We define the word use by the amount of measurable value we can get from any given thing. This line of thinking extends from our industrial revolution-esque upbringing. A world where efficiency matters more than soul.
The restricted definition of use restricts the amount of usefulness we can get from any given topic. We expect results, we expect happiness, and we expect direction. But, do we every really possess any of these things?
More likely our possession is illusory and exists in a constant state of change. We grasp an idea for a fleeting moment before it returns to the ethers. We drill down a concept only to forget the concept months later when we try to call upon its usefulness.
Instead of looking at application and instant change what if we intended to look deeper. Imagine a stamp that never fades. One that’s covered under enough dust, dirt, and grime we can never get to it even if we really wanted to, but it’s still there nonetheless.
Philosophy can impact you at these depths. You never really know if it hits and makes an impact. You never really know if you’re going to remember or recall all the details. But, it doesn’t matter.
All that really matters is the experience. Sometimes this comes in the deliverance of a revelation. Other times it comes in the darkest cloud of confusion. One that can lead to despair if we’re not careful.
Exploratory philosophy is a dive into the deepest parts of your own personal psyche. Instead of using an inquiry of self you’re using a flashlight from someone who has been there before.
Obviously, she hasn’t been into your psyche, but the road is similar enough you can navigate somewhere using the map you’ve been given. Sometimes this map is complete shit and has zero level of resonance. But, other times the holy grail you hold has been forged from past versions of yourself. Like you’ve been leaving yourself breadcrumbs across the timeline of life to give yourself a little more guidance in this moment.
This occurs when there’s a layer of consistency in the level of thinking from the writer. This is when true immersion and beauty occurs. When you find yourself in the soul of another’s words.
Exploration, curiosity and aimless thought are only useless in a system that prioritizes surface level goals at all costs. Before we consider whether something is useful or not, we should look beyond its application and look towards where it takes us in the present moment.