Everyone knows the phrase, "I think, therefore I am", coined by Descartes. The saying basically implies that we know we exist simply because we are able to question whether or not we do. I prefer the inverse of that same quote by Kierkegaard, who said: "I am, therefore I think". I like the latter for two reasons; one, because it postulates that existence comes first and as a result, anything I do following this is my own choice (which I find comforting and simultaneously gives me some anxiety). The second reason is that it feels like a call to action. I exist, therefore it is my duty to think. Not only to think but to become as competent at it as I possibly can, learning from experiences, reading and expanding my mind in whatever ways I deem worthwhile.
This is why I am such a strong, albeit fairly novice proponent of becoming familiar with many different branches of philosophy. It's almost like cheating your way to ideas far beyond your grasp. The great philosophers throughout history have dedicated their lives, minds, and entire being to thinking, typically about a particular topic. To deny that a great mind with a singular intellectual goal has something of real worth to offer you, a college student, is preposterous. Even if you don't particularly agree with what you're reading, there is an immeasurable benefit to thinking about why you disagree. It provides a solid foundation for you to really understand your own beliefs and convictions, and may even encourage you to act upon them. Ideas that you come across may challenge your beliefs, and if not change, at least alter them. Moreover, if you find a sect of philosophy that you agree with, it will provide you with the means to understand your own ideals, and progress them past the point they would've ever naturally reached. Most importantly, it will encourage you to think.
It's very easy to turn your brain off, mindlessly scrolling through tweets you only half read, and silently judging the people on your Instagram feed. I find myself doing it more than I'd like, and really question what the return of all the time I spend on social media is. It's easy to fall into that trap in this political, social and ideological climate. However, it's not difficult to see that we are on the precipice of some huge societal shift, and as a result, it's more dangerous than ever to allow yourself to become complacent in your thinking.
Put a name to the things you think and know in your heart of hearts to be true. Figure out why existentialism is so freeing, and why postmodernism might not be the perfect way of thinking. Solidify your convictions through analysis of our species greatest minds. Challenge yourself to fire on all cylinders. Your existence precludes everything else about you, all that's left now is the thought you put into everything you do. My call to action is to go about it with some thought.
