This thread features two questions firstly. What is it that made you first approach philosophy? and secondly what is the most important or usefull thing you think philosophy has taught you about life?
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My older brother (by 3 years) was studying it at uni whilst I was still in high school. I read a bit of Hume and got hooked.
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That having a whole bunch of commendable, useful concepts at your disposal makes life better.
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A natural suspicion that most people are terribly wrong. I could, at seventeen, smell the lies in people. I sensed everything that was wrong with consumer/capitalist society before I even knew it was “philosophical”. It was when I found the ideas of the great thinkers that I shouted “aha! I knew it. I knew it all along. This world is completely fucked.”
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Philosophy has taught me only two things: 1) when you are smarter than other people, they will not like you, and 2) people who do not like you and are not willing to learn are expendable.
[b]1. Looking for god or an all encompassing absolute.
- There is no such thing as god or an all encompassing absolute.
Philosophy has also showed me the many absurdities and forms of insanity that humanity perpetuates.[/b]
Philosophy had a huge impact on me as its confirmed my skepticism of truth, or claiming the knowledge of the truth.
It’s also helped me both get in touch with and share my superior jerkiness with lesser jerks. The petty hatred of the lesser jerks only makes my inner jerkiness more glorious.
Everyone is a jerk, only the enlightened philosophical person can see with their Platonically blinded eyes what the truth of that statement could possibly be.
interesting, for me 1. is the same. but 2. is the opposite.
Though my personal little gem of wisdom is that though we use philosophy and logical reasoning to try to better understand our lives and the universe that we inhabit. neither will lead us to that which we seek.
1.) I love to argue, (in a polite and reasonable manner) and I am pretty strong in the area of simple logic.
2.) Three things:
A.) Patience, sometimes someone just isn’t understanding what you are saying and you have to phrase yourself in a different way, philosophical debates give me the opportunity to do that.
B.) Understanding, even if I disagree with someone’s perspective, I can usually understand why they believe what they believe and what would make them feel that way.
c.) Self-control, in a philosophical debate, sarcasm, anger, and swearing don’t earn you any extra points, and it’s that way in life, too.
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Interested in becoming a better atheist.
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Helped me become a better theist.