[atreestump]

Philosophy begins with how we can, through reason and rationality, explain most truthfully what there is and how to explain what there is.

We know pre-philosophically that there is guilt and shame for example, so how do we reason this phenomena? I thought psychology would be the place to go, but it’s mostly informed by philosophy anyway.

It’s very difficult to separate psychology from philosophy.

In a previous thread we discussed how philosophy uses language as a logical tool, then it sets out for the application, praxis and the right way to think about life and the disciplines that are necessary to reach understanding. Is philosophy really therapy?

As a personal anecdote, I believe philosophy has helped me overcome many psychological problems of alienation. It has helped me to reach a more compassionate view of life, it helps me to value what is important in life and to approach difficult subjects such as guilt and shame without denial and further destructive tendencies, myself and everyone else in my life.

Philosophy then, to me, is the study of experiencing experience, but I am now looking at some philosophy that appears to be studying the study of experiencing experience. An outside view of an outside view.

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[Whisper]

Philosophy is useful to rationalizing experience and explaining it during therapy. Going through counseling myself right now though, I am certain that Philosophy is not Therapy in itself. Whether or not you have decided the best way to act does not mean that you are emotionally nurtured or have the tools to overcome fear and act the way you believe is right. Philosophy is not social enough in itself to provide that. Positive social dialogue is necessary in addition to philosophy.

Understanding isn’t therapeutic. I am tortured by understanding. I go crazy from my sanity. This is from the contradiction of operating in society versus my own identity. Cooperation and social activity is the only way to fix it. Sometimes you do need to surrender to others at the right time, just to stay alive.

It has helped me to reach a more compassionate view of life, it helps me to value what is important in life and to approach difficult subjects such as guilt and shame without denial and further destructive tendencies, myself and everyone else in my life.

At the same time, there are times when others have no answers for you and no way to ease your suffering. This requires self action. But philosophy is not always the right method of self action.

[Whisper]

Never mind now that I’m out of counseling I realized that it did jack shit, criticizing my own philosophy made me happier

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[atreestump]

lol I think anyone whose done philosophy will see the limits of psychotherapy very quickly.

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[kFoyauextlH]

Philosophy is therapy because it asks the question “from what are we sick and for how can we be such?” even in the word itself, in other words “what do we need and why do we need it at all?” to which the answer is “We Don’t” with the addition of “but you Do regardless”. So it is due to this forced blustering that philosophy emerges, and like any babe, is praised and glorified and called sweet miracle of mankind and mystery of nature for no true reason other than it is and we do and would not if we were to not. An absurd blast from a horn made intelligible, known through its structure of violence, formed in our view by its stresses upon and within our form, a hideous eruption within our inescapable and ever accepting womb of being. The terror of doors which can not be closed like a mind which can not be opened.

[atreestump]

‘but you do regardless’ – I agree. Suffering is something that is truly at the heart of philosophy and religion for that matter. I like how you used the term ‘absurd’, I got my copy (well, my partners’ copy) of ‘The Myth of Sisiphyus’ by Albert Camus today, which is focused on this exact absurdity. It asks a proper concrete philosophical question – why do we commit suicide?

[kFoyauextlH]

Really relevant and important stuff! It is great that you continue to read and study and maintain curiosity and interest in all these things!

[atreestump]

Thanks, Albert.

[kFoyauextlH]

Haha I do enjoy representing things!

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