Personal Philosophy
You may not know this, but your personal philosophy has a subconscious effect on your behavior. Philosophy is more than an attitude and plays a role in your bias and thinking.
Philosophy is defined as a discipline comprising at its core logic, aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology – pursuit of wisdom. Philosophy has subdomains.
Idealism is a theory that only the perceptible is real. It comes from the word ideal – a standard of perfection, beauty, or excellence; existing as a mental image or imagination only; broadly: lacking practicality.
Pragmatism is a practical approach to problems and affairs. In other words, a means to a solution to pay for an ideal or idea.
Existentialism is a philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for his acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong, good or bad.
Socialism is any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods and services.
Progressivism is a political doctrine of social improvement by governmental action.
In the United States as with other democracies the mood often shifts between liberalism and conservatism. When progressives run wild with idealistic utopian states, they fundamentally forget how to fund their ideas. This is where pragmatism fits in to maintain a proper balance to pay for it, or for technology to catch up.
So, examine how leaders lead. Get an idea of what their personal philosophy is or is not. What do they value? Are their actions good for all Americans? Do they flip-flop their positions to be popular? Philosophy is what directs their behaviors. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.
Do leaders say and do what they mean or say what they mean and not do? Do you feel the leader cares about you and to help you meet your personal needs and values? Or do they make promises you know they cannot keep getting elected and gain power?
There is a huge contrast to compare values between Democrat and Republican parties. Neither is what their platforms called for even a generation ago. But the Constitution remains the cornerstone of American values and society to evolve a democracy of the people, by the people, for the people. We must not lose sight of that document. It is the beacon for all people in the world to come here. And so, the Constitution must be followed and not diminished.
What has changed is younger voters have been given a lot of free stuff and not had to work to earn it. So, they expect everyone – namely the government to give them what they want but not have the responsibility to pay for it. Let the parents or older folks pay for it like they always have.
No one in any culture values anything they get for free. Is it any wonder who the rioters are? They ain’t old people who grew up with a work ethic. But I do call out parents who have given their children way too much without asking a return to help the family to even take out the garbage or pick up the dog poop. Those kids will fight you for the keys to the car and ask for gas money. It is the expectation that has been rewarded.
If you have free money, you will choose pleasure to party and avoid the pain of work. And because that notion is reinforced, you will rationalize it is okay. The more a government tries to micromanage its people they forgive personal accountability so there is no law and order to the society. Personal freedoms are reduced because you cannot build accountability in a micromanagement system of dependence instead of free will.
Change is difficult but necessary to advance any society but must not get out of hand. An ideal state must be affordable at the time and not a pie in the sky wish list.
For example, a current raging debate is climate change. But the rationale logic does not fit the narrative. The U.S. is around 335 million people with designs to build two coal fired electric energy plants. China has 1.5 billion or more people and has designs to build 954 coal burning plants. India has another 1.5 billion people that wants 740 coal burning plants.
Yet, in the Paris Climate Accord we in the U.S. are supposed to pay for massive reductions in CO2 emissions? The philosophical logic does not fit. Why not detail how the Amazon River rain forest that accounts for an estimated 25% of converting CO2 to O2 worldwide. But acres are being cut down by the hour to provide grazing lands to harvest beef cattle for a profit.
Are CO2 levels rising in the oceans? Yes. Are the glaciers receding at a fast rate? Yes. But was there an ice age glacier that covered North America 10-12,000 years ago that went all the way down to St. Louis? Yes. A one-mile-thick sheet of ice-covered downtown Chicago. When that glacier receded, it formed the Great Lakes the largest body of fresh water in the world.
For all we know this global warming and cooling could have a 10-20,000-year cycle. What happens is inevitable. Storms were just as catastrophic before, but there were fewer people living in those areas. You cannot blame that death and destruction completely on climate change.
So, before you vote for your leaders, first examine their core philosophy and values. Do they care to meet your personal needs, values, and goals to improve your quality of life?
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