An important place to begin in philosophy is this: a clear perception of one’s own ruling principle. —Epictetus, DISCOURSES, 1.26.15
- The ultimate goal of philosophy is not to learn from others, but to discover who we are individualy, how we work, and what we want to become. A good first step is to clarify what our principles are. This is not necessarily easy, especially if that's something we've never done before.
- We may realize that we have principles we can't explain, but can't get rid of either. They may have been nurtured unconsciously as a result of our upbringings. That's often the case for people issued from religious families.
- Understanding what our principles are can guide us in our pursuit of wisdom. I guess it can also help us make sure we are studying philosophical thoughts that resonate with our principles, which is a good way to avoid cognitive and emotional dissonance.