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11 Best Personal Philosophies To Guide Your Life

If someone asked you, “What’s your personal philosophy?” would you know how to answer them?

You probably have some idea of what’s important to you, but have you ever created a statement that sums it up?

Look at a list of personal values, and some will stand out for you.

We all have different reasons for our goals and actions.

Everything you do has a purpose, even if you don’t consciously acknowledge it.

Every successful person has chosen to follow a philosophy based on their core values.

You can do the same. But first, you need to know precisely what that is.

What Is a Personal Philosophy?

How to create your personal philosophy , 1. do no harm. , 2. there are no failures — just results to learn from. , 3. you are here to make good things happen., 4. keep stretching and challenging yourself., 5. the flow state is where the magic happens. , 6. you don’t have to understand everything. , 7. personal integrity should guide every action. , 8. impact matters more than intent., 9. be mindful in both your personal and professional life. , 10. learn by doing., 11. be bold, and have big dreams., ready to write your personal philosophy.

You make daily choices to work towards a goal. Smaller goals guide your days, while long-term goals guide months and years of your life. All of those goals are based on your core values, which determine the rules you live by.

Those rules are known as your personal philosophies. Some of these philosophies may be tied to your religion or culture, but philosophies vary from person to person even within those frameworks.

You can base your personal philosophy on the following questions:

What are you passionate about? Or what inspires you?
How would you describe your ideal life?
What elements or values do your passions and ideal life have in common?
What habits do you have that relate to those values?
How would you sum up your goals and outlook on life, using these values?

Now you have a general idea of what it is, how do you write a personal philosophy?

We’ve outlined a few steps to help you if you don’t know where to start.

Start with a list of 10 to 20 personal values.
Narrow down your list to 3 to 5 core values.
Think about why each of these values is so important to you.
For each one, write about how you put those values into daily practice.
Connect each value to your long-term goals and aspirations.
Write a few sentences about how these values define and guide you.
Condense those into one sentence that sums up your primary motivation.

If you’d like some help identifying your values, look at our extensive list of 400 value words.

11 Personal Philosophy Examples

Your personal philosophy will no doubt resonate with others. And it will express values like the ones you’ll see in the following life philosophy examples, each of which are important for everyone. Read these for inspiration and to help you articulate your own.

Striving for success is a good thing only if it does not harm others. A victory that comes at someone else’s expense won’t get you closer to becoming a person you’d be proud of.

When you undertake a challenge, commit to doing whatever it takes to get the best result for everyone involved — and for everyone likely to be affected by it.

The more you value your connection to other humans and all life, the less you’ll want to be part of something that violates the rights of any.

Respect others enough to be conscious of how your words and actions affect them to choose the best way forward. And look beyond the surface to see which endeavors genuinely seek the good of all.

Personal values:

Tenacity is behind this philosophy; no matter what happens to you, you keep going.

No matter how many less-than-desirable results you get, you keep moving toward your goal and taking action to get closer to it.

You know that every so-called failure is just a result you can learn from, and you view setbacks with a growth mindset to seek out the lesson.

You look at what went wrong or what you can do to get a better result next time. And you try again.

You don’t accept failure because every result that falls short of your hopes teaches you more than you might expect.. Every faltering step is still a step.

Personal values:

This is your philosophy (or part of it) If you believe your purpose in life is to make good things happen for the people in your world — those you love, those in your community, and those beyond it.

professional older man at desk personal philosophies to guide your life

You’re here to make the world better, one person and one action at a time. You believe your life won’t be well-spent unless you have a positive impact on those around you.

All things in moderation, though. If you take on too much responsibility, you’ll always feel that it’s not enough whatever you do. And you’ll burn out.

Be as kind and compassionate toward yourself as you are to others.

Relationships
Empathy

This one is about courage since it requires you to step outside your comfort zone. You know that a world of life-changing opportunities exists outside it.

How can you do this?

Take a hard look at your comfort zone and what it’s kept you from doing.
Commit to doing something that seems beyond your present ability.
Watch those who’ve accomplished things you think are beyond your ability.
Learn what they’re doing differently, and do it yourself (as long as it does no harm).
If you don’t know what to do, act as if you do, and take action.

Take it one step at a time, but keep stepping. Keep trying new things. Continue asking yourself challenging questions. Don’t wait for someone else to challenge you.

Cognitive understanding is great, but if you’ve ever been in a state of creative flow, you know that the difference between the flow state and cognitive understanding is like the difference between intuition and reasoning.

There are advantages to letting go of conscious control and allowing the flow to take you over. You become a conduit of thoughts, ideas, and feelings you didn’t know were accessible to you.

Getting into a flow state indeed takes more than willingness. But once you learn how to access that state, you won’t be content with what your conscious mind can figure out.

And you’ll want to help others experience the same creative flow.

Imagination

A Glimpse into My Philosophy in Life

Categories: Personal Philosophy Philosophy of Life

About this sample

Words: 468 |

Published: May 22, 2022

Words: 468 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Life's journey is a labyrinth, shaped by unpredictable twists and turns. Our actions, whether subtle or profound, script our unique narratives. This essay delves into personal philosophy and self-discovery, akin to the wisdom of Socrates. It highlights the significance of family, the pressures of academia, and the pervasive habit of comparing one's life with others. Envy distorts our perception, blinding us to the fact that every life we observe is but a chapter in a greater story. Experience emerges as the greatest teacher, shaping character and enriching our memories. Socrates' timeless wisdom to "Know thyself" encourages self-discovery amid life's trials and tribulations. Hardships and failures are not defeats but stepping stones to wisdom. The essay narrates a personal journey marked by adversity, despair, and ultimate self-realization. The author's courageous battle reflects a spirit akin to Socrates' call to "look at oneself." Self-awareness becomes a powerful shield against external judgments.

My philosophy in life essay

Works cited.

Long, J. C., & Foreman, S. L. (2017). Life and meaning: A philosophical reader. University of California Press.
Soccio, D. J. (2016). Archetypes of wisdom: An introduction to philosophy. Cengage Learning.
Solomon, R. C., & Higgins, K. M. (Eds.). (2019). The big questions: A short introduction to philosophy. Cengage Learning.
Nozick, R. (2013). Philosophical explanations. Harvard University Press.
Thiroux, J. P., & Krasemann, K. W. (2019). Ethics: Theory and practice. Pearson.
Plato. (2013). The trial and death of Socrates : Four dialogues. Hackett Publishing.
Nietzsche, F. (2010). Thus spoke Zarathustra. Penguin.
Sartre, J. P. (2012). Existentialism is a humanism. Yale University Press.
Irwin, T. H. (2016). Plato's moral theory: The early and middle dialogues. Oxford University Press.
Popper, K. R. (2014). The open society and its enemies. Routledge.

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What is Your Philosophy of Life? Here are 16 Principles of Mine

My friends have always seen me as a philosopher, so I thought it would be helpful to share my philosophy of life .

We need to let other people live their lives so we can live ours; we should always be open to experiences, learnings and be careful about choosing our battles. Nothing in life is stable, so being aware of the ups and downs will make matters easier. At the same time, we need to be personally responsible and willing to adjust to the situation.

Life is complicated, and we often come up with solutions without even realizing it.

You likely have a philosophy of life that you don’t think much about, so keep reading, as ew will share 16 principles that my life philosophy is based on.

Page Contents

1) Live and Let Live

Live and let live is probably the most crucial idea of all because it asks us to respect our lives and the lives of other people. But this idea also extends to letting people live freely and without unnecessary restrictions.

Within my worldview, I don’t like being told what to do, so I don’t like telling other people what to do either.

We need to have some rules in place so that things don’t get out of hand, but we should also try to avoid people who don’t share our core values as much as possible. While we can surely be upset when people wrong us, we also need to realize that it isn’t our business what other people do as long as they aren’t harming others in the process.

