My growing admiration for Philosophy

“If you were to be a real seeker about truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” – Rene Descartes

At the start of my academic year I absolutely abhorred learning Philosophy. Now, I know that is a harsh word to use but, unfortunately I couldn't see past the old men with beards discussing whether the existence of god is necessary or the ethics behind a certain situation. It is only recently that I have found an admiration for the subject. I feel as if it has the capability to give me a perspective on things that I would have never thought of, which is something that I feel I need once in a while. Something that can challenge my beliefs as well as help me to develop as a person and learn to think logically. This is the subject that gave me the biggest confidence boost due to the extensive debating skills that are required (which I still haven’t completely acquired yet. Baby steps, baby steps) nevertheless, the fact that I am being put out of my comfort zone is something I appreciate.

Yes, as a Muslim I feel that I struggled to maintain some of my beliefs due to philosophers such Epicurus and J.L Mackie who suggested the 'problem of evil' and the 'inconsistent triad'. They argued that if god is traditionally omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnibenevolent (all good) then how can it be possible that he exists if there is evil in the world? When I first heard this I thought it was a solid argument. 

However, the main reason to why I enjoy Philosophy is because there is not always a definitive answer. For example, if I were to produce a rebuttal I could say that without evil in the world we humans would not have the potential to have emotions such as compassion and empathy. To back up this point it would also be very useful to use a quote- “Allah does not place burden to a soul greater than it can bear” [Surah Al-Baqarah [2:286]]. Then again, if I were to offer a counter argument I could question: what have the people who are experiencing famine or disease done to deserve such great hardship?  And for this I'm going to let you make your own mind up.

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In short, philosophy is a beautiful and beneficial subject (you just need to give it a chance). Also, I would like to add that it is not a bad thing to question your beliefs; as long as you know where both your head and heart lie. It is absolutely normal.

Thank you for reading :)

Friendship

Take example from our friendship, guys..

“A friend cannot be considered as friends until he is tested in three occasions; in time of need, behind your back and until after your death”- Imam Ali (AS)

As I get older I feel that some friendships tend to fade away and most of the time it is the fault of both persons. Reasons for this may include: one person doesn't make as much effort as before and you’re stubborn (like me) so you return the favour, or you grow out of them (and/or vice versa). I personally believe that having a minimal amount of friends lessens the 'drama' that us females just cannot stay away from.

Word of warning though, if you are my age or younger as awful as it sounds, you will probably experience a falling out with a friend and they may show you a side to their personality that you didn't even know existed. If you have, or are experiencing this currently I would advise you to remain calm and talk things over to whoever it may be because friendship is a beautiful thing and to let something petty ruin it is a complete shame. despite this, at the end of the day it is up to both of you (or however many there are) to sort things out. Eventually your problems may blow over BUT you may never talk to that individual again and I think that this can have silver lining in that you will have more time to engage with people who care about you as much as you care about them.

It may be that you feel that your friend is suddenly acting strangely or they are pushing you away. Just understand that if  you know that you haven't done anything  wrong there is no use in blaming yourself and it may seem unfair at first but you will get through it quite quickly as unnecessary negativity will cause you unnecessary stress. One thing that I have learnt, is that life is temporary and it helps to stay away from those who make you feel lesser than them.

On a lighter note, I would advise you to cherish your friends because often times we forget how much they mean to us and the main thing is to have FUN. As cliché as it sounds friends who laugh together really do stay together and I learnt that only recently. I hope to carry that philosophy with me for the rest of my life.

The Importance of manners: London VS Toronto

Now, be honest how many of you actually say ‘thank you’ to the bus driver when you've reached your stop? I for one am undeniably guilty of being that person that doesn't. Nonetheless, I've decided that this is one thing I'm going to try and change about myself. Yes! I completely understand that you’re busy on a Monday morning and quite frankly you couldn't give a toss on whether you say thank you or not BUT as a society I believe that these little acts of kindness could definitely make someone’s day or even better, Yours.

The CN Tower and the view from inside

This topic sprung to mind on my first day out in Toronto with my aunt (HI SARA), as I witnessed almost everyone saying “Thank you” to the bus driver whilst getting off, so I thought to myself “why doesn't this happen in London?". The city that is renowned for being one of class and etiquette but only a minority say thank you?!

Don’t get me wrong, my aim is not to scrutinise you or make you feel terrible, in fact it is the complete opposite. I would love to see you embrace the beautiful world around you (even if you do live in a village like me) and most certainly pay more attention to the feelings of others which I find our busy world is extremely hard to do!

On the whole, my experience in Canada was very enjoyable (especially because of my family) as I got to embrace a new culture and surrounding. In comparison to England it is HUUGEE and I found myself astounded at how busy “down town” or the city centre got at night (because as you know stores close at around 7pm in London).

My aunt and I drinking some
     Timmies iced coffee (THE BEST)

My final request is that you commit an act of kindness, whether it is today or tomorrow and it can be anything from kissing your mum OR dare I say it, saying thank you to your next bus driver!

Thank YOU for reading my blog and I hope you’ll be staying for my future posts. BYEE!

A small insight to my life

Born in London and originally Iraqi, it is hard to adapt to both cultures and languages but somehow I manage (nevertheless, I do tend to panic when I am FORCED to speak Arabic). BUT that's just my background! I hope to open up and share a lot more about myself as well as the world around me and the things I witness in daily life that fascinate me.

Quick (not really) disclaimer: I am a makeup addict. Ever since I was younger my parents forbade me from wearing any (still love you both!) and my theory is that when you deprive a child of something, they end up wanting it ('it' being anything) more, and that was exactly me. To be honest they are still not too keen on my makeup loving but I do manage to get away with it (at times). 

Anyhoo, I am currently a student completing my A levels at Whitmore sixth form and Stanmore college. The jump from GCSE's to A levels was daunting, to say the least (but we'll come back to that later on). And if you're wondering, the AS subjects I chose are Psychology, Philosophy, History, and English Lit. 

All in all, my life at the moment is pretty ordinary but I just like to add a little bit of colour sometimes and make it seem flowery even when it really isn't!