The Four Questions

I remember learning that a sound philosophy must answer four basic questions:

- Why am I here? (Metaphysics)

- How do you know? (Epistemology)

- What is good? (Ethics and Morality)

- Where am I headed? (Destiny)

I was reminded of these four questions when watching Simon Sinek's TED Talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html

Sinek points out that the most important question to answer is the questions of "Why?".  He goes on explaining that many times people mention what they are trying to do and how they will achieve it but fail to answer why they do it.  He makes his point mentioning that people get it only when you explain why you are doing it.

I performed a very simple experiment on my 3-year-old recently.  He does not like brushing his teeth.  Normally I would tell him what to do ("It's time to brush your teeth~") and how to do it ("Come here David~.  I'll help you brush your teeth~.  I'll make sure it doesn't hurt~").  However, I was never clear why he had to brush.  The only explanation to why he should brush was the word cavity, which did not have much meaning to him.  He would run away saying "I don't like brushing".

After seeing Sinek's TED talk, I showed my 3-year-old an image of what cavity looks like, told him how cavity hurts, and how brushing prevents cavity by washing away the little tiny bugs that make the teeth go black: the reason why we brush our teeth.  My son opened his mouth immediately, willingly, as wide as he could.  

He wants to brush his teeth ever since.  

Learning from History Begins

During one of our meetings at the office, our dear fearless leader mentioned a quote.  I can’t remember exactly how it went, but in effect it was similar to the following quote I found online.

"We learn from history that we never learn anything from history."

- Hegel -

We were all challenged to break this pattern of human folly and try to learn from the histories of our own lives.  This will be an ongoing list of lessons I am learning from my normal everyday life. (I feel extremely vulnerable exposing this list!)

1. Life - dignity, sustenance, and enjoyment - is the ultimate purpose.  Life is the highest priority.  Saving life is more important than being right.
2. Growth is the proof of life.  If you're alive, you grow.
3. Failure and Pain are indispensable to growth.  Do not avoid them.
4. When I make the same mistake again and again, that is because I like making that mistake.
5. I am what I like.  What I do when no one is around reveals what I like.
6. Change is possible only when what I like changes.
7. I cannot do things alone.  I need other’s help in just about anything.  
8. I can only do what I can do.  What I cannot control, I cannot control.  Worrying anxiety comes about when focusing on what I cannot control.  Peace is focusing on what I can do, and not caring about uncontrollable results.  Efficiency is knowing what I cannot control and being able to forget about it.
9. The ability to listen is better than knowing a lot.  An individual’s knowledge is limited.  When you are able to listen, the possibility of understanding is almost boundless.  
10. Silence is crucial in getting to where you want to go.  When you are silent, you are able to look around and look inside and realize where you are.  Silence is awkward, though.
11. Stopping what you always have been doing is necessary for growth, and requires courage because there is the risk of losing security. 
12. Trial and error is the best way of finding a solution to a really complicated problem. 
13. Starting simple and adding complexity is generally better than the other way around.
14. When a lot of things are not right, it is better to start over rather than trying to fix it up.