This has gotten a lot of response on Twitter and Facebook, so I wanted to revisit it here. I hope you enjoy these short ruminations.
Philosophy: A Few Thoughts.
Philosophy is about getting your bearings in this world we've all been dropped into. It's about Wisdom. And that means it’s about Truth. And Beauty. And Goodness. And Unity.
Philosophy can be hard, but all of us are, in a sense, homespun philosophers, trying our best to interpret our experience of this wild, surprising world.
We think of the great philosophers in the past as old, bearded eminences in togas or stiff collars. But they often pondered at young ages and just kept it up.
Philosophy isn’t male or female; young or old; white, or black, or brown. It's all of us seeking to understand our common nature and world.
Philosophy smiles on any of us who will keep it company for a time. It's not great at quick meet-and-greets. It likes to walk with us a while.
Philosophy isn't for show, or profit, or fame. It's the art of living well in any circumstances. It's first inner, then outer in its effects.
Philosophy is an array of habits and skills—of thinking, feeling, and doing. It's not just theory. It's a deep recipe for true flourishing.
Philosophy is a calling, whatever your job. It's a mission of wonder and investigation, curiosity and contemplation, and mostly: perspective.
Philosophy is well acquainted with my better self, and is always wanting to get us together.
I speak of philosophy as if it's singular. But like HipHop, Soul, Rock, Country, and Jazz, it has many manifestations. Yet, they’re all family.
Philosophy has two faces—one fierce, and the other: endlessly compassionate.
Philosophy is: questions in search of answers, in search of questions. And so on. It's the most recursive of discursive endeavors, forever.
Some philosophers build houses of thought. Others stay on the move.
