Do you find yourself unsatisfied with life and afraid to make the changes that, deep down, you know you probably should? Do you feel powerless to make lasting personal change? Afraid nothing’s going to work?
I get it. Life is hard, no matter what your lot is. We all have lost and will lose things and people that are dear to us. Life has its inevitable downs. And of course, we've all experienced some serious downs lately with the global pandemic. We' ve all been brought down to our knees in some form or another as we've had to deal not only with the health crisis but also with the fallout and the way it has made worse the tensions, conflicts, and injustices of the world.
The reality is that the world is very different from what it was a year ago. There is uncertainty and fear in the air. And it's completely understandable! But it's precisely in times like these that we need to conquer the fear holds us back! It's in these most difficult times that you are needed the most. It's in times like these when the world needs you to step up and give more of what you have to offer! And I'm going to show you how philosophy can help you do so.
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The Incredible Power to Make Anything Good
I want you to imagine for a second that you had the power to draw value from anything and everything the world throws at you, regardless of how bad it may seem.
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If you had such a power, you could face the world with a fearless smile. With this power, you could easily take the opportunity to flirt with the person you find cute. You could confidently stand up to the bullies in your life, be it a shitty boss or a tyrannical family member. Armed with this power, you could take action knowing full well that no matter how things play out, you’ll be able to benefit from them.
There is a quite precise sense in which such a power would make you invincible! So long as you exercise this power, you can gain advantage from anything that might seem like a loss. By exercising this power, even the bitterest, most crushing defeat is transformed into material and fuel for your greatest triumphs yet.
More than that. Armed with such a power, you could live as the kind of person who always does good in the world. as one who always finds good in life. It would allow you to live as the kind of person who can, at the end of their life, look back with a wide-eyed grin and proclaim “Oh how I have lived!”
You Have This Power! Tap into It Using Philosophy
Now, what if I told you that such a power already lies within you? What if I told you that this incredible power is something inherent to who you are? What if I told you that all you needed to do to awaken and cultivate this power is simply...to practice philosophy?
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You might find yourself understandably thinking “Philosophy….really, dude?…how the hell is that going to help me?” I get it. Philosophy has a bad rap, and it's not entirely unfounded. Many people think that philosophy is bullshit. At best, an impractical abstract exercise. They think that philosophy is something old white men do in ivory towers to feel smart.
It's true, when academic philosophy has no effect on the world, it is impractical.
However, for most of history, philosophy has not been an academic discipline at all. It has been a way of life. The Greek term for philosophy, ‘philosophia’ literally means love of wisdom. At its core, and at its best, philosophy is the love and lifelong pursuit of wisdom.
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At its best, philosophy deals with the intelligent and rational shaping of our view of the world and of the way we live our lives in this world. At its best, philosophy allows a man like Marcus Aurelius, who was the last of the Good Roman emperors, to effectively wield absolute power over all his subjects. It empowers him to resist the many temptations that have led many a tyrant to ruin and truly aiming at improving the lives of all the people he had power over.
The fact is that what stops us from achieving what we yearn for in life is the fact that we’re afraid. And these fears stem from oppressive, debilitating, and limiting beliefs and mindsets. Beliefs that we have uncritically and unconsciously developed as we go through life, being exposed to a limited variety of experiences. And these mindsets lead us all too easily to live a life dominated by fear.
A life dominated by fear is full of self-limitation and self-sabotage. It is a life in which we let very little evidence (often just one experience gone wrong) convince us that we’re no good at something. Fear makes the child whose drawings are openly criticized by a teacher, stop drawing for years, maybe the rest of their life.
Our heads are so easily filled with pessimistic thoughts like ‘they’re probably out of my league’ ‘There’s no guarantee this will lead anywhere’ ‘I don’t seem to be any good at this, so I should just stop.’ And it is here that philosophy can help!
Philosophy can be a powerful tool in helping us realize what mindsets and beliefs shape our lives for the worse. What mindsets limit and oppress us, keeping us stuck in dysfunctional patterns of thought, action, and feeling. At its best, philosophy can help you change your way of thinking, replacing these limiting, oppressive mindsets with empowering, beneficial ones.
This change in your way of thinking leads to a change in what you focus on, a change in what you do, and a change in how you feel. As the philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius, a man who righteously ruled over himself and the world put it:
“Change your thoughts, and you’ll change your world.”
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This agency you have over your thoughts, over your perspective is fundamental to existence as a human, and it is something people have used to thrive in unimaginably horrific and grotesque circumstances by using it to shape their experience.
Concentration camp survivor and psychologist Viktor Frankl experienced this first hand and marveled that, “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
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"Between stimulus and response...is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
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This fundamental power to choose what we focus on, to choose what we give our attention to is key to bringing about positive, lasting change in our lives. And it is here that philosophy can help us, by helping us awaken, cultivate, and channel in the right ways this amazing power within us.
