Understanding mainly informs action. I do not try to understand to decorate myself or to win arguments. I try to understand to develop wisdom, feel good, and always act appropriately.
Understanding is the core of my life. I am a philosopher first before a writer or anything else. I am committed in living a philosophical and contemplative life and write beautifully about or inspired by this journey.
There are two works involved in understanding:
- Sharpening my understanding. This involves cultivating mindfulness, comprehensive research, deep reading, careful thinking, and mental sharpness, so that I can see things as they really are (i.e., apply a scout mindset).
- Using my understanding. This involves applying my understanding in various situations and subjects.
The main question I try to study is: how should I live?
A concise answer to this question is my purpose: my purpose is to live deliberately
Since life is a project made up of individual actions, answering the question “How should I live?” involves understanding what action is. To understand what action is, I also need to understand the context where it is initially intended (the mind) and the context where it is manifested (the physical universe).
Once I understand action, I can move on to studying a more specific way of acting or living: intentional living. Intentional living is how I fulfill my purpose. Through intentional living, I can align my actions with my purpose, which are informed by an understanding of my true self.
I can achieve this alignment by following the core process of intentional living, which requires three levels of understanding:
- An understanding of my true self
- An understanding of how I can identify and set my intentions
- An understanding of how I can act in alignment with my intentions
These levels of understanding are all jump-off points to other intellectual disciplines and other practices.
In the Philippines, these three levels are usually explored in academic psychology circles, Eastern spirituality circles, and Christian circles. However, we need a non-academic and non-sectarian discourse in intentional living.
I study a lot of different subjects and here is my studying process.
The life areas under understanding are the following:
Understanding - LMS Theory
My life management system is built on careful thinking based on reality.
Understanding - Talahardin
I am effectively and efficiently collecting intermediate packets (IPs) in a multi-device note-taking app using a system that allows for easy capture and retrieval. I maintain a daily note-writing practice to cultivate this system of interconnected notes of different varieties.
Understanding - Religion
I have articulated a life philosophy that explains how I see the world (epistemology, metaphysics), how I act (ethics), and how I create (poetics).
To do
- Make a separate note on the three levels of understanding.