Introduction and History of Philosophy

A New Level of Thinking

- "Inside-out": start with most inside part of self to solve problems (your paradigms, character and motives) -> If your want to be trusted, be trustworthy -> Private victories precede public victories - Inside-out is a continuing process of renewal based on natural laws that govern human growth and progress - Inside-out is a dramatic paradigm shift for people

The Way we see the Problem is the Problem

- "The more people are into quick fixes and focus on the acute problems an pain, the more that very approach contributes to the underlying chronic condition" -> The way we see the problem IS the problem

Personality and Character Ethics

- *Character ethic*: there are basic principles of effective living and people can only experience true success and enduring happiness if they learn and integrate them into their character -> Basic principles: integrity, humility, courage, justice, patience, modesty, etc. - *Personality ethic*: success = function of personality -> Public image, communication skills, positive attitude -> Character not recognized as foundational to success

Circle of Concern/ Circle of Influence

- *Circle of influence*: things we can do smtn about -> Proactive people focus on these things -> Reactive people focus on circle of concern (no control over)

"Habits" Defined

- *Habit*: intersection of knowledge, skill and desire -> Knowledge = what to do and why -> Skill = how to do -> Desire = want to do - *Happiness*: fruit of desire and ability to sacrifice what we want now for what we want eventually

Power of a Paradigm Shift

- *Paradigm shift*: 1 way of seeing world to another -> Can be positive or negative and create powerful change - Many people experience a fundamental shift in thinking when face life-threatening crisis or step into a new role in life

Power of a Paradigm

- *Paradigm*: way we "see" world, perception, understanding, interpreting, etc. -> Personality and character ethics are social paradigms -> Theory, explanation or model of something else - 2 main categories of maps in our minds: 1. *Realities*: the way things are 2. *Values*: the way things should be - We assume the way we see things is the way they really are or should be - Our attitudes and behaviors grow out of the way we see things - Basic flaw of personality ethic: trying to change outward attitudes/behaviors won't work if basic paradigm these come from isn't changed

A Personal Mission Statement

- *Personal mission statement*: focuses on what you want to be (character) and do (contributions and achievements) and on values/principles upon which being and doing are based -> Like personal constitution -> Allows us to flow with changes

Proactivity Defined

- *Proactivity*: we have initiative and responsibility to make things happen -> *Responsibility*: ability to choose response - If our lives are function of conditions -> we chose to empower those things to control us -> Become reactive (affected by physical and social environment) - Reactive driven by feelings, conditions, environment -> Proactive driven by values - Our response to what happens to us can hurt us -> What matters most is how we respond to our experiences

The Social Mirror

- *Social mirror*: current social paradigm; from opinions, perceptions and paradigms of people around us - 3 widely accepted theories of determinism: 1. *Genetic determinism*: your grandparents had short tempers and its in your DNA 2. *Psychic determinism*: your upbringing 3. *Environmental determinism*: someone/smtn in environment responsible for your situation

Taking the Initiative

- *Taking initiative*: recognizing responsibility to make things happen

The Other End of the Stick

- 2 things in Circle of Concern that are deeper: 1. *Consequences*: governed by natural law 2. *Mistakes*: can't undo them, immediately admit and correct them

Direct, Indirect and No Control

- 3 types of problems: 1. *Direct control*: involve our own behavior 2. *Indirect control*: involve other's behavior 3. *No control*: can do nothing about (ex: past) - Direct solved by working on our habits - Indirect solved by changing methods of influence - No control solved by learning to live with them

Effectiveness Defined

- 7 habits are habits of effectiveness -> based on principles so they bring maximum long-term results -> Also in harmony with P/PC balance: P = production of desired results and PC = production capability

The Maturity Continuum

- 7 habits move us progressively on a maturity continuum from dependence -> independence -> interdependence -> Dependence is paradigm of "you" -> Independence is paradigm of "I" -> Interdependence is paradigm of "we" - Dependence problem is personal maturity issue that has little to do with circumstances - Life is highly interdependent -> Interdependence is choice only independent people can make

Between Stimulus and Response

- Between stimulus and response, man has freedom (free will) to choose -> Within freedom to choose are endowments of imagination, conscience and independent will (uniquely human)

