16 Life Philosophies That Give You An Unfair Advantage In Life
It's all about knowing the 'why' behind your actions.
Just dance | Shutterstock As I teeter on the edge of what many consider a major life milestone (40 years), I feel reflective. I’m people-watching at a Sofia cafe. I see people of different styles, shapes, and compositions stroll past, rushing to work. Many are lost in thought.
It’s difficult to gauge what’s going on in their lives. But these people likely experience life entirely differently from one another. We can have the same job, but one is miserable, and the other is happy. Knowing why this is comes from philosophy.
Here are 16 life philosophies that give you an unfair advantage in life:
1. The quickest way to misery is to overestimate your thoughts and underestimate your actions
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Intuition will tell you what to do but will not give you a reason. The ego will provide you with the direction to go, giving you a million reasons for doing so.
It’s a common human tendency to overestimate our abilities. For instance, a study found that 80 percent of drivers rate themselves above average—a statistical impossibility. This pattern is also seen in how people assess their popularity and cognitive skills, as confirmed by a 2008 study.
The real problem arises when individuals, due to incompetence, not only make incorrect decisions and draw wrong conclusions but cannot recognize their mistakes. This lack of awareness can lead to serious consequences.
2. An imbalanced body contributes to unnecessary anxiety, which steals from your most energized, authentic you
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To maintain harmony in your body, the best thing you can do is avoid stimulants. In a 2023 study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers reviewed the adverse health events associated with consuming energy drinks among adolescents and children, taking into account preexisting health conditions and other trigger factors.
Energy drinks, marketed as physical and mental enhancers, contain stimulants such as guarana and caffeine and are known to have cardiovascular side effects, including cardiac arrhythmia and arterial hypertension.
3. It’s better to hurt someone’s feelings by being true to yourself than to be nice while smothering your own self-expression
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Our daily lives consist of absorbing unrealistic expectations from the media for what we should look like and how our romantic relationships should be.
It’s no wonder that our social media is merely a presentation of who we think we should be and not a reflection of who we are. So, rather than letting fear drive our self-expression, we must learn to accept ourselves for who we are.
4. Many people at any given moment will be doing seemingly ‘better’ than you
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It’s easy to fall into comparing yourself to others and to feel low as a result. But we’re all on our path. What they are doing has nothing to do with you. We’re all facing our unique obstacles Have others be a source of inspiration, but if you feel worse through comparison, you must put blinders on and get back to doing it your way.
A 2022 study found that perceived social support and self-esteem had a significant negative serial mediation effect in the relationship between social comparison orientation and psychological well-being. Research has also shown that perceived social support and self-esteem sequentially mediate the relationship between active social networking site use and loneliness.
5. Thinking deeply about yourself puts you in control of your life, but it only makes you more insecure
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Instead, focus on doing things that significantly improve other people’s lives. A 2022 Frontiers in Psychology research result shows that helping others increases people's satisfaction with life. While satisfaction with life is inversely related to negative emotions, engaging in prosocial behaviors reduces the impact of these negative feelings.
6. Your life will become much easier when you stop expecting it to be easy
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Whether it's your friends or family, we are constantly being let down by those we care about (and who care about us). But perhaps it's because we have high expectations of those around us.
We can't expect people to always do what we want, and we can't blame them when we are let down. We have to meet people where they are, which means bridging the gap from our expectations to their reality.
7. Separate yourself from the pack by doing one thing at a time
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Action will do the required ‘thinking’ for you. Science can explain the reasons men and women do the things they do. Research from a 2017 issue of the Stanford Medicine Magazine shows that the female brain operates differently than the male brain. Each has been trained by millions of years of evolution.
8. Stop worrying about the ‘ideal career'
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Just get good at finishing the things you start. Form a career around being dependable. Although career planning and career indecision may appear to be the result of career stress and career exploration, these can also be viewed as causes.
A 2022 research study from Frontiers in Psychology has also shown that career indecision can lead to cognitive and physical anxiety and career indecision can also be regarded as a source of career stress. In addition, the career decision-making process and career exploration process interact.
9. Don’t be concerned about whether you are doing the ‘right’ work
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Nothing is right for you. ‘Who cares what’s ‘right?’ All that’s right is you honor every commitment you make. Commitments are all we have anyway.
10. You are not that ‘different’
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You are not less than anyone else. We’re all human, we’re all weird, we’re all capable of evil, and we’re all nervous about what others think. We are all connected in our uniqueness.
A 2017 study from the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that when you feel like everyone around you is having more fun and spending more time with friends, it can make you feel bad about yourself — even if it's not true. Social media "perpetuates the idea that other people are more social than you," researchers say. "We often fail to communicate when we fail, which might be bad for us and our social network."
11. Even if you feel awkward or nervous, you must own every decision you make
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Why? Because there is no right way, and no one else knows what they are doing, so why do you allow yourself to limit yourself when it’s your turn to shine?
12. The more afraid you are to lose a piece of self-worth, the easier life will be
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As humans, most of us want to be authentic. We want to be grounded in our own skin, secure in who we are, and accept our strengths and weaknesses. We want to be able to live a lifestyle that reflects our inner values, beliefs, personality, and passions.
13. Don’t forget the power of slowing down physically
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Our thoughts are connected very closely to our physical being. If we rush our words and actions, our thoughts too slow down. When our thoughts have decreased, our minds are more settled, and we are far more effective and happy. If in doubt, slow down.
14. Fear might seem like a negative force, but it's actually incredibly positive
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We misunderstand fear. We dislike the feeling and label it harmful. But if a wolf is running towards you with teeth snarling, the sense of dread is saving you from standing still and dying.
In the same way, when you feel fear in your everyday life, it signals to you the presence of something highly significant. If you’re scared to get on a stage to talk, that fear shows you what’s worth doing, not what to avoid. There is an opportunity here. What you fear is always a doorway to a better life.
15. Have faith that you will know what to do in the moment
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It’s easy to think we need others to hold our hands. It’s also easy to fall for the lie that we’re inadequate. But you have more than you believe hidden deep inside. Your instincts are correct. Your inner wisdom knows the way.
16. Do not fall for the modern tripe of needing to ‘look inward,’ ‘find yourself,’ or ‘focus on you,’ if you’re anxious or depressed
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The reason you’re depressed in the first place is because you’re focused on you. The solution? Help others. Stop whining. Stand up tall. Own your choices. Take action, and don’t stop. You ‘find yourself’ by challenging yourself through doing things that aren’t always easy.
A 2021 Frontiers in Psychology study found that volunteering, or participating in unpaid work to benefit others, is a profoundly positive experience. It enhances individual well-being and contributes to community projects. Research has shown that volunteering is strongly linked to improved mental health and well-being.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.