2) Always Be Learning

Learning isn’t about going to school or taking a class; it is about being curious and exploring the world. Learning from books is also essential as long as you like the books you are reading and aren’t being forced to read them.

Learning can also happen on the fly, during conversations with other people or by watching things happen in the world around us.

For myself, I’ve always been interested in learning about new things , but I can also appreciate that some people aren’t always like me. For this reason, I accept that some people aren’t built for learning, or at least aren’t as effective at it as others.

But learning is still an important value worth pursuing, so always be learning and willing to accept that you have been wrong; that way, you will always be moving forward.

3) Pick Your Battles

With any philosophy, you need to be open to the possibility that you’re mistaken or that people won’t always accept the truth. For this reason, I think it is imperative to know when a battle is worth fighting and when it is not.

Most battles aren’t worth the hassle because people don’t usually change, and arguments can hurt some people’s feelings.

At the same time, there are things worth fighting for, so we should stand up for them when we can. We all want to make the world a better place , but we also all have different ideas about getting there; this means that sometimes it’s better to let things be.

I know a lot of stuff and can often explain situations with great detail, but that doesn’t mean I know what to do or what the solution is.

Have humility and accept that you don’t always know the answers; it will make life easier and less stressful.

4) Stick With Your Decisions, Say No

Sometimes people push us to do things that we don’t want to do; this is why we need to stick with our decisions. For myself, I often know right away what I want, but due to pressure from other people, or a fear of letting them down, I might commit to things I don’t believe in.

The problem is that if we don’t want to do something, our heart isn’t going to be in it, so the outcome will be half-assed.

Learning to say no is often a difficult skill to acquire because we are often told to say yes to adventure. When our hearts say no, the problem with saying yes is that we proceed in the wrong direction and get further away from our goals.

I’m not suggesting that you say no when your friend asks you for help, but at the same time, don’t always say yes either.

5) Trust Your Gut

Luckily, my philosophy of life doesn’t need to be restricted to things that can be proven by science, as we might have a little trouble with this one.

Trusting your gut is about following your intuitions and doing things that feel right even if you don’t have any proof, evidence or assurance that it is the right choice.

If you’ve done a Myer Briggs assessment, you might have found that you are intuitive or not. We can’t expect everyone to follow their guts, but I know that I do. While my intuition has been controversial at times, it has often led me in the right direction and has helped me enjoy many different experiences.

Regardless of our personality type, we need to have faith in our own ability to make decisions .

6) There Are Ups and Down

We might like to think that life is all about successes and celebrations, but there are regular ups and downs to everything. I’ve learned over the years that life seems to follow cycles, and these cycles seem to be outside of my conscious understanding of the world.

This means that we need to be open to the possibilities and accept what life throws at us.

There can’t be sweet without sour, so there also can’t be the good without the bad. Often we don’t have much control over what is happening, so we have to learn as best as we can to live with it. Learn to accept the ups and downs, and life will be easier.

Also, understand that you can’t control everythin g, and you will find more control in the things you can.

7) Be Real and Trust Yourself

Often, we adjust who we are to the situation we find ourselves in, and at times this is necessary. I can’t wholly be myself at work because, otherwise, I might not have a job. But we can still be ourselves; if we are willing to get guidance from our guts and stick with what we believe in and enjoy.

Sometimes we also need to take the long road, and as long as we stick to it, we will find the satisfaction that we seek.

Being authentic is about trusting yourself and going with what you know about yourself and who you are. This means being honest with people when you are talking and true to your wishes and dreams . But the most difficult situations are those that challenge us and cause us to doubt ourselves or question our judgment.

So when push comes to shove, we need to stick with what we believe and trust ourselves.

8) Go For What You Want

If you are used to not getting what you want, you might not try to get it. In other words, part of what it takes to be true to ourselves and our philosophy is going after what we want. It is easy to ignore what you want and chase what you think you are supposed to want.

But to live life right, we need to go after what we truly want, and we need to have a plan or at least a destination.

Having a dream means having an ideal or goal that is larger than life, which is all fine and dandy, but it doesn’t mean anything unless you go for it. While our views on what we want might say something about us as thinkers, what matters is taking action and working towards a goal that we believe in.

If you aren’t chasing your goals and dreams, you aren’t living by my philosophy of life .

9) Make It Work and Find a Solution

When our shower broke, my first intuition was to open it up and see if I could figure out what was wrong. After a quick google search, it was all sorted out, and the next day I replaced the broken part and fixed the shower. When I told my friends about this, they said they would have called a plumber.

We can always work out our situation, even when we don’t know how to right off the bat.

The most important characteristic here is having the dedication to solving the problem or having the sense to stick with it till you find a solution. Every problem in our lives can often be broken down into solvable circumstances.

I don’t mean to make lite of your situation cause I don’t understand it, but I can say that it is possible to commit to making anything work, and it will.

10) Personally Responsible is Crucial

So many people blame the world for the things that are wrong with their lives. I can’t speak for all of them, but I know everyone has their challenges, but I also know that many of them can be worked out.

Taking personal responsibility is about looking at your situation and asking, “how can I make this better?”

If we take responsibility for our situation, we might blame ourselves for everything, but that is only partially true. It is important to realize that you don’t control the situation, but you control your reactions to it. Meaning we are personally responsible for our response, not to the situations themselves.

Blaming other people gives away our power; taking responsibility takes that power and puts it back in our hands.

11) Learn From Failure

We all make mistakes; we have all failed, and there will always be times when we could have done better. However, if we keep dwelling on those sorts of things, we only get pain; we want to learn from our failures and move forward.

When it comes to living our lives the right way, and in line with our philosophy, we must always improve and progress.

There was this study where a professor gave his pottery class an assignment. Half of the class would present one piece of work and be marked on it; the other half would be judged by how many pieces they created. Who do you think made the best pieces?

It turns out that we evolve with our mistakes, so the more pieces people created, the better their pottery turned out.

12) Be A Lover of Fate

There have been times in my life where I felt like I had no control over the direction my life was going. When we are young, we are impatient; we want everything to happen immediately, so we can’t seem to wait. However, now that I’m older, I see how everything that happened before was necessary for me to be where I am now.

There is so much that we can’t control, and as I mentioned before, we can often only control our response .

So to go through life and feel like it is all a part of a plan seems believable. I’m not making any claim to god or things unproven, just to the possibility that if we decided to see things as a holistic narrative, it makes things feel more genuine.

Rather than trying to fight the future, try to embrace it, it will make life much easier, and you will get to the same place in the end.

13) Remember Your Lessons

When people tell us stories, or we read novels about strangers’ lives, we might be exposed to all sorts of lessons. Some will be good, and some will be bad, but in the end, we will mostly forget them because they aren’t ours. We must always remember our lessons as we learnt them for a reason, and they happened so that we would figure something out.

Our lives are our own stories, they are filled with ups and downs, good and bad choices and everything in between, but no matter what, they are ours.

As we go through life, we are constantly being shown the way, so have faith, follow through with it, but don’t make the same mistakes twice.

Continually be improving, and you will always be learning from the lessons of the past.

14) Explore and Be Open to Opportunities

Figuring out what you want to do with your life is always a challenge, especially when you don’t know what you want to do. The only way to figure out what you like is to try lots of different things. I only discovered that rice was a great food when I moved to Korea to teach English.

I had to take a big risk in my life and travel to a new place to learn all sorts of things about myself.

While discovering how delicious rice is might not be everyone’s cup of tea, being open to experiences has always been a personality trait of mine. For this reason, I respect it and appreciate it in others, which is why it’s an important part of my philosophy of life.

