Personal Philosophies
 

Somebody has to start a real thread in here...

When it comes to your own philosophy on life, what do you use/what's your general outlook? Who do you borrow from? What makes your philosophy stand out from others?

My personal philosophy is based on my Wiccan path. It means a lot of things, but fundamentally it means that I alone am responsible for my actions. I cannot screw up and blame others for my screwups. I cannot hurt another without owning up to it and trying to make amends.

I can't blame society for my point of view about other races/religions/groups, I can't claim to be a victim of something just because I happen to be screwed up in the head in some way, and I can't ask Jesus to take away my sins because, frankly, that's not his job. It's mine.

There's more to it, but that's probably more than enough to start something, or to at least do my part to help keep something going. :)

Aw, come on! No takers on this one except for my favorite moog geek and fellow Missourian? Geez!

Part of my personal philosophy is based on Abraham Maslow's Self-Actualization theory. He proposed it as a pyramid of sorts...each need must be met in order to achieve self-actualization, "to find self-fulfillment and realize one's potential" (from the above link).

Part of it is also spiritual. I believe that God has his/her mitts on everything that occurs in this world. He/she gives us the freewill to do things that we want, with the understanding that there will be benefits/consequences received later.

Lastly, there's the concept of time. I try as hard as I can to keep an eye on the past, grasp a firm understanding of the present, and maintain a view of not only the short-term future, but the long-term one as well.

Hey, it works for me.

Well, I think it's too general of a question. Sure, I have lots of ideas and thoughts that I've developed over the years on how to deal with life. But I can't just spit them all out on demand. Why not ask me to recite the encyclopedia instead? :)

On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired of sleep.
So we took turns at starin' out the window at the darkness
'Til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."

So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bumped a cigarette and asked me for a light.
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
Said, "Son, If you're gonna play the gamble, boy, ya gotta learn to play it
right.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

Now Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."

and when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count you r money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

I've never really given a lot of thought to the major existential questions like "what's my philopsophy of life" beyond just living it ... taking part in the adventure and seeing where it leads.

hmmm. Mebbe I ought to start planning or something ... or should I go with the if it ain't broke, don't fix it philosophy ... but how would I tell if it's broke?

Mebbe I oughta just find a good set o' song lyrics, like my hero, Griff.

Won't you look up at the skyline
At the mortar, block, and glass
And check out the reflections in my eyes
See they always used to be there
Even when this was all was grass
And I sang and danced about a high-rise

And you were laughing at my helmet hat
Laughing at my torch

Go ahead and laugh all you want
I got my philosophy
And I trust it like the ground
That's why my philosophy
Keeps me walking when I'm falling down

I see that there is evil
And I know that there is good
And the in-betweens I never understood
Would you look at me I'm crazy
But I get the job done
I'm crazy but I get the job done

So go ahead and laugh all you want
I got my philosophy
And I trust it like the ground
That's why my philosophy
Keeps me walking when I'm falling down

I pushed you cause I loved you guys
I didn't realize
That you weren't having fun
And I dragged you up the stairs
And I told you to fly
You were flapping your arms
Then you started to cry, you were too high

Now you take this all for granted
You take the mortar, block, and glass
And you forget the speech that moved the stone
And it's really not that you can't see
The forest from the trees
You just never been out in the woods alone

So you can laugh all you want to
But I've got my philosophy
And I love you you're my friend
But you got no philosophy
Now it's time for this song to end

"Philosophy" - Ben Folds Five

At least UT was considerate enough to name his song, unlike that other pirate.

"Let's begin
what, where, why, or when
will all be explained
why destruction is a game
see I'm not insane
in fact, I'm kind of rational
when I be asking
yo, who is more dramatical
this one, that one
the white one or the black one
pick the punk
and I'll jump up to attack one
KRS-One is just the guy to lead a crew
right up to your face and dis you
everyone saw me on the last album cover
holding a pistol
something far from a lover
beside my brother
S-C-O-T
I just laughed
'cause no one can defeat me
this selection number two
is "My Philosophy"
number one
was "Poetry"
you know it's me
it's my philosophy
many artists got to learn
I'm not flammable
I don't burn
so please stop burnin'
and learn to earn respect
'cause that's just what
KR collects
see, what do you expect
when you rhyme like a soft punk
you walk down the street and get jumped
you got to have style
and learn to be original
and everybody's gonna wanna dis you
like me
we stood up for the South Bronx
and every sucka mc
had a response
you think we care?
I know that they are on the tip
my posse from the Bronx is thick
and we're real live
we walk correctly
a lot of suckas would like to forget me
but they can't
'cause like a champ
I have got a record
of knocking out the frauds in a second
on the mic
I believe that you should get loose
I haven't come to tell you I have juice
I just produce, create, innovate on a higher level
I'll be back
but for now just seckle

