In search of a guiding philosophy

29th March 2012

Some people succeed in finding happiness earlier than others.

Others falsely think they have found happiness and accept what they have as such.

Yet others give up ever finding happiness or don't even embark on the journey of discovery and decide it is easier to just put up with whatever fate has dealt them.

We are all capable of uncovering what our deepest desires are but most of us avoid trying to do so because of the fear associated with following through and pursuing the necessary course. You might have to give up all that is familiar and comfortable.

In the pursuit of a guiding philosophy, how many of us believe that it must have been done by someone else before and therefore by reading past philosophies, we will find the answer we are looking for? The meaning of life.

Let me say that it would be no short cut to try and understand all that the past philosophers have written. It would be a lifelong study. This is not to say that we should disapprove of or brush aside what these great thinkers did. After all, these are some of the greatest minds that ever lived. In fact, if reading and using your brain are pastimes you enjoy, then a lot of pleasure can be derived from reading the great philosophers - just don't get sidetracked by existential nihilism; I did and I got stuck in it for quite a while.

You are best advised to look within and uncover what it is deep inside you that would make your life really worth living. Anyone who has spent even just a little time on this would soon realise that the answer cannot lie within organised religion or political alliances; these are hierarchical groups established to benefit the few at the top and to keep the masses in confusion and servitude.

When looking for a guiding philosophy, the one concept that is a sticking point for some people is that of universal application. This is not to say that your guiding philosophy should be the only right course of action to be pursued by everyone. It is a means of testing the validity of a certain philosophical approach to life.

For example, to test the validity of, "Follow only that which makes you happy", we need to imagine what the world would be like if this were the only guideline for all of humanity. We soon realise that this, as a guiding philosophy, would be too simplistic because we would have to accept living in a world with happy murderers, rapists and torturers. We would also be living in a world piled high with dog shit because we would have to avoid doing the sometimes necessary but unpleasant acts required in the real world such as picking up your dog's shit.

Spend some quiet time on your own with a pencil and some paper and write down all that comes to mind when thinking about how you should live your life. You will eventually find the words that perfectly describe happiness for you. You will know this because these words, or rather the meaning of these words will have a resonance that you will feel.