If you google the meaning of Philosophy you will get several meanings. That is true with most words and we do need to define what definition we are talking about. In short, defining the defined definition! Is it any wonder disagreements begin? But I googled Philosophy and one definition reads, " a theory or attitude held by a person or organization that acts as a guiding principle for behavior."
That is my understanding as well, at least the definition I had in mind when I began this blog.
So that being established I begin with this thought, should we adopt a philosophy that agrees with our thoughts or should our thoughts adopt a philosophy? I believe we all create our own philosophy based solely on our life experience. That philosophy will certainly change over time as our life experience grows. Now the study of philosophy is the study of ideas. It concerns the discernment of reality. Philosophy is merely the study of ideas. In a sense one could say that philosophy and religion are one and the same. I can't see where anyone could hold opposing opinions on those two " thoughts. " I say thoughts because neither can be proven or disproven.
Philosophers came in all flavors, there are religious ones, atheists, agnostics, and everything in between. It is my feeling that all philosophers are attempting to do one thing, discover what they believe. Today we might call that, finding themselves. You could expand that to include attempting to understand others philosophies about reality but then you begin to border on psychology. Why people do the things they do. That's just a guess, in my opinion, an educated and informed guess by those trained in that discipline, but a guess nonetheless.
It is that that brings me to question things. As I said the other day I have begun to take an interest in philosophy. Not so much as a course of study, but more of a "looking at myself " sort of thing. You can't teach philosophy, that's a misnomer. Philosophy is what you adopt by your own actions. Perhaps you can alter your behavior based on what is presented to you as an alternative, but you can't be taught philosophy. It is our thoughts that adopt a philosophy. Adopting a different philosophy, one contrary to our thoughts, is what causes problems. That's my take on it anyway. It is then we begin to strike out. The philosophy of truth is the only philosophy that is tenable. And what is truth but what we believe.
That brings us back to where I began. Philosophy as a guiding principle. Truth , your truth, must be your guiding principle. Where you find that truth makes little difference, at least to you. When others insist you adopt their truth they are insisting you adopt their philosophy. Lacking their life experiences I don't believe that is possible. True many similarities in our lives exist, just not the way we process those experiences. What does exist for each of us is our perceived reality. The way I see it. And the way I see it I would rather be honest, open, and express my opinions than fit into anyone else's perceived reality.
In the end, we only have to live with one person, ourselves. We are the one inescapable reality. What we decide or desire in that reality is what determines our happiness. Our expectations. One of those religious philosophers said, " True friendship ought never conceal the truth. " That was St. Jerome. Well he isn't known for being a philosopher, that isn't on his resume, but it is a philosophical statement, an astute observation. When our relationships become uncomfortable it is because of a philosophical conflict of some sort. Guiding principles are colliding. Nothing ruins a friendship faster than learning a previously unknown truth about someone. Remember truth comes from your perspective, not theirs. In the end we are all what others perceive us to be. I'm okay with that, I understand that. What is more important however, is what we perceive ourselves to be. A philosophy or a belief? Same thing.
That is my understanding as well, at least the definition I had in mind when I began this blog.
So that being established I begin with this thought, should we adopt a philosophy that agrees with our thoughts or should our thoughts adopt a philosophy? I believe we all create our own philosophy based solely on our life experience. That philosophy will certainly change over time as our life experience grows. Now the study of philosophy is the study of ideas. It concerns the discernment of reality. Philosophy is merely the study of ideas. In a sense one could say that philosophy and religion are one and the same. I can't see where anyone could hold opposing opinions on those two " thoughts. " I say thoughts because neither can be proven or disproven.
Philosophers came in all flavors, there are religious ones, atheists, agnostics, and everything in between. It is my feeling that all philosophers are attempting to do one thing, discover what they believe. Today we might call that, finding themselves. You could expand that to include attempting to understand others philosophies about reality but then you begin to border on psychology. Why people do the things they do. That's just a guess, in my opinion, an educated and informed guess by those trained in that discipline, but a guess nonetheless.
It is that that brings me to question things. As I said the other day I have begun to take an interest in philosophy. Not so much as a course of study, but more of a "looking at myself " sort of thing. You can't teach philosophy, that's a misnomer. Philosophy is what you adopt by your own actions. Perhaps you can alter your behavior based on what is presented to you as an alternative, but you can't be taught philosophy. It is our thoughts that adopt a philosophy. Adopting a different philosophy, one contrary to our thoughts, is what causes problems. That's my take on it anyway. It is then we begin to strike out. The philosophy of truth is the only philosophy that is tenable. And what is truth but what we believe.
That brings us back to where I began. Philosophy as a guiding principle. Truth , your truth, must be your guiding principle. Where you find that truth makes little difference, at least to you. When others insist you adopt their truth they are insisting you adopt their philosophy. Lacking their life experiences I don't believe that is possible. True many similarities in our lives exist, just not the way we process those experiences. What does exist for each of us is our perceived reality. The way I see it. And the way I see it I would rather be honest, open, and express my opinions than fit into anyone else's perceived reality.
In the end, we only have to live with one person, ourselves. We are the one inescapable reality. What we decide or desire in that reality is what determines our happiness. Our expectations. One of those religious philosophers said, " True friendship ought never conceal the truth. " That was St. Jerome. Well he isn't known for being a philosopher, that isn't on his resume, but it is a philosophical statement, an astute observation. When our relationships become uncomfortable it is because of a philosophical conflict of some sort. Guiding principles are colliding. Nothing ruins a friendship faster than learning a previously unknown truth about someone. Remember truth comes from your perspective, not theirs. In the end we are all what others perceive us to be. I'm okay with that, I understand that. What is more important however, is what we perceive ourselves to be. A philosophy or a belief? Same thing.
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