It is in books, poems, paintings which often give us the confidence to take seriously feelings in ourselves that we might otherwise never have thought to acknowledge.
Alain De BottonRead
We tend to think of philosophies as produced by professional philosophers. Traditionally, this has meant people who have written dissertations on obscure subjects or who spend most of their day in libraries. But every human is, in an important sense, a carrier of an implicit philosophy - evident in their choices, pronouncements and commitments.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Everyone holds a personal philosophy that influences their decisions and actions.
Alain De Botton suggests that philosophy is not solely the domain of academics and scholars. Instead, each individual embodies their own implicit philosophy, reflected in their daily choices and commitments, indicating that philosophical thinking is intrinsic to human life.
Themes
PhilosophyChoicesHuman ExperienceCommitmentsBeliefs
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on ethics, one might refer to this quote to emphasize that everyone has their own guiding principles.
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The more closely we analyze what we consider 'sexy,' the more clearly we will understand that eroticism is the feeling of excitement we experience at finding another human being who shares our values and our sense of the meaning of existence.
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Good books put a finger on emotions that are deeply our own - but that we could never have described on our own.
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It is the most ambitious and driven among us who are the most sorely in need of having our reckless hopes dampened through immersive dousings in the darkness which religions have explored. This is a particular priority for secular Americans, perhaps the most anxious and disappointed people on earth, for their nation infuses them with the most extreme hopes about what they may be able to achieve in their working lives and relationships.
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