Kant, On Thinking for Yourself

To garner a little empathy, I will say that my day started with my toilet exploding. So it was literally covered in shit, I was trying to clean up, all day. I’m living alone for the first time, wouldn’t you know a plunger is one of those things you don’t think about needing until it is too late. I don’t know anything about valves. Well now I do.

I was listening to a philosophize this! podcast talking about Kant before I had to deal with all of that

Kant says as children, what we do, is outsource different components of our life to other people.

We become dependent on not thinking for ourselves. It feels so good, that we extend this practice into adulthood. There is no clear right of passage, for most cultures, that ensures you have some foundation for thinking. Before letting you think you know anything.

At what point do we decide to start thinking for ourselves?

It is so easy to be immature. A book can think for me, a pastor can be my conscience, a professor to steer me in the right direction. It is so easy to outsource your conscience, every element of your life and allow someone else to think for you.

I have always hated doing the easy thing.

People claim to love this idea of freedom. People love to talk about how much they love freedom. Most of my observations have resulted in more, laziness and cowardice. They lack the courage to stand up and use their intellect.

I have found that the more maturity I can demonstrate, the more freedom I get to do what ever the fuck I want. I have valued that enough over the years to meticulous account for all of my actions. So now I have a lot of really hard earned freedom at my disposal. And, a really loud voice. I have a hearing problem. So yes, if it sounds like I don’t know how loud I am, I probably don’t. If your mumbling I won’t ask you to repeat yourself. So if you actually want me to know something, look me in the eye and wait for a response.

We can’t let this fear of failure, of negative judgements trap us. You keep trying until you succeed. Remove yourself from your self incurred immaturity process. Dare to be wise. Be courageous. We will fall over, it will hurt, we have to learn our lessons.

Kant didn’t teach people philosophy. He taught on how to philosophize.

After cheerfully showing my landlord my well kept, (and probably too well decorated) apartment. I believe I passed the emergency are you following all of my rules inspection they got to spring on me.

I know they don’t want me here,

good thing I have a one year lease.

Good thing I’m not breaking any rules. I read them first for inspiration, so I know.

Being an independent responsible adult, sucks, especially when life is covered in shit. Being your own boss is scary, it means you are responsible for every thing that could go wrong. Everything that probably will go wrong. But we cannot be afraid to fail, or imagine what life might look like if we take some of these old principles and address them with a fresh perspective.