Everyone should have their own philosophy by some point in their lives. Don't be a subscriber. Steal from other philosophies, but don't subscribe to them. Be your own philosopher. Have your own mind.
Here's a philosophy that people will preach: Man is a social animal -- you're meant to be social. Maybe there's some grain of truth in that, but don't believe it. Man isn't one thing or another. You make up mankind just as much as the next person, and you don't have to be social just because someone tells you that you're supposed to be, or that it's best for society in general. They say "we" developed instincts for survival and that one of them is to be "social." Well, "we" also developed you. Your survival indicates that mankind needs you, whether you're social or not.
That word "we", along with that word "mankind", are used in a general sense, taken (perhaps) from an average of us all -- the common denominator. Don't be average. Don't be common. Be the one-of-a-kind that you are. Have your own philosophy.
2 comments:
I am also an extreme introvert. Before written language was invented information was shared by verbal communication;this should not be ignored.
The longer I'm around a person the more comfortable or uncomfortable I feel, depending on the person I'm around.
I don't enjoy having conversations without benefits. These benefits would include amusement, curiosity, or an intelligent exchange of ideas. And I don't mind teaching as long as I believe the other person is listening, because time is important to me. I feel rewarded if I believe the other party truly listens.
I keep to myself most of the time, because most conversations involve meaningless "blah blah blah."
Anon, I heartily agree with you in most cases. Sometimes, though, the benefits in conversation are not as obvious. Sometimes, just sharing something is important, and the only benefit is that it was shared. But it's true there aren't many instances where that feels meaningful; in fact, for me, there are very few.
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