Sophy is "wisdom". Philo is "love for".
So philosophy means love for wisdom.
While the title of this posting, may sound cruel and arrogant, it is an undeniable fact that the branch of philosophy as it has been practiced for thousands of years, by thousands of philosophers has failed to make us all a little bit wiser.
It was psychology after many years of focusing on psychopathology, that took up the wisdom that is dealing a bit with our daily happiness. I think people like Seligman, a psychologist who really focused so much on positive psychology or the using the mind for creating a happy life, is much more of a philosopher than Nietzsche, Camus, Descartes and a lot of others carrying the label 'famous philosophers' all together.
While these people who called themselves philosophers and whom we still call so, were having deep thoughts about the reasons for being, wondering whether the life is absurd or merely a virtual reality, they forgot and failed to convince the world about the most basic wisdom about human nature: the wisdom of kindness.
The wisdom that the world needed over the centuries and most of all now, is exactly the wisdom of kindness.
You and me and by far most of the people on earth, feel really good and experience a great level of peace of mind if we perform simple acts of kindness. If we had had over the centuries only ONE philosopher who could have brought this to the world in and effective and simple way, our world would not be in a crisis of greed that has been build up since thousands of years.
I was lucky enough to have an extremely caring mother. I learned the pleasure of caring for others from her. I learned the happiness and peace of mind that lies in kindness. The days I manage to go the extra mile to create a simple smile for a friend or stranger, are the best days of my life. THIS is wisdom!
From my limited reading of many of the philosophers from the Western part of the world, it seems they hated wisdom more than loving it. How can you be called wise if you write books about the absurdity of life? Life becomes absurd if we allow ourselves to be imprisoned by the feelings of greed, by the absurd ideas that we need alcohol to have fun (instilled, indoctrinated by the industry selling alcoholic drinks), by the crazy money making mass media distorting reality to attract more viewers and thus more money.
Let us take a break from the crazy stinking philosophy that tries to make life absurd. Let us turn for a while to the true wisdom of kindness and spread it throughout the circles of our own family, our own friends. That will change the world. If enough people absorb the true wisdom of kindness and spread it locally, it will soon become a global wave of true love of wisdom.
Let us practice all the wisdom that carries the amazing fragrance of kindness.
Let us ignore the stupidity of greed and the absurdity imposed on us by mass media.
Here follows a simple poem, that you may enjoy:
While taking a walk, I heard a squeak
I looked and there right at my feet
Was a tortoise who seemed very slow
Why it squeaked, I didn't know
I looked it into the eyes for awhile
And tried to please it with a smile
The tortoise looked up and said with a wail
'Just now, my friend, you stepped on my tail'
"Oh, did I? " My voice was filled with regret
I should better look where my feet, I set
I expressed how I felt sorry,
And asked it to please forgive me
'Of course, I will forgive you
Even if not asked for, I always do
Forgiveness is an integral part of me, you see
I am the wisdom tortoise, that's what they call me'
"Wow", said I, "so you must love philosophy"
'Oh no', she cried, 'that is not for me'
"But love of wisdom is what means philosophy"
'If that's so, it has disintegrated terribly'
'The wisdom that I love and adhere to
May be far too simple for you
It is all about loving and being kind
Since that is what brings us peace of mind'
'I do not bother about the reasons for being
Neither about the ghosts some of us are seeing
It is all so simple for me
Unconditional kindness is the way to be'
"Oh wisdom tortoise, what a pleasure to meet you here
Wisdom and kindness is also to me extremely dear
I believe that the next step in the evolution
Is a wisdom and kindness revolution"
The tortoise nodded and agreed with this
Kindness simply means happiness and bliss.
I thanked the tortoise and there our ways did part
To meet her again is still a wish sitting in my heart.
Aufie Zophy
