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Living philosophy?
Thoughts on life and how to go about living it, lately. Is this philosophy?

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Living philosophy?

loveofsophia
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Posted 09/07/09 - 11:45 AM: Subject: Living philosophy?	#1
Is this philosophy? Do you have your own? Is it similar or very different? Share if you would like. If I judge my actions as good or bad, I make a war inside my heart and mind. When I resist what is happening inside me and around me (any feeling or thought, desire or habit), what the world is throwing at me, I make everything worse. Every action I make has a reason, however confused, inept, unskillful or something opposite to those informs that action, it has a reason for being. The cause and effect nature to realities unfolding exists and judgment is only useful in the present of deciding what to do now, in the here and now. If I can only learn to leave the past alone, leave the future to its arrival; this is a hope I aspire to realize; bringing me to my next meandering thought. Taoism has an insight that the Buddha recognized and probably many other spiritually wise sorts. If one gives up the desire to accomplish great things, small things, anything, and simply be in the now, taking good care of the present moment, cherishing it and recognizing its precious nature, this creates great things in the future. This paradox is just perspectives being in conflict. One perspective is concern for the future pushing energy away from the now; the other perspective is an awareness that now is the only thing that exists. If one takes their eyes off the road while driving, what would they expect to happen? When one treats the "mundane" moments of life like they deserve any less attention than when one is in the presence of their loved one, they take their eyes off the road and expect an autopilot to drive them home. There is only one driver and all the autopilot wishes one throws around only denies blame for our own car crashes. There is not right and wrong in what I am talking about; there is only driving well and driving not so well and knowing what will make me drive well and how that will make me feel vs. knowing what results in my not driving so well and how that will make me feel. So here I resolve to patiently and understandingly move my attention back to the here and now. I have such creative powers (we all do); it is a shame when I deny them. The only way I have learned to do this, be present, is through mindfulness practice (mindful sitting, mindful walking, mindful driving, smiling consciously and learning it brings on a very real smile). I am fully aware that my habits are not informed by this idea, this relatively new resolve, but many other conflicting and habit forming ideas have taken root in my life. I must resolve to tend my garden with care, patience, understanding, loving-kindness, and so I understand that it will take practice. Edited by loveofsophia on 09/07/09 - 12:19 PM
It is amazing how susceptible to lies we are when young. I believe people are still far more susceptible to lies as adults than they would like. Balancing what could be, our imaginings, with what we know, this is a delicate act of mind.

TempletonEsquire
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Posted 09/07/09 - 01:11 PM:	#2
I think we do focus on the future automatically, innately because it is one of our first strategies as people to anticipate a resistance to our subtlest will. I don't mean the obvious will of "I will beat this race now!" or "I will always be right forever!" since that is just a leaflet on a larger tree, but our subtlest of wills, for instance "I want to live a good life." Since the will for this is so subtle, it is hard for us to know what a good life is, and we instead switch to damage control on the life we already have, which is embodied by the strategy of anticipating any resistance to a good life. Buddha's message, at least for me, of "being in the now" which is echo'd through other pop spiritualaties, is more a meditation of what we are doing for our most subtlest wills against what we do for our immediate will (which is often just damage control). Buddhism tries to make a disctinction between desire and a lack of desire, but really it is paradoxical thinking, because one must desire no desire, which barely makes sense. Really what Buddha should have said was we should be attentive to our most cryptic and subtle of desires, like living a good life, and be weary of the most apparent.

ciceronianus
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Posted 09/07/09 - 02:00 PM:	#3
Mindfulness can be quite useful. Aspects of Taoism and Buddism are interesting and valuable. But, we're always faced with problems, conflicts and decisions, and we always make judgments. It does no good to deny this, or make the judgment to do nothing. The trick is to make intelligent, informed judgments. Many things are beyond our control; some are not. We do what we can with what we can. I prefer the stoics, who emphasized tranquility but also felt a sense of duty, and had a commitment to right conduct.
"Let us not pretend to doubt in philosophy what we do not doubt in our hearts."--C.S. Peirce "There is nothing so absurd but some philosopher has said it."--Marcus Tullius Cicero "Philosophy recovers itself when it ceases to be a device for dealing with the problems of philosophers and becomes a method, cultivated by philosophers, for dealing with the problems of men."--John Dewey

