Recently, I have been going toward more independence. Today, I will introduce a useful mindset: having our own philosophy.
How to develop more independence
Sometimes, we want more independent lives. If we are empathic and creative, socializing can be stressful. That makes us want a more peaceful life away from society, such as living in the countryside.
Independence means less dependence on society. We do what we need to survive as much as possible on our own. Our empathy and creativity are the talents to support it.
However, we often lack confidence. We fear we will not be able to survive when we move to a new environment. That fear stagnates us.
Today, I will introduce a useful mindset that gives us confidence when we move toward independence. It is our own philosophy. I will explain why below.
Two directions of thinking
Having our own philosophy would allow us to develop our independence.
There are two directions of ideology, as follows:
- Ideologies for dependence on society: They strengthen the cooperative power of society. The teachings of religion and scientific logic are examples. They can be applied to an entire society. They are not for individuality.
- Ideology for independence: They strengthen the power of individuality. The own philosophy is an example. Although it is usually useless to others, it gives us the power to live independently.
In other words, there are three kinds of ideologies, as follows:
- Religion: It is primarily for social life. It provides the fundamental rules of social life based on our spirituality. The Ten Commandments by Moses is an example. They are fundamentals of laws.
- Science: It is primarily for social life first. It provides the fundamentals of technological advances.
- Philosophy: It is primarily for individuals. We can arrange religious and scientific interpretations to our preference.
Let’s see the details below.
The relationships between religions, science, and philosophy
Religions and science are primarily for social life. Both provide one fixed answer.
In social life, having one clear answer or simple output is better because that allows members to be ‘cogs’ in the wheel of society. Some grow vegetables, some make fertilizer, some carry them, and those cogs link together. This simplicity allows people to cooperate effectively.
People with less individuality are suitable for such a style. Specialists and generalists are examples. They contribute with the amount of knowledge, skill, or experience they have. That is why society favors highly educated people.
However, our lives are not simple, especially if we have individuality. Being a cog in the wheel of society is not the only way to live. Our individuality says we want more independence. Social life stresses us. We want a more peaceful life while being spiritual and creative. We cannot ignore such inner voices.
Philosophy that allows us to go toward independence
Creating our own philosophy allows us to go toward independence. It gives us confidence and energy to proceed.
In philosophy, we can arrange religious and scientific interpretations to our preference. Philosophy is for the individual, not for society. We are free to make decisions about our lives.
For example, we are free to decide:
- What to live for
- How to live or survive
- Who to help and who to abandon
- What we value and don’t need
The system that brings them together is philosophy. It accelerates our independence because we can use our resources freely and effectively based on our values and situations. The more integrated, the better the philosophy.
The meaning of moving toward more worthless things
Going toward independence means moving away from well-known social values and stepping into an environment with more worthless things.
In such a situation, we have to rebuild the value system. For example, the rules of life are different between where water is scarce and where it is plentiful. We cannot use the desert lifestyle in the forest.
In other words, we have to throw away the evaluations of which is good or bad when we head toward independence. We don’t know what causes better results. Saving water as much as possible is not always the way to get abundant in forest life.
Letting go of old beliefs
That is why we have to let go of those old beliefs when we head toward independence. We have to react appropriately based on new reality rather than following traditional teachings.
That allows us to create our own philosophy. We are free to create it based on our nature and preferences. We don’t have to help people we don’t want. Living only for ourselves at first is also all right. Philosophy is the integrated system of such lifestyles.
In addition, we don’t have to be specialists or generalists because there is no answer yet. We don’t need a strong will or patience because what we have to do is find something more usable.
In other words, in philosophy, we are the creators of the rules. We decide what is good or bad ourselves.
In society, our philosophy tends to be worthless because it prevents reacting simply. However, on the other hand, it will be a treasure in the direction of independence. Philosophy allows us to fulfill the multiple aspects of our senses.
Philosophy is not a thing to learn. It is something to create.
Conclusion
Creating our own philosophy would be a useful mindset that gives us confidence when we move toward independence.
We have to throw away the old evaluations of which is good or bad when we head toward independence. We don’t know what causes better results.
This knowledge might allow us to accelerate our independence.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
