I have many philosophies that I’ve developed over many years so it’s kind of hard to boil it all down but mostly, I live my life for justice, for service to others and with a harm reduction policy – my actions must harm others and the environment as little as possible. I also believe that people can do anything they want with their own life as long as they don’t harm others and anything they want with another consensual adult without having to face judgment of others. Finally, I think love is worth living for, worth doing anything for. Love and justice and children – those are worth everything, to me.

The central tenet of my philosophy is Kant’s categorical imperative: don’t shit where you eat.

Love your children to death and trust no one else where any form of money is involved.

I believe that everyone, is in essence, energy. But that energy without memory or physicality, is only ever aware of the present moment. We need our brains to give our minds a space to save our experiences, and then with that we can form humanistic thoughts. We need our bodies to be able to do. This belief has mostly come from dancing. I guess it’s kind of a dancer thing, since that’s how the art is conducted. It becomes art instead of simply movement when you move with energy and intention. When I’m in that state of mind, everything becomes liquid and natural and right. Everything fits.
I don’t believe when you die your soul retains all of your past knowledge. I think that part of your self is left behind in your body.
But I do believe you, the energy you, leaves. I don’t know what you do or where you go. But you’re just energy, conscious of only the current, at least at that current point.

I believe that science is a belief. It’s believing that the only reality is that which can be measured and proven logically. I think it can get us far: look how far already. But only so far. I think there are things we can’t measure with our instruments. Or, at least, haven’t created an instrument to measure it by. I think it discredits processes like intuition. But this is because I’ve grown up around people that have known things they shouldn’t, by current scientific standards, have known. And people that, who think logically and logically only, discredit them.
I do, however, admire the true scientists ability to admit error. That’s a strength not a lot of people have.

I don’t believe in violence of any kind. But I do understand how, when anger has you hot, you can want some.

I believe people have to be able to hear their own selves, and follow their own passions. That if more people were let to or able to do this, we’d have many more brilliant minds.

I believe people need to let go of the “importance” of skin color, and celebrate the varity.

I believe traditions and cultures should be respected, and fervently challenged.

I believe that rules should only be enforced with the intention of protecting the reason behind the rule. The example I use is a stop sign. Someone who doesn’t technically “stop”—their wheel is rolling forward, barely, or who doesn’t stop “long enough”, as long as they used the stop sign to keep from rolling out in traffic, to check the other intersecting roads, and to have control over the vehicle, then they are fine. That someone who does technically stop, but stares straight ahead and goes without awareness of their surroundings is far more dangerous.
This goes for any system: as soon as the system becomes more important than the reason and intention behind the system, the system needs to go.

I believe that SATs need to go. They never even started out with a good intention. Started by some prestigous-college-heads who believed in Eugenics. The intelligence tests they modelled them after had proven to test only hard logic, and favor the middle class white American male. True story. And now it’s just a money game. Colleges who take the SAT score still even admit they don’t know what it’s testing.

I believe that Global Warming is a serious issue we need to take seriously. That we shouldn’t have hold ups because big businesses are lobbying to keep themselves in power.

I believe that meaning is more important than happiness.

…is that enough belief for you? Maybe too much, haha. But those are some of my philosophies. Enjoy.

I’ve got a few. I believe in what I call “altruistic stoicism” which basically means I’m okay with going out of my way to make sure that people I know are ok in times of need, even at risk of being exploited. I believe that the risk of being “walked on” by others is negated by what may even be the off-chance that they are genuinely in need.

Dealing with life in general, I tend to admire Leibniz’s optimism. I don’t get caught up in the negative aspects of the world or life and I look for the positive or the beauty in everything.

Politically, I’m anti-authoritarian and more or less a classical liberal/libertarian and an individualist. I like Thomas Jefferson’s idea of the yeoman farmer/citizen. I believe that people should be allowed the freedom to do whatever they want, but they should be expected to accept the consequences of your actions. For example, someone should be allowed to own a flamethrower or whatever if they want, but they shouldn’t be surprised if they get thrown in jail for torching someone. Thus, a society with maximum freedom is potentially unsafe, but a truly safe society cannot be truly free either, so you have to take the bad with the good.

Religiously, I am more or less agnostic, but I sympathize with certain aspects of Christianity, I enjoy Mahayana Buddhism, and I have studied Sufism extensively, which I try to apply to my daily life as best I can.

It’s also important to note that I am aware that there are flaws to my various beliefs and that some of them may be inherently mutually exclusive in certain ways. I’m okay with this. I’m human, afterall. I’d also be happy to explain anything in further detail, if anyone wanted me to.

To be truth filled at all costs.

To address my ego as the phantom ghost that it is.

To give credit where credit is due to others, and only speak on matters if I actually have something unique to present.

To overcome selfishness.

