. In a Classroom
Student: Why do we memorize instead of understanding? Teacher: That’s how exams are cleared. Student: But do exams test understanding? Teacher: Not really. Student: Then why not change the system?
9. During a Political Debate
Voter: Why do you always vote for the same party? Neighbor: Because my father did. Voter: But do you agree with their policies? Neighbor: I don’t know. Voter: Then is loyalty greater than awareness?
10. At a Hospital Waiting Room
Patient: Why is this hospital overcrowded? Staff: Government hospitals are like that. Patient: But shouldn’t healthcare be accessible? Staff: It should, but it isn’t. Patient: Then why do we accept it?
11. On Social Media
User: Why are you trolling that woman? Troll: She spoke too much. User: Isn’t she allowed to? Troll: Not if I don’t like it. User: Then is your dislike a law?
12. In a Corporate Office
Employee: Why is my boss always right? Colleague: Because he’s the boss. Employee: But what if he’s wrong? Colleague: Then you’re wrong for saying it. Employee: So is hierarchy more important than truth?
13. At a Cinema Hall
Friend: Why do we glorify stalkers as heroes? Other Friend: It’s just entertainment. Friend: Doesn’t it affect people? Other Friend: Maybe. Friend: Then isn’t it dangerous?
14. During a Festive Sale
Shopper: Why am I buying this? Friend: It’s on discount! Shopper: Do I need it? Friend: Not really. Shopper: Then is cheap always value?
15. In a Rich Family
Son: Why do we tip the driver only Rs.10? Father: That’s enough for him. Son: How do you know? Father: He never asks for more. Son: Does silence mean satisfaction?
16. In a Village Temple
Devotee: Why are Dalits not allowed inside? Priest: That’s the rule. Devotee: Is God caste-based? Priest: No. Devotee: Then are the rules God-made or man-made?
17. At a College Farewell
Student: Why didn’t we learn about financial literacy? Professor: It’s not in the syllabus. Student: But we’ll need it in life. Professor: True. Student: Then why not teach it?
18. At a School Function
Girl: Why is the annual day hosted by boys? Teacher: It’s tradition. Girl: Are girls less capable? Teacher: No. Girl: Then why not change tradition?
19. In a Gym
Trainer: You need to lose weight fast. Client: Why? Trainer: To look good. Client: For whom? Trainer: Society. Client: So their eyes define my body?
20. On a Train
Passenger: Why is the disabled seat taken? Other Passenger: I sat first. Passenger: Isn’t it meant for those in need? Other Passenger: Yes. Passenger: Then why the rush over right?
21. At a Beauty Salon
Customer: Why do I need fair skin to be beautiful? Beautician: That’s what people prefer. Customer: Who decided that? Beautician: Society. Customer: So society defines beauty for me?
22. In a Newspaper Office
Journalist: Why can’t I cover this story? Editor: It might upset powerful people. Journalist: Isn’t truth the goal? Editor: Yes, but not at the cost of safety. Journalist: Then is fear stronger than truth?
23. At a Family Dinner
Son: Why can’t I pursue music? Father: There’s no money in it. Son: But it makes me happy. Father: Happiness doesn’t pay bills. Son: Does misery pay them better?
24. In a Fashion Store
Teenager: Why are girls clothes more revealing? Shopkeeper: That’s the trend. Teenager: Who creates the trend? Shopkeeper: Designers. Teenager: So do I wear what sells or what suits me?
25. At a Clubhouse
Member: Why aren’t maids allowed in the lift? Resident: That’s the rule. Member: What makes us different? Resident: Status. Member: Isn’t that just discrimination?
26. On a Highway Toll Booth
Driver: Why am I paying toll every 10 km? Collector: That’s how the system works. Driver: Isn’t road tax already paid? Collector: Yes. Driver: Then am I paying twice?
27. In a High Court
Citizen: Why is justice delayed for years? Lawyer: The system is slow. Citizen: Can’t it be improved? Lawyer: It could, but no one does it. Citizen: Then do we love justice or delay?
28. At a Mental Health Camp
Youth: Why don’t we talk about depression? Volunteer: Because it’s taboo. Youth: But it affects many. Volunteer: Still, people hide it. Youth: Does silence cure anything?
29. At a Holi Celebration
Neighbor: Why are you throwing water at strangers? Boy: It’s Holi! Neighbor: Did they ask for it? Boy: No. Neighbor: Then is fun only one-sided?
30. In a Tech Company
Engineer: Why are women not in leadership? Manager: Not enough apply. Engineer: Why? Manager: They don’t stay long. Engineer: Does system push them out?
Conclusion: The Truth Is Already Inside Us
Every one of these questions was asked by an ordinary person, in an ordinary situation. No degrees needed. No gurus required. Just a willingness to ask: “Is this true? Is this fair? Does this make sense?”
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The Questions They Hate
(In the style of Charles Bukowski)
they sit in their plastic chairs
with plastic smiles
and goddamn steel rules
about how the world should be—
because their fathers told them,
and their fathers before them.
don’t ask
why the beggar boy runs barefoot
next to a BMW.
don’t ask
why a girl needs to be fair
to be seen.
don’t ask
why the doctor’s son becomes a doctor
but never a poet.
they hate the question,
because it peels back
their borrowed truths.
they say,
“that’s just how it is.”
like that ends it.
like that’s wisdom.
but you sit there
with cheap rum
and an itch in your brain
that won’t go away.
you ask—
and they call you crazy.
you ask again—
and they call you dangerous.
truth isn’t hidden.
it’s avoided.
and you?
you’re not enlightened.
you’re just
not asleep.
and that,
my friend,
is enough
to piss the whole damn world off.