I realize that everyone is different, regardless, some of us will need to push ourselves harder to try new things, but I guarantee it will be worth it in the long run.

15) Keep on Dreaming

We are often told to wake up and quit dreaming, but dreams are important, and we should keep them in our minds as we go through life. On the other hand, some of us have daydreams about what our future lives might look like.

While we can’t predict the future, having an idea of where we would like to go can always help by guiding us.

As long as we keep dreaming of something better, we always have the motivation to keep trying and working towards a destination. While sometimes our dreams can get us down if they are unrealistic, if we focus on what is realistic, even things that might seem extreme, they will always be within the realm of possibilities.

There is nothing wrong with dreaming about a better life, but you can’t just dream; you need to be willing to work towards it.

16) Stick to The Plan

While everything so far has been a principle of my philosophy of life, this last one is different cause it connects them all. There are many other ideas here, and it might be challenging to remember them all, but having an idea of what you want and what you should do gives you the advantage of consistency.

Every choice can’t always be our best choice, but if we know where we want to go and have a rough sense of how we should get there, it will always be more manageable.

Come up with a plan, even a simple one and stick to it, you might not always be correct, but you will at least be throwing darts at the same dartboard.

We might not always have the best plan, but having something is better than having nothing. So figure out what you want out of your life and stick to the plan.

Live a Meaningful Life; Here is How

I've put together a 42 item guide on how to live a meaningful life by appreciating what we are already doing. Get your copy by entering your email address below.

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Robert Carr

Over the years, I've learnt to see things in a different light. This website is my place to share those insights and give my unique perspective on living a meaningful life.

A Personal Philosophy of Life: How to Write One (& Why You Should)

How would it feel to confidently explain why you are doing what you are doing with your life?

Can you already?

Why are you working the job you are working?

Why do you spend your free-time the way that you do?

Why do you spend your money on the things that you do?

Why have you set, or not set, the goals that you have?

Many of us can’t make sense of that explain why we are doing the things we do or wanting the things we want.

Some of us don’t take the time to search for these reasons, and some haven’t even considered it.

For me, the issue isn’t that I don’t take the time. Actually, on the inverse, I have so much trouble doing anything without having an understanding as to “why” I’m doing it, it can leave me paralyzed. I am a hyper-deliberate person (obsessively so).

Why Get to the “Why?”

While I don’t want to prescript, I’m going to, because in defense of people like myself, I think the obsession with knowing and being able to explain the “why” behind your actions, beliefs and values is an essential precursor to making confident life choices.

It’ll keep you from living someone else’s life, not yours.

Bronnie Ware, the author of The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, found that the greatest regret of folks nearing the end of their lives was that “They wished they had the courage to live a life truer to themselves than live a life that was expected of them.”

With that in mind, what could be more important than working toward understanding what life lived, might be truest to you?

Your values become guideposts for decision making. When presented with a fork in the road or an opportunity to make a change, you can refer back to your values as foundational principles or a checklist of sorts.

Although always open to a good editing, these values give you a basis for discerning whether or not a new venture, an existing challenge, or person in your life align with who you are and cultivate more of who you want to be.

So, on this page you’ll find what I consider my (or a) manifesto of sorts.

In bulleted splits, I’ll share rooted values, beliefs, and opinions of mine. If I gave this exercise it’s fullest due, each bullet would earn itself a chapter in a book. While this is something I plan to do someday, maybe when I’m more sure of myself and rich in free-time, that’s not what this is.

This is something much briefer, but still an indicator of what I think, believe and aspire to.

But, before I share my personal philosophy, I’ll share insight on unearthing the philosophy that exists for you.

We all have our values and beliefs. The differences between us, are how aware we are (or not aware we are) of them.

Inspiring a philosophical mood is necessary to get the most out of this exercise. I don’t believe uncovering your values, philosophy, or principles is something you can do in passing, or while you are grocery shopping.

It takes an intentional, focused effort, and dedication of time. Our objective is to produce a document that we trust to look back on and help us to make decisions or remind us of ideals or values we’ve strayed from.

It’s to become your operating manual and create a sense of clarity for you. In revisiting my thoughts, or taking the time to give something like this a good overhaul, I make sense of decisions that are lingering that I have yet to make (work opportunities, etc.), as well as comprehend decisions I’ve previously made that I enjoyed or didn’t.

So, with intention, let’s walk into clarity.

How to Write Your Own Personal Philosophy

Getting to the root of understanding your own personal philosophy, or personal operating principles , starts with two things:

The space to do the thinking
The questions you ask yourself

Let me briefly explain each.

Thinking Space –

I envy the twentysomething who doesn’t feel in a rush. I’ve been self-employed for over a year , have more free quiet time than I can handle, and even still I feel like I have somewhere to be or something to do (something other than what I’m currently doing).

This is why I have to be considerate with the space and context I create for myself when I’m delving into philosophical thinking.

Most importantly, we want open time where we don’t feel any need to “complete” something. Expect you won’t!

Other things I prioritize:

Isolation – For me, this thinking is most often done alone. Although sometimes, rich conversation with my girlfriend or a good friend can trigger introspective thought, I’ll find I can get into this thinking space when I’ve created some intentional personal space.
No Distraction – Deep introspective thought loses steam when distraction arises! Give yourself the opportunity to do some deep work and put away the phone, head to a cafe where no one knows you, and maybe even consider turning off the internet! (A good app for that: Freedom ).
Pen & Paper – Some folks have no preference between typing and writing. For some reason, handwriting is better for me to “open” up my thinking.
Time of Day – When do you do your best thinking? When are you the most intellectually and mentally sharp? For me, it’s the start of my work day. This is intensive thinking! Don’t give it the throw away parts of the day.
Drug of Choice – What drugs do you think I’m referring to? I prefer java here, because I am a java hound. Pick yours (PCP? HGH? LSD? ACT? Kidding, the last one is a standardized exam colleges use to make admissions decisions. I got you, admit it).

The Questions (or Prompts) –

Oh man, surely the juiciest part of the whole thing! I sure love me a good question.

Maybe I was meant to be an academic when I grew up instead of a college dropout .

All good answers and all good thinking must begin with good questions. I collect questions from everything I read. Often times it’s not the answers that authors write, it’s the questions themselves that stick with me the most.

I’ll list some good questions below. I couldn’t remember at the moment where these came from…so if something looks familiar to you, let me know so I can right my nearly irreparable wrongs and cite appropriate party/parties.

*Note* Some of the questions aren’t directly related to this exercise, but the often inspire rich thinking that most definitely is.

What makes you happy? What do you find worth doing?
What do you believe is true?
If you stopped waiting for something to happen (to be more financially secure, to retire, to rid yourself of obligations), what would you do?
If money was no object, would you be doing what you are doing now? If not, what would you be doing?
How do you grade yourself?
When have you felt most connected, energetic and fulfilled?
What major decisions have you regretted, or wish had gone differently? Why?

And with those, you can muster up quite the free-write. If you’d like a more granular step by step of how this exercise goes (for me), here it might be:

Set the mood (as I explained above, you might choose to light a candle or something)
Reflect on the questions above, or other ones you may have in mind and start jotting thoughts.
I start to list out general values, ideals, etc. like…minimalism, family, community, learning, yadda, yadda
After I have a listed collected, I’ll start to sit with each of those individually and begin to think more on what that value means to me, and how does that dictate choices I make or who I want to be.
Complete a draft, and come back to it for an edit or addition of anything you forget.
Review periodically (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, whatever works for you).

For a look at what my drafted version of this looks like, review my “personal philosophy” below.

My Personal Philosophy: Principles & Values for Choosing Actions

Last update: August 2018

*Note* This is subject to change. It may turn out I hate many of these things a few years from now. So if you see in here that I love dogs, don’t send me an email telling me that you love dogs too, because I might not anymore.

