Why do I consider myself a philosopher? It is not because I think subtle and erudite thoughts (I enjoy bathroom humor more than I should). It is not because I have a degree in philosophy (I don’t). It’s not because I have read all the great philosophical books (I haven’t, but I am working on it). So what qualification do I have to think of myself as a philosopher?
Let’s start by looking at the entomology of the term philosophy. The word is a combination of two Greek words. Philo means “love,” as in brotherly love and not the romantic type. Sophia is generally interpreted to mean “wisdom” so that philosophy means the “love of wisdom.” Sophia can also be translated as “skill,” and in philosophy, that skill is life. So a philosopher is someone in love with the skill of living a wise life.
So that is why I think of myself as a philosopher because I am passionate about living an extraordinary life, the best life I can lead.
Do I know how to live that super-awesome life? Well…. not yet.
And that is ok because the point of philosophy is not to know the right answers, but ask the right kind of questions. Perhaps the greatest of the philosophers was Socrates, and he said, “True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.” Socrates put this maxim into practice by spending his time in the streets of Athens, questioning others rather than lecturing them. If not knowing things is the way to become a philosopher, then I am well on my way.
So my understanding of what it means to be a philosopher is;
- 1. A person that is passionate about living a great life — check.
- 2. A person able to admit what they don’t know and willing to ask a lot of questions — check.
If that is the definition of a philosopher, then I meet that definition. I am passionate about learning how to live an extraordinary life.
