I have found my own philosophy. It sets you FREE!

It's a bit of a paradox for me. I don't think philosophy has much to offer in terms of truth, understanding reality or happiness. Of course, that's a conclusion that I made through philosophy as well - so it's not exactly useless either.

I reckon what philosophy can teach fairly well is imagination and communication. It's a practice of different perspectives. In the end it's just a pastime for me. It's engaging to think, to formulate and solve problems. I might as well be playing games or watching TV. I opt to read books and philosophize instead because in a few cases, the insights of philosophy may be a bit more practical for when I'm not playing games.

I'll agree to the last statement. Truth, reality, happiness are connected. They're one and the same desire.

As they say the Truth will set you free :)

So you’re chasing after more freedom? Would you agree that it’s connected with the awareness of Truth, of Reality, and happiness?

Thanks for your point of view. Indeed as you say practicing philosophy can make one better at imagination and communication. Which then can make it easier to solve problems and to connect with others.

But then, if practicing philosophy helps to solve problems and to communicate with others, isn’t it a helpful tool towards approaching what we mentioned? (Truth, awareness of reality, happiness, freedom)

So you’re chasing after more freedom? Would you agree that it’s connected with the awareness of Truth, of Reality, and happiness? — leo

I truly feel I have found a truth! As if the universe and the gods have revealed themsekves. Im truly feeling free. I dont care what others think of me anymore. I love and can speak with anyone! No shame. It feels great. No, I dont have "a psychosis" or whatever psycho label. Though I had my share of depression. Brrrrr... ☺

But then, if practicing philosophy helps to solve problems and to communicate with others, isn’t it a helpful tool towards approaching what we mentioned? — leo

Yes, philosophy can be a helpful tool. Perhaps let me rephrase: Philosophy can give us answers - but only ever in the human context. When it's about "truth" and "reality" though, I - perhaps others as well - try to peer beyond the human context. Hence, philosophy holds only speculation but no answers about truth and reality because we can not get out of this human context.

It can probably offer a bit more in terms of happiness - but then there are easier ways to find happiness than mulling your brain over it, over and over again.

As for freedom, that's basically just a buzzword for me. Aside from the physical sense, i.e. not being locked up behind bars, it has no real meaning.

Are you chasing after Truth? After a more complete understanding of Reality? After happiness? — leo

I have already decided that "truth", especially ultimate truth and truth pertaining to remote phenomena, will ever elude me. For one thing, my perception of reality decieves me...for another, I am limited by the extent to which I can percieve; at some point in time and space, perception yields to speculation. I would say, that by reading philosophy, I hope to have a better understanding of reality, of the extent to which I can know the nature thereof, and of how I should best speculate beyond the limits of my ability to know.

I reckon what philosophy can teach fairly well is imagination and communication. — Hermeticus

I found the more philosophy I learned, the less well I could communicate with people. In part because I started being explicitly aware of assumptions and contexts that may or may not be shared. In other ways because I simply stopped talking about "ordinary" things the way that other people did.

By way of silly story, in the middle of my first logic class and coming to terms with the truth values of connectors, I thought it reasonable to say things like, "If you don' acquit my client, you will die" because it was a true statement. Formulations like this (of whatever level of sophistication) impede ordinary speaking and make it very hard to remember what someone might mean if they don't think like you do.

Ignorance. My own, or at least so I always thought.

Are you chasing after Truth? After a more complete understanding of Reality? After happiness? — leo

For me the search is for greater awareness. Of the physical world. Of myself. Of others. Reason and truth are just one path, one that can easily be misleading. Any path to greater awareness can be misleading. Which is why it's so easy to get lost. Which is why we are searching.

getting closer to Truth. — leo

There really is no difference, qualitatively speaking of course, between two men lost in the desert, one a 100 miles and the other a 100 yards away from the nearest oasis - each is as thirsty and dehydrated as the other. So close and yet so far!

It sets you FREE! — Newkomer

I thought the idea was to exchange an ordinary cage for a gilded cage or to arrange to be transferred from a small cell to a larger cell, with a view of the courtyard if possible, a cell nonetheless.

[...] Who was responsible? Neither kings, nor priests, nor merchants. the culprits were a handful of plant species, including wheat, rice and potatoes. These plants domesticated homo sapiens, rather than vice versa. — Yuval Noah Harari (book Sapiens, speaking on the Agricultural Revolution and the domestication of certain plant species)

Are we chasing philosophy or is philosophy chasing us?

Are you chasing after Truth? — leo

No. History/politics, natural sciences & the arts, not philosophy, are truth-pursuits.

After a more complete understanding of Reality?

No. The real (sublimely) surpasses, or exhausts, understanding.

After happiness?

No. 'Pursuing happiness' is like trying to hold on to smoke or chasing rainbows.

Would you agree then with the assessment that the search for Truth, for a more complete understanding of Reality, for happiness, are all connected?

No.

And that deep down this is why you do philosophy?

N/A.

