Comments on: You’ll Never Be Philosophically Fulfilled (and That’s Okay)

By: Amber

Amber — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:48:12 +0000

It’s so funny you wrote this Colin because I have been battling with growing pains. Forcing myself into action to fulfill my own personal philosophies has completely shattered those philosophies. I feel like life is all about experimentation. And like you said if a life philosophy is an experiment is it even worth trying. I absolutely say hell yes! Now that I am back from the states for a bit to save money for my next big adventure, I think it’s important to evaluate what does or doesn’t work. Keep refining what works for you. Like you said life is every evolving. We kid ourselves in thinking we have some sort of real understanding of what is the best way to live. There is no best way, just whatever works for you at that given moment in time. Great analysis!

By: chezz

chezz — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:35:52 +0000

Currently reading a version of Spinoza by Deleuze. There are some pretty interesting thoughts there, all of them pertinent and timeless. I do not agree with the argument that great ideas decay with the pass of time, or they can’t be called that great then

I think the only philosophy that actually applies for life is that we live it

By: Dean

Dean — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:06:42 +0000

I felt fulfilled after reading Camus honestly. Concretely existing Sisyphean individuals are what continue to inspire my existence.

By: Thomas II

Thomas II — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:37:12 +0000

Thanks for your thoughts. You’re spot on when you talk about dropping religion or any other pre-determined moral code. It is a tremendous responsibility and the price of freedom.

At 41, I’m coming to understand that consistency really is the hobgoblin of small minds…. and that there’s nothing wrong with me just because I haven’t “figured it out.”

Cheers!

By: Thomas

Thomas — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:36:09 +0000

I like this post. I’d never really thought about it from this perspective before. Our personal philosophies change regularly enough it’s hard to take ourselves seriously sometimes I think.

My personal philosophy is a bit of a cop out though, it’s about what not to do rather than what to do:

“There is no one right way to live” – daniel quinn.

It just means anything goes as long as it works. And don’t delude yourself into thinking everyone should live like you do so just let people be.

By: Dave - LifeExcursion

Dave - LifeExcursion — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:26:42 +0000

I think the best part about life is that there is always something to strive towards. The problem with a lot of people is that they settle. Why settle? Life is full of great opportunities that we are going to fail at and succeed at. We will never be perfect or achieve perfection, but the journey is well worth it.

Dave
LifeExcursion

By: colin

colin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:37:33 +0000

@Kristin: Hey thanks! I agree, too, that developing a philosophy that works more than it doesn’t is tough! I do what I can, for sure, but even with the amount of focus I put into it I frequently run into hazy gray-zones.

@Alan: 80% is definitely something worth striving for! And it’s good to remember that Darwin didn’t say that it’s the strongest that survive, but those most adaptable to change. Staying adaptable keeps us strong.

@Gordie: I like it! Elegant in its simplicity.

@Nate: Wow, thanks for the compliment, Nate! Really glad you enjoyed the post! It’s good to hear, too, that you are constantly questioning and checking the premises for what you believe and act upon. Too many people use religion as an excuse to justify the bad things they do and live an unexplored life, and you, sir, are doing a remarkable job at breaking that mold.

@Stephanie: Absolutely! Personal growth! Woo!

@NomadicNeil: In my opinion, your personal philosophy is what you live by, but many people would disagree. I think, though, that if you’re not living it, what you have is an idea, not a philosophy. As for Nietzsche, I’ve gotten a lot from his work, and many of my philosophical ideas are directly derived from his ideas, but at the same time some of his ideas about science (matter, specifically) and his treatment of morality (objective perception) don’t ring as true as they did in his day (though not by any fault of his own…we’ve simply learned a lot more about the world since then, and no doubt his philosophies would have changed with the sciences, were he alive to posit further).

@Dayne: Amen Very Stoic of you!

@Kirsty: Whether consciously or subconsciously, it’s good that you’re living according to what you believe!

Thanks for the comments everyone!

By: Kirsty

Kirsty — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:40:01 +0000

Nice post, Colin. I’m not sure I have ever sat down and consciously thought about my personal philosophy. I would have to go with NomadicNeil and say it’s my life goal to be happy… but I’m not so sure that’s a philosophy. I think I am more of a do-er and rather than thinking about how I want my life to be and what rules I want to live by, I just do it without too much thought. This might be because I have defined my philosophy already subconsciously or something. Who knows. I’m happy, so it must be working, whatever ‘it’ is!

By: Dayne | TheHappySelf.com

Dayne | TheHappySelf.com — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:15:01 +0000

Hmmm, what is my personal philosophy in life? To be happy. It really is that simple. But to go a bit deeper, it is to sustain happiness in simplicity, reality, and not “things”.

I think the secret to being happy is to accept unhappiness.

Cheers,
Dayne

By: NomadicNeil

NomadicNeil — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:50:46 +0000

Is my personal philosophy what I’m actually living or what I want it to be? I want it to be ‘Have a good time, all the time’. Not always the case I’m afraid but getting there slowly.

BTW, I take issue with the idea that Nietzsche is becoming less relevant. For example a lot of his writing was specifically about determining your own values and not looking to others for direction on how to live life.