Nothing New Since Plato vs Artistotle

All Philosophy started with the Hellenic Greeks.  You could even say high culture began with the Hellenic Greeks.  Philosophy creates culture.

To this day, in Academia, people still learn Plato and Artistotle.  There is not much new in the realm of philosophy.  The basic idea was, Plato believed the idea exists in heaven and the idea shapes the reality.  But Artistotle saw it the other way.  He said, be ignorant, observe nature and what really works, then base your conclusions on what you observe.

I am more like Aristotle than Plato.  A good scientist knows he doesn't know.  There is an element of humility in science.  If you are biased, egocentric, a xenophobe, or a retard, you won't make a good scientist.  The Chinese are the best scientists because they are the least egotistical and proud and are open to what is. 

The Ancient Greeks had a lot to offer modern man, that was Nietzsche's whole idea.  They loved combat sports like boxing, wrestling, and MMA.  They were secular yet educated.  There was upward mobility in their society.  They valued philosophy and the arts.  They took care of hygiene and health.  You could say all Western culture comes from the Greeks the way all Western religion comes from the Hebrews.

So there is nothing new in philosophy.  You either live in the realm of ideas and scientific theories and mathematical equations, or you simply observe what works.  You can study all your life and still be largely ignorant of many things. 

Western Medicine is based on reductionist science.  They do cadaver studies, so they know the way a human being is really made up.  They do studies in Academia with mathematical equations and scientific theories.  And they experiment constantly, even in the use of new medicines.

But there is another kind of science.  There is empirical science, where the scientist observes what works in the real world, and draws his conclusions on what actually works in real life scenarios.  This is what TCM is based on.  Observation.  The Chinese have been agrarian the longest, so they have had civilization the longest.  So they've seen generations come and go.

Chinese culture is more like Aristotle.  A good doctor can diagnose the patient just by looking at him or listening to his words.  He doesn't need fancy machines or diagnostic equipment.  And blood tests don't tell much about what is going on inside the human body.

So you can live in the world of ideas or the world of reality.  Accept reality.  It is what it is.

I love music the most, but I don't see it making a full time income for me.  And I will never be the Beatles or even Mariah Carey.  At best, I can be a copywriter during the day and play music during the evenings and weekends. I can also teach kickboxing and Aikido because i am qualified.

So there is hope for me.  I am stable on my budget and more or less money is not the issue.  By observing what the market wants, what businesses are profitable, and what I really need to do with my life, I can assess what is best for me.  I should teach Aikido and sell articles online and keep doing music every day. 

My college education didn't really help me, but my hobbies did.  You learn by doing.  Only through experience do you gain skill.  If you do something one hour per day for 20 years, you become the master.  So get children involved in extra curricular activities between ages 8 and 15.  Their youth is the foundation of their entire life.  Don't waste your youth. 

If I could, I'd teach children what I know.  But I don't socialize well.  So maybe I can teach through the written word, by writing books and blogs and selling articles. Music is educational too.  And Aikido is an education in survival and winning without a fight.  There is more to the martial arts than Karate and MMA. 

So Philosophy is not a waste of time and is not an optional subject.  Quite the contrary, philosophy is the most important thing you can learn.  Life begins in your mind.  By taming the mind, you master the self.  And then life is a breeze. 

So in conclusion, I like Aristotle, the Chinese, and Nietzsche a lot more than Plato, Western Science, and Western Medicine.  Don't be biased.  don't live in fantasy land.  Don't force the idea onto the reality.  But be natural and simple and humble.

It is what it is.