Understanding Personal Philosophy

You may be asking these valid questions, “why should I have a personal philosophy?” or “what is a personal philosophy?” 

Philosophy is a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and society. It works by asking very basic questions about the nature of human thought, the nature of the universe, and the connections between them. The ideas in philosophy are often general and abstract.

Perhaps you belong to some sort of social or business organization – religious group, alumni association, professional association or social clubs - that exists and runs based on a philosophy — whether you are aware of it or not. Every entity has some sort of guiding principles that provide direction as to how they should behave.

We all operate from a personal philosophy, whether we are aware of it or not. If you want to become a Very Influential Personality, it is important that you take time to explore this notion of personal philosophy as it relates to your vocation as an opportunity for self-expression.

What is A Personal Philosophy

A personal philosophy statement serves as an introduction to you, focusing more on your beliefs and values than on life experiences and psychographics data.

Think of great people like Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, they all had guiding philosophies they lived by. Their guiding philosophies give them direction, fuels their passion, help them to develop a perfect pitch and win the admiration of their supporters.

Many people who aspire for greatness are living a life without any guiding principles and sense of purpose. It is said that “when purpose is unknown, abuse is inevitable.” Just like the mission, vision, values and guiding principles of an organization are enshrined in the entity’s philosophy, our personal purpose and guiding principles are enshrined in our personal philosophy.

A Simple Illustration

The other day I needed to locate a friend’s house for the first time. I kept driving around the streets looking for the house. I had wasted time, fuel and energy until I remember that I could use the help of google map to give me directions to find my destination and sure I found the house in a few minutes.

A personal philosophy is like that google map that gives us direction. Without a personal philosophy, we would waste time, fuel, money, energy, relationships and more. But with a personal philosophy, we will reach our destination of fulfilment.