I'll play the nine
and you play the target
you all know my name so I guess I'll just start it
or should I say, "Start this"
I am an artist
of new concepts at their hardest
yo, cause I'm a teacher
and Scot is a scholar
it ain't about money
cause we all make dollars
that's why
I walk with my head up
when I hear wack rhymes
I get fed up
rap is like a set-up
a lot of games
a lot of suckas with colorful names
I'm so-and-so
I'm this
I'm that
huh, but they all just wick-wick-wack
I'm not white or red or black
I'm brown
from the Boogie Down
Productions
of course
our music be thumpin'
others say their bad
but they're buggin
let me tell you somethin' now
about hip hop
about D-Nice, Melodie,
and Scot La Rock
I'll get a pen, a pencil, a marker
mainly what I write is for the average New Yorker
some mc's be talkin' and talkin'
tryin' to show how black people are walkin"

--B.D.P. "My Philosophy"

Do unto others.

carpe diem

and

Qvanti canicvla illa in fenestra

That's The Gambler by Kenny Rogers, matey.

Better...arrrr!

     Sorry I didn't get to this sooner, busy week.

     Here's one that'll make all previous posters say, "Didn't I more or less say that?"

     'Do the best you can with what you've got'. I like it because the terms are so subjective it can be referring to almost anything. Have a nice day.

Didn't I more or less say that?

For me it starts with myself. If you define yourself, you have a reference point with which you may compare and locate against. The better one understands the self, the better one understands others, for example.

This meets with a bit of frustration from some people, since a lot of common folk have a tendancy to judge by what they perceive or are taught. While this information is necessary and vital to making sound decisions, it is also potentially unreliable. One's self is also unreliable, though. You may falter on a quick decision. You might do something you think you want, but haven't explored yet, and find that you don't want it after all.

It's possible that nothing may be totally understood in every aspect of existance. There's always one more detail not yet encountered. But like scientific theory, if you eliminate the impossible, the improbable becomes more reasonable. So, in myself, I consider all things carefully, especially my personal view of myself and my wants and choices. By eliminating the things I know I don't want or think, I make the next choice easier. As I lay out a definition of myself, I find my thoughts are more sure and direct.

Once a body has a reasonably good definition of what and who they are, they will have a comparison, an example, or a guide to follow through life with. To make a trivial example using food, if somebody asks you, "You want to eat some of this octopus?" and you don't know what you like, you have to make your decision on the spot without anything to go on. Your chances of making the right choice (ie, you try it and find it good) could be no more than half. However, if you have a dislike of other seafood, you have a good basis to decide wether or not you will like trying a piece of octopus. You may say no on a unilateral opposition to eating any seafood, but then again, you may experiment and try it. If you do, then in the future if someone offers you something similar, like a bite of squid, you will have an even clearer idea of wether or not you will like eating it.

You have to experiment and try new ideas and things. By testing your boundaries, you set down points of reference. I like sushi, but I'm not fond of bagels & lox. I'll eat asparagus and collard greens, but lima beans bore me. I would like to try a bowl of udon sometime. I want to learn how to cook, so that by cooking, I can try new foods I have made myself, and thereby refine my tastes. Failures are part of life in all experimentation. It's up to you (and what you've learned about yourself and your perceptions) to experiment intelligently.

So, when you know yourself (not just what you like to eat), when someone confronts you with an issue or a decision, you can decide how you stand quickly and with confidence. While I am not well-read on philosophy, religion, sociology, or psychology, I know my personality well enough that were someone to bring up a situation involving such things that I can make an educated guess on how I feel and think of the topic. And by knowing myself, I find that I can read other people rather easily. My friends occasionally get irritated at me for finishing thier sentences for them. (knee jerk habit, mostly to prove to myself that I can follow another's train of thought closely.)

I'm told that this philosphy, which I came upon on my own, is very close to, if not exactly, existentialism. Frankly, I haven't read anything about existentialism, so I wouldn't know. I am quite proud (though not arrogant) of my ability to adapt and improve on my outlook.

