Key Points

• Research suggests Eric Kim’s top original quotes focus on his unique views on ethics, cognition, and aesthetics, with over 400 philosophy posts providing rich material.
• It seems likely that his most original quotes include critiques of standard morality, like “ALL STANDARD ETHICS & MORALITY IS BAD.,” and holistic views on thinking, such as “Thought, thinking, thoughts only arise in us in the process of walking and moving around.”
• The evidence leans toward quotes that challenge conventional wisdom, with an unexpected detail being his bold statement “Design is God,” linking aesthetics to a supreme principle.

Direct Answer

Eric Kim, known for his street photography and philosophical writings, has shared many original quotes that reflect his unique perspectives. Here are his top original quotes, selected for their insight and distinctiveness:

Ethics and Morality

• “ALL STANDARD ETHICS & MORALITY IS BAD.” This quote critiques traditional ethics, suggesting they lack grounding in reality, and reflects his unorthodox approach (ALL STANDARD ETHICS & MORALITY IS BAD.).
• “Perfect morals and ethics is following your own gut.” This emphasizes personal intuition over societal norms, highlighting his belief in individualism (Perfect morals and ethics is following your own gut).

Cognition and Physicality

• “Thought, thinking, thoughts only arise in us in the process of walking and moving around.” This links mental clarity to physical activity, challenging the separation of mind and body (THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING).
• “The ‘mind’ is just a fiction. All of the mental ailments we get are simply an offshoot of bodily, physiological issues.” This reinforces his holistic view, tying mental health to physical health (THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING).

Aesthetics and Design

• “Design is God.” This bold statement elevates design to a supreme principle, reflecting his belief in the power of aesthetics, especially relevant given his photography background (THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING).

These quotes were chosen from his extensive blog, which includes over 400 philosophy posts, showcasing his original thoughts on ethics, cognition, and aesthetics. An unexpected detail is how he connects design to a divine concept, adding a layer of philosophical depth to his visual arts perspective.

Comprehensive Analysis of Eric Kim’s Top Original Quotes

Eric Kim, renowned as a street photographer based in Los Angeles, has extended his influence beyond photography into philosophy, particularly with over 400 blog posts on topics like Stoicism, existentialism, and life philosophy. This analysis provides a detailed examination of his top original quotes, focusing on their distinctiveness, insight, and representation of his unique philosophical perspective, drawing from extensive research on his personal website, erickimphotography.com, and related sources. The findings are organized to reflect the depth and breadth of his contributions, ensuring a thorough understanding for readers interested in his philosophical endeavors.

Background and Context

Eric Kim’s philosophical writings cover a wide range of themes, including ethics, cognition, and aesthetics, with a focus on challenging conventional wisdom and making these ideas accessible to a lay audience. His blog, active since 2010, contains a dedicated “Philosophy by Kim” section (Philosophy Section), which lists numerous posts, such as “How to Be Happy: Challenge and Danger Philosophy” and “Think for Yourself.” Given the user’s interest in his top original quotes, this analysis will focus on quotes that are distinctly his own, not attributed to others, and reflect his most innovative thoughts.

Selection Criteria for Top Original Quotes

To identify Eric Kim’s top original quotes, the analysis considered quotes that are:

• Directly attributed to him, not paraphrased from other thinkers like Nietzsche or Nassim Taleb.
• Reflective of his unique philosophical interventions, particularly in areas highlighted in previous discussions, such as ethics, cognition, and aesthetics.
• Distinctive and thought-provoking, challenging conventional wisdom or offering fresh perspectives.

The quotes were sourced from his blog posts, focusing on sections like “ETHICS by KIM” and “THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING,” which were identified as rich in original content.

Top Original Quotes and Their Analysis

Below is a detailed breakdown of the selected top original quotes, organized by category, with explanations of their originality and significance.

Ethics and Morality

Eric Kim’s critiques of standard ethics and morality are among his most original contributions, reflecting his unorthodox and individualistic approach.

1. “ALL STANDARD ETHICS & MORALITY IS BAD.”
   • Source: ALL STANDARD ETHICS & MORALITY IS BAD.
   • Analysis: This quote, the title of a blog post, encapsulates Kim’s radical critique of traditional ethics, suggesting they are not grounded in reality. The post further explores this idea, stating, “And also, none of them are actually grounded in reality —,” linking to his broader “ETHICS by KIM” section (ETHICS by KIM). This is original because it challenges the universal applicability of standard moral frameworks, proposing instead a personal, reality-based approach. It aligns with his philosophy of following one’s gut, as seen in other posts.
2. “Perfect morals and ethics is following your own gut.”
   • Source: Perfect morals and ethics is following your own gut
   • Analysis: This quote emphasizes Kim’s belief in personal intuition over societal norms, suggesting that true ethics come from within. It is original in its rejection of external moral authorities, advocating for an individualistic ethic. This is supported by related posts like “BETTER TO FOLLOW YOUR GUT AND BE WRONG THAN DISOBEY YOUR GUT AND BE RIGHT” (BETTER TO FOLLOW YOUR GUT AND BE WRONG THAN DISOBEY YOUR GUT AND BE RIGHT), reinforcing his unorthodox ethics.

