Learning More About: New Years Resolutions According to Our Philosophers

Philosophy Subject Adviser Shri reflects on some common new years resolutions, using the words of famous philosophers.

 Subject advisers are u3a members who volunteer to share their expertise on their specialist subject and the movement can contact them for advice on their subject. In the National Newsletter each month, we focus on a particular Subject Adviser. This month, we’re talking to Shri who is the u3a Subject Adviser for Philosophy.

New year resolutions according to our Philosophers.

In the new year we often make New Years’ resolutions and Philosophers have observations to make on resolutions that we make. Visit the Philosophy subject page to find out more.

Resolution: Keep your mind challenged

‘Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond.’ Hypatia

‘Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.’ Albert Einstein

We learn new things and engage with novel activities; join book or movie clubs, or photography, painting, writing, art, theatre groups.

Resolution: Stay connected

We keep in touch with family, old friends and make new friends. We try to be more generous and spend time with helping family. We become volunteers, we share our knowledge and experience with others.

‘Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.’ Thomas Aquinas

‘Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.’ Aristotle

Resolution: Enjoy more Laughter

We take opportunities to connect with family and friends and take great pleasure in this activity.

‘Laughter is nothing else but sudden glory arising from some sudden conception of some eminency in ourselves, by comparison with the infirmity of others, or with our own formerly.’ Thomas Hobbes

Finally I like Martha Nussbaum’s approach:

‘I think ageing is challenging, surprising, fun, and full of friendship, so that is the approach I'll take, objecting to the stigmatization of ageing in so many modern societies.’

How lucky we are to have the u3a where we can do all these things and more. Whether or not we do make resolutions there seems to be good reasons to do at least some of these things.

Discover more about Philosophy on Shri's Subject Advice page and on Subject Advisers more generally on the Subject Advice page.

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