Okay, so I teach this class…
I'm a lucky college prof who gets to teach courses on human behavior, exploring how bonkers and bananas and wonderful we human beings can be.
One of the courses I teach is a strange one; it's on life’s big questions. It’s taught to sophomores, and together we spend the year trying to understand things like, “What should I do with my life?” “When I’m dying, what kind of life do I want to look back on?” “What makes life fulfilling?” “What’s the role of relationships in life?” “Would I rather lead a life that’s fun for me or meaningful to others?”…and other stumpers.
Lots of students want into the course because sophomores are stuffed like Thanksgiving turkeys with questions, and they still believe there’s a handbook out there somewhere that contains all the correct answers. Deep down, they’re hoping on day two I’ll pass out a spiral-bound notebook that says, “On page 33 you’ll find a chart showing the exact profession guaranteed to bring you boundless wealth and happiness, and on page 51 is a photo with the name and phone number of your true soulmate.” (Wouldn’t that be great? If I had a handbook like that I’d be a bazillionaire living on a tropical island with my soulmate.) (Who is my wife, of course. Not Stana Katic.) (Far as I know…)
I’ve been talking about questions like these with sophomores for a decade, and I think we've all learned a lot. I’ve also found that whenever I mention the course outside the university bubble, people of any age (from 15 to 85) say, “I wish I could take a class like that!” It turns out, we all have questions. We all wonder if we’re doing it right, this thing called life. All of us…
The final project for my course asks students to craft their own “life philosophy.” A daunting task, for sure. Yet they always seem able to do it with such interesting results. And here we’re encouraging you to do the same. As you read through our questions and thoughts, consider your own. Explore your own answers to some of these big life questions.
Here, in the Life Philosophy Project, my students (current and former) and I share our questions and insights. The insights we share aren't necessarily our own, insightful as we might be. Rather, they're things we've encountered that inspired us to think, wonder, and sometimes feel like--just for a moment--we've caught a glimpse behind the curtain and found a real answer. We cover a range of ages, interests, and views, so hopefully there's a little something here for everyone.
If you want to offer an insight, ask a question, or just share a little something, use our “Contact Us” page. We aren’t trained counselors and make no promises whatsoever herein...but we’re out here and we think and listen, and in today’s world, that’s worth something.
Welcome to the Life Philosophy Project!