Questions to Answer: How to Do Human
A list of applied philosophy questions that, if answered, would make life roughly 10000% better
Perhaps this can serve as inspiration for some ✨
I’m actually updating this list as I’m going through life!
[~]: I recently made progress there
Concepts
For each of those concepts I at least want to answer the questions “What is it exactly” & “How does it work?“
Judgment
Anger [~]
What causes it?
Generally and specifically for me?
[→ overstepping of boundaries]
Why do some people tend to get angry vs. sad?
Arrogance [~]
What are the effects of it?
[→ one of the worst things, because immaturity!]
Enthusiasm
Where does it come from?
Is it just inherent to a person’s personality or can it be cultivated?
Good/”Evil”
Is the world (& thus the human) inherently more good or bad?
Where does either view come from?
How does having either view shape one’s worldview and view of oneself?
Justice
Empathy
What increases or decreases empathy?
Art [~]
Where is the line between what is art and what not?
Respect
Moral Relativism
Can one say that certain things are morally better or worse across people?
If so, on what basis?
Forgiveness
What are the conditions for it?
Closeness (in a social sense)
What factors increase it/cause distance?
Perfectionism [~]
Beauty [~]
Humor
Self Worth [~]
Happiness [~]
Coolness
Is this even still a thing after puberty?
Status [~]
Would the world/social stuff be better if status was less important?
[→ one of the most basic survival needs]
Identity
how much am I something if I’m not living accordingly? (→ multiple layers of “what I am“)
Relationships
Love [~]
What types of love exist?
When/What do we love?
What is romantic love?
Physical chemistry
Is it binary (i.e. just there or not there)?
How can you prioritize relationships with people over others without it turning weird and transactional?
When to… (this or that)?
When to accept and when to change? [~]
When to judge and when not? [~]
I know people who are very judgy toward others
I recognize this as being bad, but at the same time find it sometimes hard to differentiate when it makes sense to judge i.e. when it is important to become better, and when unnecessary; connected to that:
When to criticise and when not to?
oftentimes encouraging leads to better results
When to be radically honest/explicit, and when not?
Relevant e.g. in early dating:
How much should I just be upfront vs „playing the game“?
Being upfront mostly makes things easier but isn’t the implicitness part of the fun?
When is it good to look forward to things?
On the one hand, it can create pressure and disappointment, which can have negative influences during and after an event
On the other hand, looking forward to things is pretty noice
When is openness not beneficial/too much?
When are negative emotions useful as a motivator and when unnecessary?
→ one of the big questions
When is enough enough? [~]
Is enlightenment or happiness more desirable?
How exactly do they differ?
When is it beneficial to be angry?
Personal
How much of what I'm doing am I doing to be liked?
What do I want from a relationship? [~]
How do I want to be perceived?
Misc
What are psychological/sociological human universals? [~]
If we could experience an infinite amount of pleasure, would that be desirable?
Should people be “allowed” to be less happy or is that immoral?
The book Brave New World and the short story Three Worlds Collide illustrate this conflict well
Does being exposed to unfulfilled desires make it better or worse? (Like scratching a mosquito bite haha)
How strong is the effect of a first impression?
What does this depend on?
If I disliked someone at first impression, is that because I know pretty well what I like or because I can't get rid of that first impression and see everything after that through those glasses?
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Um handeln zu können, so muss ich versteh‘n.
Stets in Gedanken gänzlich neue Wege geh‘n.
Wie ist es geschaffen, dies jenseitige Nichts?
Die Geburt kam und das Leben erlischt?
Das dazwischen liegende so ist mein Begehr.
Das Wesen des Menschen oder doch noch viel mehr?
This little poem opens more question than answer one’s, especially yours. But let assume that these question thrive us to walk new ways. Not to find but to define ourselves. In someways you answer the question your way. In case of this we should accept and desire different answers to these fundamental questions - relates to our bipolar and diverse world, which is desirable.
Observing is the key: Not only the things, more how these affected us in particularly. What happens in different situations with me? Listen to your emotions and thoughts. Then you are able to learn e.g. a lot about your judgement. Of course you aren’t able to standardised these beliefs: “Überzeugungen sind gefährlichere Feinde der Wahrheit, als Lügen.“ — Nietzsche
Let assume that this curiosity is the fundamental of human beings.
Regarding judgement: one of the best dichotomies I've made during my life is to separate "judging people" and "judging ideas", and once it's remembered that most personalities are too complex for us to understand enough to judge, then to make it very explicit that we are judging ideas, and that we, like everyone else, had (or still have) emotional attachments to ideas and that we understand that it can feel as though it's a personal attack, yet it isn't.