what is life

[baby-marmalade]

на ДБТ подошли к теме ценностей, которые управляют нашей жизнью
задумалась над своей философией жизни, нашла весьма подходящий текст с отсылками к философам/ученым, сохраню сюда

на английском

Live, Love, Laugh, Learn.
This is my philosophy on the journey of life.
My beliefs and values about living life are simple: live, love, laugh and learn. By doing so, I believe that we can make a positive difference to the people around us, to our community, and even to the wider world. My philosophies encompassed in these four principles of life are as follows:
· to live means to have passion and direction in everything you do;
· to love means to have compassion and live by your ethics and morals;
· to laugh means to have humility and be at ease with the cycle of life’s energies;
· to learn means to evolve and transition through life, learning as much as we can along the way.

Live:
Living a passionate life for me is one of the most important values a person can have. I do however understand that sometimes we must go through stages in life where we are not passionate or happy, but if those stages are not filled with goals and direction for the future – if they are not leading anywhere, then we must do everything we can to change it. Accordingly, I believe that those who are given an opportunity to better their life must take it. As someone who has been born in a first world country, in a family who works hard for what they have - I believe that it is my duty to the world to do something with my life that will better the lives of others.

The following quote by one of my favourite bioethics utilitarian philosophers, Peter Singer, sum’s up my beliefs as a globalist. "If I have seen that from an ethical point of view I am just one person among the many in my society, and my interests are no more important, from the point of view of the whole, than the similar interests of others within my society, I am ready to see that, from a still larger point of view, my society is just one among other societies, and the interests of members of my society are no more important, from that larger perspective, than the similar interests of members of other societies… Taking the impartial element in ethical reasoning to its logical conclusion means, first, accepting that we ought to have equal concern for all human beings." Another quote by Singer explains my beliefs on being a utilitarian, “I don't think there's much point in bemoaning the state of the world unless there's some way you can think of to improve it. Otherwise, don't bother writing a book; go and find a tropical island and lie in the sun.”

Existentialist philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, once said, “Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does… It is up to you to give life a meaning.” We cannot live other people’s dreams, we cannot follow other people’s paths - we must make our own choices and find it in ourselves to turn our own dreams into realities.

Love:

Firstly, we must have compassion for ourselves, before we are able to care about others.
The only way to achieve compassion for ourselves, our family and friends, our neighbors and community, and for other people from other societies around the world, is to understand and appreciate the beauty and diversity of all humans. We should not force our opinions upon others, nor should we expect that everyone appreciates our way of thinking. Instead, we as individuals should strive to achieve our own goals, and know that we are doing the best that we can with what we have, and encourage (not expect) others to do the same. As Mahatma Ghandi famously once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Laugh:
To me, the word ‘laugh’ isn’t necessarily a verb meaning to ‘express amusement’ or ‘chuckle’, but simply to have humility and not be so serious. It is more of an expression of being happy, having fun, and taking whatever life throws at us with ease. “This too shall pass” is one of my favourite quotes of all-time as it encapsulates precisely my attitude towards emotions – both negative and positive. The expression implies that all physical and psychological conditions, positive or negative, are temporary. “This too shall pass” has been adopted by many religious leaders and philosophers around the world, showing that the words are enchanted with a broad wisdom which applies to many circumstances in life. For me, these four words say simply that:

· All things positive will eventually fade and so we must constantly be searching for other ‘new’ positives. This also means that whatever in our lives is good and we want it to continue to be that way: we must allow it to be fluid and dynamic so as to allow it to change as time goes on (as per inevitability). To me, this is a healthy way of thinking as I believe that continuous pleasure and happiness would eventuate in naivety and vulnerability.
· All things negative will eventually fade and so we must try to not get held down by the stresses of life. This also means that conditions in our lives which are negative, may transition into other conditions which are either again negative, or conversely positive. Whichever way, it is up to us to allow each to happen. Life is a constant cycle of emotion and I believe that it is healthy for a harmonious balance of negatives and positives. For this reason, we must be able to transition through the negatives with ease, remembering that “this too shall pass.”

Learn:
“Man’s biggest sickness in life is believing he already knows the truth.” This quote, by French mathematician /physicist, Blaise Pascal, summarises my values in terms of knowledge and awareness. I believe that as humans, we must ensure that we are forever learning and absorbing as much knowledge as we can to ensure we live as much of an educated life as possible. This includes being able to make informed decisions, opinions, and attitudes, as well as being able to enjoy the truths of the world. With new knowledge comes the evolution of our character and abilities, and how we are able to differ between right and wrong.

My passion for the self-discovery of my own ideologies, beliefs and opinions, is a particularly significant part of who I am, as I am forever pondering my life’s purpose and ‘the meaning of life’. It is thanks to age-old philosophers such as Peter Singer, Jean-Paul Sartre, W. D. Ross, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Charles Darwin, that I am able to understand why I believe in the things I do today. Although the writings of these men are many years old, the meanings underpinned in their work are still tremendously relevant in today’s society. It is for this reason that I am able to say with confidence that my philosophies in life are not only my own, but have been sustained, strengthened, and supported by evolution itself.
“Que Sera Sera” – Whatever will be, will be!