The Deeper Meaning of ‘Mind Your Own Business’
Exploring an essential philosophic principle
‘Mind your own business.’ We’ve all heard or seen that declaration used many times, usually in an angry, petulant, or dismissive way.
‘Mind your own business!’ — meaning “Go away and leave me alone!”
Or ‘Mind your own business,’ as in “You’re invading my privacy — and it’s none of your damn business anyway!”
Or ‘Mind your own business!’, as in “Screw you — you’re not the boss of me!”
Or ‘Mind your own business, fool!’ meaning “Don’t be such a *%(!#@% busybody!”
These are all common, everyday meanings we ascribe to ‘Mind your own business.’ But none of these meanings or usages accesses the deeper, more profound meaning of ‘Mind your own business.’ They sort of touch on it, or may derive from it — but they don’t really embody it.
For ‘Mind your own business’ is actually a profound philosophic and psychological principle.
The Socratic Method of ‘minding your own business’
The great philosopher Plato forever enshrined his mentor Socrates in his Platonic dialogues, which all utilize the famed “Socratic method” of dialogue. In Plato’s “Republic,” Socrates engages…
