CJ Faderogao

 Men suffer more often in imagination than in reality. -Seneca We are bounded in imaginary chains. We find security in our properties, status or organizations but do they really provide lasting satisfaction? Do they really give us freedom or do they make us servants trapped in a cycle of pursuit? For anyone who have thought about these same concerns, I would say that they would also come to the same conclusion: we're forgetting that much of the things we chase are  means, not ends in themselves, and we become willing slaves if we don't know the difference.  This is why it is important that we become careful stewards of our minds. As we become chained externally to material things, false ideologies, or social pressures-things that conditions us to mindlessly pursue them-we can regain our sense of control by taking responsibility of our judgments. This implies that we educate ourselves liberally: acquainting ourselves with diverse perspectives, thinking independently, and s...

Photo by Lukas on Pexels Freedom to me is not my being free from physical restraints. It is not my being free as a citizen, an employee or as a member of any organized institution. And it is especially not my being free from material or financial limitations. I strive not to cling to all these things because I am realizing each passing day how fragile and temporary they are. I am coming to terms with the thought that I will forever be chasing mere phantoms if I continue to pursue such things for their own sake. For I am realizing that e xternal gratifications can never satisfy the yearnings of my inner world. It is by looking within that I knew what freedom is. It is by realizing the vastness that I have inside me. A part of myself that I fail to tap into each time I focus my gaze outwards, into the impermanence of the material world. Within me is a pure place, free of judgments, beliefs, and conditionings. A sanctuary where there's no need to play pretend, manipulate or lie.  With...

Philosophy, as a field of study, is often conceived as something unpractical. A thing that only has merits in contemplation but has no implication in daily living. However, this notion, just like any other idea, contains only a sliver of truth. Philosophy remains an armchair activity if it is really done only in contemplation. We forget that the other half of the responsibility lies in ourselves, in the way we translate philosophical ideas into real world actions.  Philosophy must have practical implications. Although it involves thinking most of the time, we should not forget that the reason Philosophy is there in the first place is to serve as a discipline that will help us discover, make sense, and interact with reality in a harmonious way. Through it, we know lessons that we can use to live justly, courageously, moderately, and wisely. There is one Philosophy in particular that seeks this same reconciliation. A school of thought that has seen a revival in interest in our contem...

Different careers require different forms of training. There are careers that require the development of our minds such as in Law, Literature, or Mathematics. There are those that require the enhancement of our physical attributes like Sports or Dance. There are also works that rely on our communication skills like Marketing or Journalism. Given these, could there be a single principle that we can follow to effectively achieve mastery no matter what field we are in? A concise method that can straighten our path towards proficiency?  By knowing and studying m asters- persons who have achieved success in their respective fields-there emerge an observable trend in their path towards competency. We come to know that technique, intensity of training, and passion are not all it takes to become great. There is a rather simple yet powerful factor that we often overlook: the amount of time we spend doing our craft.   Studies show that repository of experience throughout years of consis...

Searching for meaning is nothing new to us.  Finding purpose in our work, relationships, and environment is the engine that keeps us running. Purpose provides us with a sense of direction and allows us to navigate the complex maze that is our daily lives. It is one thing to find meaning. But it is another to realize that there could be nothing at all. As we grow older, our ever increasing awareness sheds light on the arbitrariness and partiality of our personal beliefs, preferences, and aspirations. We become accustomed to the indifference that the world has on them. Our lives become stripped of certainty, realizing that real meaning is not out there but rather something that we ourselves are creating, projecting to reality. This outstripping of meaning is inherent in our getting caught up in routines, mundane tasks that take up most of our time. Waking up, eating, commuting to work, work for hours, then commute again, eat and go to sleep. Then rise up and do all these again for d...

We all want to be in control of our time. We want to manage our life in a way that we can balance all of the things we want to do (leisure) and the things that's making it possible for us to do so (career). This is the ideal. Life however is not that simple. Entering our adult life has its excitement and joy but it also has with it the challenge of taking responsibility for how we use our time. One of the challenges that I faced as I enter my adulthood is time management. It seemed that as I made my way out of college and into the workforce, I suddenly found myself surrounded by deadlines, tasks, and priorities. Adding to all these is the necessity of handling my personal life in areas like my finances, relationships, and personal development. I found myself juggling them all for months, feeling stretched out in the process, until I read about a time management concept called The Rule of 3. The rule of 3 concept is originally from J.D. Meier's book Getting results the agile w...

What makes a good life? This question has been asked throughout history by philosophers, academics, religious leaders and politicians. Although answers differed from each culture, there remained themes that unites them all. Certain values that are central to our common humanity regardless of our country, race, and traditions. In Greek thought, they call these the four cardinal virtues. They are Justice, Fortitude, Temperance and Prudence. In his book The Republic, Plato referenced these four virtues as necessary traits that people must uphold in order to create a just society. Where each citizen has their distinct role to fill and everyone lives according to the maxims of balance and equanimity. Aristotle expanded on these thoughts on his idea of  the golden mean. A moral norm that suggest living in moderation between the excesses and lacks of the human character.  Although Greek in origin, these virtues have also made mark in the tenets of Christianity. They were named as T h...

When's the first time you've known about Greta Thunberg? In the news? In social media? Like many of us, I too was baffled on how a teenage girl from Sweden is able to speak out powerful truths about our changing climate. But I guess that's just the power of telling the truth. You can lean on it even if you're alone; voicing out the truth will always be heard amidst a thousand drowning voices. Greta's work, that of upholding climate justice, started in August 2018 when she protested alone in front of the Swedish parliament house holding a sign with the words "Skolstrejk for Klimatet" (School strike for climate) skipping out her school class in the process. She garnered instant attention from local news publications. In just a span of weeks, people supporting her cause soon accompanied her in protest. Not only this but similar strikes, inspired by Greta's cause, were also organized in other countries. Prior to her protest, Greta was living a simple life....

Starting a reading journey in Philosophy can be intimidating. With numerous topics to cover, it can easily be confusing and drudging. It is, however, normal to feel these things. It's the point of Philosophy after all to get us to question and reflect upon our society, ourselves, and the world that we live in. Nevertheless, it would be of help to have a starting point. A place where we can plant the seed of our curiosities and nurture it as we go along the journey. The internet is teeming with recommendations: "Start with Greek Philosophers" or "Begin with Stoicism" and there are also some that encourages starting with anything we find interesting.  In my case, I went about it by going through Philosophy's History. I decided to make a survey of the subject's landscape first. Doing this allowed me to be familiar with key themes, people and the timeline that occurred within the history of thought.  I think this approach can also be helpful to other people....