Living like a sheep means conformity, and it lacks the carefree happiness characteristic of a dog’s life. Zac: We’re not trying to create a generation of contrarians, but we do feel it’s important to recognize sheepy behavior in oneself, which many of us participate in, likely without even realizing it. But what do dogs have to do with the importance of individualism? Well, let’s consider the other option: living like a sheep. Evidently, great philosophical minds from all parts of the world think alike. For this reason, people called him a ‘Cynic’, from the Greek for ‘dog’.Īnushka: The Buddha talked about the exact same thing: keep the company of dogs, he said, because they will teach you how to live your happiest life, by rejecting the need for social conformity and ‘normal’ behaviour. Zac: He argued for the disregarding of social norms, and suggested we should enjoy nature, seek happiness in the present moment, and ignore social pressure. But as much as I’d like to, Anushka and I have elected not to give an inspirational talk regarding the importance of ‘being yourself” and will, instead, shed light on the philosophy of Diogenes.Īnushka: Diogenes the Cynic was a Greek philosopher of the fourth century BC who advocated for the importance of radical individualism. I believe the problem lies in the fact that some teens – and others – think keeping up with the latest trends and ideas will guarantee them some status among the herd. Zac: The point here is not necessarily to make fun of people who want to keep up with the trends. But how social is too social? How can we resist our culture stunting the growth of our unique characters? In a world that constantly markets the appeal of ‘fitting in’, how can the modern teenager keep his or her individualism?Īnushka: Human beings are social creatures. Zac: The world around us is constantly trying to mold us – whether by way of the advertisements we’re shown, the social media tailored to us, the way our friends act, and so on.Īnushka: Social media is a means by which people of all backgrounds are meant to share their unique ideas, but often it’s a platform where unique personalities begin to mesh into something more homogenous. Zac: So where does philosophy fit into our busy lives? Well, Anushka and I, in the moments of relaxation that interrupt our workloads, use philosophy to make sense of the crazy adult world that so many of us often feel unequipped to enter.Īnushka: We want to start by discussing something we find particularly pertinent in the life of many teens, including ourselves. Many adolescents across the world have workloads that rival those of professionals in the corporate world. In any case, teenagers have their own busy loads to attend to. Teens are stressed-out people trying desperately to improve themselves and the world they live in. SUBSCRIBE NOW Young Philosophers The Sheep & The Dogs Anushka Bhaskar (17) and Zachary Cerniglia (18) take inspiration from Diogenes the Dog.Īnushka: Being a teenager is definitely hard work.
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