What is The Financial Philosopher (TFP) and how did it come into existence? This question is best answered on my About page; however I will give you a short summary here: A friend urged me, Kent Thune, to start this blog in 2006 as a means of driving traffic to my firm's website. After establishing (TFP) and writing a few posts, I discovered my love of writing and continued the blog as a creative outlet with little or no real effort to use it as a marketing tool. I've even extended my writing professionally. For more on my professional writing, see my writer's site, The Thinker's Quill.
What is the purpose of this blog? Do you advertise? In terms of the purpose for readers (you), that is for readers to decide; and for myself, the primary purpose of this blog is for creative outlet. If any advertising or marketing efforts are made in the future, it will be to promote products created as a result of my writing here. In the near term, I plan to create and launch some of these products, such as eBooks and other published work, extending upon the themes in this blog; otherwise I have no current intention of selling advertising space to third parties. In general, I hope to be a constant source of reflection, introspection and perspective to help others seek and maintain meaning and purpose in their lives.
What are the Being, Knowing and Acting categories on your tool bar?
Being, Knowing and Acting are the three primary aspects of philosophy. Here is a summary of each:
- Being: For centuries, philosophers have thought about Being in terms of man’s existence and how to explain reality, including those concepts stretching beyond the physical world – metaphysics – such as God, virtue, language, and perception. As one of the first existential philosophers, Soren Keirkegaard, said, "Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are." There’s no real meaning and definition to life until you pursue meaning and define things for yourself – to define your own reality. Accepting other people’s view of reality can prevent you from living a meaningful, authentic existence. When referring to Being, it is important not to assume that the term is referring to a being, as in a physical reference to your self or another person. For example, Being does not always mean human being; it can also mean being human or, more specifically, being your authentic self, which begins by clarifying your meaning and purpose in life—the why in why you live.
- Knowing: The prudent pursuit and application of Knowing is rooted in that of self-knowledge. External knowledge, however, is most commonly sought and is a misguided pursuit. As 16th century philosopher, Sir Francis Bacon, profoundly stated, "Knowledge is power." Where one can be misguided by this abstract metaphor, however, is that social conventions and media messages imply that knowledge consists of acquiring information about things beyond your self; of external things, such as money and material wealth; and the means of obtaining them. Information, however, is not knowledge and knowledge is not wisdom. The empirical knowledge of external things, no matter how it is obtained, certainly can empower its possessor for purposes of physical world pursuits; however, the desire for power, paradoxically, has potential to be self-destructive. You may also find ways of obtaining greater material wealth and social status by consuming information about these things; but in absence of self-knowledge, these physical world pursuits can lead you further away from true happiness and well-being—away from your authentic self. Self-knowledge is true power and is the root of Knowing, for purposes of this blog and my other writings.
- Acting: Put simply, Acting can be described as what you do—your actions—or where you spend your energy in the form of time and effort—your work, your recreation, your relationships. Often, however, it is your Acting that produces Knowing, which may be described as experience. Experience can certainly be "good" or "bad" but all experience is useful, especially if self-knowledge is possessed and personal growth, and hence more prudent Acting, is therefore enabled as a result of the experience. Even an experience that produces unintended results may become a tool for growth. In the realm of personal finance, Acting is most commonly taught, revered and expressed as behaviors and strategies for acquiring and maintaining financial wealth. Acting may be considered the how in how you live. For reasons or results, whether they are right or wrong, good or bad, Acting is where action is taken based upon your Knowing, or lack thereof; and it is thus a physical world reflection of your Being (or lack of Being).
When do you plan to publish your eBook and other written works and how can I obtain them? I will publish an annotated eBook of quotations in 2011 and I will keep readers posted here at The Financial Philosopher on the release date and how to obtain a copy.
What do you do for a living? As explained on my About page I started my own business, a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm, in 2006, to spend more time with my family and to apply my life philosophies to my financial planning and investment advisory practice. I am a Certified Financial Planner and I have an MBA. I also am an adjunct professor at a few colleges around the Charleston, SC area and I am a free-lance writer.
