Below is some of my thinking that I've landed on in the recent years and that still resonates with me today. I follow the principle of "strong opinions, weakly held" – until someone or something convinces me otherwise, of course.

Philosophy

Back in 2017, I got inspired and wrote down my own philosophy that feels right even after all these years. Its central idea is distinguishing concepts that are from our perspective transient (like a human life), that are eternal (like the universe), and that are somewhere in between – since those are the most intriguing, let's focus on them more.

In essence, it refers to the experience and knowledge shared within society, passed from one person or generation to another. Some of these things are closer to transient, like how to raise children or sharpen a knife. Some are closer to eternal, like science or religion. Some are very much "in between" and closely linked to human spirit, like democracy, culture, or love.

Consequently, we can face our own mortality by investing in activities that extend beyond us and potentially even outlive us. In other words: "Embrace your temporary, limited, and imperfect nature while striving to make meaningful, lasting contributions." Or in short: "from finitude through legacy towards transcendence".

And I believe that could (or even should?) be everyone's purpose in life. It surely is in mine.

P.S. Even though I only explored these in detail afterwards, you might notice strong alignments with the core ideas of existentialism and elements of stoicism. In particular, Frankl's 'self-transcendence', Nietzsche's 'become who you are', Arendt's 'vita activa', and – from the popular modern authors – perhaps also Burkman's 'imperfectionism'. If you made the connection to these concepts, well done!

Goal & Framework

Later in 2019, I took CliftonStrengths from Gallup and it was very much spot on! Learner came up as my top talent and its "take-action sentence" showed me how I can personally achieve "immortality".

As such, it basically reads as my life goal: "Use your passion for learning to add value to your own and others' lives."

Additionally, the sentences for my other themes form a sort of step-by-step framework on what to practically do:

• "Keep exploring, always be curious." (Input)
• "Create structure, and keep things organised." (Discipline)
• "Think deeply. Think often." (Intellection)
• "Stop, listen, and assess before taking action." (Deliberative)
• "Use your logical, objective approach to make important decisions." (Analytical)
• "Take ownership for the things that matter the most to you." (Responsibility)
• "Bring intensity and effort to the most important areas of your life." (Achiever)
• "Share your visions of a better future." (Futuristic)
• "Help others see connections and purpose in everyday life." (Connectedness)

Values & Principles

At the end of summer 2024, I thought I could set myself guiding principles revolving around my core values. I sat down and dedicated plenty of time to formulate these. To my great surprise though, it only took me a couple of minutes. So, they are either extremely clear to my unconscious mind, or I'm way off with them.

• Authenticity: being true to myself, speaking my mind, following my dreams
• Reflection: writing down my thoughts, understanding self & society, taking lessons from the past
• Learning: exploring new concepts, teaching others, honouring education & curiosity
• Community: valuing family & friendships, building strong bonds, supporting others
• Nature: spending time outside, admiring the views, appreciating the world