Et Montaigne? L'amitié?

We all have friends, don't we? Well friendship happens to be the next topic. Montaigne deeply explored the institution of friendship and this is what he tells us:

These are some forms of friendship:

1. Consumer friendship - we are friends with a certain person to attain some form of immediate pleasure or satisfaction. We have many of these kind of friends.

2. Entrepreneurial friendship - this is similar to the previous in the sense that we want to attain some sort of benefit yet in this occasion the benefits are gained through a long-term relationship. We have many of these friends, but less than we do consumer friends.

3. Voluntary Servitude - this is the deepest and most meaningful form of friendship. This form of friendship contains honestly and support with the elimination of jealousy. We have no expectations for this person. This person with whom we partake of this form of friendship is virtually a second version of ourselves and we hope to improve them. Lastly, this form of friendship is rare.

'I get by with a little help from my friends' 

Epicurus: the Happiest Man to Ever Live

Why is the feeling of satisfaction ephemeral? When do I feel content? What are the characteristic of happiness? 

This is a bust of Epicurus. He can answer these questions. 

Why is the feeling of satisfaction ephemeral? 

We do not remain satisfied for very long because we try to gain pleasure from desires which yield no true happiness. We may be feel temporarily content, like when experiencing fame or wealth, yet we find ourself wanting more, and thus we are never satisfied. Epicurus calls desires of such nature unnatural and unnecessary.

When do I feel content? 

We feel content when we eliminate inappropriate wants and fully immerse ourselves in the present, sans thoughts of the past or the future, and partake in our vital and necessary needs such as food and shelter. 

Happiness arises from our absolute commitment to the present, ignoring time, and indulging in our current activity. 

What are the characteristic of happiness? 

Epicurus states that their are three major characteristic to happiness: friends, freedom, and reflection. 

Friends - Who we are with is more important than the activity we are preforming. 

Freedom - We must feel free from the frustrations of society and depend on ourself to attain happiness and experience a sense of self-sufficiency. 

Reflection - We must live an analyzed life to improve our condition. 

(Not this type of reflection)

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.

Feeling Angry? Talk to Seneca

According to Seneca, we become angry because we are too optimistic. Instead, we should be more realistic. Every day we encounter anger/frustration because we expect the world to conform to our desires, and well, that simply does not happen. We should change our attitude and acknowledge the fact that things don't always happen how we would like them, but we do not need to become angry because of it. We simply need to be realistic and not become surprised when our environment does not meet our expectations. That's Seneca in a nutshell.

So next time your computer freezes, buy a Mac or remember you don't have to react like this guy.

Anger: an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.

Amor Fati?

So, what is greatness?
I've heard numerous answers to this question and countless examples of people who are considered great. I've even heard that the man shown below was great.

This man is Adolf Hitler. He is responsible for the mass murder of millions of people during the Second World War. How could this man be considered great? What is greatness then?

Nietzsche provides a direct answer to this question. Nietzsche's formula for greatness in a human being is Amor Fati. Nietzsche claims that their are four ways to deal with hardship: (1) bearing it, (2) concealing it, (3) dreaming it would vanish, and (4) Amor Fati. Greatness comes when one practices this philosophy. So, what is this Amor Fati? Nietzsche tells us that this is the act of loving all facticity. We should love every aspect of our lives and every situation in which we find ourselves. What? This sounds absurd! Nietzsche tells that we can benefit out of hardship if we learned to cultivate difficulty and engender something good from its ugly roots. In other words, we can't change reality, but we can change the manner in which we see and interpret it.

What is Greatness? (Was Lennon Wrong?)

This is John Lennon: 

       He once said that he was the Walrus. The later corrected himself and said Paul McCartney was the Walrus. It now appears that he is wrong once more. In reality, Friedrich Nietzsche was the Walrus:

       A question which comes up in all our busy brains at one point is the following: what is greatness? This same question tickled by brain as if I had consumed a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. So tell me, what is greatness? I've heard that Lennon was great (he was also wrong). I've heard Jesus was great. I've seen mugs labeled: World's Greatest Mom. So I wonder, what is greatness? Nietzsche, being the mathematical type, developed a formula. Thank you Nietzsche! His formula for greatness in a human being is Amor Fati. 

 Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster

A potent drink invented by Zaphod Beeblebrox. The effects have been likened to having your brains smashed out with a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.

There are many voluntary organizations which will help to rehabilitate you after you've had one.

Source: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 

What Does Socrates Teach Us?

This ugly man below is Socrates: 

Yet don't let his appearance distract you. Socrates teaches us to be intelligent non-conformists. What is an intelligent non-conformist? This terms refers to a person who does not submit him/herself to the rules of society. We should avoid acting like mindless sheep in a herd and instead act upon what we feel is just and appropriate. We should not acquiesce to the norms established by our peers if they contradict what we believe to be correct. 

Socrates also provides us with a method to practice philosophy. This is the Socratic Method: (1) present thesis, (2) provide a counterexample, (3) refine thesis and repeat until no counterexample can be utilized. 

Through the Socratic Method, one attain a clearer understanding of the argued topic in the pursuit of establishing a concrete conclusion or answer. Moreover, this method allows us to question the social conventions of society, avoiding the "herd" mentality.

What Does Philosophy Look Like?

The basic stuff of philosophy is essentially beliefs. 
One engage in philosophy through meaningful conversation, discussion, reflection, etc. 
The ultimate goal of philosophy is to find truth which will leads to happiness. 


These are the basic characteristics of philosophy.  


But why do we need philosophy?


1. We live like sheep! We always follower the leader mindlessly and rarely do thing of our own conviction. 


2. We are lazy. We need motivation and reflection to improve our lives in our pursuit for happiness. 


3. Happiness. Philosophy will ultimately make us happy as we experience truth. 


These are just some reasons. 

What Is Philosophy?

     I am very particular. I only like things done in a certain manner. Is this reasonable? I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Consequently, I live a very predictable life. I perform actions which I feel I must do. This tends to be a very difficult for myself and others. 

     

For example: 

I place similar objects of varying sized in ascending order. 

     On Monday wear a bright blue polo. On Tuesday I wear a navy blue polo. On Wednesday I wear a white polo. On Thursday I wear a brown polo. On Friday I wear a black polo.

     I perform rituals such as turning the light switch on and off three times before I go to bed at night. 

    I fear uncleanliness. In fact, once I went over to a friend's house and had to clean his entire living room because I felt uncomfortable. I swept, vacuumed, dusted, organized, etc. He was very happy.

     I believe that I must do these things in order to have control over my life. I feel that if I fail to perform my rituals bad things will happen to me. 

     Is this life style reasonable? No. Philosophy is a tool. It allows me to question my beliefs. It provides me with the chance to direct my thought and behaviors on a rational pass to better myself and my life.    

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