Understanding philosophies of life 1.b.1

CE 30 1.B.1

FROM PHILOSOPHY FOR LIFE AND OTHER DANGEROUS SITUATIONS BY JULES EVANS

UNDERSTANDING PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE

BASIC IDEAS OF PHILOSOPHY

1) We can know ourselves.2) We can change ourselves.3) We can create new habits of thinking, feeling and acting.4) We can use philosophy to create better lives.

• What, then, is a ‘better’ life?

WHAT IF YOU WERE ABLE TO CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS INSTEAD OF BEING

CONTROLLED BY THEM?

Usually we presume that the way people act is a result of events in their lives.•event –> Person -> reaction


CONTROLLED BY THEM?• Epictetus: ‘Men are disturbed not by events, but by

their opinions about events’. • In other words, our interpretation of events creates

an emotion (disturbance) out of which we act. Our interpretations are shaped by our beliefs.


CONTROLLED BY THEM?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE FALSE BELIEFS?

• We interpret events wrongly, we feel in ways which don’t match the situation, we react inappropriately.• Change our beliefs, we change our interpretation,

which changes our emotions, which changes our actions.


For example, if I say hello to someone and they do not say hello back:If I do not examine my beliefs, I might be rude to them the next time I see them.


• If I do examine my beliefs, I might see the following:• They did not say hello -> I believe they do not like

me -> I interpret their action as a rejection of me -> I feel hurt and angry -> I react rudely.


• I might look at my belief and realize I have no reason to believe they do not like me – instead, there are more likely possibilities: they did not recognize me, I did not speak loudly enough, they were preoccupied with some concern of theirs.

• Now, my belief is that the person likes me, but something else prevented them from returning my hello – perhaps something difficult and consuming.

• Same event, now interpreted as a signal something is wrong, making me feel curious and compassionate, prompting me to go back and ask how they are doing

WHAT IF YOU WERE FREE TO ENJOY EVERY MOMENT?

Epicurus looked around and noticed a few things about life.•we actually don't need that much to survive and experience pleasure•if we focus on what gives pleasure without also causing pain, we can easily be happy•instead, though, we hold false beliefs that keep us from pursuing pleasure


• So we should discover what gave the most pleasure without also giving pain. Then do it.

• Epicurius saw that, while wine gave momentary pleasure, it gave even greater pain the next morning. • So wisdom was about identifying what pleasures

were really "worth it“.

WHAT IF YOU WERE NEVER FOOLED BY SOMEONE ELSE’S FALSE BELIEF?

• Skeptics point out how easy it is for the mind to cling to false beliefs. • Skeptics use aggressive questioning to suggest there ispractically no knowledge which is sure.• Even the closest we have to pure knowledge, science, needs to be radically questioned.


• Along with questioning belief, Cynics questioned how we accept society’s expectations without thinking.• For Cynics, freedom and health come from

rejecting ‘acceptable’ behavior and living as one wishes.• Comforts, politeness, manners are all inventions of

society – if they don’t work for you, chuck ‘em.


• Diogenes went whole hog – lived in a barrel, wore rags, did his business in front of strangers.• When Alexander the Great came by to see him

and offered to grant him anything he asked for, Diogenes said, “Step sideways; you’re blocking the sunlight.”• Cynics don’t want to look good to strangers; they

want to be good according to their own personal code.

WHAT IF YOU WERE ABLE TO SHAPE YOUR UNCONSCIOUS MIND?

• We like to think our minds are rational – yet the vast majority of choices we make unconsciously, and even irrationally.• That is, we make choices without thinking, and even

when we think, our thinking is not logical.


• One thing we do is tell ourselves things we believe – now we call it ‘self-talk’• “I’m no good at that.” “I could never do that.”

“They would never like me.”• These are examples of negative self-talk.


• What Pythorgas (the triangle guy!) taught was that our minds listen to everything we think and say.• So if we think and say negative things, we become

negative; if we think positively, we become positive.• Therefore, Pythogoras taught his students to

memorize maxims.

SOME MAXIMS:

• “Know yourself”• “No one can harm you without your permission.”• “Nothing to excess.”

I know it sounds like a cat poster, but it’s true.


• Modern research has confirmed Pythagoras’s insight: when we think in certain ways, we become what we think.• “Power Phrases” or “Affirmations” are other words

for these “maxims”

WHAT IF YOU COULD TOUCH PERFECTION?

• Plato believed in the reality of absolute Truth, Beauty and Justice, and thought the world we see only palely imitated true reality.• If we put things in their proper order, including

developing our minds to control our desires and emotions, we could experience true reality.

WHAT IF YOU KNEW YOUR PURPOSE?

• Aristotle believed our minds could shape our desires and emotions, towards virtue: the ability to do the right thing at the right time.

• He believed humans find happiness in fulfilling the purpose they are designed for. While human purpose is distinct from tree purpose, every person in every moment has unique purpose.

What if you could touch perfection?

What if you knew your purpose?

Understanding philosophies of life 1.b.1

Education

Transcript of Understanding philosophies of life 1.b.1