Why Philosophy is Important
Have you ever watched one of those philosophical debates before?
I don’t know why, but I find that stuff very interesting.
I like it when 2 different parties lay out their worldviews.
What annoys me about a lot of these debates are all the quotations:
- Well, Immanuel Kant said this.
- Socrates said this.
- Aristotle said this.
In doses, that’s fine.
But when it’s overdone, it’s annoying.
It’s like the person who is using all these quotations is trying to be seen as a credible source by the other party.
All I hear is:
‘These other famous people have said this. So, you should take my points seriously as well!’
This leaves me disappointed.
These guys are too book-smart.
Minimal skin in the game.
For them, philosophy is an academic exercise.
For me, philosophy is a street-smart exercise.
Allow me to provide another angle of philosophy.
And show why it’s the subject that informs all other fields.
What is Philosophy?
Philosophy is a logically thought-out worldview that functions within reality.
To understand the role of philosophy, think about this scenario…
Imagine Ronaldo and Iman are dating coaches.
Ronaldo has a client named Macy.
Macy shares with Ronaldo how her husband cheated on her.
Ronaldo’s philosophy is:
Love can withstand anything.
So, Ronaldo tells Macy to take her husband back.
‘This moment will only solidify your love for one another,’ he says.
Macy likes the idea.
But doesn’t love it.
So, she goes to Iman to get a second opinion.
Once Iman hears about what happened, he’s horrified!
‘You must divorce him immediately,’ he says.
In Iman’s worldview, the 2 things that cannot be condoned are:
- Cheating
and
- Beating
Notice this.
Iman and Ronaldo have the same profession.
But different suggestions for Macy.
This gives you a peek into why philosophy is important.
Hypocrites
I have this friend who always gets super religious during Ramadan.
Ramadan is a Muslim holiday where Muslims fast to show gratitude.
Let’s call him Bobby.
Just in case you’re reading this, no offense bro!
When it’s not Ramadan, Bobby:
- Is a hardcore partier.
- Does drugs.
- Partakes in all sorts of ‘extracurricular activities.’
But during Ramadan, he is holier than thou.
Lecturing others on how to behave.
And trying to be someone he isn’t.
This is how a lot of people operate with their philosophy.
They only follow it when it’s glamorous to do so.
A lot of Muslims love sharing how their Ramadan experience is going.
That’s when there is a lot of conversation topic on it.
So Bobby is intrigued.
But in any other month, Bobby goes back to his habits.
Is this someone who is invested in his philosophy?
Think about that…
Why Philosophy is Solidified in the Dark Times
Fast success builds ego.
Slow success builds character.
A guy who only follows his philosophy when things are going well is like a scientist who formulates a hypothesis and only seeks data that will verify that hypothesis.
Any conclusion that scientist reaches will be compromised.
Philosophy is solidified in the dark times.
That’s when the philosophy goes from being a punchline to something of practical utility.
Charles Koch is the CEO of Koch Industries.
He acquired the company from his dad and turned it into a conglomerate.
Koch is involved in a variety of industries ranging from chemicals to selling diapers.
Want to know what Koch considers his number 1 asset?
‘What?’
The company philosophy.
The philosophy that Koch Industries follows is called:
- Market-based management.
He created classes on this view.
Designed specialized language for it.
And wanted the employees to problem-solve with this view.
During the dark times, Koch Industries was getting sued left and right.
They were getting raided by the government.
There were betrayals in-house.
Processes desperately needed refining.
And much more.
Still, Charles stood firm.
He used the turbulent times as data to further solidify his philosophy.
‘What if he was wrong? What if during the dark times, he learned that his philosophy was false?’
That’s always a possibility…
How to Build a Philosophy and Actually Follow it
All philosophies have a certain level of uncertainty.
During tough times, people second-guess themselves.
They think about jumping ship.
Many do jump ship.
Few stay.
Those who stay get more evidence from real-world experience, logic, and theory.
They satisfy the intellect.
They satisfy the heart.
Once tough times pass, they assess:
- Is this philosophy valid?
- Or is this philosophy rubbish?
Honest questions.
Then they seek an honest response.
Dark times are needed to compile relevant data to test a view.
To see if it has practical utility.
Once the person goes through tough times, they are able to build further conviction of their world view.
Getting Started in Philosophy
To get started in philosophy, see if you understand the words you claim to know so well.
With the ArmaniTalks business, the main philosophy is:
- Confidence thru Communication.
These 3 words influence all the behaviors I take for the company.
Initially, I had to challenge myself to see if I really knew these words:
- What does ‘confidence’ really mean?
- What does ‘communication’ really mean?
- What does ‘thru’ really mean?
After a long time, I came to the conclusion that:
Confidence means clarity.
Communication is further subdivided into:
- Concentration, EQ, creativity, storytelling, public speaking, and social skills
Thru is what links communication with confidence. By practicing communication (the core skills), confidence is the emergent property.
I’m still having this wordplay.
By forcing myself to know the words, I challenge myself to sharpen the ArmaniTalks philosophy.
So pick a certain part of your life that you’re passionate about.
- What’s the field?
- What is the philosophy there?
- Do you know the words or just think you know the words?
Turn the words into definitions, examples, and sentences.
Questions lead to answers.
Slowly, you are developing and sharpening your worldview.
This sharpened worldview will inform all other decisions.
Analysis paralysis no more.