loveofsophia
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Posted 09/10/09 - 09:00 PM:	#4
ciceronianus wrote: Mindfulness can be quite useful. Aspects of Taoism and Buddism are interesting and valuable. But, we're always faced with problems, conflicts and decisions, and we always make judgments. It does no good to deny this, or make the judgment to do nothing. The trick is to make intelligent, informed judgments. Many things are beyond our control; some are not. We do what we can with what we can. I prefer the stoics, who emphasized tranquility but also felt a sense of duty, and had a commitment to right conduct. We make judgments, certainly, but I believe that cause and effect, taken to heart, is a more open perspective on the workings of others and* the world*. We tend to operate in a narrowness, rather easily, and likely instinctually (growing up is hard to do). It is the difference between thinking the earth is flat because we experience it that way and knowing the world curves. IT is correcting our perspective despite more common experience informing us erroneously. I can understand the causes for thinking the world is flat (which was reportedly common in some age). But I value the broader perspective despite this. This is how I consider morality and right action. It is all informed from the perspective others work within. The Buddha seemed to emphasis this point to the nth degree and in an incredibly detailed way. I believe the emphasis in tranquility, duty and a commitment to right conduct are existent in the teachings of the Buddha. I would not be surprised if the practice of the stoics was as wise as that of the Buddha, Jesus, Confucius, just to name some off the top of my head. I believe the medium that they all painted with was different, but the art remained. I don't mean to say some don't have broader ways of seeing than others (which is totally difficult and would demand greater detail than I could lay out). I am aware that some do not like this pluralistic attitude, but also, another part of pluralism for me is that there are only so many ways to do things and some work better and some work worse. It is that simple (despite all that goes into that). Edited by loveofsophia on 09/10/09 - 09:10 PM
It is amazing how susceptible to lies we are when young. I believe people are still far more susceptible to lies as adults than they would like. Balancing what could be, our imaginings, with what we know, this is a delicate act of mind.

loveofsophia
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Posted 09/10/09 - 09:07 PM:	#5
TempletonEsquire wrote: I think we do focus on the future automatically, innately because it is one of our first strategies as people to anticipate a resistance to our subtlest will. I don't mean the obvious will of "I will beat this race now!" or "I will always be right forever!" since that is just a leaflet on a larger tree, but our subtlest of wills, for instance "I want to live a good life." Since the will for this is so subtle, it is hard for us to know what a good life is, and we instead switch to damage control on the life we already have, which is embodied by the strategy of anticipating any resistance to a good life. Buddha's message, at least for me, of "being in the now" which is echo'd through other pop spiritualaties, is more a meditation of what we are doing for our most subtlest wills against what we do for our immediate will (which is often just damage control). Buddhism tries to make a disctinction between desire and a lack of desire, but really it is paradoxical thinking, because one must desire no desire, which barely makes sense. Really what Buddha should have said was we should be attentive to our most cryptic and subtle of desires, like living a good life, and be weary of the most apparent. I consider that all rather apt.
It is amazing how susceptible to lies we are when young. I believe people are still far more susceptible to lies as adults than they would like. Balancing what could be, our imaginings, with what we know, this is a delicate act of mind.

ThirdWorldRevolution
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Posted 09/11/09 - 04:16 PM:	#6
Don't try to convince others how to behave just constantly ensure you grow as a person and self improvement is key. Make yourself the best possible and change the world; don't try to change people.

mayor of simpleton
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Posted 09/12/09 - 12:02 AM:	#7
"Is this philosophy?" - I'd refer to it as "applied philosophy". "Do you have your own?" - Yes. "Is it similar or very different?" - In the big picture, I would say my "philosophy" is very similar. The details and application are very different as we are different individuals. I try not to get too caught up in details unless presented no option. I am a generalist. "Share if you would like." - Sure, but I do not wish to preach nor guide anyone off in a particular direction or another. Not that you are doing so. If you care to see it as an exchange of ideas and experience to enhance the potential understanding of another, cool. Meow! GREG
I am not one to attribute that which I cannot understand immediately to be god(s)-perhaps I will never understand, but god(s) are not defined by my lack of understanding-this is the foundation of dogmas, the pressing of connotative values into the realm of dennotative meaning. - MOS

