Philosophy: The Art of Thinking Before Speaking
One of the primary reasons to “do philosophy” is that it trains you to think and speak with care. What I mean is that philosophy teaches you, often through hard experience, to avoid hastily jumping to strong conclusions or pushing positions beyond your expertise with misplaced self-assurance. Which is gross. Really, what’s neat, if we can call it that, about getting into the philosophical fray is that your interlocutors — particularly the sharp ones who beg to differ — will either keep you in check by encouraging you to be thorough in your analysis of things, or expose you as a hack.
This process — I mean, of course, of getting your intellectual butt whooped — is not only inevitable but beneficial because, although it may not always lead directly to the truth, it certainly helps in avoiding consistent error (see Socrates on wisdom). If I were to draw a martial arts analogy: it may not guarantee a future win, but it can prevent you from being immediately KO’d and appearing naive the next go around. Plus, it gears you up to learn a thing or two. Maybe.
Finally, opting for a cautious (not cowardly — big difference) approach might mean you’re not always the first to declare your opinions on the latest controversy. This isn’t because you don’t care, but because you do — about truth. Hence the desire to ensure your thoughts are well-honed before you enter the ring. And while it might be tempting to toss your opinion at every debate you see, especially when people are quickly and enthusiastically taking sides, here’s where the (likely misattributed) wisdom of Mark Twain comes in handy as a serious sanity — not to mention, credibility — saver: better to remain silent and be suspected a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt.
About Pat Flynn
Pat Flynn (MA) is a philosopher, writer, and podcaster living in Wisconsin with his wife and five children. He is the author of The Best Argument for God and How to Be Better at (Almost) Everything. He also plays guitar and lifts kettlebells.