Where Journaling Meets Applied Wisdom

Philosophy, psychology, mental models and more — applied to your journaling.

Download on the App Store
Examined Self app screenshotExamined Self app screenshotExamined Self app screenshot

Maybe you don't lack motivation – you lack clarity and direction.

You don't need  another book, you need to put theory into practice.

Get clarity and direction

Get insights and prompts based on what you write. Uncover patterns, blindspots, and build a clearer sense of who you are and where you're heading.

Timeless wisdom, tailored to you

Philosophy, psychology, mental models, and other time-tested wisdom – personalized and applied to your current priorities and challenges.

Prompt Library

Reflect on the big questions

Get started with a curated list of prompts to help you reflect on what matters most.

Prompt Library — Examined Self app screenshot
  • What do you want to be remembered for?
  • What regrets would you prefer?
  • If you said yes to this, what would you be saying no to?
  • What did you see today that could inspire something new?
  • What do you secretly want more of, but feel guilty about?
  • I exist to...
  • What would you do if you wanted to fail at your goal?
  • What's the one small move that unlocks everything else?
  • When do you feel most alive?
  • What asymmetric bet are you taking at the moment?
  • If this phase of your life had a title, what would it be?
  • What would future-you thank you for doing today?
  • If your life was a startup, what experiment would you run next?
  • What's one wild idea that excites you right now?
Smart Insights — Examined Self app screenshot

Smart Insights

Get insights based on your writing

The more you write, the better Examined Self gets at analyzing your patterns, spotting blindspots, and providing you the push you need to keep exploring and acting with intention.

Topic-based Insights

Apply time-tested wisdom to your life

Putting theory into practice is hard. Examined Self analyzes your notes and generates topic-based insights to help you apply time-tested wisdom to your current challenges and priorities.

Topic-based Insights — Examined Self app screenshot

Topic Library

Access a library of mental models, frameworks, philosophy

A growing library of time-tested wisdom that has helped countless individuals, founders and leaders make better decisions.

  • Survivorship Bias
  • Inversion Principle
  • Adjacent Possible
  • Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys)
  • Loss Aversion
  • Bayesian Thinking
  • Tipping Point
  • Growth Mindset
  • Game Theory
  • Scientific Method
  • Infinite Games
  • OODA Loop
  • Law of Diminishing Returns
  • Pre-Mortem
  • Availability Heuristic
  • Blue Ocean Strategy
  • Eisenhower Matrix
  • Disruptive Innovation
  • Feynman Technique
  • Stoicism
  • Deep Work
  • Antifragility
  • Pareto Principle
  • Opportunity Cost
  • First Principles Thinking
  • Ikigai
  • Compound Interest
  • SMART Goals
Contextual Prompts — Examined Self app screenshot

Contextual Prompts

Go deeper with contextual prompts

Personalized prompts emerge with each insight, helping you dig deeper into specific themes.

Memory

The more you write, the smarter the insights

A system that evolves with you and remembers your priorities and focus areas.

Memory — Examined Self app screenshot

“The unexamined life is not worth living”

– Socrates

Founder message

I've always been curious about what it means to live a good life – and how to explore that question from a secular, rational, and compassionate point of view.

Over the years, that curiosity led me deep into philosophy and self-development. But at some point, I realized I wasn’t really applying those ideas meaningfully to my own life. When I began journaling regularly, during a particularly challenging time, I noticed how often I defaulted to society’s answers instead of thinking for myself. Knowing about those great ideas and mental models was one thing – living them was another.

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself – and you are the easiest person to fool.” — Richard P. Feynman

Examined Self grew out of that realization. It’s the tool I felt was missing – one that helps you understand yourself more deeply and apply timeless wisdom in a meaningful, personal way.

It’s for those who may feel a little stuck, and it's also for those who simply refuse to stop learning, growing, and seeking a more examined, fulfilling life.

Pedro Vasconcelos

Pedro Vasconcelos

Founder

Examined Self

Try for free

Download on the App Store