The very idea of philosophy to some may seem like a complete waste of time. Questioning life as we know it, asking an empty room why we exist at this very moment in time and longing for the silence to just give you an answer, challenging the prospects of history and ‘science’ – all questions nobody has the answer to. It is open to interpretation, which is what makes the subject of philosophy so fascinating. For example, what may appear black to you, may appear white to someone else. That doesn’t mean to say either one of you are wrong. It just means you both see things in different ways which is a good example of a healthy conflict. Without conflict, everybody would all agree and life would be boring. No debates, no politics, no personal opinions or differentiated morals. No jobs as politicians, the law and order sector would be useless, the list goes on. Can you see how our lives are built on a foundation of philosophy? This is something the Ancient Greeks caught on to very quickly and they expressed it in plays, in their writing and often in the medical field. Upon closer observation of these expressions, it is easy to see that the philosophical macrocosm was, and still is, split into two clear divisions: how you engage with others and how you engage with yourself. These two individual acts meet in the middle, meaning that the way you engage with yourself will affect those around you and vice versa. Philosophers, through from ancient times to now, have always been aware of how our energy can impact on the mind of others, and while the Ancient Greeks may not have said it in such a way, it was conveyed through art, sculptures, plays, and most importantly, through tongue.
How you engage with others:
It comes as no surprise that whatever you say to someone or do to someone will inevitably be remembered for a duration of time that is dependant on the memorability of your actions. For example, should you decide to take someone on a Venetian gondola for a sunset cruise, I’m sure it will be remembered for an extremely long time whereas if you trip over a curb in the presence of someone else, it will most likely be forgotten within a week. By taking this same idea and applying it to the way we display our opinions and ideas, we have to be selective on what we say and do as to not disrespect another person’s internal philosophies. Philosophies compromised of unique experiences and personal preference. Zeno of Elea, a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, once said that ‘we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak,’ which I believe to be an excellent practice. This way, we remain respectful to those around us without neglecting or overlooking the values of anyone else. This proposal may also be beneficial to our personal philosophy as it allows us the chance to learn from others and add to our vault of morals, ultimately bettering ourselves as humans. On the contrary, other people may chose to learn from you. Widely known philosophical author, Plato, once said ‘never discourage someone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow’. This isn’t to say that you should raise your ego with someone you believe to be morally or internally disengaged. It is more to say that you should utilise your personal principles and raise other people up which may subtly teach them to hold more honourable beliefs. Should they choose to ignore your proposals, that’s philosophy for you. Allow them to continue with their beliefs. You cannot fix a person, only guide them on a path you believe to be accurate which also may be entirely wrong. This is why you must be cautious when approaching others with different principles as yours may not be wholly respected by society. It takes a lot of reflection. As Socrates once said ‘false words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil’ which takes me back to Zeno’s point about listening more than we talk.
How you engage with yourself:
You and your body are two separate things. Your body is the vessel in which you reside. You are your brain and heart, and what makes up your brain and your heart are your emotions, memories and morals (and obviously tissue, blood and muscle!). Aristotle once said that ‘educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all’ which I most definitely do agree with because like I said, you are your heart and your brain. Allowing yourself the free luxury of knowledge and self-respect is one of the greatest forms of self-care known to man – a theory that dates back thousands of years. You have to treat your heart as it deserves to be treated. It keeps your body alive, it beats for you and keeps you up and running. It keeps your greatest memories sparkling, just waiting to be remembered and your worst memories locked away. So to educate it and fill it with the things you love is one of the greatest forms of self-care as well as the added benefit of shining up your morals, which will lead to an expel of good energy. Good energy that will lift others up and begin the chain reaction of happiness. This initiates the idea of ‘to help others is to help yourself,’ in a more abstract, mental sense. The term is often associated with greed, but when you look at it from a more philosophical perspective, it is clear that the energy you radiate can impact the energy of people around you, which can also be applied to the words you speak around certain people. Something else said by the Ancient Greek, Aristotle, is that ‘we are what we repeatedly do, for then excellence is not an act, but a habit.’ When you implement ‘good philosophy’ and good deeds into your daily routine, it becomes a habit – like excellence – which then brings up the spirits of those around you. In turn this brings up your spirits – it swings in roundabouts. Arguably, it isn’t about what you believe / sharing what you believe. It’s more about keeping reserved while equally subtly giving others the option to learn about you and your beliefs through the energy you give off. It’s about listening to yourself and others and giving out the energy you’d like to receive. It is a complicated skill to grasp, yet not so complicated to understand – that’s what philosophy is all about.
While it may be particularly hard to explain, all of us are philosophers. You don’t need to understand all the worlds problems or agree with everyone – quite the opposite, actually. You just need to be you. Learn something new every day, implement your morals into your daily routine, respect and learn from others, see the beauty, argue back and forth about existence, do what you love. Your opinion and your morals and your heart makes up your internal philosophy, if that makes sense. It is open to interpretation and you have to have an open mind to understand. Use your energy, philosophy and the word of the Ancient Greeks to lift up not only yourself but others around you.
XOXO,
Lola
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