A friend walked in as I was enjoying a book recently. An interesting conversation followed that went on like this…
Bilal: So its true that you are a voracious reader.
Ajay: I just like to think of myself as a forever student. And who can be better teachers than books!
Bilal: Great! So, what are you reading now?
Ajay: The story of philosophy by Will Durant.
Bilal: Now Im intrigued. How does reading philosophy help an entrepreneur?
Ajay: Doesnt it? Think about it. To start with, isnt the vision and mission of your organisation largely influenced by your philosophy of life? Or are they just plaques displayed in your reception area?
Bilal: No, not at all. Tell me more.
Ajay: Be it in our personal or professional lives, every step of ours is guided by our philosophy and outlook of life. Are you able to stay calm when things around you seem to go haywire? When you make strategic decisions how objectively are you able to think? Are you able to work on even the smallest detail keeping the larger picture in mind? How do you handle arguments or debates in your office?
Bilal: Yeah, these are all difficult situations.
Ajay: Yes. And its your philosophical clarity that will come to your aid in such difficult situations. Because philosophy lets you step out of yourself and see things objectively. It helps us to constantly review and renew our ways, decisions and thought processes. Because as Socrates said, the unexamined life is not worth living!