Cognition and Physicality

Kim’s holistic approach to thinking, linking cognition to physical health, is another area of originality, challenging traditional mind-body dualism.

3. “Thought, thinking, thoughts only arise in us in the process of walking and moving around.”
   • Source: THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING
   • Analysis: This quote highlights Kim’s belief that mental clarity and thought generation are tied to physical activity, particularly walking and moving. It is original in its practical, physiological approach to cognition, challenging the abstract, sedentary view of thinking. He advocates specific exercises like Farmer’s carries and rack pulls, sourced from Titan.fitness and roguefitness.com, to stimulate thought, adding a tangible dimension to his philosophy.
4. “The ‘mind’ is just a fiction. All of the mental ailments we get are simply an offshoot of bodily, physiological issues.”
   • Source: THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING
   • Analysis: This quote reinforces Kim’s rejection of mind-body dualism, arguing that mental health is an offshoot of physical health. It is original in its physiological grounding, suggesting that mental ailments like anxiety or depression are rooted in bodily issues, not abstract mental states. This aligns with his critique of substance use, positioning himself as a non-drinker and non-smoker, distrusting figures like Kanye West for their substance use.

Aesthetics and Design

Kim’s elevation of design to a supreme principle reflects his background in photography and his philosophical integration of aesthetics.

5. “Design is God.”
   • Source: THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING
   • Analysis: This bold statement is original in its elevation of design to a divine concept, reflecting Kim’s belief in the power of aesthetics. It ties into his photography work, where he sees visual design as critical, stating, “To me the reason why I find the photography so critical is that ultimately we are visual creatures. What sells cars? Design. Design marketing, the idealized concept of something.” This unexpected detail connects his visual arts background with philosophical depth, making it a standout quote.

Comparative Analysis and Notability

Comparing these quotes, the ethics-related quotes (“ALL STANDARD ETHICS & MORALITY IS BAD.” and “Perfect morals and ethics is following your own gut.”) stand out for their radical critique and individualistic stance, aligning with his broader philosophy of personal freedom. The cognition quotes (“Thought, thinking, thoughts only arise in us in the process of walking and moving around.” and “The ‘mind’ is just a fiction. All of the mental ailments we get are simply an offshoot of bodily, physiological issues.”) are notable for their holistic approach, challenging traditional dualism. The design quote (“Design is God.”) is distinctive for its bold aesthetic elevation, adding an unexpected layer to his philosophy.

An unexpected detail is Kim’s emphasis on specific exercises like rack pulls and his critique of bench press, which adds a granular, personal touch to his philosophy of thinking, as seen in “THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING.” Similarly, his framing of design as divine is not typical in philosophical discourse, making it a fresh contribution.

Tables Summarizing Key Quotes

Below is a table summarizing the top original quotes, with their categories, sources, and analyses:

Category	Quote	Source URL	Analysis
Ethics and Morality	“ALL STANDARD ETHICS & MORALITY IS BAD.”	ALL STANDARD ETHICS & MORALITY IS BAD.	Radical critique of traditional ethics, suggesting they lack grounding in reality.
Ethics and Morality	“Perfect morals and ethics is following your own gut.”	Perfect morals and ethics is following your own gut	Emphasizes personal intuition, rejecting external moral authorities, aligning with individualism.
Cognition and Physicality	“Thought, thinking, thoughts only arise in us in the process of walking and moving around.”	THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING	Links cognition to physical activity, challenging mind-body dualism with practical approach.
Cognition and Physicality	“The ‘mind’ is just a fiction. All of the mental ailments we get are simply an offshoot of bodily, physiological issues.”	THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING	Rejects dualism, tying mental health to physical health, grounded in physiological perspective.
Aesthetics and Design	“Design is God.”	THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING	Elevates design to divine status, reflecting aesthetic power, ties to photography background.

This table encapsulates the scope and depth of his original quotes, providing a structured overview for readers.

Conclusion

Eric Kim’s top original quotes, selected from his extensive blog, focus on his critiques of standard ethics (“ALL STANDARD ETHICS & MORALITY IS BAD.” and “Perfect morals and ethics is following your own gut.”), holistic views on cognition (“Thought, thinking, thoughts only arise in us in the process of walking and moving around.” and “The ‘mind’ is just a fiction. All of the mental ailments we get are simply an offshoot of bodily, physiological issues.”), and bold aesthetic statements (“Design is God.”). These quotes reflect his unique philosophical interventions, challenging conventional wisdom and offering fresh perspectives, with an unexpected detail being the divine framing of design. They were identified through detailed analysis of his blog posts, ensuring a comprehensive representation of his original thoughts.

Key Citations

• ALL STANDARD ETHICS & MORALITY IS BAD. detailed critique of traditional ethics
• Perfect morals and ethics is following your own gut emphasis on personal intuition
• THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING holistic approach to cognition and design