As cliche and oxymoronic as it may sound, I suppose I resonate strongest with existentialism. Camus defined it best throughout his novels.
My favourite poem and the poem, I feel, should define life as a whole (and thus, I guess, my philosophy) -
I wander´d lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch’d in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed — and gazed — but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils. - Wordsworth
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When I was twelve I promised I would always take the Lord, my God, to be
The Light that leads me through the world, along the road that I would travel on.
I knew this was the only way; the way that had been mapped out just for me;
The straight and narrow path that leads me to a way that I could count upon.
But there were times the way was rough; the road was rocky and I tripped and fell
And doubt crept in to cloud my mind and wound my soul and agonize my heart.
I knew that if I stayed the course, this narrow path would lead from my Hell,-
I knew that I could walk this road, if only I could find a place to start.
And then my mother came one day and said, " Here are some words that, if you heed,
Will help you through this life and help you finally reach the peace you're looking for."
She handed me her Bible and she told me of a passage I should read,-
"Paul told it to some others but it's good advice; it opens every door."
And it has opened many doors for me. It's advice I have tried to live by, as well as a mere mortal can, and I believe the effort has served me well. It is from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Thessalonians. First Thessalonia...
When I was twelve I promised I would always take the Lord, my God, to be
The Light that leads me through the world, along the road that I would travel on.
I knew this was the only way; the way that had been mapped out just for me;
The straight and narrow path that leads me to a way that I could count upon.
But there were times the way was rough; the road was rocky and I tripped and fell
And doubt crept in to cloud my mind and wound my soul and agonize my heart.
I knew that if I stayed the course, this narrow path would lead from my Hell,-
I knew that I could walk this road, if only I could find a place to start.
And then my mother came one day and said, " Here are some words that, if you heed,
Will help you through this life and help you finally reach the peace you're looking for."
She handed me her Bible and she told me of a passage I should read,-
"Paul told it to some others but it's good advice; it opens every door."
And it has opened many doors for me. It's advice I have tried to live by, as well as a mere mortal can, and I believe the effort has served me well. It is from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Thessalonians. First Thessalonians; Chapter 4 and verses 9 1/2 through 11. I have edited it a bit to eliminate unimportant words and phrases but the gist of the message is the same.
I thank God for the Apostle, Paul and I thank my Sainted Mother for her wonderful and loving advice.
"...Increase more and more; and...study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands...; that you may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that you may have lack of nothing..."
My philosophy, I guess, is; If one remains true to ones beliefs, help others when they can and never be afraid to say what is true, they will persevere...and flourish I hope...
"it's better to keep your mouth shut an let people think you're an idiot, than to open it and prove them right."
Twain
While not a Christian, I am a great believer in all that Jesus stood for and preached.
My favourite poem and the poem, I feel, should define life as a whole (and thus, I guess, my philosophy) -
I wander´d lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch’d in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed — and gazed — but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils. - Wordsworth
We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.