Pedram's stream of consciousness

Friday, March 31, 2006

Practical Philosophy

So I recently went to a class on practical philosophy with some friends. "What is practical philosophy?" you ask. In essence it is the application of philosophy to living a happy life. The class was a cross between self help and group discussion, and I was very interested in the lessons that they discussed because much of what they cover is similar to ways that I try to think about problems/situations/etc. that I face in my life. Some basic ideas are that detatchment allows you to act in the world without the ego, anxiety, and pain associated with taking full ownership. This is a little condensed but you get probably get the point.

Another issue they discuss is how people lament over the past and worry about the future at the expense of the present moment. I have a saying that the worrying about the past is like a ball and chain that slows us down from moving forward. Many of their lessons seem like teachings of the Jedi knights. If I go back (90%) I will bring a light saber.

1 Comments:

  • My major was philosophy before I switched to computer. What I love about philosophy (which I think is missing from many books in this field) is the practical effect that philosophy can have on our everyday life. Just like any other science that can solve some real-world problems, by studying philosophy, we should be able to overcome some of our personal and social problems.

    By Blogger Farid Jamae, at 4:40 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home