The beginning of Western philosophy

What do you think about ‘Philosophy’? I thought… philosophy is really cool. I want to be a philosopher. But…. you know. It’s very hard. I can’t understand anything. Wow… This philosophy books went over my head. After that, I was no longer interested in Western philosophy.

I think ‘philosophy’ is to learn how to think logically. Kant also made a similar remark. Are we thinking really? Have you ever thought? Let’s find out what ‘thinking’ is.

Socrates : Real philosopher

The beginning of the philosophy is the Socrates. Pre–Socratic philosophers focused on the natural world. But Socrates, sophists focused on man. Everybody knows Socratic method. It is very famous. Many entrepreneurs take advantage of it usefully. Because it go to the heart of the human nature. It can be applied anywhere.

It is like that Socrates defined philosophy as “to love wisdom”. The word philosophy comes from ancient Greece. ‘Philo-’ means ‘to love’. ‘sophy’ means ‘wisdom’.

He sacrificed his life to protect values. He verified again and again. “How to live well?” He asked again and again. What is ‘well’? What is ‘death’? Hmm… What is the best value? Can we compare values? He always talked with people on market and on street anywhere.

What’s the end of the conversation? It always resulted in Aporia. ‘Aporia’ means a dead-end alley. Finally they told Socrates. “At first I think I knew that but now I don’t know anything at all.” By doing this, Athens think Socrates have evil magic. So kill him. But Socrates were not afraid at all. Because he decided it upon his life. He didn’t chicken out. For this reason, Socrates is called ‘Real philosopher’ Everybody realized philosopher is a great man.

Socrates & Plato & Aristotle

The amazing thing is that Socrates wrote nothing. Plato went apprentice after him at 20 years old. Socrates had many students, but Plato was his best student. Surprisingly, Socrates appear mainly in the Dialogs of Plato. Also Aristotle was Plato’s student. This three people made big changes.

“The saftest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of foodnotes to Plato” – Alfred North Whitehead <Process and Reality : An Essay in Cosmology>

Therefore Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were the most influential philosophers in Western philosophy. What do you think the flow of western philosophy is? We focused on the fundamentals. What’s the purpose of your reading? It is the most important. I want you to learn ‘How to think’. I think This is the philosophy. 🙂

“Manager James, Write a planning document by tomorrow”

A ‘planning document’ is always hard to me. Have you ever experienced that situation? James may thought ‘What should I do now? Oh, No! Maybe I could spend the night. It’s horrible.’ And James really stayed up all night. He gave his sincere planning document to Boss proudly. But in five minutes later, he got out of the room with a long face. Why? He got his fingers burned. Boss said “For what?  Stop! In a word? I do not feel it, not a bit! So what? So you think I should do this?” If I were him, I’d be out of my mind.

I write this column on the basis of this book. But this book ‘Standard procedure of the project‘ is only Korean edition. It‘s sad. This book is very pragmatic. It is made up of 4 parts. Here it is! ‘For what?’  ‘Stop! In a word?’ ‘I do not feel it, not a bit! So what?’ ‘So you think I should do this?’ It is an application of 4 MAT(Dr. Bernice McCarthy (USA)). Now, Let’s start!

“Why are you do that? For what?”

Why is very important. We must prepare to this question. It’s a little bit too harsh. If we can live through this, we can live through anything. In a word, you can success when you are not working as planner. Everything is consumer-friendly. ‘Why do they need to do this?’ We must focus this! Do you know 5 Whys? The technique was formally developed by Sakichi Toyoda who is the founder of Toyota Industries. It said to us “When you are facing problems, try to repeat ‘Why?’ five times. If you do, you can see the real cause and do something real.” This is the first step.

“Stop! In a word?”

He may have a hot temper. In a word, it is a ‘Concept’. This one sentence must be written in their mind. It’s a good topic for conversation. “Why are you do that?” “Beause It’s meaningful!” “I want to see how I‘ve grown.” It can also be comforting. It sends message that It is not your fault. “Aha! It was not my fault… I’m relieved. If I just simply fix it, everything will be fine.”

“I do not feel it, not a bit! So what?”

