Five Philosophies for Practical Living. Practical Exercises for the School and Community

1. Recognize and show gratitude to people whose goodness hasDr Abe V Rotor

  made you what you are today.

Exercise: List down ten very important people (VIP) outside your family circle and personal friends, who have influenced your thinking, attitude and behavior, and your well-being. These people may not necessarily belong to your generation; they may have lived before in another era and country. You may not have met them at all. Nonetheless, their influence on you is lasting.

 

Confucius - great teacher and
philosopher of the Orient

2. Each one of us is a child of Nature.

Explain what it means to follow the laws of nature. What natural cycles influence your life. Why is the circle infinite; more so with eight (8)? What are these used as symbols of cycles in nature.

Cite ten of these cycles and explain each. How does life fit in each cycle?

3. It is not how long you live that matters most in life but the significance of your existence, the quality of the life you live.

Exercise: List down ten most important achievements in your life, and explain each. Are these worth living for? Do they lead you to the answer on "Why are you here?"

4. Holism of knowledge is in the use of 4 Hs - Head, Hands, Heart and Humanity. Exercise: Draw four squares in four successive sizes as to fit into the largest square. Then draw a diagonal line that connects the corners of the 4 squares. Label your drawing accordingly. Explain the significance of this illustration. When does knowledge evolve into skill, and ultimately into philosophy?

5. Rationality of man rests on the eight realms of intelligence - logic, spatial, languages, kinesthetics, music, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalism.

Exercise: Evaluate yourself according to the eight realms. Use the Likert scale of 1 to 5, in creasing value. Analyze your strength, and weakness as well, based on your scores. ~

                          

* Kong Qui, better known as Confucius, was born in 551 B.C. in the Lu state of China (near present-day Qufu). His teachings, preserved in the Analects, focused on creating ethical models of family and public interaction, and setting educational standards. He died in 479 B.C. Confucianism later became the official imperial philosophy of China, and was extremely influential during the Han, Tang and Song dynasties.