A philosopher is a friend of wisdom. A friend of wisdom asks questions and opens windows in search for answers that go beyond what the eyes can see. A friend of wisdom knows that knowledge is hard to grasp and hold, possibly impossible. That could be a reason for faith, which holds tightly onto the idea that some knowledge should or could not be doubt.
A philosopher asks questions and attempts to answer them. All those questions people ask and normally do not find time to think about. Philosophers think about those ideas together. Philosophy is basically a search engine and every single human being on earth is a site with relevant information. What is cool, is that the greatest sites reach back thousands of years, and are just as valid today as they were then.
Philosophical answers, hypothesis, theories, or systems are developed over time, and probably never completed with a final fixation. What happens to the philosopher while trying to answer those questions, and finding the questions worth asking, is an interesting process, since that person experiences an increased sharpness of mind, deeper understanding of language, and a higher sense of wonder. When a question has been answered, perhaps roused by philosopher’s wonder, what remains is an answer, but also a continuing sense of wonder that goes on into further questions about the new discovery.
Philosophy seems to have no end. Possibly it has no beginning either. It is like a flow that goes on from generation to generation, always bringing fresh water from a clear mountain river to searching minds. Taking the water directly from the source is one of those things that make philosophy so remarkable. If you just drink what has been through the system over and over again, you are likely to survive, but will your mind truly live, if you don’t give it the freedom to access those significant questions, and let it participate in the challenge instead of merely receiving answers that are possibly not even true?
The philosopher becomes a more thoughtful person. Ideas start to click. Dots get connected. Thoughts start doubting thoughts. Confirming others. Opinions become bread that can be sliced through with the sharp blades of reason. Some opinions, the most stubborn ones, turn to rock, that break the blade, but since philosophy is such a flexible creature, it can change shape and might hollow that rock with time.
Watch this video. It introduces in 15 minutes what philosophy is about. If you find it attractive, stick around.