These are in no particular order. Except for some. 🙂

I love Annie Bright. It makes me happy to be a passionate, supportive, and powerful partner and teammate to her. It makes me happy to take care of her, laugh with her, and live/create my life with her! I couldn’t imagine anyone else who I could spend my whole life with. I’m excited and thrilled to do so. I love her so much.
I’m deeply grateful for my family and friends. Having people “think about you” and want to spend time with you and wish for your success is one of the greatest gifts imaginable. Keeping in touch, while a true skill, is important to exercise.
I prefer optimism. Optimism about the state of the world, the state of humanity and the intentions of others. Although, I can often be cynical. Especially when I watch the news .
I deeply value being an intentional and deliberate person. I value the exercise of thinking about my own beliefs, values, and personal priorities. It makes me happy to have a grasp on what I believe and think about the world. Even though the understanding is and may never be complete. I do believe, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”
I believe in using my greatest faculties of creativity, ambition, and inspiration to invent meaningful contributions to society. I believe we have an obligation to serve the world in some way not just as a hobby, but as our main vocation.

I follow my own footpath. To a fault, I disdain herds and crowds. There’s no one size fits all prescription for “how to live a good life,” or in what order must you live it. I determine the best life for me. Through a steady and thoughtful consideration of values and interests like these as well as trial and error (hopefully not too disastrous).

I love and re-inspire myself through learning. There’s not much more that I enjoy than pursuing a personal curiosity. I believe learning more about the world in whatever capacity (reading, traveling, listening to others), is something that should consume a large portion of my “professional time.”
While I’m more comfortable thinking, I deeply respect and must continue DOING! What good is all the learning without creating something useful and tangible to share with others. A deep aspect of my fulfillment is exerting myself fully!
My health (mental and physical) is a priority, although it sometimes can be difficult. I hope to live as long and as actively as possible. I appreciate retaining strength and fitness and treating my body well.
I don’t believe in having/possessing much more than I need, or what I truly value and enjoy. A lost or broken item can always be bought or obtained again, and holding onto things I don’t need does no good.
Many of my decisions are made on the basis of freedom. I want to live my life, not someone else’s. I want to spend my time in the ways and with the people I choose. And I want to pursue the projects and curiosities that are catching my attention. Although, some healthy commitments feel good too. 🙂
I must remind myself to be grateful for the privilege I’ve been born with. My comfortable circumstance was not won through merit. I didn’t earn the family, genes, or socio-economic status I was born into. This privilege becomes a duty to extend what I have to others.
I love to play. I value good humor, being silly with good friends, and playing games.

In Closing: Lifelong Editing & Further Reading

This abridged personal philosophy of mine, this random assortment of thoughts and values, is and will always be malleable. I don’t know too much, I’m only 24. I’m sure I’ll learn much more.

At least until I’m 30. Who knows what will happen then (yikes). Maybe I’ll have figured everything out.

I hope this page has served good use for you and has inspired deep thought.

For different “frames” on this exercise, or material that will inspire some related thought, go here:

My General Operating Principles: 37 Principles for Making Hard Decisions, Taylor Pearson
Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur, Derek Sivers
The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level , Gay Hendricks
Principles: Life and Work , Ray Dalio

Lastly, if you are willing to share, I’d like to hear from you: what values, thoughts, or principles first arise for you and what do those look like after some reflection?

Let me know in the comments below.

As well, feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Personal Philosophy

What is personal philosophy.

Imagine your brain is like a garden. Your personal philosophy is the collection of flowers, plants, and trees that you choose to grow in it. It’s the unique mix of ideas and values that you water, care for, and let bloom to make up who you are. It’s the set of beliefs that helps you figure out life’s big questions, like how to act, what’s meaningful, and what kind of life you want to live. Your personal philosophy is also like a toolbox that holds your favorite tools. It contains the thoughts and attitudes you rely on to build your life day by day. Understanding your personal philosophy is like knowing which tools work best for fixing a problem or creating something great.

To create your personal philosophy, you might start by picking out things that make your heart sing, like love, joy, and courage, and think about how these things shape your choices. You might add to your philosophy with ideas about fairness, helping others, or being true to yourself. And just like your taste in food or music can change, your personal philosophy can evolve as you have new experiences and learn more about the world around you.

Types of Personal Philosophy

Personal philosophies are as varied as people themselves, but here are a few common themes:

Self-Improvement : This is about wanting to become the best version of yourself, whether that’s being smarter, kinder, or stronger.
Success : Some people might focus on achieving their goals and dreams, whatever they may be.
Balance : This is the idea of keeping a healthy balance in life, like not working too much and making time for fun.
Respect for Nature : A person may believe that being in harmony with the environment is essential, treating the Earth with care.

Examples of Personal Philosophy

Everyone deserves respect : By believing this, you treat each person with kindness and honor, no matter who they are. This idea guides you in every conversation and meeting. It’s a personal philosophy because it affects how you behave towards others, making respect the foundation of your interactions.
Challenges make you stronger : If you think that facing tough times is important for growing, your philosophy pushes you to embrace difficulties instead of running away from them. This belief acts as a motivator, helping you to stay strong and learn from every hurdle in life.
Always be curious : Someone whose personal philosophy is to always keep learning will always ask questions and seek new information. This philosophy places a high value on discovery and understanding, guiding a person’s journey through life like a treasure map leads to hidden gold.

Why Is Personal Philosophy Important?

Your personal philosophy is like your North Star, guiding you through life’s dark nights and sunny days. It helps you make choices that are true to who you are and moves you closer to the life you dream of. When you’re faced with a tough decision, like whether to be honest when it’s hard, your personal philosophy will light the way. It tells you a lot about what kind of person you are, like whether you believe in giving chances or if being fair is the most important to you. And just as important, your personal philosophy can influence the world around you. Kindness can catch on, creating a chain reaction of good vibes, while honesty can build trust with others.

Think about how, in team sports, a strong game plan can lead to victory. Your personal philosophy is your game plan for life. It keeps your actions and decisions aimed at your goals, whether that’s being a great friend, exploring the world, or standing up for what you believe in.

Origin of Personal Philosophy

From ancient times, people like Confucius , Buddha, and many others explored ideas about life’s purpose and how to live well. They provided a variety of perspectives, like different types of soil, in which our own personal philosophies could grow. Even today, the wisdom they shared acts like sunlight and rain, helping shape and nourish our ideas about life.

Controversies Surrounding Personal Philosophy

Disagreements over personal philosophy are as common as toppings on pizza. What one person swears by, another might completely disagree with. For instance, some might argue about whether happiness comes from what we do or what we have. Others might debate whether we’re shaped more by our environment or our genetics. These debates show that personal philosophy is a deeply personal and sometimes complex part of who we are.

Additional Important Factors

Your personal philosophy is far-reaching, touching more than just your own life. It can steer your career path, influence the friends you make, and even affect the community you live in. Just like a captain’s leadership can inspire a team, your personal philosophy can lead and inspire the people around you.

And remember, just as you might outgrow your favorite sweater, you might also outgrow parts of your philosophy. As you soak in new knowledge and experiences, your beliefs can shift. You might find that ideas that used to be important to you no longer fit quite right, and that’s okay. Growing and changing is part of the adventure of life.

Developing Your Personal Philosophy of Life

7 tensions to resolve..

Posted January 8, 2020 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina

From Plato to Stephen Covey, it’s long been argued that life is more meaningful if guided by a foundational personal philosophy .

To that end, here are seven tensions the resolutions of which can help you develop your personal philosophy. Of course, you could choose a moderate position within each of these polar pairs but often people choose to aim toward one side or the other.