180 Proof
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Posted 09/12/09 - 03:55 AM:	#8
loveofsophia wrote: ... So here I resolve to patiently and understandingly move my attention back to the here and now. I have such creative powers (we all do); it is a shame when I deny them. The only way I have learned to do this, be present, is through mindfulness practice (mindful sitting, mindful walking, mindful driving, smiling consciously and learning it brings on a very real smile). I am fully aware that my habits are not informed by this idea, this relatively new resolve, but many other conflicting and habit forming ideas have taken root in my life. I must resolve to tend my garden with care, patience, understanding, loving-kindness, and so I understand that it will take practice. Is this philosophy? No. It's (a) meditation. Do you have your own? I'm not so sure I'd call it "a philosophy" ... Is it similar or very different? Quite different. Share if you would like. (Very sketchy but ...) I doubt unconditional questions because their answers tend to be undecidable. I doubt categorical, or infallible, judgments & distinctions. (also undecidable) I doubt claims/arguments of, or about, or from transcendence. (also undecidable) My reflective commitments are methodological and not metaphysical or religious. I experience gratitude for the gratuity of life. I try to savor the brevity of joys & sorrows. The absurd is my revolt, the blues my affirmation, the tragic my muse. Bitterly I prefer truth to love since it is truths that remain when the love goes. I understand that we owe so much -- to community & nature -- because we need so much -- from community & nature. We are, in fact, fundamentally natal and not fatal creatures since the only 'death' we ever experience is that of others and not our own. Ecology informs enables & constrains ethics (i.e. moral agency). And the real: (it) is ineluctably sublime ... the great, encompassing, shattering remainder, and thus reminder of the relative scale of our lives & civilizations & species. Philosophy (vis-a-vis skepticism) demystifies / disenchants traditional symbolic denials of, and post/modern commodified distractions from, the real. I disagree with Aristotle; philosophy -- all thinking -- begins with Doubt, and only insofar as Doubt is lucid do we genuinely encounter Wonder. Ineluctably sublime, gratuitous life. re: [Cosmology[ecology[neurology[ideology]]]] Vita simplex et contemplativa Natura naturans Amor fati note: okay, so I'm not as modest as mayor of simpleton. so sue me ... Edited by 180 Proof on 09/14/09 - 06:01 AM. Reason: Fragments, not thoughts.
The question isn't "Which explanations do I believe?" but rather "Which explanations do I least disbelieve?" Absence of evidence THAT MUST BE THERE (i.e. implied by any claim, concept, or (its) predicates, that affects changes in/to the world) entails evidence of absence. [What cannot be done?[What cannot be hoped?[What cannot be known?]]]

mayor of simpleton
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Posted 09/12/09 - 06:40 AM:	#9
180 proof, I'm not modest. Just my word choices are sometime confused with preaching. Hey, both my parents were school teachers, who never paid any attention to anything I ever said. One can learn bad habits and needs to keep them in check. Truth is, I'm an egoist. I crave attention. I really enjoyed your sketchy stand point. RESPECT! Meow! GREG
I am not one to attribute that which I cannot understand immediately to be god(s)-perhaps I will never understand, but god(s) are not defined by my lack of understanding-this is the foundation of dogmas, the pressing of connotative values into the realm of dennotative meaning. - MOS

loveofsophia
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Posted 09/13/09 - 05:13 PM:	#10
@ 180 Proof I appreciate that expression of your view. I admire a strong inclination toward action and decision. Appreciation of truth is a type of love. I would put forth love of truth, the small t truth, as the truth of love. @ Greg, Mayor of Simpleton I often find what is healthy for me a difficult thing not to project onto others as likely healthy as well. But that is not how one shares their thoughts effectively, I believe. An intention toward simply understanding another's perspective and attempting to make your view understandable to another, I believe these are the most effective ways to engage in conversation. This implies argument as more a dance than a war. It is simple, when there is a winner in an argument, everyone wins because greater understanding for all is the only logical outcome from such an exchange, if effective. IN any event, homework calls. Edited by loveofsophia on 09/13/09 - 06:17 PM
It is amazing how susceptible to lies we are when young. I believe people are still far more susceptible to lies as adults than they would like. Balancing what could be, our imaginings, with what we know, this is a delicate act of mind.

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