By Lawrence Yeo
Clear writing works for me too. Also, writing that [eventually] pertains to the world that we actually live and interact in.I’m a late bloomer when it comes to philosophy.
The first time I read the work of a philosopher was less than five years ago, but I was hooked right away.
My first purchase was a collection of letters written by Seneca, a prominent Stoic thinker that lived two thousand years ago. His clear writing and timeless wisdom made an indelible impression on me, and I brought this book with me wherever I went.
A life well-lived. Of course, that means many different things to many different people. And, sure, up to a point Buddhism, Taoism and lots and lots of other isms are able to offer insights that many have made applicable to their lived lives. Stoicism works for some, but not for others. But to the extent that stoics connect the dots between words and worlds, it is far more likely that others will explore it deeper.Seneca’s words provided applicable advice on leading a life well-lived. Inevitably, his work led me to those of other Stoics, which then led me to Buddhism (the two schools of thought are very similar), which led me to Taoism – all of which further solidified my love for philosophy.
Okay, we are not around a campfire here. On the contrary, philosophers take a more disciplined approach in examining "the meaning of life". And, sure, some here pontificate more than others.Before I read these people, I knew I enjoyed the subject, but didn’t make the effort to actually study it. I equated “pontificating” with “philosophizing,” so having rambling campfire discussions with friends about the meaning of life was enough to qualify me as a deep thinker in my mind.
But how can anyone really deem their self to be a "deep thinker" if the stuff they post here is ever and always up in the intellectual clouds? Read what they write and then ask yourself, "how is this applicable to the life I live?"
No Stooges please.