The role that philosophy played in shaping my mentality and perspective on life

Justine Antonette Ceballo (12 – Cambados)

When I first started studying philosophy, a common piece of advice that I received
was, "It will change the way you think." I was so headstrong and innocent that I thought,
"I'll prove you wrong, this is just another boring lesson." On the contrary, when I traveled
back to the time before I discovered Philosophy, I realized that I was an information-
consuming machine at that time. Despite the fact that I had a lot of things going through
my head and a lot to say, I was almost incapable of exploring my mind.

I can now see how a more balanced mindset is presenting itself to me in the day-
to-day activities and responsibilities that I face. I started taking a step back and asking
myself, "Why do I think this?" rather than misinterpreting situations and repeating the
same mistakes over and over. What are the rational grounds and considerations that lead
me to conclude that this is the case? Now that I've reached the stage where I don't need
to actively think about this newly discovered cognitive process, it makes problem-solving,
reasoning, and thinking far more organized.

Taking a step back from the world of academics, philosophy may really be
beneficial to daily life. In my own experience, I have often had trouble expressing my ideas
and making sense of what they mean to me. Philosophy was helpful in this regard since it
lays the foundation for cognitive processes that may be used in other contexts.

My mind has always been one that is always going over and over things. My
thoughts just won't stop spinning. Philosophy taught me to be patient, to work things out
step by step, and to put together the pieces of a puzzle of whatever mental chaos was going
on at the time. The best part is that it provides me clarity in thinking and a more positive
reason for why I want to say something, which is very helpful for someone like me who
has frequently struggled to get my voice heard or to get my point across. I figured out how
to make myself heard a little bit better and justify what I say in the process. Therefore,
philosophy not only molded the way I think but also helped me develop a more positive
mental attitude.