Jose Ortega y Gasset - Philosophy and Success
Jose Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955)
Spanish philosopher (pictured right) who challenges you to change your life and
circumstances.
His most famous book
is...
Meditations on Quixote (1914)
What does he teach us about success?
1. Change your circumstances
"I am myself and my circumstances", Gasset said.
So you can only succeed by creating opportunities for improvement through changing your
circumstances (how we live and think).
2. Hope is heaven
Every act of hope (like love) is vital to improving your life and circumstances.
Gasset called such hope the “vital reason” in
action.
3. Don't be fatalistic
Be positive and believe that you can change, improve and exploit new opportunities.
4. Think well
You must think well to change successfully.
So discard in your thinking:
5. Be different
- don't live like everybody else.
- use the “energy of life” to strive for something uniquely worthwhile and good.
- be inspired by a vision (or future ideal).
- re-examine your beliefs and assumptions.
6. Self-examination for
success
Discover what you need to change by reflecting on your weaknesses and
problems.
7. Change v. circumstances
Life is a constant battle between:
- changing for future success
- being held back by the limitations of your circumstances and negative thinking.
So life is a series of collisions with the future.
8. Spirituality through service
A spiritual (and so joyful) life is a self-disciplined pursuit of ever higher
standards of service to others.
Key quote on
change
Life is fired at us point blank.
|