Philosophy shapes the way we think, the way we learn which in turn moulds the way we act, and our life is the sum of all our actions. Even the person who has never read a single line of philosophical literature will have a philosophy of life, only unknowingly. Philosophy as a discipline simply makes overt what each human is doing all the time in his/her mind. The news we hear, the conversations we have, the books we read, the films and music we consume and even the clothes and cars we have, all of this builds our philosophy of life, brick by brick of thought. And most of us remain strangers to this, in effect remaining strangers to ourselves.
To become aware of how you live and why, to know yourself in your totality is the greatest purpose of the philosophical study. To construct and follow some particular routine of philosophy all comes later. Awareness of your thoughts, your intentions and actions, is the philosophical endeavour. All that we do, as well as all we don’t do, is shaped by the philosophy we have built. From the construction worker to the corporate tycoon, in their occupations, in their spousal feuds and even in their monthly expenditure, everyone is living out their personal philosophy.
Philosophical awareness is how one can improve their ways of life and even of others. But transformation is the consequence to self-awareness, because you can’t change what lies beyond your realm of understanding.
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