My choice of philosophies has led me to become agnostic, and though I don't hold a belief in any particular religion, I feel that if some deity were to give me some irrefutable sign, I would immediately follow that deity. I keep an open mind to thing supernatural, but I am also a cynical critic, and I'll debunk a dozen ghost stories, but if I find something I cannot reason out, I'll take it with a certain amount of awe and respect.

When people ask me how I stand on some issue, I'll tell them the truth without fear, even if what I say is directly against what they preach. It is my choice, my self I define with this choice, and by denying that choice, I deny my self. I cannot lie to myself, as that is the worst thing I can do in regards to myself. Jus as you can't trust someone who lies to you, how can you trust yourself if you are not truthful with yourself?

Holy crap, I'm writin' a book here... sorry. I'll stop now. :3eye:

there is no evil, only man

I've also followed sort of the same path! Very interesting, I've never heard anyone else say this before.

I spent many, many years being very introspective and learning myself. I learned myself very well. And when I finally did come out of my shell, I learned that most of what I'd learned was applicable to other people as well. Frustratingly, most people just don't believe me when I try to tell them that people are mostly the same. Men, women, it makes no difference. Sure, we have our differences. But our similarities far, far outweight our differences. There are some emotions, situations, and thoughts that we all experience. I think the reason people never agree is that I word it all wrong. But then, I think that about most things that people disagree with me on.

     That's just because you know you're always right Juju-man. ;]

     All right, with me I can pinpoint a moment in my early childhood when I came to the conclusion that nobody knows a damn thing. About issue's such as good and evil, if there is a God or even basic questions about human nature, I mean. I realized everything I'd been taught was conjecture. Everyone is talking out of their ass so to speak. Now, I'm sure that most of us had such a moment in our teen years, wether we continued to believe that or not. It's kind of expected. I was six, not really emotionally prepped for such a concept.
     The result was that I continued to go to church, and even believe in God, as I had been raised to, for years. Mostly 'cause no one really gave me reason not to, but I was uncertain. I knew I was believing because I chose to, I was always trying to see what it was that I was missing, figure out why I couldn't 'feel' God the way other people said they did. A few people I knew lost faith and confided that they thought they had been deluding themselves for years. So, I gave up that line of thought. I found nothing for me in such belief, no comfort in the idea of a benevolent God, no security in the idea of omnipotent grace. As anyone that read the discussion warch and I had in sycamore's section would know, I couldn't find any reason to have faith.
     So, at six I came to an understanding of man's limitations, though I didn't understand it then, and at twelve I lost interest in the concept of a Christian God. Or any divine power. That left only the question of a less defined aspect of any form of divine justice existed. I decided that my little human brain couldn't handle all the variable's that one would have to know to make that call, no one can properly make an 'educated guess' so to speak. That only left the ability to choose to believe/not believe without sufficient information or let it go. I eventually chose the latter.
     In short I do what I believe is the best course of action based on the morals I developed over the course of my life. I don't believe any of really know anything beyond what we choose to believe, by which I mean to say that our choice of belief carries more weight than our perceptions.
     The end result of this is that I choose to do what I think is right for no other reason than because I believe it's right. I don't care if I get some karmic reward or if it's utterly futile. I want to respect the person I am so I act in the way I consider respectable. Doesn't really matter if anyone else thinks it's right. What matters is that I follow my rules.

Balance

Balance = stagnation.
Stagnation = no change.
No change = no growth.
No growth = might as well be dead.

Now, I'm not saying balance is a useless concept. There are individual aspects of eveything with which one must achieve balance, but using Balance as a whole philosopy, I feel, leads to an eventual status quo if one is successful, but then too much balance can leave you unprepared for change. If one is not successful at achieving balance, then you have a person trying hard to stabilize in the face of change, often at an extremely costly amount of effort.

Balance should be *part* of everybody's philisophy, I think, but it should also be tempered and adjusted with adaptability and growth.

When was the last time you tried to balance something as complicated as life?
A one word answer to a question like this is either really, really wise, or really, really trite.

Word.

Obviously we have different ideas about what the word balance means. I believe that it is mistaken to consider balance as a state of stasis. When's the last time you saw someone walk a tightrope without moving? It is only through perfect balance that the world can be seen for what it really is. Extremes don't work in science and they don't work in life. It means being able to experience emotions to thier full extent without letting them overwhelm you. Using reason and sense to judge the world without becoming paralysed with overanalysis. It means being able to stay afloat in the swirling chaos and not spilling your drink. I could go on but I have a bed screaming my name...

