By Emy Lindsay
Book Title: A Little Philosophy of Life
Author: Robert J. Burdette
ISBN: 978-1021393197
Publisher: Legare Street Press
The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries.
– René Descartes
“A Little Philosophy of Life” by Robert J. Burdette is a reflective collection of essays that explores various personal insights and observations about life, love, and the human experience. It offers a blend of humour and wisdom that resonates with readers seeking philosophical contemplation.
The book engages with themes of trust, responsibility, and the meaning of existence, providing a philosophical perspective that is both optimistic and practical.
In this book, the author shares his musings on the nature of existence and the relationships we build throughout our lives. He reflects on the elements of life, love, the power of laughter, the sensibilities of thoughts, and the influence of memories — both good and bad.
Burdette’s thoughts are laced with humour, offering not only wisdom but also a comforting belief in goodness and hope for what lies beyond. This collection serves as an affectionate guide to navigating the complexities of life with grace and appreciation.
Is there such a thing as a “philosophy of life?” I asked my inner thoughts. Lest I conscientiously make it clear that life is the philosophy of everything; the study of all things; the testing of all things.
Life has been, for me, a pilgrimage of joy. I’ve never had very much trouble, and what I have had has been of my own making and selection.
Life is a book in which we read a page a day. We can’t read a page ahead; we cannot turn over to the last chapter to see how it ends because we write the story ourselves, from our own thoughts and actions.
Do you believe in laughter as the best medicine? How could life be best lived without it? It is God’s exclusive gift to humans. Laughter is a good servant, but don’t overwork it, or it will sulk. Don’t smile too much all day, lest the corners of your mouth droop with weariness when you come home at night. Laughter is cheery, good-natured, and willing, but it wearies easily.
The heart will always rule our lives, one way or another. And yes, we all have a brain to function, which makes me think they should be the eighth wonders of the world. Great inventions may be wrought in the brain, but great thoughts are born in the heart.
It isn’t enough to be good, nor is it sufficient to do good. It is quite essential to do good in the right way. Whenever I have done right, it has always seemed to me that somebody or something helped me. But when I have gone wrong, I have sinned through no one’s fault but my own.
The lucky man is he who worships luck; the unlucky one is the fellow who despises it. Memory may be a hell or a paradise. It depends on whether you spend your youth manufacturing brimstone or planting roses.
Money talks, yes indeed! But only while it is working. When it goes on strike, or is loafing on general principles, it loses interest in everything and becomes as silent as a log on a mudbank.
It is pleasant to have people love you for who you are, even if they do not know you. But oh, the immeasurable love of a friend who has found out about you, who knows you through and through, and still loves you! Well, that’s the way God loves us!
Overall, this book resonates seamlessly with my so-called “philosophy of life”, as it piqued my thoughts about the unpredictability, vulnerability, and inevitable course of our lives.