I believe that it is wrong to cause harm to any sentient being unless that harm is necessary to avert an equal or greater harm.

As a corollary, I believe that any act that harms no sentient being is permissible.

I also believe that philosophies can be judged as valid or invalid, and that a philosophy must be coherent and consistent in order to be valid.

@DancingMind First off.. that was an incredible answer. Unfortunately fluther only lets me choose “great answer.” Secondly, I totally agree with the portion of your response regarding the SAT. I have spent countless hours of preparing for this test that doesn’t even correctly test our true knowledge.

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard I share extremely similar religious views. My parents are both Christian, but with due time, I was able to develop my own ideas and beliefs instead of them being handed down generation after generation. I doubt the existence of their being a higher power, probably just because I am skeptical of there being a “bearded man who lives in the sky,” but I have been able to accept certain aspects of certain religions.

@crisw Seems like you and I share the same philosophy.:)

@DancingMind & @RealEyesRealizeRealLies said it best, parallels my philosophies/life orientation quite well.

Oh, yes, and don’t eat goose liver pate, Marwyn thanks you. :-)

I guess I would have to say that my touchstone belief is represented in the quote I’ve got on my profile. “We should try to be the parents of our future rather than the offspring of our past.” (Said by this guy. And yeah, I realize the irony of using a quote from someone in the past)
Heritage and tradition are meaningless concepts to me. I never want “Because it’s the way we’ve always done it” to be the reasoning for doing anything, or for “If it was good enough for grandpa, it’s good enough for me” to be the rationale for picking something.
Everything must be constantly re-evaluated and asked “Is this really optimal?”

and I don’t think that any action/belief should be exempt from this, regardless of how comforting the “old ways” may be. Were it not for re-evaluation of the situation, we’d be a pretty unimpressive species. Were it not for a desire for progress, we wouldn’t have cars, computers, or modern medicine. And I rather like those things.

So that’s the belief I hold dearest. Everything else ripples outward from there.

Do the right thing, period. When a situation isn’t clear enough to make that distinction, do the thing that causes the least harm. Be a force for good in the world.

Be happy and love others!

“To be awake is to be alive.” I live my life as simply as I can and I hold love for everyone. I will always see the good in people before noticing the bad and this is what I focus on.

Do unto others before they do unto me.

Trust is like a knife, if you don’t give it to someone they can’t stab you in the back with it.

And most importantly:

DO NOT (under any circumstances!) eat the yellow snow!

Be kind to others always… you will reap this back a thousandfold.

Live and let live. Corny, but I live by it, or try to. I fail often.
As far as my goals and advent in life goes, I don’t like to stall or stagnate. There are many barriers and obstacles in life, and for these, I borrow the way of the ninja; if the door’s locked, find another way in.

I believe there is a Creator that created all the laws of physics and life itself. I believe there are 7 different universes that all interpenetrate each other in our same time/space but generally do not interfere with each other (on most occasions). I believe this life we are experiencing is in the first universe and the sole purpose of this life is a test. I also think God does not send you anywhere when you pass on. The universal law of cause and effect always takes place whether we are aware of this law or not. Whatsoever a Man Soweth, That Shall He Also Reap. Your soul can only transfer to a plane or universe that fits their vibrations or mind set. If you were inherently evil or even done a lack of good deeds compared to your good deeds you will go to the second universe known as hell or the void to fit in with others of a like mind. You are not condemned there however and if a soul stuck there asks for help they can leave hell with the help of spiritual guides but not before paying for their evil deeds and this asking of forgiveness has to be genuine for there is no way to hide a person’s true intentions when they pass on. Most average or decent people will move on to the third universe also known as “The Summerland” which is far more superior to our own “physical” world where you will reunite with family or others who you’ve shared a true bond with (and yes even your beloved pets). All the other universes above this level are more superior to the one beneath it but you have to earn your way into them.

Motivation for your actions and doing onto others as you would have them do onto you is the only thing that matters. Atheists, agnostics, and all other people (even regardless of sexual orientation) have just as much right to the higher planes as anyone else. I believe reincarnation does happen and I’ve studied about it but I don’t buy into every New Age yip yap about it either. I believe “reincarnation” is a very complicated issue where only those of the highest authority or even God itself knows the truth about it. I would recommend reading the books out by Silver Birch (spiritual teacher) to learn further about what I’m talking about.

I also think everything that is living: plants, animals, bugs, people and whatever has this spiritual energy of life. God also looks very fondly upon those who have compassion for others, cares about the enviroment along with all animals and other life that we share the planet with. Again personal deeds and your motivation for doing them are of the utmost importance to God over religious beliefs or faith. Maybe many other theists will disagree with me here but those are my beliefs and my own spiritual philosophy on this matter. I’ve spent many thousands of hours researching these matters during my spare time. I’ve mentioned the only philosophy that is important to me.