Philosophy

philosophy |fəˈläsəfē|
noun
 

• the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.

 

• a particular system of philosophical thought.

 

• the study of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of knowledge or experience.

 

• a theory or attitude held by a person or organization that acts as a guiding principle for behavior.

Truths (beliefs)

    1.    Humans are biological creatures and are products of the natural environment just like all other living things.
   2.    Humans are subject to all the basic animal instincts and drives that empower us to survive, thrive, procreate, and find security and pleasure in life.
   3.    Human basic emotional traits underly and support our basic instincts.
   4.    Humans are capable of intellectual development beyond our basic instincts.
   5.    All human experience is individual and subjective.
   6.    Humans are inherently social creatures being born into and taught to adapt and survive in specific social environments. Consequently, all humans have, not only an individual identity, but also a social identity.
   7.    The human spirit is the sum of our natural conscious experiences.
   8.    Humans can learn about and better understand ourselves.
   9.    Humans can use self understanding to better manage instinctive drives, emotions, intellectual development, and social relationships.
   10.    Humans can use self understanding to better understand challenges and achieve personal and social goals.
   11.    Humans are responsible for creating meaning and purpose in life.
   12.    Humans are individually and collectively responsible for all we do on this planet, including identifying, pursuing, and achieving goals for happiness in life.

These are the fundamental beliefs that provide the framework and premises that underpin the EgoPilot thinking and lifestyle. They are not dogmas. Such convictions can only be arrived at by careful, open-minded, disciplined, research and study, and tested by critical thinking, reasoning, and logical validation, before acceptance. This belief system also acknowledges and accepts human limitations to learning and knowing, and never claims to have all truth or all the answers, or to be able to see reality from all of its infinite perspectives. There is always room to learn and understand more. 

 

However, as conscious intelligent beings, we all build our own internal pictures of reality which guide us as we navigate our way through life. Typically we build these pictures from whatever we are told, learn, experience, figure out, or imagine.  The EgoPilot approach to learning and belief construction seeks to rely as much as humanly possible, on facts and information that can be reliably demonstrated or rationally proven in the real world, rather than on myths and traditional dogmas.

 

Values

   1.    Individual power, resourcefulness, self determination, and responsibility
   2.    Acceptance of individuality and diversity as universal norms, and tolerance of and respect for harmless individual and group differences
   3.    Egalitarian social relationships which balance individual needs and wants with reasonable social needs for the greater good
   4.    Collaboration and cooperation with others, versus competition and conflict
   5.    Objective truth rather than self-serving ideas, beliefs, delusions, and mythology
   6.    Lifestyle practices which support physical health and well being
   7.    Lifestyle practices which maintain emotional control, health, and well being
   8.    Lifestyle practices which value and maintain healthy social relationships
   9.    Lifestyle practices which uplifts the human spirit
  10.   Education and intellectual development practices that promote these values
  11.   Creativity, discipline, effective work, and perseverance
  12.   Rational moral principals and practices that support these values.

These define the concepts, ideas, and ideals, that drive and steer choices and decisions in daily life. These cannot be achieved by faith or blind conformity, but can only be inculcated through reasoned reflection on human realities, experiences, and outcomes.  EgoPilot does not offer any canned prescription for success, or any fixed list of rights and wrongs, or definitions of good and evil, as is the case with many traditional philosophies.  Instead, it offers rational principles, based on reality and an understanding of human needs, potentials, and challenges, which can be used to make intelligent moral assessments and decisions in daily life situations.

Personal Development Principles

   1.    Self understanding can facilitate self acceptance, self value, and self development.
   2.    Self understanding can lead to better understanding of others.
   3.    Self understanding and understanding others is the key to social relationships.
   4.    Self understanding and understanding social and other environments is a key to self direction, life management, and life achievements.
   5.    Self understanding and understanding life challenges is a key to personal goal setting and goal achievement.
   6.    Self understanding and acceptance is a key to achieving balance and harmony between our inner forces of basic instincts and emotions and our higher intellectual, social, moral, and spiritual selves.
   7.    Self understanding is central to a better understanding of the greater universe that generates and supports the self.
   8.    Truth, self understanding, acceptance of reality, empowerment, and balanced values are keys to achieving a rewarding life.

These principles outline the EgoPilot approach to living, learning, and personal development, based on demonstrated experiences and outcomes.

Practices

1.   Using guided meditative introspection and reflections to increase self awareness and understanding
2.   Using effective tools and guides for self understanding and life management
3.   Self assessments and measurements and self acceptance
4.   Planning and implementing self development strategies and activities using a natural hierarchy of human      needs and aspirations to guide our priorities and expectations

5.   Identifying and implementing goals for self development
6.   Monitoring self development outcomes
7.   Celebrating growth and achievements
8.   Reviewing, revising, and redeveloping, self improvement goals and plans
9.   Using orienting, reorienting, refocusing, and re-balancing activities and routines to keep moving toward

      goal achievements and spiritual rewards
10. Spirit building activities and routines 
 

These are some of the important behaviors, strategies, and regular activities that support and maintain the EgoPilot lifestyle.