Field of Knowledge 1

- Can only understand world around you if you know yourself - Need self-awareness for study of inner man - Very hard for us to direct our attention FULLY - 3 states we find ourselves in at any time: 1. Without attention/attention wandering = mechanical 2. Attention attracted by subject of observation and kept there = emotional 3. Attention controlled and held on subject by will = intellectual - Drifting and wandering of our attention makes us incompetent, miserable, and less-than-fully-human -> Without self-awareness we just imagine we are in control - Most religions strive for self-awareness -> bare attention achieved only by stopping all "inner chatter" -> religion is reconnection of man with reality - Nothing can be achieved as long as "I" stands in way -> Reality can't be found by thought (consciousness) -> Whole point is to awaken from thinking -> seeing - Impossible to attain control over circumstances without attaining control over ideas in ones mind 1st - Without self-awareness we're like machines (brains are computer and programmer) - Self-awareness comes into its own when consciousness steps aside - Field 1 = acquisition of self-knowledge (self-awareness over consciousness to do so) -> Remove all thoughts/senses to release inner self

A Principle Center

- Center life on correct principles = solid foundation for development of 4 life-support factors -> Security: principles don't change, our understanding of them does -> Wisdom and guidance: correct maps enable us to clearly see where we want to go and how to get there -> Power: power of a self-aware, knowledgable, proactive individual unrestricted by others' attitudes or circumstances a. Only limitation to power = consequences of principles themselves that can be positive or negative i. Can choose our actions but not their consequences - Important differences with a principle center: 1. Not being acted upon by other people/circumstances 2. Decisions are most effective because based on principles with predictable long-term results 3. Decisions contribute to your ultimate values 4. Interdependent relationships 5. Comfortable about decisions

Primary and Secondary Greatness

- Secondary traits alone have no permanent worth in long-term relationships - Many people with secondary greatness (social recognition for talents) lack primary greatness/goodness in character

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

- Shift to metaphysics (the abstract)

Possession Centeredness

- Tangible and intangible possessions - Sense of security lies in reputation and belongings - Sense of self-worth constantly fluctuates based on who's around and their possessions

Chain of Being

- Chain of being that seems to divide into 4 "kingdoms": mineral, plant, animal and human -> Modern view: lowest = mineral and gain of powers as move to higher levels - *Ontological discontinuity*: jump in level of being - Mineral to plant = addition of life - Plant to animal = addition of consciousness - Animal to human = addition of self-awareness - No being can understand anything higher than itself - Self-awareness is limitless potential - Existential truth: most "real" world we live in is that of our fellow human beings (we are made by our relationships with other humans) - Most striking progression on chain of being is movement from passive to active - Person above all humans (God): entirely in control of everything, above all circumstances ad contingencies -> Levels of being point to invisible existence of level above human - Progression in origin of movement, necessity to freedom, toward integration and unity, from visibility to invisibility - Many teachings describe man as having 4 bodies: physical, etheric (life), astral (consciousness) and ego/self (self-awareness) - At level of man there is no discernible limit or ceiling

The Principle-Centered Paradigm

- Character ethic based on fundamental idea that there are principles that govern human effectiveness -> Principles are natural laws that can't be broken; woven into every civilized society, comprise roots of every family and institution a. Principles are territory our maps try to describe b. Ex: principle of fairness, integrity, honesty, dignity, service, quality/excellence, potential, growth, patience, nurturance, encouragement c. Guidelines for human conduct proven to have enduring permanent value (not values or practices themselves)

Covey Highlights

- Character ethic: take time to build yourself - Paradigm: lens, we all have one, natural law should be part of everyone's - Natural law: moral laws that guide you to success, embedded in universe - Habits: develop based on natural law; intersection between knowledge, skill and desire - Effectiveness - Private victory: self-awareness, treasure of human beings, don't merely respond to stimuli - Unique power of self-awareness - Habit 1: be proactive vs. reactive (editor of our paradigm because of self-awareness) - The "Love" example: audience member reactive to his feelings, doesn't feel he and his wife love each other anymore, Covey tells him to love her (verb not feeling) (*Your behavior is a function of your paradigm*)

The "Haves" and the "Bes"

- Circle of concern = haves ("If I had more time...") - Circle of influence = bes ("I can be more patient") - Most positive way you can influence situation is to work on yourself -> your being

Wisdom

- Concerned with whole of reality - Concerns aspects of reality that may not be mathematically measured with science

Family Mission Statements

- Core of any family is shared vision and values - Family mission statement becomes framework for thinking and governing family - Should involve every family members' contributions