Planning vs. living in the moment. Clichés exist on both poles. Ben Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.” On the other hand, Emily Dickinson wrote, “Forever is composed of nows.” In deciding which way you want to lean, it may help to look at your track record: To date, has your planning been worth it? Or has your planning too often been wrong? Has it shepherded you toward worthy paths or closed to you opportunities you should have taken? Or has your planning too often kept you from appreciating your present moments, always looking ahead as I foolishly did when, as a 20-year-old touring Paris, I raced through the Louvre so I could make it to the Tuilieries before closing time?

Practical vs. idealistic. We have been preached both: “Be realistic,” and on the other hand, “Dream big. Follow your passion.” Which side to tilt toward may depend on your self-efficacy : Bright, driven, non-procrastinators have a better chance of achieving their idealistic dreams or at least, as suggested in another cliché: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars,” (Norman Vincent Peale).

Disciplined vs. laid-back. Many people find it more pleasurable to be laid-back. The question is whether that will contribute, net, to your success and contentment, or at minimum, will the decrement to your success be worth it? On the other hand, some people enjoy the process of being disciplined or at least are willing to be disciplined in the service of more successful outcomes. The question is, “How about you?”

Reflective vs. impulsive. Some of this is hard-wired. Impulsivity has a significant genetic component , but it’s not completely genetic. Again, look at your track record: Have you been more successful by making quick decisions and thus getting more done? Or have you been more successful when taking your time, reflecting, considering more of the implications?

Just vs. merciful. Solid arguments can be made for leaning either way. Justice, by definition, means that people get what, on the merits, they deserve. How primary is that to you? Other people prefer a life tilted more toward mercy: Even if, on the merits, a person deserves less, the mercy-centric person leans toward giving people a break. How about you?

Self-critical vs. self-accepting. Some people feel it’s worth being hard on themselves: being self-critical and ever trying to improve. On the other hand, other people feel that’s too big a price to pay and/or that enough of who they are is hard-wired or has been molded by early experience and current externalities that they’d rather focus on self-acceptance.

Self-reliant vs. communitarian. There are quotable quotes at both poles. Charlotte Bronte in Jane Eyre wrote, “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.” In contrast, Hillary Clinton famously said, “It takes a village.” Again, look at your track record. Has your reliance on other people yielded more benefit than liability to you and perhaps to them? Or have you done better by focusing on self-reliance?

The takeaway

So, do you want to write bullets or a paragraph or two describing your personal philosophy? If so, yes, consider the aforementioned seven tensions but there may be other factors that merit consideration. A few possible examples: the role of spirituality or religion? Your work or relationship non-negotiables? Your ethical red line in the sand?

make your own philosophy in life essay brainly

If you might find a model helpful, I offer my philosophy of life here.

Most people don’t follow their personal philosophy assiduously, but developing one can create guideposts that can help you live the life you want to live.

I read this aloud on YouTube.

Marty Nemko, Ph.D ., is a career and personal coach based in Oakland, California, and the author of 10 books.

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Life Philosophy 101 – An Introduction

Personal life philosophies are not a common subject and quality information on them can be difficult to find. They can tend to be grouped with other more prescriptive philosophies or reduced to personal slogans like bumper stickers or t-shirts.

Personal Life Philosophies are unique in that there are as many of them as there are individuals. Just as no two people are alike, no two life philosophies are the same. We each have our own basis for understanding ourselves, our lives and the world and our own aspirations for how we seek them to be.

This introduction touches on the essential knowledge that everyone should have to understand personal life philosophies, why they are essential life tools and how they can enrich your life.

Introduction to Life Philosophy Resources

These key concepts establish a common foundation of knowledge. This foundation will be helpful as you develop and live your personal life philosophy.

Start here if you are unfamiliar with life philosophy or want a refresher. Expand each of the sections if you would like more in depth information.

Life philosophy can be a tricky subject to embrace. There are common misconceptions that can bias your understanding and lead you to avoid the whole topic.

Understanding these misconceptions can stop them from preventing knowing and embracing your unique personal philosophy.

Just as we all have our own life philosophy; we all have our own way of learning.

If you prefer, choose the topics you want to cover in the order that works best for you.

Key Concepts about Personal Philosophies

What is a personal philosophy?

A personal life philosophy is your unique understanding of and perspective on the world and life including how you think life should be lived and the world should be.

Why does this matter? Your personal philosophy is a way to crystalize and make real your understanding of the world and life to help you make sense of it, know what is essential, sharpen your vision and bring clarity to a complex world.

The concept of a personal philosophy is something that is unique and something that is not generally well known or widespread, at least personal philosophies that are well developed and that can bring real value to one’s life. One can wonder why this is so, especially considering the importance of one’s personal philosophy .

In general, personal philosophies include things like your most essential truths and insights about, and highest aspirations, for life and the world. They bring value to your life both through the process of developing them and through helping make more definite thoughts and feelings that can be abstract and difficult to readily access and use in your life.

A personal philosophy encapsulates what is most essential, of great consequence, vital, enlightening and imperative. It is based upon what captures your imagination, demands your attention, comes naturally to you, incites you to action, inspires you, infuriates you, drives you or frees you to the greatest degree.

Personal philosophies are typically stated in a written form such as a set of principles or tenets and sometimes are written in an essay format, though they can take any from that you find useful.

Note: There are a series of related terms used for referring to personal philosophies including personal philosophy on life, living philosophy. Just about every conceivable combination and variation of the words philosophy, life and personal that are used to refer to personal philosophies. Here, the terms personal philosophy, personal life philosophy and life philosophy are used interchangeably.

What is life philosophy?

Life philosophy is the development and application of your personal philosophy to your life. Life philosophy includes two primary components: your personal philosophy and the ongoing act of making it real through developing and living it.

Why does this matter? Personal philosophies that cannot be or are not used in one’s life, may be interesting to contemplate and discuss over an adult beverage, but they cannot enrich your life unless you actually use them in it.

Beyond the potentially transformational experience of developing a personal philosophy, most of its value is realized through living it. A personal philosophy that is only vague concepts or even one is well formed but unused is of little value. Your personal philosophies can be of great value, but only if it is clear to you and made real in your life. Living your personal philosophy is how you realize the value of it for yourself and the world. There are a wealth of practical and enriching ways that your personal philosophy can be used in your life .

Why should I put effort into developing my personal philosophy?

Although each of us naturally has the basis for our personal philosophy, most of us do not understand our basis in ways that help us or in ways that we can make use of. Developing your personal philosophy clarifies it for you and helps you gain active knowledge of it.

Why does this matter? The experience of developing your personal philosophy includes connecting with what is essential to you in the world, which is a rewarding and enriching experience itself. Most importantly developing and actively knowing your personal philosophy enables you to use it in your life and realize the value it can bring .

When following a good approach for developing yours, you start to realize the value early in the process. Because of the nature of personal philosophies, you necessarily need to consider your perspective on the world and to understand your thoughts and feelings about it. Most of us do not take the time or invest the effort into actively working to understand our perspective on the world and ourselves. Developing your personal philosophy gives you an opportunity to indulge in doing so in a way that gets around much of the challenge of being too actively introspective, or touchy-feely. With the right approach, getting in touch with your perspective on the world and yourself is rewarding, freeing and simply enjoyable. You may even find it an experience that is affirmational or transformational.

Beyond the enriching personal experience, developing your personal philosophy will clarify your unique understanding of the world and life for you and make it something that you actively know. A personal philosophy that is just thoughts and feelings floating around in your mind has about as much value as a personal desire to become Yoda. It may be an interesting thought, but it probably won’t go much further than that. Your personal philosophy needs to be clear to you and something that you actively know. Clarity is critical so that when you need to use it in your life you don’t have to sort through it to figure out how it applies. Actively knowing your personal philosophy allows you to use it in your life. Not being able to clearly remember your personal philosophy makes it difficult to use in the moment. If you have to refer back to it in some written form it probably doesn’t have the clarity needed to be a real and present part of your life. Part of developing your personal philosophy is crafting it to be clear so that you can and actively know and use it in your life in large and small ways.

