“Don’t be so philosophical”. People say this sentence about philosophy, often meaning that someone needs to return to reality and have a rational perspective on life.
Thinking of philosophy as unconventional and irrational can be a big mistake. It is far from the truth. Philosophical thinking involves introspection, contemplation and scrutiny. It helps us create a deeper understanding of almost everything that we worry about. And this is done by a simple step.
It makes us ask the right questions and attempt to answer them.
What is philosophy?
The word philosophy comes from the ancient Greek- “Philos” meaning “love“; and “Sophia” meaning ‘wisdom‘. (Source: Wikipedia)
It literally means the love of wisdom.
Philosophy is not just an academic discipline but an activity that engages the human mind and makes it ask basic life questions.
We might come across several debates and arguments over questions like: –
Is there a superpower who has made us all?
Is capital punishment okay or wrong?
Can we justify animal testing?
Should people have the liberty to own a gun?
Is climate change a fact or a scam?
Asking questions like the above leads us to a philosophical way of thinking. It makes us use our knowledge, perspective, logic and reasoning to form an opinion on the matter.
So, why do we need philosophy?
Philosophy is versatile. While studying philosophy can provide us with a degree, practising it can help us achieve much more.
We have to look at philosophy the way we look at other healthy habits like meditation, yoga, morning walks, book reading, charitable activities, etc. It is constructive, and it helps us grow.
Cultivation of the mind is the aim of a Neo-Protagonist, and at every step, philosophy does just that.
It helps us analyze clearly
We often face situations where we get puzzled and are unable to make a decision or decide on the next step. The more we hone our philosophical thinking, the better we get at analyzing and planning accordingly.
Philosophy helps us reach conceptual clarity and gives us options we can compare. It opens up new and different perspectives that we can explore further and complete our analysis of a particular subject.
It helps us think critically
The reason why philosophy helps us make better decisions is that it expands our power of thinking. It builds our minds and makes us think deeply and critically about a matter.
We are often anxious, depressed and guilt-stricken, and we hold on to the negative thoughts that consume us. Critical thinking can sometimes help us let go of things that are not constructive for our lives.
Critical thinking also makes us form better opinions and argue effectively with reasons. It does not only help us win a debate contest but can also enhance our personal lives. Sometimes we can introspect to find purpose and meaning and thus create a better version of ourselves.
It helps us in introspection and contemplation
Many ideas that we believe in or practice regularly are things we hardly question. They are the things that are taught to us not just at home but in our schools, in our societies, through media and advertisements. These ideas can also be the general beliefs and values which we hold.
Philosophy makes us introspect every aspect of our lives, whether crucial or trivial.
Why do we do a particular thing the way we do?
What is the meaning behind life and death?
Do we need a purpose?
Philosophy helps us ask questions that we forget to ask, and by doing that, we lose the chance to know ourselves.
By asking ethical questions about what is okay and not okay, we not only develop our reasoning skills but also discover who we actually are. And from that point on, we can work on enhancing that discovery.
Philosophy simplifies our lives
Most of us are caught up in the complex mess of life because we don’t have total control over it. We cannot control the time, cannot stop dwelling on the past, cannot stop putting on mental stress and letting go of hard feelings, etc.
Philosophy makes us wiser and helps us give up control over things that we cannot control, and manage the things that we can, more efficiently. It makes us think positively and build a perspective toward life that focuses on constructive thinking and actions.
It simply declutters our minds and, as a result, makes our lives simple.
Philosophy helps us look at the bigger picture
Big picture thinking is the ability to have a vision. It is the awareness of the context of an entire plan. It is the knowledge of the whole instead of a part.
Such thinking helps us focus on strengths rather than weaknesses. It makes us grab opportunities and tie our objectives to one large vision.
Philosophy makes us focus on what truly matters, argue and contemplate. As such, it enables us to deviate from trivial details and focus on the final purpose of a project.
Big picture thinking teaches us how to maintain relationships. It helps us achieve goals, fret less over trivialities and make better plans.
Philosophy makes one a better person
Knowing and understanding oneself better can help us identify the malice we carry or the destructive opinions we keep.
Philosophical thinking, if nothing, can make us work on ourselves. It makes us check on the things we think, the feelings we have, the words we speak and the actions we perform and it helps us judge them as we do them.
Philosophy can make us change the world
Yeah, right. We cannot change the world.
All the noble visions we have might remain dreams. But philosophical thinking can keep inspiring people to do the little they have the ability to do.
The thoughts you share with the people who hear you-whether they are your family, your friends, colleagues, or the strangers you meet, can be significant.
Philosophy makes us spread positivity. The world needs it. It has always needed it and will keep needing it.
TO CONCLUDE
Unless we want a professional career out of it, we do not need to study philosophy as an academic discipline. However, its study can only be beneficial.
Many people might not know what Philosophy is, but they spend their time thinking philosophically.
Reading good books can have a profound impact on our philosophical thinking. The same is true about watching a meaningful movie or engaging in a team activity.
Philosophy is often a realization of things that we already know. This realization can sometimes lead us to an epiphany and change our lives.
We think that it is the philosophy that we need to understand. But it is the life that we need to understand. Philosophy is just a catalyst that helps us in accomplishing that.
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