Philosophy and Psychology

Hello my friends,

Suffering with a bad lower back currently but it will pass.

Now to this week’s newsletter, the huge world of psychology and philosophy.

Philosophy and Psychology are huge fields of expertise. I feel the same as Brian Cox when he describes the incomprehensible feeling that envelopes him when he tries to imagine the size of the universe.

I have no qualifications in psychology or philosophy. However, I read many books on the two subjects and I posted quotes on these topics daily for over a year. My research has been and will continue to be extensive.

What are my thoughts on these two topics?

They’re fascinating. They are the paths to self-awareness, self-critiquing, self-development, mindfulness, and the highest form of attainment - peace of mind.

I have a philosophy of curiosity. So, I read, I write, I ask questions, and have a genuine interest in other people’s thoughts. You’re reading this eBook, so your curiosity is probably on the same level. Philosophy includes stoicism.

Marcus Aurelius is one of the great stoics of all time. A master thinker and writer. Seneca is also a wonderful writer with an ability to paint pictures with words. The ability to communicate through writing is the backbone of stoic philosophy. Stoicism is to care for other people, to be a good person, to stay calm, and to put your energy into situations you can control. Of course, this is dipping a toe in a sea of stoic knowledge.

I practice staying calm, retaining my patience, and being positive because these are my weak points. Stoicism has given me a stark awareness of my traits which require development. Some people who have autism have to learn empathy so I can work on my weaknesses.

Would I be aware of areas of my character needing work, I don’t think so. It is the stoic philosophy of introspection and contemplation that enables self-awareness. Are some people more self-aware than others, again, of course they are. However, I needed a stoic push.

Psychology for me has a darker side. Dostoevsky goes into the dark pits of psychology. He certainly did with Notes from Underground. The main character in Notes from Underground can see no light in anything. It is a dark human’s view of a world where he sees no light. Every relationship is doomed and people are used as soundboards for his psychosis. Which characters in the book are real and which are part of his doomed brain?

A fascinating book but a dark look at manic depression. Dostoevsky steps into the shoes of severely depressed shoes and the shoes are big enough for you to fit in too. It takes us to a dark place, but he enables us to understand real dark depression. We move to a lighter topic, but Dostoevsky and the next few paragraphs are linked.

The psychology of the workplace is fascinating. I work in a sales environment and out of a sales team of 13 the top 3 are the same every year. The other positions shuffle but the top 3 are the same every year. They have cracked the sales role in that environment. Their mindset is positive, driven, reflective, and supportive. They help where they can. They will tell you what they are doing to help those around them but the remainder of the room does not improve.

What I think happens in this situation is people do not wish to change. A driven salesperson in our company will make a lot of calls, hours of talk time, or both. What would the 10 remaining members of the team need to do to catch up?

• Have the same work ethic

• Study their sales calls

• Mix with them on breaks

• Dress like them

• Study their sales process

• Understand their driven psychology (their why)

Why do they not do this?  Well, they either don’t want to or change scares them.

The mindset of a negative person is full of negative self-talk, a lack of self-awareness, and an inability to change or as I said, change scares them.

Changing your psychology takes you into uncomfortable places. 

Why do people shy away from the gym to improve their health and appearance?  Because it hurts! 

Changing your mindset has a period of psychological pain.

Anxiety is part of your psychology, you are responsible for how you feel, and how you deal with grief. Stoicism teaches this. Everything in your life is your fault and responsibility. It makes you accountable and directs your energy in the right places.

As a pretend philosopher I would see the depressed character in Notes from Underground as a man that needs to reach out and ask for help. To zoom out of his narrow-focused view of his life and see that he can improve his life one step at a time, and it is not as big a task as he thinks.

The salesperson in my company must change what they are doing and saying in the sales room and on the phone.

In both cases, action is the answer!

There is no change without positive action. Look for patterns in your behavior.  Anything you do has a pattern!

Psychology and philosophy are analyzed by smarter people than I. However, we can have our views on philosophy and psychology. This view you and I hold on these two important subjects is extremely valid. Anything you do has a pattern!

How do you test if you are in tune with your psychology and philosophy? Ask yourself two simple questions -

• What is my WHY?

• What are my core values?

If you cannot answer these questions, with a small amount of thought, then take time to reflect and build clarity around your WHY and core values.

These two questions are your drivers. This is your purpose and your mission. The answer to these two questions will keep you positive when pushing through life’s resistance.

Anyone can change or achieve self-improvement.

I wish you well in being a better person and I finish with a quote:

“If you want to escape the things that harass you, what you need is not to be in a different place but to be a different person.” - Letters From a Stoic by Seneca

I wish you the very best always ❤️

Tony

Wise Philosophy