The importance (value) of your personal philosophy in life.

Your personal philosophy begins to bring value to your life through the experience of developing it and continues to do so for the rest of your life. It will help you make sense of the world, understand what is meaningful to you, clarify your insights, motivate and inspire you, and help you find and maintain your direction.

What does this mean to me? Your personal philosophy is a real-world life tool. Without it you are in many ways unequipped for life in an increasingly complex and difficult world for you as an individual.

The process of developing your personal philosophy necessarily requires being in touch with the world and yourself. The experience of doing so in a concerted, intentional way helps you crystalize what is meaningful in the world to you. This is one part of the reason why you should put the effort into developing your personal philosophy .

Beyond the experience of developing your personal philosophy, the real importance of a personal philosophy is that it equips you for life in a complex world in ways that can be difficult to do otherwise. Knowing and understanding your essential truths about, and aspirations for, life and the world as well as what you value and what is meaningful to you helps you with some of the most challenging aspects of life. Many of the traditional sources that people have relied upon for these answers are outdated and not relevant in today’s world. Without a personal philosophy you can be left searching for answers when challenges in life arise. Your personal philosophy helps you make sense of life and the challenges you encounter. It also helps you identify things you do that are out of sync with what you place value in and be a source of strength for changing them. It will help you fend off the constant barrage from others trying to make you do and think what they want you to. It provides a clear source of personal direction that can help with difficult or important decisions that you need to make in life. It can help you better understand your unique insights about life and the world and make the most of them. It can even inspire you to do something that is wildly aspirational that you would likely not do without the clarity, vision and meaning that your personal philosophy makes real for you. Knowing and living your personal philosophy will help you be more effective in the world and help you to contribute to realizing the things that you aspire for life and the world to be.What

Why aren't personal philosophies taught on a wider basis?

The primary purpose of education in most parts of the world is to produce individuals that are effective members of society and productive workers. Secondarily the concept of personal philosophies and the individual or “self” are relatively new (see the brief history of personal philosophies ).

Why should I care about this? A personal philosophy is something that is not needed to be a productive worker or effective member of society. It is needed if you are going to live an engaged, meaningful life that aligns with who you are and what you seek for your life and the world to be.

The value of education cannot be overstated. Knowledge is empowering. Self-knowledge, like that used in one’s personal philosophy, is an especially powerful form of knowledge. Unfortunately, self-knowledge is something that most of us must learn on our own without significant guidance or education about it.

An important part of developing a personal philosophy is quality self-knowledge. While some education systems do seek to develop the individual, but even they do not overtly educate individuals on developing self-knowledge. The concept of personal philosophies, the self and self-knowledge are relatively new. Most education systems are based upon century old theory and have not kept up with these concepts or integrated them into their method and curriculum. Imagine if our education systems sought to help people become self-aware, develop self-knowledge and become more enlightened about life and the world, instead of just seeking to produce productive contributing members of society.

A personal philosophy is something that can help you get beyond the narrow vision and relatively low expectations that many educational systems have for you. It can help you become more self-aware, more knowledgeable and more enlightened about life and the world.

What can be included in a personal philosophy.

What can be included in your personal philosophy?

Anything that you think or feel is essential to your understanding of and perspective on life and the world.

Why is the point? There are some things that can be helpful to include to make your unique personal philosophy more valuable in your life, but in the end, it is up to you.

A personal philosophy is the encapsulation of one’s most essential truths about, and aspirations for, the world, life and one’s self. That said, you can choose what to include in yours. To be able to apply your personal philosophy to your life, it is helpful if one includes things that you uniquely understand about life and the world, or your truths, and how you would like to see the world be, or your aspirations. The two together create a view of what you know about the world that is most significant to you, how you think life and the world should be and your desires for them. Your personal philosophy can include anything you find essential such as what you place value in and find especially meaningful. If there are other aspects of your understanding of yourself, life or the world that you think are substantive, you should include them.

One of the key attributes of your personal philosophy is that it draws upon your unique knowledge of the world and yourself. The types of knowledge that can be used in your life philosophy are those encompassed by knowledge in a broad sense. Often the concept of knowledge is constrained to specific types of knowledge such as that which is taught through formal education or that which can be attained through science and reason. While there are no hard rules about personal philosophies, constraining yourself to narrow definitions of knowledge is limiting. Including what you know beyond your capacity for reason and the realm of scientific proof, such that which you know through emotion and intuition, helps to create a personal philosophy that captures the nature of being human. Einstein’s essay in Living Philosophies is a great example of how this is true. If you are going to apply your personal philosophy to your life, it should be substantive and not oversimplify the nature of life to the point of being of little value in it. It also should not be limited to someone else’s definition of what a life philosophy should entail, or what it should be based upon. Too, it should not be limited to systems thought and belief that have been formalized and categorized. In many ways, personal philosophy allows you to move beyond these prescribed ways of understanding and create a perspective that is rich in meaning to you.

Including those things that are the most significant to you, especially what sets you apart from others, is one approach. For instance, we all place high value on our families, health and livelihood. These are universal and stating them as a personal philosophy, while perfectly valid, may not be very insightful about your personal truths or aspirations for life and the world. In a similar way, a personal philosophy is not necessarily about defining universal truths or answering life’s big questions such as the purpose or meaning of life. These can be included if your knowledge of them is especially significant to you. Your personal philosophy is about understanding and expressing the things that stand out to you above all others.

What do I need to know to develop my personal philosophy?

Having a reasonably broad view of life and the world is helpful, as is being able to connect with and understanding your perspective on it. An understanding of personal philosophies is also helpful.

Why does this matter to me? While having a broad view of life and the world is important, you can never know, feel or experience everything. When you decide to develop your personal philosophy, it is important to use your perspective on the world to the greatest extent possible. Too, your personal philosophy will likely evolve as you and the world change.

Your personal philosophy necessarily draws upon your understanding of life and the world. If you have limited experience with life and the world, it can be helpful to work to expand your perspective. Even if you have an expansive perspective on the world, being in touch with that perspective is important. You may find it helpful to spend some time reconnecting with your perspective on the world as you craft your personal philosophy. Too, you continue to learn and change throughout your life and the world continues to change at a rapid pace. An effective approach for crafting your personal philosophy should help you connect with what is essential in the world to and to understand why throughout your life.

Having a good connection with yourself is also helpful. This connection allows you to understand your perspective on the world including your thoughts and feelings about it. You may find it necessary to work to create this connection, or to reconnect with yourself if you have lost touch. One of the challenges with creating and maintaining it is the constant barrage we are under from others wanting us to think and do what they want us to. A good connection with yourself helps cut through this barrage. An effective approach for developing your personal philosophy will also help.

Like with most things that you undertake, a good understanding of what you are taking on and what is involved with accomplishing it is advisable. Having an understanding of personal philosophies and what is involved with developing one can help you successfully craft yours so that it is valuable in your life.

Where did the concept of personal philosophies come from?

While the roots of personal philosophies, individual’s interpretations on what is important in the world, can be seen even in the earliest artwork and myths, personal philosophies per se arrived on the scene much more recently. They appear to have come into general use within the last century or so.