Family Centeredness

- Destroys elements necessary to family success - Security derived from family - Guided by emotions of moment (yell, scream, overreact) - Love children conditionally -> makes kids emotionally dependent

Organizational Mission Statements

- EVERYONE should be involved in creating mission statement - 1 fundamental problem of organizations: people aren't committed to determinations of other people for their lives (don't buy in if they weren't involved) -> No involvement, no commitment

What it Means to Begin with the End in Mind

- Each part of your life can be examined in context of what really matters most to you -> Clear understanding of destination to understand where are now and take right steps to get there

Pascal's wager

- Famous French philosopher (Blaise Pascal) at start of Enlightenment - believed reason was mathematical - Primary law of logic is that of *noncontradiction*: can't affirm or deny statement in same way (God either exists or he doesn't) - If think about God question, better to bet on God and be right - If God exists and you believe he does: you were right whole time even if couldn't scientifically prove! - If God exists and you don't believe he does: you were wrong but aren't a bad person, etc. - If God doesn't exist and you believe he does: wrong - If God doesn't exist and you don't believe he does: you were right all along! - Often times when people get into question of God/human rights/etc., stop thinking -> there is no truth to be found

Descartes (1596-1650)

- Father of modern rationalism - Shouldn't bother with subject unless as certain as math - Only indubitable truth is real (whole truth, no God) - Building on this -> vertical dimensions (higher or lower) disappear from philosophical map because math and physics can't explain them

Work Centeredness

- Fundamental identity comes from their work - Workaholics - Security vulnerable to anythings that happens to prevent them from work - Wisdom and power come in limited areas of their work

What is the application of scientific method to everything doing?

- Getting rid of ancient wisdom, values, meanings, etc. - "...not so much that scientists are specializing, but rather the fact that specialists are generalizing"

Adaequatio II

- How do we understand world outside us? -> understand life by life inside ourselves (solar plexus) -> understand consciousness by our own (head) -> understand self-awareness by our own (heart) - Restriction in use of instruments of cognition has inevitable effect of narrowing and impoverishing reality - knowledge obtained from "pointer readings" = public knowledge (come from most basic sense that every normal person has) - "Science for understanding" = wisdom - "Science for manipulation" = science -> Old science directed at God (no harm) but new science sees nature as smtn to be conquered - Advancing concentration of man's interest on "sciences of manipulation" have consequences: 1. *Stop asking philosophical questions about meaning of life -> people will suffer* 2. *Faith seen as opposing and rejecting intellect -> world reduced to physical things* 3. *higher powers of man not used -> atrophy or disappear altogether* - For successful action we need to know the results of other options to pick best one (knowledge = prediction and control) - Man's highest values reached when he claims that smtn is a good in itself (no justification in terms of higher good)

What is wisdom?

- Thing we're seeking for - Philosophers like to ask where did we come from and why? - What's our purpose, meaning, meaning of life, etc? - Wisdom concerned with the whole of reality (causes, origin, end, purpose, principles and meaning) -> Particularly concerns those aspects of reality that can't be measured by science (good, beauty, happiness, God, free will, intrinsic value, etc.)

Using your Whole Brain

- Human endowments that enable us to practice habit 2 (imagination and conscience) are primarily functions of right side of brain - *Brain dominance theory*: each hemisphere of brain tends to specialize in and preside over different functions, process different information, and deal with different problems -> Left = logical/verbal (words, parts, analysis) -> Right = intuitive/creative (images, wholes, synthesis) - one side tends to dominate other -> Tend to stay in this "comfort zone" and process every situation according to our dominant hemisphere - Right brain and left brain people look at things differently - Predominantly left-brain dominant world

Act or be Acted Upon

- If wait to be acted upon, WILL be acted upon

Church Centeredness

- Image/appearance are the dominant considerations - Hypocrisy that undermines security and intrinsic worth - Guidance comes from social conscience - Seeing church as end and not means to an end undermines wisdom - Church isn't power itself but vehicle through which divine power can be channeled by man's nature

Leadership and Management - 2 Creations

- Leadership = 1st creation and management = 2nd creation -> No management success can compensate for leadership failure

Spouse-Centeredness

- Leads to strong emotional dependence - Phantom security - Guidance based on emotion of moment - Wisdom and power lost in negative interactions

What is love?

