What Is Your Idol?

philostam said:
1) I chose it like 10 years ago
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So you're the same person you were 10 years ago?

philostam said:
2) I am, in fact, a fan of wisdom. I can call myself a fan of philosophy, even if I don't care for 90% of the academic philosophers. What is wisdom? For sure not isolating yourself and over-think your way into mental collapse like Nietzsche did lol.
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Well, it's unwise to call yourself a fan of something you know very little formally about. That honestly seems ridiculous. Like you wouldn't consider someone a fan of the Clevland Browns if they couldn't tell you who plays or has played on the team, what the browns record was, what color their jersey is, and a little about their history all accurately. Of course, some fans are more intense or zealous than others and so know more, but judging from this dialogue, which is limited, you're as much a fan of wisdom as a politician is a fan of honesty. Okay, what philosophers do you care for? Carl Jaspers, Rene' Gerad, Michael Thomas. ect? Do realize you're talking to someone who knows a lot about philosophers living and dead as philosophy and mathematics are my specialty; I don't know all philosophers, but I'm very curious about the philosopher you reference, so do share just who these philosophers are as it is my genuine occupation to know and understand philosophy. Wisdom is knowing when and how to act as well as how to think given the circumstance, goal at hand, and what is generally considered good. Nietzsche didn't think himself into a mental collapse he was likely schizophrenic or suffered from a brain tumor, or early onset dementia, do some research before making claims. Isolate yourself when you want to think rigorously and originally. What is wisdom? Not talking about things you know very little about, yes, I think this is a part of wisdom. Since you're a fan of God, what does the Bible say?" Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger and it is a fool that hates wisdom and instruction and it's the fool that presumes themselves wise?"
 
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I didn't say I am fan of philosophy as an academic discipline, rather than I am a fan of wisdom. I would say my pursuit of wisdom is more practical than rigorous, and I never hid this fact. I don't have any credentials in the field, but that doesn't stop me from having opinions. Simple as that. Life would be boring if I needed to study something for 6 years before I can finally dare to say something about it. I can have my favorites and I can dislike a philosopher, even if he was a genius and I am not. I'm totally aware that my knowledge on the topic is not at all rigorous. Perhaps that's a definition of a troll. I'm not philosophically rigorous but I can be opinionated and like to spark a conversation. On the commercial vs philosophical/academic side, I am much closer to commercial.

God? Yes you're right that a few months ago my opinions there were totally different. I'd still say I'm not a believer but I a moved from atheist to agnostic, at least. So yes, my opinions can change in a matter of months, let alone vs 10 years ago when I chose my username.
 
Do:
  • speak with others
  • express one’s experience and own it
  • ask to clarify
  • respect boundaries
  • confirm understanding
  • make value judgments relevant to the self
  • seek mutual benefit
  • focus on human need, others’ as well as one’s own
Don’t
  • talk at someone
  • tell someone what their experience is and coerce their ownership
  • define as argument
  • disregard boundaries and violate consent
  • assume understanding or lack thereof
  • appeal to authority
  • seek to be right or to win at the expense of others
  • make moral judgments of another person
There’s no charity like kindness, humility, curiosity, and acceptance when it comes to engaging with someone, online or in meatspace—if the wisdom born of human connection and genuine intimacy are your goals, that is.

It’s the Year of the Rabbit, not the Cock, ya’ feel me? :)

Cheers,
Ian
 
philostam said:
I didn't say I am fan of philosophy as an academic discipline, rather than I am a fan of wisdom. I would say my pursuit of wisdom is more practical than rigorous, and I never hid this fact.
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You said, "even if I don't care for 90% of academic philosophers." I think philosophy is a human activity a lot like a sport, so whether you're an academic or not, you don't determine whether you're a fan of wisdom or not, your life and thinking as evaluated by others who are in the same pursuit as yourself does, because it is performance or activity and not all are equal in their doing and not everyone is playing by the rules. You didn't invent wisdom and philosophy has been taking place for a lot longer than you were conceived in your mother's womb, so as much as you want to make it a private activity it's not just because most people don't care about the love of wisdom or the pursuit of wisdom, no matter what your motivations are, it doesn't mean you can misrepresent philosophy and other philosophers, though I don't know how you can pursue wisdom without study, practice, experimentation, and rigorous thinking.

philostam said:
Life would be boring if I needed to study something for 6 years before I can finally dare to say something about it. I can have my favorites and I can dislike a philosopher, even if he was a genius and I am not.
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Maybe that's the problem, entertainment reigns over right and doing something well. No one is willing to be silent long enough and honest enough to be right, excellent, or great any longer. No wonder you didn't like Schopenhauer. Yes, you can dislike a philosopher even if he was a genius, but then just say I don't like Nietzsche not that his philosophy is not life affirming or all the several hundred rationalizations you made up to this point. There's nothing wrong with holding an opinion, but when you argue for the merits of some way of seeing something over another that sure strikes me like debating and philosophizing and like basketball if you're going to step out on the court be sure you know how to shoot the three or it's not the other people's fault you were too busy playing x-box as opposed to reading, writing, and practicing.

philostam said:
I'm not philosophically rigorous but I can be opinionated and like to spark a conversation. On the commercial vs philosophical/academic side, I am much closer to commercial.
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Do you not see the disconnect in saying you're not philosophically rigorous, yet desiring to pursue wisdom? Wisdom is a marriage between theory and practice, one could say it's the perfect harmony of the two.

Many philosophical geniuses across western history were not academics as in working for a university or academic institution which is why I asked what you meant about academic philosophy, because philosophy is a human activity shared across cultures, persons, and history and academia is a place where some philosophers are employed to do research and teach, and you don't want to confuse the two. I see, it is what it is.

philostam said:
God? Yes you're right that a few months ago my opinions there were totally different. I'd still say I'm not a believer but I a moved from atheist to agnostic, at least. So yes, my opinions can change in a matter of months, let alone vs 10 years ago when I chose my username.
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I see, my thinking changes when presented with compelling evidence and sound reason, so I can understand.
 
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Umai said:
None of these.

Mine is freedom.
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Wyote said:
You have to pick one from the list though, or @Asa will get mad
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He's kind of right Umai, because the exercise is about your weakness and what you must overcome, ie false idols, not about the good things you value. :) Freedom is a good thing.
 
Freedom as the flip side of reponsibility (freedom to do) is a good thing, otherwise it's licence: freedom from everything, and that's my weakness - the sense in which Karen Horney meant it.

From the list, I'd pick money, because I hoard it out of a conscious fear of destitution, but perhaps an unconscious association with freedom: I would love to have been someone like Warren Buffet, not beholden to anyone.
 
Asa said:
What is your idol? Money, Pleasure, Fame, or Power?

If your idol isn't clear to you, figure it out by thinking about which one of these four you'd give up first. The last one you'd give up is your idol.

Care to expand on why this is your idol?

Has chasing after your idol made you happier, or not? Why?
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No idols.
 
tinbike98 said:
No idols.
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Well, you're older, so perhaps you have solved this already, but everyone has a weakness. You can't improve unless you admit what it is.
 
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