The best advice I ever received came from my great grandfather.
My great grandfather, like so many from that time, was a veteran of the Second World War. Perhaps this helped him gain a keener insight into human nature; because he had a saying so profound, so practical, and so wise that it has been passed down to every one of his descendants. Ready?
“Philosophy f***ing philosophy.”
I'm sure you can fill in the blanks.
Now, I never got to meet my great grandfather, though I certainly wish I had. But I have heard this saying all my life. When as a child, I asked why people do cruel things, or what made the difference between a good and bad person, or why some triumphed so successfully and others failed so tragically; I always got the same answer. Philosophy f***ing philosophy. My great grandfather's point, and why this little proverb has remained so enduring in my family, is because even though it’s easily underestimated – philosophy is everything. Our philosophy directly relates to how we prioritize, how we act, how we think, how we navigate relationships, how we face setbacks, and how we survive. Mind over matter is a very real thing, especially in warriorship.
Of course, no one’s philosophy will be quite like anyone else’s. We all have different beliefs and experiences, and we are all unique in this world. Yet some things are essential to all human beings.
The Love of a Warrior
The modern term ‘philosophy’ descends from the Greek Phil-, meaning love, and Sophia, who is a Greek goddess that personifies wisdom. It’s fitting, perhaps, in that all practical Warrior philosophies are founded on a single and timeless motive: Love.
It can seem something of a cliché today. Yet it is also the staple of humanity. Love is the best thing we do. It’s where we come from, what we long for, live for, fight for, and die for. Love makes death worthy and life worth living. It is love which gives purpose to wisdom, compassion, justice, innovation and even conflict. Warriorship is the most empowering, and ironically most selfless path a person can take – because what would you not do for those you love? What darkness can you not face, and what trial can you not surmount when what you love is on the line? Is there ever a good reason to give up, to accept defeat? Can you honestly settle for anything less than truth and wisdom? To be a warrior is to be the very best of humanity, because it’s the essence of love which animates the warrior spirit in each of us.
Love needs to be championed, and yet for love to achieve its greatest potential, it needs to be tempered with wisdom. This is why warriorship requires a philosophy, a Love of Wisdom, because it is through wisdom we may achieve victory – and victory is no less than a Just Peace, within and without.
Every warrior needs a philosophy, and it's no small thing. As we discover our own understanding of truth, we cultivate the code we live by, and when they time comes, will die by. Yours will be unique to you, and that is as it should be – because it can come from nowhere else than your own heart and be championed by none other than you.
So, whatever you live by, let love be at its core. And remember; Philosophy f***ing philosophy.