- Love seeks the good of one's self and others - Wanting something to happen - Being an amateur (want to know more)

Making and Keeping Commitments

- Making and keeping commitments at center of Circle of Influence -> Keep and establish commitments - build inner integrity

All Things are Created Twice

- Mental (*1st creation*) and physical (*2nd creation*) to all things -> Ex: creating blueprint of house before construction

Self Centeredness

- Most common - Selfishness - Little security, guidance, wisdom or power - Accepts but never gives

Great Truth of Adaequatio

- Nothing can be known without there being an appropriate "instrument" in makeup of knower - Great truth of adaequatio defines knowledge as "understanding of knower must be adequate to thing to be known" - Our 5 sense make us adequate to lowest level of being (mineral) - Only those facts and phenomena "exist" for which we have adaequatio - Perception of something comes from sensory info and other knowledge and experiences -> Inequality in human endowments - not everyone can "see" everything - Level of significance observer attunes himself chosen by his faith not intelligence - Nothing harder than to become aware of your presuppositions - Materialists believe higher levels of reality don't exist because his faith excludes possibility of their existence - Faith and reason aren't in conflict or substitutes -> Faith chooses level of being at which search for knowledge and understanding is to aim - With light of intellect we can see things invisible to bodily senses - Experience tells us about existence, appearance and changes of sensible things (stones, plants, animals, people) (senses) - Illumination tells us what such things mean, what they could be and what they ought to be (intellect)

Pleasure Centeredness

- Offers no deep lasting satisfaction or sense of fulfillment - Constantly cries for more and more - Become almost entirely narcissistic - Life-supporting factors are fleeting during moments of pleasure

Our Philosophy of Life

- Our philosophy of life is the lens, map (Schumacher), paradigm (Covey), belief-window through which we view everything -> Organizes our thoughts, makes some things more and some things less important, how connect the dots -> Observe everything we think is true, real, important, good, etc. is judged through this lens - When we examine the way we look at the most important things in life we are doing philosophy -> 1 of benefits of doing philosophy is getting in touch with way we see the world -> Covey - examining your paradigm is one of the most important things you can do to be effective -> Schumacher - very important as well

Seeing and Being

- Paradigms are inseparable from character -> Being is seeing; what we see related to what we are

Principles of Growth and Change

- Personality ethic is like a "get rick quick" scheme -> Can't make real progress unless you do the work and go through the steps (develop emotionally too)

What is Philosophy?

- Phileo = love + sophia = wisdom - Philosophy is the love of wisdom - Goes beyond physical surfaces of things and people

Alternative Centers

- Possible centers: 1. Spouse 2. Family 3. Money 4. Work 5. Possession 6. Pleasure 7. Friend/Enemy 8. Church 9. Self

Rescripting: Becoming Your Own 1st Creator

- Proactivity based on self-awareness -> Leadership expands our proactivity using imagination and conscience a. *Imagination* -> view uncreated worlds within us b. *Conscience* -> come in contact with universal laws/principles - Writing scrip of our own like paradigm shifting - Use self-awareness to see scripts (habits) that don't match what we value most - Begin with end in mind -> start everyday with your deepest values at forefront, all decisions based on these, can be proactive and not reactive to other people's 1st creations

2 Ways to Tap into the Right Brain

- Quality of 1st creation impacted by our ability to use our creative right brain - 2 ways to tap in: 1. *Expand Perspective* -> Perspective-expanding experiences generally come from unplanned experiences (traumas, etc.) -> Can do this on our own using imagination to reveal our values 2. *Visualization and Affirmation* -> Good affirmation has 5 ingredients: its personal, positive, present tense, visual and emotional -> Can then visualize this affirmation daily and eventually behavior will change (write your own program) -> Best athletes and peak performers are visualizers (begin with the end in mind) -> Right brain one of most important assets in creating mission statement and integrating it into our lives -> Affirmation and visualization are forms of programming our computers (ourselves)

Identifying Roles and Goals

- Roles and goals give structure and organized direction to your personal mission -> Provide foundation for effective goal setting and achieving

Inside-Out

- To change ourselves effectively, 1st change our perceptions (change our lens)

At the Center

- Very center of Circle of Influence = most basic paradigms -> Focused effort here expands circle of influence - Whatever at center will be source of security, guidance, wisdom and power (4 life-support factors) 1. *Security*: sense of worth, identity, self-esteem 2. *Guidance*: source of direction in life 3. *Wisdom*: perspective on life, sense of balance 4. *Power*: strength and potency to accomplish smtn -> 4 factors are interdependent a. Security and clear guidance bring true wisdom and wisdom is spark to release and direct power