Like most forms of modern thinking, the roots of personal philosophies appear to have evolved along with human thought. Prehistoric evidence for personal views on the world and what is most significant in it are likely captured in the earliest myths and paintings. These early forms of expression undoubtedly included some personal interpretation of the world for practical use. Yet, considering them to be statements of personal philosophy is a stretch at best. The first formal thinking related to personal philosophies dates back to the time of the early thinkers on human condition and the nature of the world that we live in. Religious beliefs and religions evolved from individuals’ personal understanding of the world. Confucius’s writings can be considered a good example of how this happened. Undoubtedly, many of those who have focused their life on the pursuit of philosophy necessarily include what would constitute their own philosophy on life in their work including the first recognized philosophers in the 600-500 BC period. One perspective on philosophy itself is that it can be considered the pursuit of making sense of life and the world. Beyond those who pursued philosophy per se, many great thinkers and people who have put their imprint upon the course of history have recorded their philosophical perspective behind their thinking and actions. Abraham Lincoln is a familiar, notable example, and there are many more. Yet none of these can be considered a personal philosophy per se.

Personal philosophies in the context used here, are prevalent in modern times. In 1931 a volume of Living Philosophies was published by Simon & Schuster and includes short essays about their philosophy on life from notable figures including Albert Einstein. These insightful essays capture their perspective on the world including their beliefs and ideals. Two subsequent volumes were published with essays from other notables, I Believe in 1942 and Living Philosophies in 1990. All of which are worth reading. These essays seem to come the closest to the concept of personal philosophy as used here. Interestingly the concept of individual identity and the self appears to have come into prominence on a similar timeline, within the last century.

The rapid escalation of the challenges facing humanity in general, the shift away from traditional sources and authorities for answers to life’s important questions, the increasingly difficult global environmental and political situation and the escalating assault on our individuality through the ever-present screens we view all seem to be reasons why personal philosophies are becoming more prominent. In many ways, personal philosophies have become a vital form of empowerment for the individual actualizing their individuality.

Using your personal philosophy in your life.

There are virtually limitless ways that you can use your personal philosophy in your life. How you do so will vary based upon where you are in life and what is happening in yours.

Your personal philosophy can be made part of your life in ways large and small. In looking at the importance (value) of your personal philosophy in life , we touched upon many of the ways your personal philosophy brings value to your life including as a source of meaning, a source of guidance for important decisions, a source of strength, a source of vision and insight, even a source of inspiration.

Through actively knowing your personal philosophy you can use it in your daily life as you make decisions and to help guide your actions to be in line with how you seek to be. It can be easy to take the path of least resistance or to succumb, even momentarily, to the toxic messaging constantly targeting you. Actively knowing your personal philosophy helps you be more intentional and fend off this and other forces working against you.

Making your personal philosophy a part of your daily life helps keep what you find essential, place value in, and draw meaning from present in your life. It also provides a reassuring sense of understanding and direction through your essential truths and aspirations.

Your life philosophy can help you better understand yourself and your perspective on just about everything and under any circumstances. Having a well-developed life philosophy also allows you to share and discuss it with others, if you choose to. It can help them understand you and your actions. Sharing your life philosophy or some part of it can be helpful in many situations such as when you have to explain choices that you make which are different from others or that don’t align with their expectations of you.

Your life philosophy can help you achieve a greater sense of meaning and fulfillment. Some think that it is only possible to achieve higher levels of meaning and happiness through the understanding and awareness that knowing and living a personal philosophy can provide.

Common Misconceptions About Personal Philosophies

I don’t have or need a personal philosophy.

Short Answer : Everyone has some form of a personal philosophy. Most just have not developed it into something they actively know or use in their lives.

Each individuals’ personal philosophy, including yours, is their unique understanding of the world that is developed into a form that can be actively known and used in their life. When you consider the scope of the human experience, including what we can know and feel and how we can know and feel it, and the diversity of individuals, we all truly have our unique understanding of the world.

There is strength in diversity. You as an empowered, self-actualized and enlightened individual build upon what it means to be human and for us to collectively be humanity. Understanding your unique knowledge and wisdom about life and the world will help you become an empowered, self-actualized and enlightened individual.

The kinds of changes that are confronting individuals and humanity require something more than for all of us to live and think the same way, or even subscribe to a defined set of philosophic and religious systems. The scales are tipped toward you becoming more like everyone else. The intentional attempt to control your thoughts and actions through messaging and artificial intelligence is invading all aspects of your life. It is an attempt to make you think and behave in ways that others seek for you to. Actively knowing your understanding of the world and your aspirations for it is not only essential for surviving in an increasingly complex and difficult world, it is key to advancing us as humanity and overcoming the crises that confront us now and in the future.

Personal philosophies are only for big thinkers.

Short Answer : Each of us has a unique understanding of the world and the ability to define our own personal philosophy. Be wary of anyone or any entity that tries to make you think otherwise. Question their motives.

Society puts undue importance on the personal philosophies of famous people and preserves their perspective through time disproportionally. Historically, this may have largely been a product of our ability to record and publish the thoughts of any one person. It may be no coincidence that as our ability to record our individual thinking and share it broadly the importance of the big thinkers’ thoughts is diminishing.

For some reason, we have a tendency to treat some and their thoughts effectively as idols. We often turn to those that we view as authorities for answers to life’s important questions when the reality is that they are just people and their answers are merely that, theirs. They are not better than the answers that we each have, yet we often place more value in them than our own.

In the end, you determine your personal philosophy. If you decide to adopt a philosophy or components of a philosophy that is defined by someone else, that is your choice. The important thing is that you have explored the world enough to know what makes sense to you and works for you. Too, nothing in life is cast in stone. The world changes and we all grow and learn. As you do, your personal philosophy should as well.

But it is not only the famous who leave their marks. Every single one of us has, I believe, a significant part to play in the scheme of things. Some contributors that go unrecognized may nevertheless be of the utmost importance.

– Jane Goodall in her personal philosophy within Living Philosophies 1990.

A personal philosophy is a one sentence maxim.

Short Answer : You’re not a car and your personal philosophy shouldn’t be a bumper sticker.

Everyone likes a concise statement that captures the essence of a common experience in life. It’s also good to have simple rules in life to remind us of basic things we know. They have practical value in specific situations. That said, simple rules of life, even a collection of really good ones do not amount to a personal philosophy.

An effective personal philosophy encompasses the scope of your unique perspective on life and the world. To be effective it needs to be able to help you make sense of a complex and dynamic world. It needs to be able to help you derive meaning from your life, understand what you value and what you seek for life and the world to be. If you truly can express your personal philosophy in one sentence, beyond likely being an amazing sentence, it would no longer be a maxim that is applicable only in specific situations. It would be a broad, robust expression of your unique perspective on the world and life including your truths about them and how you think they should be.

Like philosophy in general, personal philosophies are esoteric and don’t have practical value.

Short Answer : This misconception is completely understandable. Philosophy is generally something that can be challenging to convert to real world value. Personal philosophies are different as they are practical real-life tools.

Unfortunately, there is not a good substitute for the word “philosophy” in the English language that fully captures its meaning in the sense of being “a set of basic concepts and beliefs that are of value as guidance in practical ways.” When we hear or read the world philosophy, we most often think of one of the other meanings primarily “systems of thought” as in skepticism, pragmatism or existentialism and the famous men (typically) that professed their virtues and argued for their specific flavor as the one best perspective on the world and life. In many ways, personal philosophies are the antithesis of these systems of thought. Personal philosophies are individual perspectives meant to have meaning and value for one individual rather than general principles that apply to all. Applied practical value in life is one of the defining characteristics of personal life philosophies. If a personal philosophy is not of practical value in life, it is not much of a personal philosophy at all.

I already know my personal philosophy. I don’t need to develop it.

Short Answer : If you have and know your personal philosophy, you should be able to state it now in a clear and concise way that you can apply in your life. If not, crafting it into a clear form to you and that you actively know will help you realize real-world value from it.

I’m just one normal person, my personal philosophy is of no value to the world.

