Unmployed philosopher thread

>>8864029
Tell us your thoughts on Plato. What do you like best about him? Favorite book and ideas by him?

>>8864051
the allegory of the cave

>>8864029
I double majored in political science in addition to philosophy, and am now gainfully employed in a profession that offers middling to high pay, and that I find to be validating work.

Your problem is not that you picked the wrong major, it is that you are a depressed ex druggie. Go out an make something of your life. There are plenty of gainfully employed philosophy majors who had the vim to make themselves useful. Whinging on a mongolian basket weaving forum isn't going to turn your life around for you.

>>8864058
>the allegory of the cave
>Wasted four years learning philosophy
wew lad so many levels of irony

>>8864051
Plato (or Socrates?) is basically right about everything. I'm not an expert, I've only read a few different translations, but I have read all the dialogues and his philosophy is every bit as intricate as anything modern and perhaps even more beautiful. There is so much esotericism and artistry to unpack. Especially once you start synthesizing the various dialogues in your head. I would recommend starting with Apology, Euthyphro and Crito. As far as concepts go, I like daimons.
>>8864063
>you are a depressed ex-druggie
All too true. I really have no good response to this. I just enjoy being useless and wallowing in self-pity. I don't want to be useful and feel happy. It's almost as if I've given up on that type of happiness. My attraction to philosophy is probably just a reaction formation to being a shallow person. I am a wannabe dandy without any discernible talents. A hippie looking for a free lunch. Existential to a fault, too sensitive to live like a normie. Never learned much about making a living, just various ways of putting on airs. But sometimes the cool facade cracks under pressure when relatives and anonymous strangers alike tell you to become useful. Oh well, not my blog.

>>8864219
So yeah as the poster said, the thread is misleading... you're not unemployed because you're a philosopher, it's because you don't want to be useful. At worst you could get a shitty McDonalds job and work your way (because I doubt they get all too many graduates). It's not that you can't make yourself useful, it's that you don't want to.

>>8864219
Learn to teach. Start with English if you have to. Create Socratic dialogue with students. Be a university tutor.

If you want to wallow and be useful at the same time, teach philosophy.

I feel like joining a monastery too OP. Fuck this world. The hatred I feel for society is immense and it will not be swept away by consistent impulsive attraction towards a member of the opposite sex.

>>8864966
What do you hate about the world?

>>8864219
>Plato (or Socrates?) is basically right about everything.

Proposing that society be ruled by an aristocracy thats kept in poverty and outside of social life, and that songs, stories and plays should be censored to now show undesirable or unrealistic behavior, so people don't get any funny ideas, or that countries should have no more than 30000 people population isn't what I'd call "right about everything".

He sure as fuck isn't right about physics and nature of reality.

>>8864029
You should learn to appreciate the fact that you live in a society, albeit an imperfect one, that depends on the economic usefulness of its people. Take pleasure in some work, it doesn't matter what it is and it doesn't matter if you're not solving life's mysteries, but pick something up which will keep your hands busy at least. If you're lucky you'll find something that allows you to use your brain. You say you're talentness but you're here talking about philosophy so you can at least read, write and reason which is more than a lot of people.

Like many people on this board I would rather be a writer but instead I work in an office. However, I chose something which ultimately does help people and forces me to use critical thinking. Every night I go home to my shit apartment and read my books but at least I know I've contributed something.

>>8865002
Society sickens me. Most people repulse me. I repulse myself enough but at least I don't inflict myself or my ideology on other people. The world has gone from being a place of wonder and opportunity to a place of loud noises, irresponsibility, degeneracy, superficiality and boastful mediocrity. I can either remain miserable in a steady job fulfilling my social obligations or quit and travel around to more disgusting societies or simply rot in my room until I'm forced to make rent once more. I don't want to participate any longer. This world offers too little for the effort it demands to earn it. I admire Hitler for being one of the few disgruntled outcasts to actually successfully take out his anger on the world, but ultimately I realize that it's irresponsible to do so. I have no time for lazy, hackneyed axioms about accepting your lot in life and being a humble peon while the waters wash over you. And I have no interest in trying to change the minds of stolid peasants addicted to the status quo.

>>8865039
>>8864926
>Protestant work ethic
Also McDonalds doesn't want college graduates. A degree is a detriment when looking for a job like that.

>>8865054
First semester away from home was pretty rough, huh?

>>8865054
Number of times you said 'I': 8
Number of times you said 'we': 0

You're missing the point of all of this. You can hate the thing you're a part of but you're still a part of it. If you seriously have no desire to contribute in any way or even to help people in need (such as volunteering) then your narcissism has got the better of you.

My advice is to find something useful to do with some of your time. If you can't do that, get out into nature and see some of the world.

>>8865090
Epic, I like it.

>>8865111
It would seem as though my narcissism has got the better of me. But I see no "we" that I wish to be a part of, except perhaps my family but even that is a tenuous community at best.

I grew up in a rural area and return there every several months. I have lived in several different cities and have spent holidays in other countries. No amount of crop rotation will distract me from the disgust I feel towards consciousness and the world is has given rise to. As for the word "useful", should I delegate the definition of such a word to you, or to the dominant social consensus, or myself? If it's to be myself, then I conclude that suicide would be the most logical course of action at this point.

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>>8864029
You know what to do.

>>8865365
But OP doesn't have a wife and six kids?

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>>8865131
>suicide would be the most logical course of action at this point.
Not until you first take obscene amounts of psychedelics it's not. That or just come out of the closet already you flaming homo.

>>8865054
>he hasn't taken to quietly sabotaging the lives of those around him yet
It's loads of fun, anon. Give it a shot and don't get caught

>>8864063
I agree, you can't expect to sit around the house chatting on image boards learning about philosophy and expect to be happy.

>>8867324
But somehow a job would make him happy and imbue his life with meaning?

>>8868163
Some jobs will. Meaningless jobs can make many people depressed. But most people can learn to love working with their hands, especially if they are creating or fixing something. It is something you can look at and say to yourself: look at that, I did that with my own body and mental resources. You don't get that with a shitty paper pushing office job, retail or customer service. Get a trade or work outdoors and work your body to exhaustion, labouring or chopping wood or something. . Few things cause malaise and a sense of directionlessness better than working to exhaustion several times a week. Or get a job where you can just appreciate nature, a tour or adventure guide or something. Park ranger etc.

>>8868204
I mean to say CURE malaise.

>>8864938
Second this

>>8868204
[talking out of ass intensifies]

Perhaps I can introduce you to a new school of philosophy.

Read 'Think and Grow Rich' By Napoleon Hill.

It contains a great secret that will change your life forever.

By 'Rich' I do not mean only in material wealth, but in a healthy mind, spirit and body.

>>8864029
I, too, am an armchair philosopher familiar with certain chemical aids.

Turns out I actually did figure out a ton of deep stuff and now I make ridiculous returns playing the market. :D

Get over yourself and go do something awesome.

>>8864966
Get out you heteronormative cuck.