The Fundamental Insight: Everything Is Waiting to be Made Good
So, how can philosophy help you cultivate the awesome power to make anything good? Well, you may find yourself thinking that your life is not super awesome. But that it would be IF ONLY you had something you don’t. If only I were more attractive, in better shape, wealthier. If only you had more good things in your life, all your problems would be solved.
However, the fact remains that, by themselves, these things could make your life better…or they could make your life worse. Winning the lottery could lead to paying off all your debts and living comfortably, but only if you actually use the money in the right ways. If you instead, invest this money in a sketchy pyramid scheme, then winning this money might entangle you in way more financial and legal problems that you bargained for. Sometimes it really is “mo’ money, mo’ problems.”
Things themselves then are neither good nor bad.
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This includes money and power, but also obstacles and challenges.
When we respond to things in an ignorant or mistaken way. When we incorporate them into our lives in the wrong way, things harm us. In this way, even wealth and power can be harmful and evil. It is in virtue of harming us, through our mistaken use of them, that they are made evil.
When we respond to things in a wise or correct way. When we incorporate them into our lives in the right way, things benefit us. In this way, even obstacles and setbacks can be made good. It is in virtue of benefitting us, through our wise use of them, that they are made good.
The philosophical insight here is that things are made good and bad by whether we give them the right or the wrong place in our lives.
Armed with this insight, we get some very exciting results.
For as we have seen, it is always within your power to decide how you respond to your circumstances. It is always within your power then to respond in better ways, in ways that give the right place to whatever the world throws at you. This means, among other things, that your happiness is in important ways up to you!
Standing in line can be an incredibly boring, existentially oppressive experience. But it can also be a time for you to review for yourself all the exciting and good things that you have in your life. It all depends on how you make use of the time you spend waiting in line.
An exciting conclusion that results from this philosophical insight is that nothing can harm you unless you give that something a place in your life that allows it to harm you. Nothing can harm you but yourself. In the way you make use of what life gives you.
Think about that for a moment. Dwell on this thought. It’s a powerful thought. More than that, it’s an empowering thought. It is a thought that led Socrates to proclaim of those who would sentence him to death “they can kill me, but they cannot harm me.”
Armed with this philosophical insight about what makes things good and bad, you can grasp that nothing can harm you if you do not let it. If this is right, then something very exciting and powerful seems to follow.
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If nothing can harm us unless we let it, then nothing is to be feared.
If we can benefit from anything so long as we relate to it in the right way, then everything is to be loved. Everything is to be benefitted from.
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Nothing is to be feared. Everything is to be loved.
This philosophical insight allows you to see (to paraphrase Marcus Aurelius) that within yourself there always lies the fountain, the source of goodness. Always ready to gush forth if you will dig for it. You can always find good in the world, no matter how bleak it might seem. Even now, when the world is more trying and uncertain than it's been in recent memory. All you have to do is look within yourself and find a better way to relate to what you already have.
Reaching this philosophical insight is the first step to conquering fear through philosophy. This is the step of adopting a truly philosophical mindset.
However, it is one thing to have the realization, to reach the insight. Quite another thing it is to really live out that realization, to keep that insight in daily consciousness. This is no small feat, as David Foster Wallace teaches in his superb commencement speech, “This is Water.” For in the grind of “day in, day out” in “the great outside world of winning and achieving and displaying” one can end up caring about all the things others tell us matter, rather than what truly matters to us.
Actively Shift Your Mindset Using Philosophy​
All too often, philosophy can remain empty words. But true philosophy lives not merely in utterances. It is embodied in our lives. The second step then is to TAKE ACTION. To really live out this mindset in the way you choose to live. You must take action to keep the philosophical mindset in daily consciousness. To embody this mindset in your actions, your feelings, your habits.
When you do this, this ethical insight tasks hold in your life. This leads to an ethical reorientation, a different approach to your way of life. This will give you a framework for living that serves as a kind of armor for the world and a weapon against adversity and in your struggle for success. Armed with such powers, you can now face the world by looking at it in a new light, a better, brighter light!
Through philosophy, you can banish your oppressive fear of failure replace it with excitement at the opportunities to face challenges and obstacles as chances to become better than you could ever be if you were not faced with them. Failure is banished. Only Feedback remains. When things don’t go your way, that’s merely the world helping you figure out works and what doesn’t.
If what you've tried so far does not work, you now know you need to be flexible and change your approach. As the great inventor, Thomas Edison so eloquently put it,
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“I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”
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In order for you to cultivate this philosophical mindset, I have devised the following implementation exercises for you to take action and begin conquering fear now. Begin by writing these two things out:
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Limiting Oppressive Unreflective Mindset:
Life is a series of problems that you can never get rid of and so inherently shitty.
