philosophy

Mar 18, 2008 - 09:46 AM PST

Last year I took a philosophy class which I quickly fell in love with. Well, it's more of a love-hate relationship. Latley I've found myself contemplating my own philosophies on love, happiness, meaning and purpose-so I've started to read more of the book from the class and to do some of my own research. It's exhausting! It is one thing to study philosophy in order to gain the general knowledge of our world's many philosophies...and it is another thing to do so while trying to formulate your own.
Lately my life has been at a stand still of sorts. I've never been a huge persuer of what I will do with my life-as if it were a destination. I don't think that life has a singular purpose or meaning, or that happiness is a state of being that we achieve. Ironically, I find myself having no idea what I'm "doing" with my life. So I have decided to embark on a philosophical journey of sorts-to understand what the meaning of my life is as a journey. What is happiness to me as an individual and what do I do to sustain it, not only in myself but in others? How do I define meaning and purpose in my life?
I think there is a lot more to life than what many people in our culture see or look for. So many people live and work for an ideal that has been set by society, or like myself, find themselves living and working for something they don't entirely understand. If everyone's underlying goal in life is to be "happy," shouldn't we all contemplate what happiness really is? It is evident that many people find happiness in varying areas, so why are so many people accepting our society and culture's superfiical and low expectations of happiness?
See, I start thinking about these things and the questions never end-but isn't that what philosophy is-never ending questions? That's why I enjoy art and literature and philosophy and music so much! Life is full of questions about abstract ideas, and we have very few answers to them. But while one question leads to another question, we begin to find some understanding of those abstract ideas and feelings that make us human.
This may just be the ramblings of a lost wannabe philosopher, but the more I contemplate the more I find myself...and that's what this is all about right?