You might be taking it as one of your subjects or you might not be allowed to take it at all. You might be utterly fascinated by it or you might just not care about such ‘impractical’ things. Recent analyses of educational systems all over the world show how important it is for children to be doing philosophy. Being presented with philosophical questions at an early age does not only increase the children’s IQ up to 6.5 points but also improves their emotional intelligence, self-esteem and confidence. Youngsters doing philosophy are able to quickly progress to the level where they can make choices based on their own judgement. Teachers have noticed that students interested in philosophy are able to critically evaluate and not just passively receive information. Studying becomes more of a thrill; it is not just repeating the dogma but engaging yourself in the process of learning by sorting the information according to its relevance.
Doing philosophy is not just sitting in an armchair, being isolated from the outer world, with a bottle of wine to save you from your tremendous (and potentially painful) discoveries about the meaning of life. It does not mean that you have to grow a beard and a belly and live in a barrel. Philosophy is thinking about the things that matter to you and the people around you. It means being able to form a coherent opinion and being an active member of your society.
Guiddity