Life is a desperate struggle in which the world attacks, pushes you, and wears you down.
Life takes place in a world that will always harm you and where nothing good lasts forever and everything is bound to decay and disappear.
Limitless Empowering Philosophical Mindset:
Life is a series of challenges and opportunities for becoming better, wiser, and inherently awesome.
Life is an epic adventure where you use your power to make your life and the world better.
Life takes place in a world where nothing can harm you and where everything is waiting to be made good.
Go ahead. Actually these two mindsets down on a piece of paper. Do it now. I'll wait :)
A large set of data suggests that we learn more and better when we use more of our body to process the information. So type it if you want. But also write it down physically. Don’t delay.
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Seriously, if you haven't done it yet, take the time to do it now. It'll be worth it!
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Now cross out the oppressive mindset. Use an X or cross it out. Try different things out. What's important is that you feel like you’re cutting yourself off from that mindset. No longer letting it take control of your life. You're not going to let this shit stop you from living any longer!
Now circle or underline or highlight your new, philosophical mindset. Again, try different things out, find whatever makes you feel like you’re truly committing yourself to this new way of thinking. Embody this transformation in mindset. Hang it up where you can see it every day. Take this physically-written mindset out and read it out loud when you find fear holding you back! Do this regularly. As many times as it takes. Live the mindset and the insight it embodies. Internalize it. Don’t let it remain empty words.
With this general philosophical mindset in place then, we can do even more to keep it in daily consciousness in part by using the right kind of philosophical questions to counter your experience of the world as being shitty, stressful, or generally bad.
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Counter Fear & Negativity with the Right Philosophical Questions
Whenever the world's difficulties (like the many negative news out there) bring you down. Whenever you find yourself being held back by fear or generally find yourself suffering, or feeling stressed, consciously counter this negative, disempowering state by asking yourself:
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Am I really going to let this fear stop me from living?
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How can I best this worthy opponent?
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How can I use this to become better?
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What can I learn from this?
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What did I get right?
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What is good/amazing about this?
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These are questions that will help you make the best of things. By asking questions like these instead of debilitating questions like "Why am I so bad at things?" "Why am I always so afraid?" or "Why do I always mess up?" you will be able to find an empowering way forward even in times of great crisis!
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Learn to think of these questions as powerful weapons for you to use in your quest to get more of life. That’s exactly what they are. By asking these better questions, you can find a better way forward and build a better life.
Try different ones out, see which ones speak to you, resonate with you. Come up with your own version of these if it works better for you. Find which ones work best for you and then USE THEM. The more you use them, the more powerful they become.
Armed with these questions, you can shift back into this empowering mindset when the state of the world brings you down. You can keep in mind the key philosophical insight by helping you find the good in everything. And this will allow you to benefit from any situation.
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The key is that when life hits you hard, you TAKE ACTION. That you exercise consciousness and actually ask yourself these questions and INTEGRATE them into your life as something that works for you. As something you look forward to using to defeat your worries and stress. As you start to do so you will find they become even more powerful! You will find yourself staying more positive more optimistic, finding more opportunities to find the beauty, the joy, the many opportunities that life has to offer
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Conclusion
It is all too easy to live a life controlled and limited by fear. Especially in times of crisis like the one we face right now. In this article, I have shown you some ways philosophy can help you conquer this fear and propel you toward an ever-better life. I
f you're truly invested in conquering the fear that is holding you back in life, then you need to use as many resources as you can to overcome it. Here I have focused on how to use your mind to conquer fear. But you can also use your body to conquer fear! To show you how I have developed a BONUS GUIDE to Power Posing that shows you how to use your body to get more confidence and feel happier. This will empower you in facing your fears. And help you conquer them. All in TWO minutes. You can get it by clicking below and signing up!
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Sign up, and you'll get this BONUS GUIDE as part of the Core Philosophical Starting Kit of Mindsets & Practices that I have created for you to transform your thinking through philosophy and gain a new level of awareness, purpose, and joy in your life. The Kit Includes:
(1) Core Philosophical Mindsets that will liberate and empower you to live at a new level of joy, meaning, and success when you adopt them.
(2) Inner Game Techniques to keep those Philosophical Mindsets alive in daily consciousness and stop life’s hypnotic rhythm from sucking you back into complacency
(3) Key Philosophical Practices to live out the Philosophical Mindsets that ensure you live according to your convictions, growing in confidence that you’re on the right path.
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Subscribe now to get these resources and start conquering fear through philosophy! The world is eagerly waiting for you to reach out and make it good.
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SUBSCRIBE to Get Your Guide Philosophical Tools and Resources
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Now go forth. Use this information. Take action. Shape your life for the better. Don't let the philosophy remain empty words.
Put more into your life. And start getting more out of it!