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| Your Personal Philosophy |
Your Personal Philosophy
We are all philosophers to some degree. We all speculate about the nature of life, the forces that govern our world, and the mysteries of the universe. For a balanced life with minimal internal conflicts, it is important to develop a personal philosophy that is consistent with your everyday activities and with your interpretation of the meaning of life.
Analyzing, organizing, and integrating your own thoughts into a philosophy of life is a very productive processes. A personal philosophy provides you with a framework for thinking about the human condition, just as a topographical map provides a crosscountry hiker with information about the location of hills, waterways, roadways, bridges, forests, and swamps.
There is no standard toolbox for building a philosophy, but the following features provide a basic foundation.
Knowledge
A philosophy of life requires knowledge. A broad knowledge of the cosmos, the world, the properties of life, and the human condition are required. Without knowledge there is no basis for understanding. Knowledge of other existing philosophies is a key component in building your own philosophy. There is no need to ‘re-invent the wheel’ and you probably do not want to repeat the mistakes of others.
Skills
A variety of thinking skills, as outlined in this chapter, is also required in the development of a personal philosophy. Without thinking skills, your knowledge is of little value.
An Understanding of cause and effect
A basic understanding of the relationships among events allows you to examine the implications of your observations. Does the appearance of a comet in the sky foretell ominous events in the affairs of men, or does it reflect on the structure of the solar system? Was there a drought last year because the rain god was displeased, or because the ocean currents had shifted? Did Aunt Martha die because someone had put a curse on her, or because her parachute failed to open?
Values
Your personal values underlie all your decisions. What is important in life? Which human behaviours are to be emulated? Which are merely acceptable, and which are to be shunned?
Ultimate Goals
What are the ultimate goals for your life, your community, and all humanity? Ultimate goals provide distant targets for you to work towards. These goals may never be reached, but they determine the direction of your efforts.
Practical properties
If your philosophy is going to serve as a guide to daily living then it should also include some very practical features.
Pragmatism
While your life’s ambition is to achieve your ultimate goals, you also need more specific goals that are attainable today under your current circumstances. You have to survive today before you can meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Consistency
A philosophy should be consistent in the sense that all the parts work together. When you build an engine you don’t want any parts missing, left over, or put in backwards.
Building a consistent and integrated philosophy is a challenging process because your thought patterns tend to be stored separately in your brain by categories based on your physical capabilities and your past experiences. It is not a simple matter to bring all your memories, beliefs, and expectations under a single mental umbrella.
However, it is worth the effort, for with a consistent view of what life is all about, you can face a variety of intellectual and social challenges with no internal conflicts.
With no internal conflicts, your mind is free to concentrate its full power on the tasks at hand.
Flexibility
While a personal philosophy should be based on fundamental principles, it should also be flexible enough to accommodate new knowledge and new skills. Assuming that your philosophy is complete and without any flaws, is equivalent to assuming that you know everything and that you are always right.
Positivism
Maintaining a positive attitude encourages you to work towards your goals. Positive attitudes are based on optimism and respect: respect for yourself, for society, and for the environment. A personal philosophy should also include a sense of humour so you can laugh at your own foibles and occasionally the whims of the universe.
A personal philosophy does not have to emerge fully grown; it can be constructed bit by bit and at levels that are successively more abstract.
We are all philosophers to some degree. We all speculate about the nature of life, the forces that govern our world, and the mysteries of the universe. For a balanced life with minimal internal conflicts, it is important to develop a personal philosophy that is consistent with your everyday activities and with your interpretation of the meaning of life.
Analyzing, organizing, and integrating your own thoughts into a philosophy of life is a very productive processes. A personal philosophy provides you with a framework for thinking about the human condition, just as a topographical map provides a crosscountry hiker with information about the location of hills, waterways, roadways, bridges, forests, and swamps.
There is no standard toolbox for building a philosophy, but the following features provide a basic foundation.
Knowledge
A philosophy of life requires knowledge. A broad knowledge of the cosmos, the world, the properties of life, and the human condition are required. Without knowledge there is no basis for understanding. Knowledge of other existing philosophies is a key component in building your own philosophy. There is no need to ‘re-invent the wheel’ and you probably do not want to repeat the mistakes of others.
Skills
A variety of thinking skills, as outlined in this chapter, is also required in the development of a personal philosophy. Without thinking skills, your knowledge is of little value.
An Understanding of cause and effect
A basic understanding of the relationships among events allows you to examine the implications of your observations. Does the appearance of a comet in the sky foretell ominous events in the affairs of men, or does it reflect on the structure of the solar system? Was there a drought last year because the rain god was displeased, or because the ocean currents had shifted? Did Aunt Martha die because someone had put a curse on her, or because her parachute failed to open?
Values
Your personal values underlie all your decisions. What is important in life? Which human behaviours are to be emulated? Which are merely acceptable, and which are to be shunned?
Ultimate Goals
What are the ultimate goals for your life, your community, and all humanity? Ultimate goals provide distant targets for you to work towards. These goals may never be reached, but they determine the direction of your efforts.
Practical properties
If your philosophy is going to serve as a guide to daily living then it should also include some very practical features.
Pragmatism
While your life’s ambition is to achieve your ultimate goals, you also need more specific goals that are attainable today under your current circumstances. You have to survive today before you can meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Consistency
A philosophy should be consistent in the sense that all the parts work together. When you build an engine you don’t want any parts missing, left over, or put in backwards.
Building a consistent and integrated philosophy is a challenging process because your thought patterns tend to be stored separately in your brain by categories based on your physical capabilities and your past experiences. It is not a simple matter to bring all your memories, beliefs, and expectations under a single mental umbrella.
However, it is worth the effort, for with a consistent view of what life is all about, you can face a variety of intellectual and social challenges with no internal conflicts.
With no internal conflicts, your mind is free to concentrate its full power on the tasks at hand.
Flexibility
While a personal philosophy should be based on fundamental principles, it should also be flexible enough to accommodate new knowledge and new skills. Assuming that your philosophy is complete and without any flaws, is equivalent to assuming that you know everything and that you are always right.
Positivism
Maintaining a positive attitude encourages you to work towards your goals. Positive attitudes are based on optimism and respect: respect for yourself, for society, and for the environment. A personal philosophy should also include a sense of humour so you can laugh at your own foibles and occasionally the whims of the universe.
A personal philosophy does not have to emerge fully grown; it can be constructed bit by bit and at levels that are successively more abstract.
