Why Do We NEED Philosophy of life

Abraham Benjamin
Sep 1, 2018 · 6 min read

The default philosophy of our times is to avoid pain and maximise pleasure. At first glance, this seems a very reasonable way to live.

Everyone lives by a personal philosophy, but most don’t know they even have one, and certainly couldn’t describe it. Most are living existing according to other people’s philosophy. Most people have no clue who they are or what they really want from their life.

You needn’t know anything about philosophy , not even how to spell it. Philosophy of life is simply a grand term for how you believe you could live your best life. This vision should encapsulate the very essence of you as an individual, the principles you value above all, the reason you exist. And, equally important, it requires a practical plan for living this philosophy.

There is two way of living philosophy according to me

Most of us need much more than this to feel fulfilled. We need to work out:

1.What is most important to us, our Grand Goal in living.

2.How we’re going to organise our life to achieve this Goal.

What will happen if you do not have any philosophy

Going through life without a philosophy is like sailing a boat without a rudder or charts. You’re seeking happiness, but you don’t know where it is or what it looks like. You don’t know where you are or where you’re heading. And even if you know the right direction, you have no means of steering there. You drift along the sea of life, blown in one direction and then another.

The Real--life Benifit

1. Find what is Really and Truly important to you.

2. Helps you remember these values, once discovered.

3. Gives a sense of how to pursue the important things.

4. Prevents you wasting time doing/seeking what you don’t value.

5. Prevents life pushing you around
helps with decision-making.

6. Forces you to take responsibility for your own actions.

7. Allows you to live an authentic life is essential for your happiness.

1. Find what is Really and Truly important to you

The process of developing a philosophy of life starts with asking ourselves whether the way we are passing our days is truly making us happy and fulfilled.

If you are lucky, you find you are on your way to a coherent (susangat) life. The small things you do every day are aligned both to your values and your long-term goals. Double-check you’re not fooling yourself, and then congratulate yourself and expect to be happy!

But what you discover may not be what you expected. If the way you are living is out of sync with the real you, if you’re a corporate lawyer who is really a gardener, then there is likely to be a sense of emptiness, of something missing. A few such people can successfully delude(Attractions) themselves, reassured(have to believe) and distracted by their achievements and possessions. But if you have the tiniest bit of insight, you will realise you are not quite as happy as you could be. This process of discovering your values is the essential (important) first step towards filling in the emptiness.

2. Don’t forget these values, once discovered

According to me It seems ridiculous to think that we could forget what we have discovered. Yet values like "harmony", "strength", "teamwork" are just words, and if they exist for you solely as an academic exercise they will have no power. A philosophy of life is the framework that keeps these values central in your decisions and actions.

3. How to pursue the important things

Once you’ve worked this value stuff out then things slowly fall into place. Instead of conspiring against you, life now offers up opportunities. You begin to see options where before you were stuck on auto-pilot.

4. Why do you waste time doing/seeking what you don’t value

Understanding that life really is short, and that some behaviours are unlikely to bring fulfillment and happiness, allows you to cut out the bullshit from your life.

A famous quotes By John Piper…

“I am wired by nature to love the same toys that the world loves. I start to fit in. I start to love what others love. I start to call earth "home." Before you know it, I am calling luxeries "needs" and using my money just the way unbelievers do. I begin to forget the war. I don’t think much about people perishing(momentary). Missions and unreached people drop out of my mind. I stop dreaming about the triumphs of grace. I sink into a secular mind-set that looks first to what man can do, not what God can do. It is a terrible sickness. And I thank God for those who have forced me again and again toward a wartime mind-set.”

5. Prevents life pushing you around

Developing a philosophy of life won’t prevent illness and misfortune(misadventure). It will help you keep these in perspective, work out a plan and move forward on your own terms.

“When life pushes you down, push back!
That’s what you’re here for.
You’re capable, You’re creative,
you’re full of life and energy.
You have what it takes to move yourself forward
around any obstacle.
Don’t let anything stop you.”

6. Helps with DECISION-MAKING

Even if you are completely unaware of your philosophy, you do have one; and it influences all your decisions, which in turn influence how your life turns out. If your philosophy is piecemeal and contradictory, then one day’s decision will be reversed by the next day’s. Even if you have a goal, you will not make much progress towards it.

On the other hand, if you have a coherent philosophy, then not only does it make the process of decision making far easier, but all your decisions will move you in the direction you intended to go.

7. Taking Responsibility for Your Actions

When we make excuses or try to blame other people or external factors for the eventual outcome of something, not only are we failing to take responsibility, but we are demonstrating a character trait(specialty) which is very common in people who fail to succeed in anything.

In shouldering(push away) responsibility ourselves, we are giving ourselves the power to shape the outcome ourselves and are therefore taking an active and not a passive role in how the outcome turns out.

8. Allows you to live authentically

Imagine being free to be truly yourself, to be able to live life without masks, while being powerful, responsive, and centred in grace in every situation you find yourself in.

In order to heal and get to know our authentic self, it is helpful to access effective simple human tools so that we begin live from our true centres. We then find ourselves living life much more on our own terms, while being able to move outwards in the world, meeting others in the spirit of real truth. Life becomes ours again.

Our retreats, classes, sharings, counselling, healings(medication), and teachings, exist as a sanctuary and support to encourage anyone wishing to live more authentically, by helping them in their awakening to the joy and beauty of their truest self.

Freedom is in everyone’s heart, it is not an add on, an act of will, it is not an attainment(yield) to be achieved, or a 'spiritual' lifestyle you can adopt. Sadly very few people allow themselves to hold fast their natural wholeness and inheritance(heritage). We strive(Endeavour) to live from ideas and beliefs, which have their roots in the familial, cultural, and societal programming we’ve experienced over the course of our lives. We unquestioningly come to believe these things are who we are, and live in separation from the source of life and each other, this is the root of personal and global suffering. The good news is that, no matter who you are, or what your story is, it is profoundly(deeply) and nourishingly(feeding) simple to start living your authentic life here and now.

"So, knowing your philosophy of life allows you to make the decision that is best for you. You won’t wake up in 10 years wondering what happened, how you ended up in this mess, living someone else’s life."

"Think, Get up and follow your own philosophy"

Abraham Benjamin

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let the worlds know how to protect themselves and their computer devices……

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