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What is your philosophy of life?
The True North group
The difference between the members of these three groups is internal. You won't be able to spot them instantly.
In general, it is better to live as a member of the True North group, provided you remain humble, curious, and open to the possibility you may be wrong.
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Philosophy of life
A philosophy of life means a mental framework for understanding how the world works and how you fit into it. It would include how you decide what is good and bad, what you mean with "success" and "purpose," whether there is a God, etc.
You may feel that you could summarize your philosophy of life with labels such as Libertarian, Feminist, Liberal, Conservative, Buddhist, Christian, Entrepreneur, and others. But our actual philosophies of life are more complex and not so quickly contained.
Three groups of philosophy of life
- The True North Group: You have a compass for life and know which direction is the correct way. When asked about your philosophy of life, you could explain it immediately and concisely.
- The Dusty Compass Group: You have a compass for directing your life, but you don't always know how to use it. You may have a loosely organized philosophy but may not use it to filter and direct your experience.
- The Inbox Group: You may not have a compass. Life may be about something, but you don't know. Your approach is to deal with life the way you manage email: You are just directing your attention to whatever lands in your inbox.
The True North group
The difference between the members of these three groups is internal. You won't be able to spot them instantly.
In general, it is better to live as a member of the True North group, provided you remain humble, curious, and open to the possibility you may be wrong.
Directing the philosophy of life
If you are in the Dusty Compass Group or the Inbox Group, a brush of near-death has a way of improving your philosophy of life. You may be jolted into living on purpose and make it count. In the face of mortality, we think hard about what matters. But, as the weeks and months pass, you may drift back to distraction. Without the vivid orienting direction of a clear philosophy of life, it becomes easy to do whatever's easiest instead of living the way you'd want your obituaries to read.
That's why reflecting every now and again on the reality of death is a good thing to do to make the most of the reality of life.
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The Universal God
Aldous Huxley's The Perennial Philosophy(1945) is an extraordinary work of synthesis, introducing global (particularly eastern) spirituality into mainstream western culture.
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Fresh Take On Religion
- Modern society has been described as the Age of Noise, and an Organized Lovelessness.
- Advertising is revealed to be an organized effort to extend and intensify craving.
- People in the modern age worship progress, technology, and their nation-state, all of which can be described as a 'religion'.
- The dogma of such religions was profoundly criticized in the classic books, while paving the way towards newer ways to find God, like meditation.
The Author and Philosopher's fresh take on religion, shaping it as an 'empirical spirituality' was a huge influence in the 1960s and which has since then led to more people (now 27% in the US) being 'Spiritual but not Religious'
Constructing One's Reality
Aldous Huxley was heavily criticized after his death by newer philosophers who didn't subscribe to the Perennial Philosophy.
While the author insisted that the ultimate mystical experience is the moment of pure oneness with God where the concepts of 'I', language, image and culture are dissolved, his critics argued that all religions are true and some of them are truer than the others.
One of the critics states that human beings construct reality using their bodies, rituals, words, actions and cultures.
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Nihilism
Nihilism means "nothing." It is the lack of belief in meaning or substance in an area of philosophy.
- Moral nihilism argues that moral facts cannot exist.
- Metaphysical nihilism ar...
Existentialism
Existentialism originates from Soren Kierkegaard and Nietzche. It focuses on the problems produced by existential nihilism. For instance:
- What is the point of living if life has no inherent purpose?
- How do we face the knowledge of our inevitable demise?
Existentialism emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice.
Stoicism
Stoicism was popular in ancient Greece and Rome and is practiced by many in high-stress environments.
Stoicism focuses on how to live in a world where things don't go as planned. The idea is to accept all the things beyond your control and to focus on what you can control.
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Hating Ourselves
"I hate myself" is a common self-talk. You really are your worst enemy, however painful this may feel.
Feelings of self-hatred and unworthiness are felt by a majority of people. E...
Effects of Self-Hatred
Self-hatred gives us negative thoughts, telling us we are unattractive, lack confidence, and are generally unworthy. If we listen to it, we give it power. We then create a negative shield around us and will have trouble accepting love and compassion.
The internal negative breeding will attract further negativity in our lives and relationships.
How To Stop Hating Yourself
- Pay attention to your triggers by reflecting on your thoughts and actions, identifying your inner negative talk.
- Question and challenge your negative thoughts, and detach from them.
- Start saying positive affirmations to yourself to counter the negativity.
- Reframe your negative thoughts by changing your point of view.
- Spend time with positive people who fill you with joy.
- Seek professional help as this may be a mental health issue.