philsau Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Hello! This is my first post, I'm really glad to be getting involved with the community after sitting on the fence for so long. Some info to get to know me: I grew up in the town of Wexford in the south east of Ireland. I'm the youngest of five children and was brought up in foster care. I studied English and Applied Mathematics in University College Cork- during which time I became an atheist Quaker. I am a novelist and have written five "practice" novels: I'm not yet published but I aim to be. After Cork I lived in Edinburgh for over a year and rode rickshaws for a living. I now have a day job back in my home town and write by night. Enjoy hillwalking, drawing and surfing as side activities. I look forward to getting to know new people on here with similar interests. Philosophy is essential to me because it has cleared my thinking and invigorated my imagination. Maybe to start off I'd like to get people's thoughts on the topic of anger- the subject of some recent shows. I'm really taken by Stefan's analogy of anger as the immune system for our emotional wellbeing. Can anyone think of a better word, expression or even a neologism that might differentiate this kind of anger from its usual association with mere rage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Crowe Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Sweet intro dood! That is very interesting to hear about. What do you like to write your novels about? Any recurring theme? What about drawing? Any particular style or thing that you draw? Got any posted on the internets? Yeah, philosophy is totally essential for mental clarity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philsau Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Hey Tony thanks for replying! My writing tends to structure the plot around some kind of a fantastical motif- that's really the only common theme I've noticed, but I'm interested in a wide variety of topics and characters:) What got you involved in FDR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Crowe Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 By applying philosophy directly in my life I was able to transcend awful relationships, gain techniques for self knowledge, and learn to be comfortable in my skin for the first time. Considering where I was it was the most prudent thing I could think to get involved with. For some people I speak with philosophy is an interesting intellectual topic and for a few it's something meant to be lived. Do you have any thoughts on that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philsau Posted April 5, 2014 Author Share Posted April 5, 2014 Yep, 100%. If you look at the Greeks the day to day role of the philosopher was something in between a therapist and a self help guru. Kings and nobles would "hire" philosophers for their practical wisdom and help in making the practical decisions that needed to be made. I don't know at what point mainstream philosophy decided to take a u - turn up its own behind into sophistry and obscurity, but I'm guessing it was about the same time as literature did the same As for the practical implications I'm about 75% defoo'd (still working on it) and already my life is a lot better. I can't list the many ways using logic in every day situations has helped me. Life is actually a lot simpler this way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philsau Posted April 5, 2014 Author Share Posted April 5, 2014 My two favourite philosophers have brought back the Greek view of philosophy as having practical life relevance- Stef and Alain de Botton. Granted de Botton is more of an aesthetic philosopher and weak on political philosophy, still like the basic approach of engaging with what people care about in their lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Crowe Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Is hillwalking like we might say hiking? That would seem to insinuate changes in elevation, rocky terrain, or open lands around you. Is that right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philsau Posted April 6, 2014 Author Share Posted April 6, 2014 Sorry living in Scotland has kind of conditioned me to use the word hillwalking instead of hiking but it's the same thing! In Scotland they classify the "hills" (ie mountains) according to height and various features. The highest are the Munros, which are over 3000 ft, but there's also Camerons, which is the level below. Then you have the Corbetts which has to have a vertical drop of at least 500 ft all around. Did a good bit of hiking while I was there but not nearly enough! You much into outdoor sports yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Crowe Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I moved to Boulder, Colorado, US, about 6 months ago. I have gotten out to see the mountains up to 9000 ft / 2700 m. As it was my first cold winter I opted more to stay indoors(basically chicken out). Now that it's warming up I'm looking to get out more. Moving up to this elevation of 5000 ft / 1500 m took me about 2 to 4 weeks to adjust. I wouldn't say I'm into sports but I can say I'm into casually meandering along with the streams or cruising around on my bike. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts