Just a few formalities...
in Philosophy ·
William Gonzalez3 said:
have you ever just traveled for the sake of traveling?
let me try it this way—so basically, when someone travels with a specific goal in mind, they tailor the whole trip to fit that objective.
Exactly. Otherwise, you’re just a drifter.taking the fastest, easiest, most comfortable, and shortest route possible.
philosophy would be more like traveling just for the hell of it.
a path without any set destination. a path that is its own purpose.
Let's look at it like this. You have some kind of motivation pushing you along whatever path you take. Maybe you haven't clearly defined your goal, but it exists as this unarticulated thing. Now, the question is: what's your actual drive? Is the motive just escaping reality? Because if that's the case, then philosophy—just like any other indoctrination stronghold—can serve that purpose perfectly. Same goes for religion. But when you actually have a route, following it means you're making progress. You aren't just spinning in circles. You're going somewhere. And you have to put in the work to keep moving. If philosophy is just an escape from reality, then you can use "philosophy for philosophy's sake" as an alibi... an excuse to run away from your real motives and any way to measure progress. People fake interest in anything just to justify themselves—whether it's money, power, politics, or women—they end up sliding into decadence because of a self-reflective loop of lies.
A path that is its own goal? What even is that? When I go on vacation, I go to relax. Is that my "goal"? When I travel, I'm trying to get away from the daily grind. You could say the journey itself is the goal, or we could dig deeper into the motivation. Where's the catch?
Quote:
when there's no goal, there isn't even a defined path. you're free from that objective, so every path you try is equally valid since it's yours and you chose it.
If you don't have a direction, you're just drifting. Given how opportunistic people can be, you eventually just sink into decadence and stagnation.and during that trip, you look around and observe. you learn.
if you have a strictly defined goal, you subordinate and adapt your mind to that goal.
and because of that, your mind isn't truly free, nor can it observe anything properly.
There is no such thing as a free person. We are all conditioned. Some people just deal with more conditioning than others, or are more aware of it. If you don't understand your own motivations, you aren't any freer either. Plus, having a goal, having a mission, is often exhausting. But that's exactly what gives you the strength to keep going. Because you see results. And results matter in life. They give you strength and satisfaction.precisely because philosophizing only starts once you begin doubting your own prejudices. those biases get wiped away, a person is pushed out of their comfort zone and doubts everything (Microsoft, for instance, doubted even his own existence; you couldn't say a person in such deep doubt is harboring any biases).
If you start diving into philosophy with a bunch of biases and total, blind certainty in yourself and everything else... then honestly, you’ve got no business being in the game.
When you're actually on the path, you start testing the external validity of what you think you know. That's when you hit the wall—you have to face your own dogmas because if you want to actually get anywhere, you can't run from them. Without some kind of standard to measure things by, how are you even supposed to tell the difference between a bias, a dogma, and an actual fact? Anyway, if the thoughts get too heavy and give you a headache, you'll just bail, because there's no substance there. But me? I'm sticking to this path, wherever it leads. BTW, if Frodo was a coward, do you really think he would've made it that far?because philosophy isn't about hunting for knowledge—it doesn't promise it, and it certainly doesn't hand it out.
I see philosophy as searching for the kind of knowledge that's the bedrock of wisdom. Someone who philosophizes is basically running a mental process to sort through info and build up knowledge. You could argue science doesn't "promise" knowledge either, since a complete idiot won't learn anything useful there. But saying that feels a bit pointless, doesn't it?philosophy teaches us how to think. once you know, you don't need to think anymore because you already have it.
?I don't know.
A philosopher's drive should come from uncertainty and wonder. Admitting you don't know something and wanting to find out. That's the spark. And the relationship a philosopher should have with wisdom is *philia*—like a friendship.
Wisdom isn't some object you grab; it's a state of mind. Motivation and cause aren't the same thing. Motivation moves you, while the cause gives you that motivation. So, you could take that feeling of wonder and uncertainty and use it as motivation to run straight back to the safety of your own stupidity, hiding behind mountains of formalities like religious or spiritual figures. And then what? You gonna be smarter? Better? Wiser?and we all know what friendly love looks like.
At least those with real friends do.
Just hanging out with someone simply because of who they are. No ulterior motives, no crazy passion, no trying to manipulate them or use them for something.
It's interesting that you can love a state of mind like a friend. Can you love a flower vase the same way?that should be the philosopher's relationship with wisdom too. friendship. not a desire for possession (which, let's be honest, every friendship and connection naturally fights against).
It’s not about looking, or loving, or owning... it’s about being.just to get that sense of security back at the start.
Can someone actually reclaim their sense of certainty by just drowning themselves in books until they end up stupider than those Bible-quoting fanatics or those "spiritual" types who claim to be "vibing," even though their vibes are basically non-existent, made-up nonsense where everything is leveled out to nothingness and communication loses all damn meaning?
The problem is... yeah, the answer is yes. On the flip side, when you actually have a path—when you have a vision—you don't have to fear anything. And that’s huge. When that path is grounded in reality, part of an open system that's constantly shifting, then you're guaranteed not to sink into the depths of your own stupidity. That's a vital thing to have....and he keeps going because he realizes that the security he had before—back when he didn't question every single little thing—is gone for good, and he's never getting it back. But in the meantime, he fell in love with wisdom.
As a friend? Or did he just get hooked on the sound of big words being barked through a stuffed nose? What does "falling in love with wisdom" even mean here? Does it mean things finally started making sense, so now he wants to see them even clearer, and that's what pushes him forward, or what?...Based on what? How is a path that leads nowhere any easier than one that actually goes somewhere?
Human opportunism.And I never said the path doesn't lead anywhere.
We just haven't set a target.
But it definitely leads somewhere, and it's heading toward a goal.
I think Atlantic Coast indicated that goal in his signature.
If you aren't aware of the goal, then motivation is the only thing driving you. If you aren't even aware of your own motivation, then you're gonna wander straight into a massive mess of pseudo-philosophical bullshit. Beware!