Every kid is born a philosopher, because they like to question things. Every child is born curious, and I think the saddest thing is when their curiosity is not enabled. That they are forced to simply obey and follow rules.
One of the things which I’m grateful for being born in America (thank you Umma) is that I think it is the least bad place to be born in terms of fostering independent thinking.
Truth be told, America is not perfect. I think for the most part, teachers promote “independent thinking”, or “critical thinking in court. A funny thing I saw Brown university was a street sticker that said “Resist critical thinking!” Essentially what the author meant to say is that when it comes to standardized notions of “critical thinking“, at elite universities and Ivy Leagues, everyone ends up thinking the same.
I don’t want to be woke
The first step in philosophy is gaining some sort of self-confidence for yourself. To have confidence in your ideas, your thinking, and your mode of doing things.
Why I love sociology
I still remember my horrible experience taking an introduction to philosophy course at UCLA, in which I was seeking to do a fun class to discover the meaning of life and stuff like that, and instead was barraged with a horrible logic class. I wanted to learn about the meaning of things, not to do mathematics!
I think at the university level, sociology is an introduction to philosophy. Why? The biggest benefit of studying sociology is that it teaches you to question things, “why is it that women are expected to stay home? And men are expected to be the breadwinner? Social logical notions of gender? What does it mean to be masculine or feminine?”
In my courses are UCLA as an undergrad, with Terri Anderson and Mark Jepson, my favorite part about going to class was about the half hour discussion we had, open table like a Socratic seminar, in which we could simply speak our minds and share our opinions.
However, my big criticism of sociology, and most modern thought is that it is to focus on the sociological. Not enough focus on the biological.
For example, sociology teaches you that all human norms are 100% social, and there is no biology behind it. I believe this to be naïve. For example, if you compare men and women, men have at least 1000 times more testosterone than women, which changes the way that a man or a woman will behave. Now, just having more testosterone does it make one superior, it just makes one different.
The hilarious irony is that modern-day thinking says that everybody is different, however, you must still think like “them.”
What is the upside of philosophy?
For me, I think the big upside of philosophy is personal empowerment, or becoming more intelligent and wise about things.
For example, when it comes to cars, everyone wants to get the “masculine“ car, like a Porsche 911 GT three RS, a Lamborghini, etc. However nobody ever questions a more simple question; doesn’t fact having a more expensive car make one more masculine? I said no. If you consider Brad Pitt, Tyler Durden from fight club, the height of masculinity, he doesn’t even own a car.
Therefore, a philosophical intervention from ERIC KIM:
it is more masculine in today’s society to not own a car, then to own a car, even if it be the worlds most expensive Lamborghini or McLaren.
It is the task of the philosopher to set values. For example, a philosophical question; is it better for humans to stay on earth indefinitely, and fix the conditions here? Or for us to simply use our resources on earth to go to Mars? Elon musk is an entrepreneur philosopher, because it is his philosophical belief that he wants humans to be interplanetary. That is his life goal.
And this is what is very important to study thinkers and entrepreneurs; what is their endgame?
Why app?
Why? the most important word for philosophers, and the most frequently used word from kids. The word that parents hate, and the teachers also hate. Certainly the question that you not dare ask your boss.
In fact, as an adult in today’s world, to simply ask the question why? Is one of the biggest acts of courage. In Korean 왜? Or Vietnamese “tại sao”?
The reason why we are so afraid to ask why in today’s world is that it is seen as a threat or a challenge. You’re not allowed to simply be curious for the sake of it.
- Vietnamese: tại (“because of; for; to blame”) + sao (“why; how”). Comes from the Chinese “zai” 在, to exist; to be alive.
In fact, when I was in South Korea, I decided to step up my courage, and ask the question why? More frequently. Perhaps it is my American “chutzpah” which gives me the balls to do this, and I’m glad that I ask it. Whenever I ask elders this question, they cringe, and often don’t have a good answer.
Share your thoughts
Freedom of speech, or freedom of expression, especially in America has an ugly side. It gives rise to conspiracy theorists, anti-VAXXerws, racists and lunatics. I believe the reality is that at least in America, or with Twitter, etc., free speech cannot exist without hate speech. While I don’t like this, this is my philosophical thought.
So what are we to do about it? Perhaps better educate ourselves, and our children, for the future.
Great teachers like Tim Flangan and other teachers who are trying to make a change. For example, the great essay “Go for broke” by Timothy Flanagan on Japanese internment, and how even Benjamin Franklin was a racist.
“Why increase the Sons of Africa, by planting them in America, where we have so fair an opportunity, by excluding all Blacks and Iawneys [Asians], of increasing the lovely White?” – Benjamin Franklin, 1751
You will never hear this in any standard K-12 education.
How to avoid conspiracy theories
The funny thing is that a lot of people who begin to become more philosophical, at one point or another will be suckered by conspiracy theories. Why is this? My thought is that a lot of intelligent people have a hypersensitive pattern recognition cognition, in which they are more easily fooled by randomness, or correlation (not causation) and therefore, are more stubborn and easily fooled.
My practical technique is this; think, even if the conspiracy theory were true, does it really matter?
So for example, let us say that the moon landings were faked. Let us say that this is 100% true. Does it really matter? I don’t think so.
Or, that COVID-19 was some sort of conspiracy ploy to reduce the power of certain people. And that Bill Gates is trying to implant a 5G chip in all of her brains. Even if this were true, does it really matter? Not really.
I am more interested in the pragmatic every day reality of things. For example? How to gain more creative confidence, how to get a greater pump at the gym, and how to innovate.
Publish your thinking on your own YouTube, blog, podcast, etc.
Publish your thoughts on your own self hosted blog, I use 1and1.com and install wordpress.org. The upside of this is that none of your thoughts or words can be censored.
Or just think yourself, am I allowed to post nude photos, without getting flagged or having the thing removed? Or getting banned?
For example, on Facebook and YouTube and Instagram you cannot upload nudity. On your own self hosted website or blog, you can.
Perhaps this is why a lot of aspiring pornography stars use Twitter so much, less restriction.
Why everybody is fleeing Twitter
I do generally believe that Elon Musk bought out Twitter to promote free-speech. Very much how Jeff Bezos bought out the Washington post to promote freethinking.
The number one thing that Jeff Bezos has ever done, which gains my respect is how he self published his cheating scandal with his wife, on his own medium account (No, thank you Mr. Pecker.
But once again, the problem with promoting free-speech is that it raises hate speech. For example, I saw on the news the other day that after Elon musk took the reins at Twitter, his speech has increased 100 fold.
I say as a suggestion for Twitter, to create certain filters for hate speech, and just make it not appear in other peoples timelines, in order to not “trigger“ people. But still allow it to be public on their own Twitter page.
Also, I think there also needs to be further accountability for people doing hate speech, they are only allowed to hate speech if it is linked and verified to their real identity. Anonymous racists on Twitter should not be allowed. For example, would a closet racist really say the N-word in front of a African-American man, if you were in the center of Compton? No. But with the men say it on Twitter under an anonymous pseudo-name? Yes.
Never stop thinking
ERIC
THINK MORE
If you desire to evolve creatively and philosophically, check out my upcoming HADONG South Korea Zen photography creative retreat 2023.
Tentative dates to inquire about is July 9-July 15th, 2023. Monday to Friday.
Philosophical tools
Share the thoughts!
Build the STREET GODS SQUAD — forward this to a friend in need of some thoughts!
Life is short, art is long
How to become immortal? Invest in your art!
ERIC