Short Answer : Humanity is a collective of unique individuals. Who we are, what we know, what we will become and what defines us our humanity is determined by the sum total of each of us. Your individuality, including your unique understanding of and perspective on life and the world, has real implications for humanity collectively.

It can be easy to sell oneself short considering the hype and focus given to people with power, money and fame. This is exactly what you are doing if you truly think that your personal philosophy is not of consequence to the world.

At the very least, understanding your unique perspective on the world and life, will hedge off the homogeneity we are being driven toward by the systems and institutions that we have created. Systems and institutions controlled by and for the benefit of those with power, money and fame. Systems, institutions and people that want you to think and act in ways that benefit them. Dismissing the value of your personal philosophy and not developing yours is playing their game. Their game of control lets them have power over you and makes you even more susceptible to thinking and acting like they want you to as long as you are passive to it.

Your personal philosophy will lead you to a better understanding of the world. That understanding will prompt you to take some action to make it better, at least within your immediate world. Developing and knowing your personal philosophy may even lead you to do something that you never thought you would. That action may have implications beyond what you expect, and makes a substantial difference in the lives of others and the course of the world.

Be better equipped to develop and live your personal philosophy.

On Terms of Your Own:

The Pursuit of Being and Fulfillment in a Challenging World.

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Key Concepts :

The importance (value) of a personal philosophy.
Why aren’t personal philosophies taught on a wider basis?
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Common Misconceptions :

Like philosophy in general, personal philosophies are esoteric and don’t have any practical value.
I already know my personal philosophy. I don’t need to formalize it.

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My Philosophy of Life, Essay Example

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In all honesty, the subject here causes me some problems, at least at first. In simple terms, I am not at all sure that I want any type of philosophy of life. In my mind this would somehow translate to a kind of limitation, or an “outlook” that might prevent me from taking in new experience and actually learning more about what life truly means. I have known people who strongly believe in a positive viewpoint, for instance. Their life philosophies are based on seeking the good in the world around them, and I am certainly not about to argue with such beliefs. At the same time, I feel that such a way of thinking creates borders. It is a philosophy as a focus, and I do not believe that life may be so confined, or neatly fit into any such approach. In all fairness, I have the same opinion regarding those who practice philosophies of extreme caution, or who believe that life is an arena in which they are entitled to take as much as possible. Put another way, whenever I have actually heard or read of a life philosophy, my first thought is invariably that life may not nicely accommodate it. Life, as I see it, has ideas all its own and is not concerned with how anyone chooses to view it.

I am aware that, even in saying this, I am in a sense offering a philosophy anyway. I imagine that is my own dilemma, and one I should at least try to explore. I think back on my life thus far, then, and am struck by one consistent factor: it has never failed to surprise me, in ways both good and bad. Even when experience has been painful, I have sometimes been aware that I do not respond to it in a pained way. Similarly, I have gone through whole periods of my life when everything was going well, yet I have felt a sense of dissatisfaction. I know that my reactions in all ways are powerfully influenced by the world around me. I have been disappointed in not feeling happy, I know, because the circumstances were supposed to make me feel that way, and everyone around me encouraged this as natural. Still, those feelings of happiness have sometimes eluded me, just as I have been strangely empowered or happy when things have gone wrong. How can I even consider a “philosophy,” then, when I cannot even follow the course of thinking and feeling in place for the rest of the world? No matter how I move through my life, it always seems that I am not in a place where a common perception about living matches how I truly think and feel, so I tend to veer from any ideology. It is not that I disagree with them; it is that, for me, they do not fit.

This then brings me to another question: what is it that I think life is? If I can better understand that, I may be on my way to realizing that there is a philosophy for me. After all, there can be no real and consistent view of a thing without an idea of the thing itself. Unfortunately, I “hit a wall” here as well. Great minds have struggled to define life since humanity began, and each seems to have ideas as valid as those different from them. For some, it is meaningless, a kind of dream in which we act our parts to no real purpose. For others, life is a boundless opportunity to grow spiritually and expand the mind and heart to unlimited potentials. For most people, I think, life occupies more of a middle ground; it can be fantastic and enabling, just as it can be empty when no purpose is in sight. In other words, it seems that there is no incorrect view or philosophy of life because it may be, simply, anything and everything at all. Given this thinking, I am not encouraged. I am, in fact, more inclined to see any effort at capturing a philosophy an exercise in futility.

When I then allow myself to take this thinking further, however, it seems that I may be nearing the thing I see as pointless or impossible. That is, since I view life as far too unpredictable to be subject to a single approach or philosophy, I then begin to understand my own role in the entire process. I think of what I earlier said, in regard to mt feelings not following usual patterns and my tendency to react to “life” in unexpected ways. It occurs to me that I am then missing a crucial element in this scenario: myself. I think: everyone, great mind or otherwise, who has wondered about life has done so in the same way, in that the views and feelings must be created by their own life itself. We can seek to see beyond our own experience, but I must wonder at how realistic that ambition is. We are all tied to who and what we are, whether that being is expansive or not; in all cases, the individual can only define life through what the individual has experienced and is capable of perceiving from the experience. Life is the self, in a very real sense. We are not channels out outside elements in some vast, inexplicable equation; we are the equation because life is literally what we make it. This happens through actual “living” and action, and it happens equally through our perceptions.

I then begin to feel that I am nearing a truth. I am life, and life is not some external essence I must consider. At the same time, everyone and everything around me is life as well, just as validly as I am. Here, then, is where I can shape a philosophy. It is not a structure, or even a foundation. Rather, it is more an impression accepted. It is that life is a thing completely bound to myself, and in “partnership” with me. It is, most important of all, never fixed. It cannot be, because every moment changes who I am in some way, and because of this intense and purely exponential relationship with the life around me. Life will always be the moment or direction currently affecting or guiding me, and in every sense of living. When my spirit is at its strongest, life is a generous and fine thing because that is what I am giving to it, and life affirms this reality by taking what I can give. When I am small and involved with minor issues or feelings, life shrinks to a cell because I am unable then to see beyond a cell. I referred to what I know is a cliché, in that life is what we make it. This is, however, profoundly true in a literal sense. As I think this is my philosophy, I restate it as: life is what I create, which in turn reflects and creates me.

While I am content with this definition, I am as well unwilling to leave it as so lacking in structure. More exactly, while I firmly believe in the self/life reciprocity I have described, and while I believe this must be a fluid state of being, I nonetheless comprehend that even this shifting relationship places responsibilities on me. On one level, and no matter how “life and I” go on, I believe in good and evil. I believe these are actual forces or energies in the world, and I believe that my mind and my heart must always be directed to knowing and promoting good when I can. This is not necessarily virtuous on my part; I see it more as an acceptance of a reality as basic as the air we breathe. The complex process of life is endlessly open to possibilities generated by my involvement with it, but there remains in the universe, at least in my perception, these polar elements. True meaning is as powerful a thing as good, and meaning may only come when good is pursued, and I believe this because I believe that evil is emptiness. Whatever life becomes for me, then, there is a primal direction to know.

Lastly, there is as well an obligation linked to good, which is that of being expansive. I cannot expect much of life if I do not open myself to the possibilities in place when my openness meets the limitless offerings of what is outside of myself. This is that partnership in place, and when I am doing my part in giving my utmost to it. Strangely, this is not a giving related to effort; rather, it is more a willingness to accept. When I consider all of this, in fact, I find that my philosophy is more complex than I had thought. It insists on my exponential relationship with living as creating life, yet it also demands real awareness. It is open to the new, but it is observant of basic principles. It is what is known through my eyes, but it relies on my expanding my sight to make the most of it. More than anything, my philosophy of life is one that brings life right to me side, always. It holds to the conviction that, no matter how we make it happen, life is what the world around me and I shape every moment.

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