The Philosophy that Inspired me

the Most

The writer's path

·
Follow
5 min read
·
Oct 29
2.8K
55
Picture is AI Generated

If you had to choose a philosophy. The one that

changed your life? The one that has had the greatest
impact? Which one would it be?

Excellent question. Before I start, I’d say it’s a good question, but also
an irrelevant one. Everyone has their own life challenges. Unique soul
wounds that they must learn to heal. The philosophy that helped me
the most could have no impact on anyone else.

That’s why this question bothers me. Because I could build an entire
blogpost that wouldn’t serve much purpose.
So I’m going to choose three philosophies instead of one. It might
broaden your horizons depending on the issues you’re dealing with.

3) Stoicism
I love Stoicism. But not a fan of what Stoicism has become. In this day
and age, statues have taken over internet. Entire blogs/channels and
brands are built around these old writings. I like the fact that this
philosophy is being brought to light. I don’t like the fact that shortcuts
are being made about it.

Some people describe a stoic as someone who doesn’t feel. As if

feelings had left his body. That he’s just a brain without a heart. A
being made of flesh but without the feelings that make us human. This
vision of stoicism is reductive and incomplete.

To enter this stoic universe. Marc Aurele’s Meditations are a

magnificent read. This is a man who writes his own thoughts. Without
ever thinking that one day, they will be published. We have access to
pure, authentic, intimate reflections. From a man who has taken the
time to meditate on his life, his desires, his existence.

Who questions his moral alignment. How to be a good man. How to

live a dignified life. How never to betray yourself. How to live a good
life.
For the other great Stoics. I don’t read Seneca. He has some quotations
critical of wealth while he himself accumulated massive amounts of it. I
can’t read those who are not in line with their word.

For Epictetus, I’ll elaborate in a future content. I’ll need a whole article
to explain my position on his thinking.

2) Diogenes and Thoreau

Why do men who have renounced all social rules fascinate me? I’ve no
idea.

If you open my e-mails or read my content. I'm sure that many of you
hate rules, power games between humans, the hypocrisy of society, the
constant lies, the mask we have to wear at all times in order to survive.

The media. Politics. All these layers of hypocrisy to keep a machine

running that doesn’t give a damn about us. Worse, it takes advantage
of those who support it.

The injustice of this world makes you uncomfortable. You wonder why
this world doesn’t run right? Why so much suffering? We could build a
paradise. Some do everything to make it a hell.

I’m sure many of you feel that way or you wouldn’t read my content.
I found resistance in Diogenes and Thoreau. The refusal of all those
idiotic societal rules that we follow because they are only collective
beliefs.

They symbolize courage. To say no to madness. To run away. To refuse

to live a life that society wishes to impose on them.

But more than just refusing. To proclaim loud and clear that others are
wrong. Not just to rebel in their own corners. To say what they think.
To act the way they want. Not just to say the words, but to live them.

They will pay the ultimate price: mockery and marginalization.

One by living in a barrel. The other by isolating himself from the

mundane.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live

deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and
see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not,
when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Walden
1) Musashi
I have a deep admiration for those who are brave enough to live their
words. When I discovered an undefeated samurai. Who spent his life
fighting. Living it his way. Free. It was a revelation. I devoured
everything I could find on the legendary ronin.

What I like about Musashi is that his philosophy is made up of simple

words. There’s nothing to hide behind a myriad of complexities. It’s
only associations of a few words. Clear.

Some quotes from Gorin-No-Sho: The Book of Five rings.

“You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of
the mountain”

“Do nothing that is of no use”

“You can only fight the way you practice”

“The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a
warrior fights is to win”

The book is peppered with little phrases full of wisdom.

He also left Dokkodo, The Path of Aloneness. It consists of 21 precepts

written a week before he died. Short sentences with heavy meaning.

“Accept everything just the way it is.”

“Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.”
“Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial
feeling.”

“Do not regret what you have done.”

This cryptic phrase took me a long time to understand.
It helped me overcome the guilt I couldn’t shake off.

“Never be jealous.”
Freeing yourself from envy.

“Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.”

Easy to say, harder to do.

“Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.”

Practical minimalism. Don’t get caught up in the consumer society.

“You may abandon your own body but you must preserve
your honor.”
You can live without a lot of things. You can’t live without honor.

“Never stray from the Way.”

My favourite. It’s my phone wallpaper. It’s on my fridge. A reminder

never to stray from the path you want to reach.
If you want to dive into Musashi’s life. There’s a lot of good reads.
Many anecdotes.

The famous duel with Sasaki Kojiro. His last years. His death. The
transmission of his philosophy. Every stage of his life is full of little bits
of wisdom you can use.

This article is coming to an end. These were the three philosophies that
inspire me most.

If I had to add honorable mentions.

 Allegory of the cave. Plato. This is an important text. It

gives perspective to our vision of life. A thought exercise
that makes us realize we can be wrong. We have blind
spots. We have to be careful.

 The Iliad and the Odyssey. Ulysses’ adventures are full of

metaphors and lessons for our lives.

 Finally, Eastern philosophies. Minimalism, Zen, the

sublimation of the present moment. Learning to forgive
ourselves for the past, not thinking about the future: just
being in the present.
This philosophy of the present reminds me of those monks in some lost
dojo. At mealtime. Not a word was to be spoken. The meal was taken as
a group. But talking is forbidden.

By focusing on the moment. You can rediscover some new tastes. But
also the real pleasure of eating. By taking your time. In a ritualized
moment.
Try it. Eat something you’re used to eating. But focus only on the
present moment, without talking. Let me know how it was.

If you have any questions. As usual, feel free.

Thank you for reading.
Have a great Sunday.
Take care.