ZenMuadDib wrote:
Generalization, in my view, is terrible advice. Each thing or problem or whatever has its own truth that is separate and the same as others, but the way that it is separate is just as important. Generalizing leads to false conclusions in my book.
Well at least one generalisation holds either way. Generalising, perhaps others do too.
TheSourceCode wrote:It's all connected and it's endless. One problem when resolved leads to another and the other to another just like a puzzle: 1 four-sided square piece, leads to 4 others and those lead too...12 more and so on and so forth. Another thing is memory. Not everything is remembered, so this is were some sort of shortcut comes in, such as: mental pictures and weird symbols. So... when you say philosophy is building from the ground up...How did you do it?
Well technically it's eight if you keep them connected, so be optimistic. That's why building from ground up is better. When you grasp an important enough truth it will never escape your memory.
Before you start building, you should understand the tools you are going to use. Don't be afraid of looking at the buildings of others.
"If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
-Isaac Newton
By original thought do you mean what is perceived as original thought or your original thoughts? The latter is common, the former rare.
I would recommend reading Euclid's "Elements" first. It's not philosophy but it has the "building from the ground up" mentality. Even if you just read the first short book it would be benificial. If you enjoy it, then it may make you more appreciative of building from the ground up.
I think that the ego must be trained before it can be vanquished. Often, the pursuit of truth is begun due to the ego, to attachments, etc. Gradually, as the desire for truth becomes objective rather than subjective, the ego is slowly trained to obedience until it disappears completely.
Which do you love more ego-trips or truth? If you love truth more, why do you relent? If you love ego-trips more, why do you seek truth?
You cannot serve two masters. What you must remember is that before you serve truth you must serve no masters at all.
"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."
- St Matthew 10:39
If you read all the books in the world but do not let go of the ego, you've done the equivalent of testing the water with your feet. If you leave the ego though, it's the equivalent of diving from a great height, it may take a while but eventually you will find the water. The process of slowly lessening the egos grip on you is entering the water in the normal manner.
The first method lasts eternity, the second can occur in a lifetime, the third if you're lucky will occur in your lifetime too.