Munene, the journey...

Why do I believe what I believe? Why are my values what they are? Where do my thoughts come from? Are my ideals 'mine'? The question of thought, is a complex one, not least because thinking is so difficult. Many of us do not think, we take the thoughts of others and use them as the foundations, walls, or thatching of our mental structures. But we rarely think, and deep enough on important matters anyway. Thinking involves the admission that we do not know, an admission coming from a place of humility that we are ignorant and could do better. It does not, as is usually thought, have to be from a place of knowledge, even though knowledge can inform thoughts. If it was, then we would not necessarily be thinking, but just reorganizing previously known ideas. It begins with asking the question, why. Why do we go to school? Why do we marry and have children? Why do we work to earn money in order to buy things? Why do we elect leaders? Why do we go to places of worship and perfo...

Philosophy comes from the two Greek words philo meaning love and sophia meaning wisdom, ergo a love of wisdom. The famous Greek and Roman philosophers were therefore, in search of the wisdom to all sorts of questions, big and small. This is a good book for a number of reasons. It is a pretty easy and straightforward read. It's free of pompous language that makes people hate philosophy and thinking. De Botton has demystified philosophy to everyday life, making it accessible to us. courtesy of huffingpost.com He presents different philosophical ideas from six of the best thinkers of old: Montaigne, Seneca, Socrates, Nietzsche, Epicurus, and Schopenhauer. Each of these philosophers had unique experiences and different backgrounds that influenced their thought trails. Montaigne inherited an estate from his dead parents; Socrates was poor; Schopenhauer was lonely; Epicurus was full of life; Nietzsche could not find love; Seneca lived during the dangerous times of the murderous E...