2 Before personalized customization, let's first deconstruct the general template the philosophica

2 Before personalized customization, let's first deconstruct the general template: the philosophical world and schools of thought of sages and philosophers

The foundation of belief lies in philosophy (also known as Dao or Heavenly Dao). Philosophy, Φιλοσοφία (Greek) / Philosophia (English), is a term coined by the ancient Greeks 2,500 years ago, meaning "love of wisdom" or "love for wisdom". Philosophia is composed of two parts: Philo, meaning love and pursuit, and sophia, meaning wisdom. Together, they signify the love of wisdom, which refers to the cognitive activities undertaken by humans to enhance their cognitive abilities and become wiser. In layman's terms, philosophy is the continuous questioning of the most important questions for humanity, focusing on eternal issues such as the essence of the world, why humans exist, and truth, goodness, and beauty. Pythagoras was the first to use the terms philosophia (love of wisdom) and philosophos (philosopher). In modern times, philosophy also carries the meaning of "highest wisdom", used to explain fundamental questions such as the origin of the world, the essence of existence, and the meaning of life.

"Love" refers to "striving to approach", rather than "completely achieving and possessing". For example, when we say we love someone, it means striving to get close to them and become intimate with them, not to completely possess them. Therefore, the philosophical concept of "loving wisdom" also refers to striving to approach wisdom.

As for "wisdom", we often praise a child as smart, but rarely as wise; we also praise an adult as wise, but seldom as smart. "Smart" represents innate talent, and one's intelligence level is not achieved through acquired efforts; "wisdom" is related to one's life experience and, especially, reflective ability, and belongs to cognitive abilities acquired through practice, rather than innate. A typical example is Zeng Guofan, who was not a person of innate intelligence, but was willing to put in hard work. Through acquired efforts, diligent thinking, reflection, and comprehension, he became a person of high wisdom. Conversely, if we praise an adult as smart, such as saying "this person is a bit clever, self-righteous, or too clever", it actually carries a negative connotation, implying that he is unwilling to put in effort and deep thinking, and his actions are superficial and lack wisdom, "gaining a bit of cleverness but losing great wisdom". For a detailed distinction between the two, refer to section "5.10.2 The Difference between Intelligence and Wisdom".

Hint: In the realm of spirituality, there are three distinct types of "thinking": art (sensuous intuitive thinking), religion (transcendental representational thinking), and philosophy (pure thinking). Among them, philosophical "pure thinking" represents the highest stage of spiritual development. Philosophy is also known as "the thought of thought" or "the thinking of thinking" (reflection). The most famous inscription carved on ancient Greek temples is "Know thyself", which signifies what makes a person human.

The primary utility of philosophy is not to augment practical knowledge but to elevate the spiritual realm. Philosophy is not oriented towards problem-solving; rather, it involves contemplation and the enhancement of one's realm. The "usefulness of uselessness" in philosophy lies precisely in its non-utilitarian (or "useless") objective. Instead, it enables us to transcend the inherent (and limiting) way of thinking that is centered on practicality, allowing us to view issues from a higher perspective, a higher dimension, and gain a more fundamental insight into things. This is precisely the "great utility" of philosophy. Therefore, often, in order to break free from the limitations of thinking, we must be adept at transitioning from "useful thinking" to "useless thinking". Only in this way can our thinking achieve true freedom. Furthermore, as previously mentioned, philosophy is used by ordinary people daily without their awareness. The purpose of this book is to elucidate these "great principles" so that you can become aware of them.

Philosophy is a compass that points out the general direction, not a specific and detailed map. Philosophy does not directly change the world, but rather changes our view of the world. Philosophy is called "the use of the useless" because it does not directly solve specific problems like science and technology. However, the value of philosophy lies not in these aspects. It concerns how we think, what kind of worldview and values we hold, and it also delves into abstract and profound questions such as the essence of human existence and the meaning of life. Moreover, philosophy can also critically reflect on our thoughts and beliefs, helping us become wiser and live more freely. There is a popular saying, "You can only earn the money within your cognitive range," and philosophy can help you expand your cognitive range.

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