Is a philosophy true?

Philosophy: The most basic beliefs, concepts and attitudes of an individual or a group (Mirriam and Webster Dictionary).

The simplest answer is that if you believe it, then it’s true for you.

One of our biggest mistakes as humans is that we think that everyone experiences the world the same as we do, and we cannot understand that each person has their unique philosophy. Each person experiences their own unique world, and this can lead to conflict if you are not aware. For example, if you value saving money, and your partner values spending money on holidays, then you may have conflict based on your different money philosophies. Who is right? Both you and your partner are right.

When you are from the same culture as another, it’s easy to think that you have the same philosophy as the differences may appear small, yet when you are with someone from a very different culture, for example Africans and Hindu’s, then the differences become apparent. One culture kills cows; the other worships them. Who is right?

So is a philosophy true? There is subjective and objective truth. Say for example it’s raining, and everyone agrees that it’s raining. This is an objective truth. If I believe rain is good and you believe rain is bad, then ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are subjective truths. It is true that rain is good for you and true that it’s bad for me. Learning to separate objective from subjective truths is important, yet can be difficult when you have a deeply held subjective truth, for example ‘love hurts’ or ‘money is the root of all evil’.

The human mind will look for evidence to confirm what it subjectively believes. If you believe that no-one likes to talk to you, then every time someone ends a conversation with you, you may say internally ‘I’m boring to talk to’. If you believe it, it’s true. Your values determine what your mind notices.

The way out of this is to look for different evidence. Choose a new belief such as ‘I am an engaging communicator’. You may start to learn communication skills, and you may learn how to have good conversations. As you act differently, focus on the different results you are getting. Choose to find ways to confirm the new belief. Whatever you choose to focus on becomes true for you. You can make whatever philosophy you want into your personal truth by choosing where to focus your mind.

Learning to consciously focus the mind is difficult in the beginning, yet it becomes easier with time. Meditation is an excellent tool to begin to train the mind. Once you learn how to focus your mind, your life becomes an intentional, creative experience, and this is the key to creating the life you want.

Choose your philosophy with care.

:)

Bruce.