PIECES ON PHILOSOPHY TO CONTEMPLATE
A REQUEST FOR WHAT TO READ IN WHAT ORDER
REQUEST: "Could you give me a list of at least 10 articles (or, hey, 30) for me to read and meditate on one per day? ... reading at least one article per day. Perhaps if you gave me a reading list, I could get a good philosophy going."
Perhaps one answer is just to read the links in "The Components Of Your Life Philosophy" on the main Philosophy Overview page.
The following is a list of "must-knows" (and "must-understands") to have a realistic, workable philosophy that does not exist in the land of froo-froo (wishful thinking and "make-ups"). Knowing and understanding these will provide a solid foundation for one's life. I would recommend, rather than a 30 day program, reading the following as "lead ins" to a few other related articles you might also choose to read (each piece has links to other related and/or supporting pieces) - just read those and then return to this list to go to the next area to contemplate.
Please know that a philosophy is not just a bunch of concepts, but a sound collection of realities and viewpoints that must be backed by thorough understanding of why and how they are valid.
Once you decide what is a valid (workable) philosophy, you'll probably need to remind yourself of the key points, so you'd use something like The Reminders Notebook.
Note that practical philosophy (a way to think about life and oneself) intersects strongly with what is psychologically healthy! In fact, some "psychological principles" are also philosophical viewpoints.
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GROUNDING IN REALITY - INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY VITAL
Unless one is operating in and knows reality, one will be engaging in ineffective thinking and beliefs and operating from made-up non-workable rules and assumptions - and one cannot succeed by doing that which is not workable! We "make up" things and then we operate off of them, to our detriment. Therefore, learning how things work is essential, so that the process can be started without major misunderstandings.
What Is Reality? Know What It Is Or Suffer From Irreality - The essential base underlying the formation of a valid philosophy that works in the real world!!
Not Knowing We Made Up This Stuff - And believing it, unnecessarily suffering from it. (Useful to understand the piece, linked from that page, on The Believing Brain.)
The Meaning Of Meaning - Yes, the "values" we create are valid...
Fear (or unpleasant emotions) are not things, but temporary signals for action.
Your Brain Is Strictly Mechanical - There is no ego, mysterious "forces" or "entities", etc. and thoughts are often not truth...many are just "made-up". (Understand *Evolution - Why the brain does what it does... and *The Story Of Our Happy And Our Unhappy Chemicals - A Tale Of The Mechanisms For Survival. Willpower, for instance, is not a character issue, but a mechanical one. (Not part of philosophy, per se, but worth knowing: Willpower - Its Use And Misuse.)
Perhaps the "hugest" of them all! There is no valid basis for faulting oneself or others. There is no valid basis for low self esteem or low "worth". Once you free yourself of this you can just devote your energy to adding the great bonuses that are (optionally) attainable. Why There Is No Fault - Whatever Happens Happens For A Valid Human Reason.
"Sufficient" Knowing - "Knowing of" (or "about") is not the same as knowing.
Resistance will only make you unhappy and for no purpose!
Accepting life by putting its realities into proper perspective and trade-offs.
Who I Really Am - Defining who I'm not and no longer defending it.
The Road To Happiness For Life - What is intelligent, unconditional happiness?
Responsibility is at the core of a powerful philosophy - and a much better life.
But most people define it wrongly.
PERSPECTIVE
Life is a process of realistically seeing "What-Is", not "what is missing" - and seeing that there is a "safe base". We make up "not having something" as if it is a threat - it isn't. And there is a safe base around which we are "invulnerable".
The Role Of Expectations In Life And In Relationships - And its huge effect on
your unhappiness.
How Much Is Enough? - "More" is not a good answer - and, per the Buddha, it is
the source of suffering.
I Have More Than Enough - An essential understanding in life
I Have A Safe Base - Am I Safe? Yes, Overall, Already!
Sufficient Psychological Certainty - Certaintizing one's life and self and feeling
safe and sufficient.
"get it" (the understanding). "Grokking" it is essential to a really happy life.
The Core Of Your Life - Just Maintain This And Your Circumstances Will Not Matter - And you'll have lots of energy left over, besides having more units of satisfaction. Define that core for yourself and you'll have a healthy perspective. Focus on it and you'll be guaranteed happiness.
When we know what truly matters, the threat of a loss of something that
doesn't matter will not matter (duh!)
The rest of this is in process - if you want to be notified of additions, sign up for the email notification service on the blog: A Happy And Effective Life.
WRITE. (For me to write, later) Regaining And Maintaining Perspective. If you "know of" a philosophy, it is helpful but not sufficient. You must know how to actually implement it in the real world, including having clearly defined what is a "successful life".
1. The skill and practice of reassuring yourself, with compassion and perspective.
(you have the potential to do alot more than you've trained yourself to do...)
2. All perspective should be relative to "value".
All "value" is based on "happiness value". See Values - The Contents We Work With To Create A Great Life (A Life Beyond What Most People Believe Is Possible) - But it is very, very possible and very, very doable!
THE MOST VALUABLE TOOL IN LIFE
All of philosophy is essentially about noticing what is happening and then learning from it, using every tool one can to facilitate that, so that one achieves "wisdom". And as one increases one's wisdom, getting the desired results in life gets easier and easier - and more and more abundant. Live this philosophy: Living Life As A Life Champion.
GETTING THERE
Part of "there" lies in this piece: The Core Of Your Life - Just Maintain This And Your Circumstances Will Not Matter While this is a "management" strategy, it is absolutely an essential philosophical viewpoint. Plus it frees up energy for producing that which has a much higher value and payoff.
And you'll get "there" by following The Only Path To The Greatest Life - Using "The Process".
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A "FOOTNOTE"
There are no valid shoulds.
QUESTION?
If there is a question or you question these", please send me an email, if you would like an answer or to fill in a missing piece,
This might not only benefit you, but it could help me see what I am not conveying clearly enough - so that I can modify what is written.
