What Does It Mean to Find Your Philosophy?

Or: How to Dance in a Place of Ambiguity and Uncertainty.

Finding a philosophy means that I question the assumptions and inherited ideas that have molded my worldview through cultural conditioning. The prevailing philosophy, I was raised in is grounded in a mechanistic understanding of the world. This mechanistic understanding is very limited to how we can understand the world, how it came to be, what role we might play in it and where it is going. In short: the current philosophy neither fits today’s needs nor is it very accurate in terms of scientific advancements - such as quantum physics - from the last century. To me, it has felt confining, which urged me to seek something more profound and liberating.

Yet, as Thomas Kuhn already noted in “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” in 1962: changing paradigms is a slow and tedious process. I think this is true on a societal level as much as on an individual level.

The pursuit of a new philosophy is both enchanting and demanding, pulling at the fabric of my reality and pushing me beyond my comfort zone. It expands my horizons, challenges preconceived notions, and beckons me to explore uncharted intellectual and practical territories. For example, a recent exploration into analytic and monistic idealism left me contemplating the notion that the world might be fundamentally spiritual instead of material.

I think we can exist on a spectrum of beliefs. Some of us better than others. What I mean by that is that we have the ability to hold multiple, contradictory believes at the same time. This is the time where we ideally gather evidence from diverse sources — a synthesis of readings, personal experiences, and the perspectives of others. This process, however, unfolds at its own unhurried pace. It’s a space between philosophies so to say. And it’s ambiguous, vulnerable, and uncertain.  It's a phase where one grapples with conflicting beliefs, an uncomfortable yet necessary limbo. Depending on how well we deal with this messiness, we either stay with the trouble, as Donna Haraway encourages us, or we jump to conclusions just to reach the end of spectrum.

Society, however, doesn't always applaud this ambivalence. We live in a world that favors certainty, simplicity, and easily digestible truths. Being in between philosophies though is a space others may view as indecisiveness. In general, we are enamored with clear-cut answers and straightforward narratives, frowning upon the uncertainty inherent in the quest for a new philosophy. In his book “Antifragile” Nassim Nicholas Taleb explains how - especially in politics - the easier and more straight forward the message, the more popular the opinion. No room for ambuiguity.  Finding a new philosophy encompasses refusing to conform to these expectations. It is precisely within this ambiguity that profound insights gestate, and genuine transformation takes root.

While embracing alternative philosophies broadens my perspective and improves my quality of life, it also opens doors to less savory ideas, to put it nicely. Some of those ideas might potentially even be dangerous, leading to conspiracy theories. The term "conspirituality" highlights the intersection between conspiracy theories and spiritual beliefs. It encapsulates the phenomenon where individuals who are open to alternative philosophies, particularly those with spiritual inclinations, find themselves drawn towards or susceptible to embracing conspiracy theories. This overlap arises from a shared sentiment among these individuals that existing societal and philosophical frameworks do not adequately accommodate their experiences or beliefs, a feeling that their lives don't neatly align with existing philosophies, fostering receptivity to alternative perspectives. The term "conspirituality" serves to highlight the potential dangers of this convergence, as it suggests a susceptibility to adopting potentially harmful or unfounded ideas within the realm of both spirituality and conspiracy theories.

So how does one go about finding a new philosophy? The process demands exploration and discernment. It urges a cautious application of critical thinking, a tool that sometimes seems scarce in certain spiritual circles, in which - sometimes - the baby is thrown out with the bathwater: Just because scientism and the materialistic paradigm are insufficient, doesn’t mean that there is no value in them.

I want to avoid hastily discarding existing paradigms, recognizing their value even as they fall short of capturing the entirety of the world's complexity. The pursuit of a new philosophy isn't a rejection of everything that currently exists. Instead, it's an invitation to build upon the foundations of existing wisdom, to extend the boundaries of understanding, challenging the dichotomy of acceptance versus rejection. A nuanced approach that acknowledges the merits of what is while actively seeking to broaden and enrich what could be.

Perhaps the most captivating and challenging aspect of embracing a new philosophy for me is the imperative to fully accept the world and society as they are. And to sit in that delicate equilibrium, where the pursuit of transformation coexists with an acknowledgment of the present reality. As someone who always tries to fit in and who never knew anything but belonging, the worst outcome is to become an outsider. At the same time, I think this is exactly what is necessary. But more about that another time.

🐒 Something fascinating about other beings

Cicadas are insects known for their periodic emergence, typically every 13 or 17 years, depending on the species. They have a prolonged nymphal (immature) stage spent underground, feeding on plant roots. The 13- or 17-year periodicity is thought to be an adaptation that helps them avoid synchronization with predators, such as birds, which have shorter life cycles. By emerging in prime-numbered intervals, cicadas reduce the chance of their life cycles coinciding with those of their predators, making it more difficult for predators to evolve specifically to match their emergence.

📚📝🎧🎥Things I enjoyed reading, watching or listening

• 📝Article: The More Inner Work You Do, The More You See How Humanity Is Dominated By Narrative by Caitlin Johnstone

• 📝Research paper: Practical wisdom and virtue ethics for knowledge co-production in sustainability science by Caniglia et al.

• 🎥The Queen of Trees “The fig tree and fig wasp differ in size a billion times over, but neither could exist without the other. Their extraordinary relationship underpins a complex web of dependency that supports animals from ants to elephants. Each fig is a microcosm -- a stage set for birth, sex and death. One of the most amazing stories in the natural world -- a tale of intrigue and drama, set against grand Africa and its wildlife.”