Philosophy Words of wisdom

Let's discuss those philosophical quotes. The ones that have deeper meaning to them. I would love to see your own. I think we all have the ability to think big.

Here are a few to start.

“I think therefore I am.” Descartes
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lao Tsu

My own.

"Humans are stepping stones for a better creation. Do you like being walked on?"


My thoughts.
“I think therefore I am.” Descartes

I think that it honestly mean that what I think I am or who I am that is what I will be. If you try hard enough maybe you will achieve it.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lao Tsu

Life is a journey. We need to "walk" or live it. It could last for a thousand miles/days.

That is just tipping the iceberge I could go on. But I want to see what you all have to say.

And on my quote also.

 

The phrase "I think, therefore I am" means that the very act of reasoning means that we are alive. Not only in the biological sense of the word, but that we have a soul. We are beings with consciousness, and our self-awareness is the very proof of our existence.

 

And, Lao Tsu's quote- I've always taken it to reason that nothing in life is easy, and that in order to succeed, you have to perservere. You can't get anywhere if you don't try, right?

 

To me, it's kind of self-explanatory. This means, to me, that at some point in our life, we're going to reach a point where what is right to do, or what we think is right, won't be easy. It won't be easy to see, won't be easy to do and it might be dangerous for us in many ways and might not be able to see exactly where we're going with our decision until we wind up with the results (hence the "dark wood", in my opinion). Although I know the author is speaking in a first person, I feel that it would be necessary to apply this to anyone and everyone, not just Dante.

To me it seems like Voltaire is simply pointing out the irony between what we consider "murder" and what we consider "righteous".

Another simple one that I can sum up in another quote. Live life to the fullest. Don't let anything hold you down. The point is not to satisfy anyone or everyone else, but to make it so that when it's finally your time, you can look back at what you did and be satisfied. To me, the last bit makes me think that Death only enjoys his job when it's someone that's unwilling to go, but when it's someone that feels complete and is satisfied with how things are progressing, it's an eerie feeling that sends a chill down even Death's spine.

This makes me think of another quote that goes something like "No one talks more about God than those who don't believe in him" or something. God is used as a reasoning for many things and a scapegoat for many others. People kill in the name of God, and they want killing to stop for God's sake. They bless God for their good fortune and curse and damn him for their bad luck. It's natural for people to just need someone to look up or down to for anything that happens in their life and what better than someone who cannot defend themself, or someone that doesn't need to defend themself?

 

More thoughts.

'Nothing is certain but death and taxes. Of the two, taxes happen annually." ~Joel Fox

There are probably many like this one but it is still true. It is as it says. Nothing is certain because we have a choice except when it comes to death and taxes. We can’t stop death. We can prolong death but we can’t stop it.

"If man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

I believe it goes along with the lines that we should all want something. If we don't do then is that truly existing? Your life is the only one you have. Live it and love life. You can regret life after your dead.


Here are more which I am not sure where I got them from. Either me or something I heard. Plus it would take forever to look them up. And I found my old notebook.

"People have hope because they cannot see death standing behind them."

This is definitely a little more out there. I believe it deals with the fact that people can have hope but it ends when they die.

"I stand alone in a vast field of uncertainty." ~Me

To me it means I was born alone and life is there with all its uncertainties.

"Go with the flow because there are some things you cannot change."

Don't regret life. Live as much as you can at least that is what I believe the above quote as.

 

"Some things can not be learned. They must be lived to be understood." Sticks from Elektra.

I believe we learn most things by merely doing or being. However, there are some lessons that one must actually live through to understand it's true meaning.

"If time seems slow, it's only because that person is waiting for death. Live for life, and it will be gone before you know it." ~Me

I live life everyday to the fullest of my ability. It was a promise I made myself when my friend died. My days pass before I realize it and I know if I'm not careful, it will be gone before I realize it.

"Life is but a fleeting moment in time. One second it's there and in a blink of an eye, it's gone."~ Me

Same explanation as above basically.

 

"Enjoy this world while you're in it."
- me

"Life happens pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it."
- Ferris Beuler, the modern day sage

"It is better to rule in Hell, than to serve in Heaven."
- unknown, and sure to piss off the catholics

Basher, you may have a little Daoist in you!

 

Be cautious of what you hear, for it is not always true. Try to pick out the main points in a persons argument or statement and question whether it is valid. Interesting, I might be missing something from this - You would think that it would be in reverse: like “a thing is not necessarily false because badly uttered, not true because spoken magnificently”.

Determine what you need and give whatever else you have to those who are less fortunate.

We should not be quick to deal death, it is easy to kill but impossible to give life to those who have died. Even those judged as criminals and villains have a place in society. This is an interesting argument against capital punishment brought up by Tolkien.

We consider things that are against the norm of society to be irrational and thus brush these things off. In doing so we are trapped by the norm.

We accept the things offered to us as fulfilling our needs. We believe that the things that we can buy fulfill us as persons. We can not survive unless we have the best of everything, a nice car, a beautiful home, a top of the line computer. We are content when we receive these things and ignore that there is still something missing: That which our society does not give to us - Our needs as suggested by Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We are offered our very basic needs to breathe, eat and drink. However, our security of employment, morality and family are diminished by a system who wishes to make more money for itself. The desire for these needs have been replaced by a desire for those unecessary objects which are advertised to us by society. We are content when we receive these things, and ignore what the system fails to provide for us.