In Wicca, we strive for balance, the end result of what we usually refer to as "grounding and centering". There is no stasis involved.

Remaining in balance is arguably much more difficult than any other state of being. Being in balance does not imply that you aren't moving in a direction, either...riding a bicycle will demonstrate the combination quite nicely.

Keeping balance is strenuous exercise, both physically and philosophically. You are always working with and against the forces of life which you encounter every day, expending effort, re-evaluating your positions and feelings on a constant, even subliminal basis.

If you do all of this, and manage to attain some semblance of balance in your life, you are rewarded with more peace of mind and less stress.

It is a bitch to accomplish for any reasonable length of time, though. What is important is that you never stop trying.

Balance is a stasis of sorts, however, as it implies an equality of amounts. I agree that a perfect balance is difficult to achieve, but what I mean by my above explaination is that balance can provide the stability required for numerous actions and perceptions, but balance is a part, a starting point, or a controlling factor, and not a total achievement. Balance is required for a person to stand up, but it is tipping that balance forward that one begins to walk forward. It is motion (read: change) that allows us to continually "fall" forward as we walk, and balance keeps us from falling on our faces. Balance alone is nice, but not enough.

Balance allows you a point of reference. When you sense that things are the same, then you know a definite point from which you can judge a differentiation as things change or the balance is altered. You can say, "This is more than it was when they were the same, and this is less." be that more or less a distance, a volume, a speed, an emotion, etc.

By finding one's balance, you gain control, as at that point, you can then make a decision as to what amount you want to vary that balance. You can introduce a defined amount of "chaos" into the order, and thereby upset the balance at your will, either to observe, or to achieve a desired condition.

Balance. It's what's for dinner.

Oopsie.
 

     Yeah, I know that impulse. The only problem is that the nature of chaos is that it's not really controlable. One of the worst ideas and best examples of doing this is dating a psycho. It seems reasonable at the time. Your life is settled, your bills are under control. You have no real problems. Then you hear that bastard voice in the back of your head, "Hey, I bey she will stir things up a little. Make life more interesting."
     Bastard voice. Still, can't say it's wrong exactly ...

If you screw me once......it's your fault.
If you screw me twice......it's Street Sweeper time, baby.

     Perhaps you are unaware of the upside of dating insane women?

Date them? I've married them. I stand by my post>

(slang daydreams of the time when SSs were legal......and sighs)

Don't tell me they're not!

     It's only illegal if you get caught with it. Oh wait, that's not entirely true. Still, close enough.

I asked you not to tell me that.

Pay him no mind. Thats just internet rumormongering. Any restriction would have to be unconstitutional, wouldn't it.

There is no upside. I just put one in my past.

And yeah, chaos is, by it's nature, uncontrollable. But I did use quotes around the term, being aware of that fact... ;)

     That may be your opinion now,(and I actually agree with it) but I bet it wasn't in the first month of that realationship. I know 'cause I been there. We're stupid that way.

Whew!! that's a relief. Next they'll be telling me I can't have a machine gun anymore.

Things that go bang.
 

     As long as you don't store the machine gun's along side two tons of fertilizer or in the hands of faithful followers you'll do fine. They get touchy about that other stuff though. It's a shame, it might be fun to have some brainwashed nut's willing to do whatever I order. Did I say that out loud? Oh well.

Let's see...
Whit Krishna
Whit Krishna
Whit Whit
Krishna Krishna
Must say it's got a nice ring to it. Hmmmmm

Hmm...
 

     Let me see...
Person 1: Can you hlep me? I'm lost.
Person 2: Have you tried Whit Krishna?
     Doesn't really have a ring to it does it? Ah, what the hell. I like it anyway.

I might be willing to sign on, just so long as whit krishnas get to eat meat, and we each get our own machine gun.

I'm not one for the vegetarian muck/passivity thing ...

We're good then.
 

     Of course you'd get a machine gun, it's one of whit krishna's tenants that the focusing aspect of targeting is key to the centering and balancing of one's mind. (See? It all comes full circle.) So not only would you have to have one, it would be part of your religous doctrine to practice with it.
     As far as eating meat goes, without meat it's a snack. No meat, no meal. I can snack on a salad, but for a top notch meal I need steak. (Rare is best)
     Passivity? Heh, I had to wash a little bit of blood out of my workout clothes just yesterday. Don't concearn yourself with that.

If you're only going to eat veggies then you don't need.....hell, make that don't deserve a machine gun.