Limitations

Obviously, this lifestyle is not for everyone. Those who already share some of EgoPilot beliefs and values can find it helpful in enhancing their existing lifestyle and practices. Those who seek self empowerment and self determination can also find the principles and practices useful in providing concepts and a supportive structure to help achieve their goals. However, those who need to be led or guided from the outside, or those who see themselves only as recipients of the dictates of life, fate, and the universe, or those who believe that life outcomes have been predetermined by overwhelming powers and conditions they cannot affect, may not find this approach to life acceptable or useful.

 

EgoPilot & Choice

 

The EgoPilot lifestyle in only available to those who have a choice in lifestyle.  Many individuals don’t really have much choice in how they live because of mental, cultural, religious, political, or other constraints. Still others don’t have a choice because they don’t realize that they do have a choice.  They are just as tethered as those who are restricted by real physical or social constraints.  If we cannot see our freedoms, we cannot use them.  If we cannot see a path from where we are to where we can be, we will not take it.  Choice is limited by perception and permission.  If we come to see that we have many personal choices in life, though not unlimited choices, and give ourselves permission to exercise available choices, without irrational fears about repercussions or reprisals for those choices, we can then be free to explore more choices.

EgoPilot Can Work For You…

…but only if you are:
 

• Willing to learn for yourself

• Open-minded to valid, real, true information, no matter how different from what you are accustomed to, or how initially uncomfortable it may be

• Able to accept, integrate, and use new information and insights

• Willing and able to change your beliefs, values, priorities given better information

• Willing and able to invest in your own growth and development

• Have the motivation and drive to sustain the efforts required for growth

• Have adequate resources and are in the right environment to achieve your goals

• Have the discipline, control, and perseverance required to manage your life for better outcomes

• Can accept the responsibility for finding your own meaning and purpose in life

• Have the capacity to be happy and achieve spiritual rewards and satisfaction in life

Indeed life can be, and has been lived, in many ways for all of human existence. There is no one philosophy or approach to life that guarantees success exclusively. Some ways of living are clearly more rewarding and bring more happiness than others. Some ways of being are more compatible with certain personalities than others. Some ways of being are more effective for survival and thriving in certain social or cultural situations and environments. The more we know and understand about ourselves and our life environments, the better position we will be in to chose a lifestyle that can be effective and rewarding for us. If you are one of those individuals that prefers to take control of your own life as much as possible, and develop and adapt yourself to be successful in whatever environments you may find yourself, then EgoPilot can help.

Summary of Key Concepts & Elements

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• A philosophy of life and living based on an understanding and acceptance of important realities that determine and affect human existence, starting with self realities.

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• A developmental approach to life and learning that seeks to utilize our understanding of ourselves and our world to maximize our individual and human development.

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• A reality-based strategic approach to personal development, goal achievement, and life management.

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• An acceptance of the individual responsibility to create life meaning, purpose, and rewards through valid knowledge and beliefs, helpful values, intelligent priorities, individual and collective empowerment, achievements, and positive spiritual experiences.

EgoPilot is an organic framework for living, built on a foundation of awareness and acceptance of the fundamental realities of the human self, including: its natural inclinations, limitations, and potentials; the natural world and universe; human social, political, and economic conditions. The framework itself consists of a collection of organized strategic ideas, values, tools, and practices that can help individuals achieve life goals and rewarding life experiences.

 

Identifying and attaining meaningful life goals and enriching life experiences is, in fact,  the creation of meaning and purpose to life itself, which is the responsibility of every individual.

I recognize that not everyone is of a mindset to entertain or utilize this framework. But for those who belief in self determination, have the intellectual freedom to think and reason for themselves, have given themselves permission to master their own lives as much as is possible, and have a deep and genuine quest for life and living here and now, EgoPilot can help.

Where to Begin?
 

Most of us don't wake up every morning thinking about self-understanding and personal development strategies.  We typically don't even think about this kind of thing until we experience some type of life crisis, major challenge or failure, or some deep dissatisfaction with ourselves or with life outcomes.  This is quite understandable.  If something is not broken, why try to fix it?  Just go along, live life, and be happy.

If, however, there are things in your life that can be improved, or specific goals that you still need help achieving, then EgoPilot can help.  The framework EgoPilot provides can help us place our needs or goals in specific frames and perspectives so that we can begin to study them, better understand them, and develop plans to address them.  EgoPilot also provides tools and strategies that can help in the process of self-discovery, change, and growth.

 

If you think you have a need that this approach can help to meet, then do your own needs assessment, determine what resources might help, then look at what EgoPilot has to offer.

 

Our Self Satisfaction Survey  can help you get started.