It is important to draw a picture in opponent’s head. So far, analysis and concept is really good. But we still did not come up with any real things. Now all we have to do is to show things seemed to run already. Let us know the dialogue between moms in advance. Show twitter and facebook page in advance. All of this are predicting.

“So you think I should do this?”

This is a finishing blow. Hearing about all these, he still hesitate to give a definite answer. Here, we need numbers. “What would happened if we did?” 60,000 students can see our brands. 180,000 people can change their life. It can add $10 million to us. It can be a successful transaction each other. Now, you can get out of the room satisfactorily.

Did you read well? Now is the time to initiate real planning. It will make you the best. Good luck to you. 🙂

Today is the last day of this year.

Are you ready for the last day?

I have mixed feelings. Hmm… I have some pleasant memories and some sad memories. I’m very vulnerable. I have a good time with friends. We had a heart–to–heart talk about our way. I shed many tears. Is this sympathy? I’m very vulnerable. But I’ll never give up. Get a grip, gird your loins, make your case and quit whining.

What is our way?

What kind of person are you? These days, this question was very important to me. What do you think of these days? I was wondering.

The way I walk is to pursue ‘Growth‘. Next year, I have many things to want to do. What I want is ‘Driving force‘. What I want is ‘Counseling‘. I want to change. I have to change.

Otherwise, I’ll lose me…

I want to change. I have to change.

Happy New year!!!!! 🙂

Let’s make Christmas cake!!!

Now, Christmas is coming soon in one month. There are multi-colored pretty lights dangling big tree and couples will walk arm-in-arm down the street.

On such a nice day, I’m wondering if we should try a gift to family or lovers. Gift is to make a pretty cake for them. Therefore I will introduce you about the Christmas cake to make at home. There are many kinds of cake such as sweet potato cake, chocolate cake. Among these by far the greatest is strawberry cream cake.

From now on, let’s learn how to make strawberry cream cake.

First, Cake sheet

First, ingredients of cake sheet are flour (Soft flour) 70 g, three eggs, sugar 60 g, butter 20 g, 18 cm round cake mold, hand mixer and parchment paper.

• In advance Eggs are removed from refrigerator an hour ago at room temperature.
• Melt the butter and sift flour. Add the eggs and sugar on the bowl and whisk the cream.
• When whipped cream become ivory color and firm, add sifted flour and mix evenly with melted butter.
• Make a sheet with parchment paper in the 18cm circular frame and then pour the batter.
• Dab three times up and down and preheat oven to 170℃ and then bake for 25 minutes.
• Cool completely cake sheet and cut a top of cake flatways, and cut horizontally in half again.

Second, Toppings

Second, ingredients of toppings are strawberries 500 g, cream 300 cc and 2 tablespoons sugar. Ingredients of syrup are water 60 cc and 2 tablespoons sugar.

• Whisk the cream firmly with sugar, cut the white part of strawberries and cut in half lengthwise. Boil syrup with water and sugar and cool it.
• Apply syrup moistly to two sides of cake sheet that we already cut.
• Put the bottom of sheet cake on plate and brush top with whipped cream.
• Put a round cake mold and put strawberries around the dish so that you see cross section of the strawberries.
• Fill the middle part with whipped cream and remaining strawberries.
• Lastly fill it with cream to the top and place cake sheet over cream.
• When It held its shape in refrigerator, remove a cake mold, spread evenly on top with whipping cream and decorate with strawberry and herbs.
• It is complete!!!

With the year coming to an end, make a cake and other tasty dishes. 🙂

Langston Hughes(1902~1967) ‘I Dream a World’

I dream a world where man

No other man will scorn,

Where love will bless the earth

And peace its paths adorn

I dream a world where all

Will know sweet freedom’s way,

Where greed no longer saps the soul

Nor avarice blights our day.

A world I dream where black or white,

Whatever race you be,

Will share the bounties of the earth

And every man is free,

Where wretchedness will hang its head

And joy, like a pearl,

Attends the needs of all mankind

Of such I dream, my world!

What does ‘Peace’ mean to you? Look for your answer

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” – Bohemian–Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926)

Have a good day 🙂