Clarification...........
Apparently I need to jumpstart this discussion. Tweak it a little.
There are people who don't analyze anything. They live in a stimulus/response mode most of the time. Whatever comes their way; they deal with it at that moment. So, for them, life is a surprise party all the time.
I'm looking for people to answer my topic question who DO care to analyze things. I'm looking for people who want to prepare for life ahead by having a mental toolbox that will fix anything.
We've all known the "handyman" who can repair any breakdown and get dysfunctional machinery up and running simply by knowing how it is supposed to work and having the right tools/parts to fix it. Right?
That is the role Philosophy plays. It gives you a toolbox. It asks the question : What do I know and How do I know it?
Many people in society do things everyday that LOOK GOOD to them, but, the injury they suffer afterward belies the apparent good of doing or obtaining it.
Smoking, drinking, drugs, unprotected sex, speeding, dishonety----all seem "good" to the people doing them. But, the aftermath oftens sets them (and others) back in life and the personal toll of debt, injury, illness, etc. makes these actions obviously self-inflicted wounds instead of real "good".
So, I ask again: HOW DO YOU determine what is the "good" thing for you to do, to think, to obtain?
Do you use your head for anything other than a hatrack? If so, share it with the rest of us. Tell us how your sense of GOOD improves your life and gives you a leg up on surprises that catch you off guard.
Thanks to Lady Lee for moving the thread from the wrong section. I was careless.