By Design or Default

- We are either 2nd creation of our own proactive design or of another person's agendas, circumstances or past habits - habit 1: you are the creator; habit 2 is 1st creation

Money Centeredness

- Will bring about its own undoing - Often put aside family and other priorities - Money provides no wisdom or guidance and limited degree of power and security

Friend/Enemy Centeredness

- Young people often have this center - Social mirror becomes sources of 4 factors - High dependence on moods, attitudes, etc. of others - No intrinsic security - Guidance comes from person's perception of how others will respond - Wisdom limited by social lens/enemy centered paranoia - Individual has no power (other people do)

Identifying Your Center

- best way to identify center = look at your life-support factors - Many of us shift between centers (rollercoaster of life) -> No consistent sense of direction (guidance), no persistent wisdom, no steady power supply and no sense of self-worth and identity (security) - Ideal = 1 clear center -> Gives high degree of security, guidance, wisdom and power

Organizational PC

- fail to respect P/PC balance in use of physical assets in organizations -> decrease organization effectiveness - PC principle is to always treat employees exactly as. you want them to treat your best customers - P/PC balance = essence of effectiveness

Listening to our Languages

- language of reactive people absolves them of responsibility

Writing and Using a Personal Mission Statement

-We detect rather than invent our missions in life (Frankl) - Your mission statement becomes your personal constitution -> solid expression of vision and values - Writing or reviewing mission statement changes you -> Forces you to think through your priorities deeply and align your behaviors with your beliefs

4 Great Truth's of Schumacher's map are based on...

1. "The World": is a hierarchic structure of at least 4 great Levels of Being 2. "Man": his equipment to meed the world (principle of adequateness or adequatio) 3. His way of learning about world: concerns the 4 Fields of Knowledge 4. What it means to live in this world: distinction between 2 types of problems (convergent and divergent)

Myths About Philosophy

1. *Philosophers disagree and so no one is right* (no consensus or agreement about these issues, therefore there is no truth to be found) 2. *It's all a matter of opinion and personal choice. Thus there is no real truth here!* 3. *It's impractical - its a waste of time* 4. *It's not modern - we will be reading about ancient dead people* (questions are vital and important) 5. *It's against faith!* (1 of greatest philosophers if St. Augustine)

3 Kinds of Assets

1. *Physical asset*: object -> Quest for short-term results means we often ruin a prized physical asset 2. *Financial asset*: most important = capacity to earn 3. *Human asset*: people control physical and financial

4 Fields of Knowledge

1. I - inner 2. The world (you) - inner 3. I - outer 4. The world (you) - outer - Creates questions: 1. What do I feel like? 2. What do you feel like? 3. What do I look like? 4. What do you look like? - We only have direct access to fields 1 and 4 -> Can directly feel what I feel and see what you look like -> Much harder to know what someone else feels or to see ourselves from outside

Top 10 Reasons to Study Philosophy

1. More you know Socrates, Aristotle, Augustine, etc. -> aid in thinking for oneself, the more I know the more I can think, make judgements 2. Search our and explore what is really true, good and beautiful -> no one wants to be enslaved to misinformation 3. Have a choice: focus on physical building blocks -> very certain knowledge about them, or go higher/deeper -> examine friendship, love, immortality, etc. (not going to be easy, but important to think about; see patterns, learn about people, value) 4. Science is not enough (only deals with physical objects that can be empirically tested and verified) (may be realities that aren't accessible to this method -> intrinsic value, dignity, love, freedom, ethics, etc.) 5. Philosophy - through logic - helps us to organize our thoughts to argue, and to present our viewpoints well (logic is tool to get at truth) 6. We can discover impact major philosophers have had on major historical developments which still impact our lives in significant ways 7. Strengthen your mind and its ways of knowing by exercising it 8. Like "self-help" books? try the originals! (original thoughts of philosophers) 9. Because your thoughts influence your whole life! 10. Required!

What are humans most uncertain of?

Human are uncertain of how to get what they want but above all WHAT they want

What happens when you limit yourself to knowledge that's true without doubt?

Minimizes risk of error but maximizes risk of missing out on most important and rewarding things in life

Skepticism

Reach of human mind strictly limited

Overall Gist of Habit 1

You are the programmer, you are responsible for what happens to you