I am not philosopher and have not privileged this subject in my life. I'm not sure that I am looking for anything in particular. Probably to gain a sense of what I may have missed. I like ideas. Some ideas/models/narratives are helpful, some not so much. I guess I'm looking to broaden my range of useful conceptual models. That said, I am not a theorist and have a low boredom threshold for abstruse or needlessly bad, academic jargon. That's just a personal preference.

I thought the idea was to exchange an ordinary cage for a gilded cage or to arrange to be transferred from a small cell to a larger cell, with a view of the courtyard if possible, a cell nonetheless. — TheMadFool

That's a dark cynical thought. The whole universe is a cage like that.

That's a dark cynical thought. The whole universe is a cage like that — Philofile

A something to nibble on: Why do lies exist? Yes, many reasons there may be but one possibility can't be ruled out - truth is bitter and we tell ourselves fantastical tales to keep us from learning the ugly truth.

truth is bitter and we tell ourselves fantastical tales to keep us from learning the ugly truth. — TheMadFool

The same cynism... I'll nibble somewhere else...

The same cynism... I'll nibble somewhere else... — Philofile

If you have any complaints, please contact: The Manager, Mr. Life

If you have any complaints, please contact: The Manager, Mr. Life — TheMadFool

I think you should contact him. Being a mad fool that should be no problem. Mr. Life is mad and foolish. But very interesting and beautiful on top.

truth is bitter and we tell ourselves fantastical tales to keep us from learning the ugly truth. — TheMadFool

Truth is that, as you're programmed to believe, and you know you are, mankind has elevated himself slowly but surely from ridiculous purposeless cave beings beating each over the head, living in blood and other undesirable substances, to creatures of intellect with purpose, jobs, joy, emotion, arts, innovation, discovery, the whole universe is now at our fingertips. You call this an ugly truth? Sure, entropy and negentropy are very real concepts. This world and presumably the universe and all things in it are slowly becoming disorganized, chaotic, coming to a stop, a halt, universally they call it a heat death I believe is the prevailing theory, but just look at what was accomplished. Have we, at the absolute very least, had a good run?

Are you chasing after Truth? After a more complete understanding of Reality? After happiness? — leo

Girls. I am the first to admit it is a bit of a roundabout way to chase. But Nietzsche was on point: "what if truth was a woman".

I think you should contact him. — Philofile

I did and Mr. Life said he can't do anything about it.

I did and Mr. Life said he can't do anything about it. — TheMadFool

Then do it yourself. Fuck mr. Life!

Truth is that, as you're programmed to believe, and you know you are, mankind has elevated himself slowly but surely from ridiculous purposeless cave beings beating each over the head, living in blood and other undesirable substances, to creatures of intellect with purpose, jobs, joy, emotion, arts, innovation, discovery, the whole universe is now at our fingertips. You call this an ugly truth? Sure, entropy and negentropy are very real concepts. This world and presumably the universe and all things in it are slowly becoming disorganized, chaotic, coming to a stop, a halt, universally they call it a heat death I believe is the prevailing theory, but just look at what was accomplished. Have we, at the absolute very least, had a good run? — Outlander

$i)\space Life + Pleasure = Happy$
$ii)\space Life - Pleasure = Sad$
$iii)\space 2 Life = Happy + Sad\space (Equation\space i + Equation\space ii)$
$iv)\space Life = \frac {1}{2}Happy + \frac{1}{2}Sad\space (From \space equation\space iii)$

Then do it yourself. Fuck mr. Life! — Philofile

There's nothing I can do! In fact, there's nothing anyone can do about it. Don't you get it?

[...]Down here I make the rules, down here I make the threats,...[PUNCH]..., down here I'm God. — The Train Man

There's nothing I can do! In fact, there's nothing anyone can do about it. Don't you get it? — TheMadFool

Fatalist... The matrix is a great movie though. "Red or blue...?"

Fatalist — Philofile

Mea culpa. Sorry if you don't like the attitude. I can't help it. :grin:

Red or blue — Philofile

Stalin Or Hitler. Not much of a choice you're offering.

Stalin Or Hitler. Not much of a choice you're offering. — TheMadFool

I like the blue pill better. The color of my last mushrooms I took. Spaghetti vision...

I like the blue pill better. The color of my last mushrooms I took. Spaghetti vision... — Philofile

Red Pill And Blue Pill

The terms "red pill" and "blue pill" refer to a choice between the willingness to learn a potentially unsettling or life-changing truth by taking the red pill or remaining in contented ignorance with the blue pill. The terms refer to a scene in the 1999 film The Matrix. — Wikipedia

The bitter truth!

And you say I'm cynical.

But Nietzsche was on point: "what if truth was a woman". — Tobias

Hmmm - what does that even mean? Aphorisms are amusing but are they anything more than glib provocations?

the willingness to learn a potentially unsettling or life-changing truth — Wikipedia

The life-changing truth I found made me change from cynical too childish naive again.