What philosophy do you follow in your life?

[OmegaXIII]

1. My personal philosophy makes me see the world as a sum of everyone's actions to preserve themselves. Morality and law as we follow them at a basic level are just coincidences. My general assumption is that people are idiots and will always stand in my way. I see any charity as just a front to benefit oneself in some way shape or form. Take the recent UK elections for example. In my view, everyone will vote for the party who confers the most benefit onto them personally, not the whole country as some claim (though the two are not always mutually exclusive) - anyone who says otherwise is one of two things, an idiot or a liar. I expect everyone to be out for themselves, it's basic survivalism. Furthermore i am in some respects an absolutist - that there are clear cut rights and wrongs and no justification for a wrong - however those rights and wrongs are personally defined such that everybody lives in their own personal 'moral world'. However, people are hypocrites, because they will always break their moral codes because the idea that we have 'perfection' to aspire to keeps us motivated and in check. Interestingly, I believe 'perfection' to be inhuman.

Also my philosophy dictates that religion is farcical because there is no absolute absolute right/wrong and that people should accept themselves for the selfish beings they are. Fuck abstinence, it's detrimental to one's being.

2. I guess the downside is my views are pretty bleak and can sometimes hamper relationships given that i see everything i do as a way of somehow benefiting myself - but then given that i expect that of the other party as well there is a kind of mutual nicety that arises. E.g. i do something nice for my girlfriend because seeing her happy makes me happy - personal benefit. But i expect the same process to be going on her side so it balances and meaning remains. The overwhelming benefit is that i am very rarely disappointed by people and living free of regret from 'wronging' others is amazingly liberating.

3. Darwin, LaVey, Kant, Nietzche, Dr Cox, Dr House and personal experience in the medical field

 

[trueluigi7]

I just go by being happy for the lack of reason to be sad and the idea of Philanthropy because I believe in making the world a better place where everyone is a good person, if it was like this then it would be braking the Universal balance of things, but I think we can get to a point where not too many people are bad.

 

[Carboncrown]

Ladies and gentlemen, Barney Stinson!

Spoiler

This actually works when "used" properly.

 

[Acting like a FOOL]

spank peoples mamas! 8I

or

make your way in the world by either grace or force

and evaluate success by either achievement or contentment

 

[gjendemsjo]

I don't follow a philosophy in life, though i do follow one sentence:
Always look on the bright side of life.


Nuff said

 

[captainwillies]

2. Sun Tzu: I use his work for when a conflict cannot be avoided. I tend to lean on his deception and planning sections harder than the other parts of his book. Strike where you are unexpected, if you are strong act weak, and so on. This can make people think of me as distant or simply surprise them when I carry on an intellectual conversation. This is because in a group of new friends I prefer to watch and learn people's way before I show myself. So I just make small talk if I talk at all.

ooooooo. if you like some Sun Tzu then you should check out "Thick Face Black Heart"

http://www.amazon.com/Thick-Face-Black-Heart-Philosophy/dp/0446670200

love me some Chinese philosophy.

anyway my main creed is basically
1. don't be a dick.
2. learn everything you can about what interests you.
3. If you have the ability to make a friend out of anyone you have a rare talent.
4. everyone dies and everyone dies the same way, simply by dieing with a smile you will do something that not many can do.

early in life I read two sets of fantasy novels
Ancient Future by Tracing Harding (part of a series of 6 books)
Wizards First Rule by Terry Goodkind (part of a series of 12ish he's still making them but ended the original storyline)

these books are probably what drive all of my philosophy.

also I watched the 70's T.V. series "Kung Fu" with David Carradine on DVD as a child. The shows philosophies are derived from the Tao by Lao Tzu so I guess that's why I like Chinese Philosophy

 

[The Rockerfly]

I am thinking of becoming a pacifist because I don't believe in fighting or war (defending myself is a different matter)

I also believe in these quotes

"Six billion of us walking the planet, six billion smaller worlds on the bigger one. Shoe salesmen and short-order cooks who look boring from the outside - some have weirder lives than you. Six billion stories, every one an epic, full of tragedy and triumph, good and evil, despair and hope."

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it?
-Voltaire

"Never compromise, even in the face of Armageddon"
-Rorschach

So in short, freedom of speech, pacifism, everyone is interesting no matter how stupid they appear and if you believe in somthing never give it up

 

[captainwillies]

I don't follow a philosophy in life, though i do follow one sentence:
Always look on the bright side of life.


Nuff said

technically that's a philosophy

 

[JWW]

I believe in freedom of speech, religion, and the press. I'm an agnostic free-market libertarian and I'm proud of it.

 

[Kuchinawa212]

1. How has your philosophy changed how you see the world?
2. Does your philosophy have and downsides?
3. Where did your philosophy come from?

Mince is a message. Walk softly and carry a big stick. You will go far.
1. It has made me see how far you can get without whipping out the big guns everytime and making people made. It also allows me to keep a cool head.
2. People will walk all over you if you let them
3. Teddy R. But I think he borrowed it from a African proverb

 

[captainwillies]

1. My personal philosophy makes me see the world as a sum of everyone's actions

do you believe that someone have have complete control of another mentally?

 

[Purplefood1]

Things can always get worse.

 

[antipunt]

Life is meaningless, but some people can derive meaning out of their actions.

Nothing matters, but some people can feel like things do matter, which is enough.

In life, many good people suffer, and many 'bad people' prosper. It's annoying, but what can you do?

Be kind to others. Maybe, just maybe, you will be ultimately rewarded. If not, well, it makes you feel warm and fuzzy anyway

 

[Sneaky-Pie]

It is not necessary that while I live, I live happily; but it is necessary that so long as I live I should live honorably.

 

[SturmDolch]

I believe in a healthy mix of cynicism, pessimism, and optimism! The world sucks, people will never change, so let's make the best of it.

I guess you could call my philosophy a form of Social Darwinism. If you want something, you have to fight for it. The world revolves around conflict, no need to flee from it. Embrace it, master it, and use it. Those that cannot, get left behind.

 

[captainwillies]

I don't follow any particular philosophers. Except maybe Bill Hicks. XD

YES!!!!

greatest philosopher ever. period.

 

[leviathanmisha]

My "philosophy" has gotten me hit in the back of the head several times, but I continue to live by it: "What fun is life if you can't sexually harass your friends?"

Aren't those words to live by??? And I think the weirdest part was I came to this conclusion while sitting in the back of my senior Brit Lit class and we were talking about Shakespeare. Go fig.

 

[GrinningManiac]

Chronologicalism : All good things must come to an end. But, converseley, so do all bad things

If something's got you down, don't worry! Just look on the bright side, and wait for the bad things to pass over! What gets you down today won't matter tommorrow

And people who don't try fail 100% of the time. If you want to do something, JUST DO IT! That's the one thing Nike has gotten right. If you have a dream, persue it!

 

[OmegaXIII]

1. My personal philosophy makes me see the world as a sum of everyone's actions

do you believe that someone have have complete control of another mentally?

Depends how you define it. Can somebody be incredibly manipulative and control someone like a puppet? Absolutely. But then it falls to the person being controlled to break out of that and assert themselves. There are most definitely weak and strong in the world and the strong often dictate the actions of the weak

 

[TheEnglishman]

It's not the boxes you tick, but how awesome the ticks are.

Yeah, that's about as deep as I'm willing to go. I refuse to take anything more seriously than that.