Praxis: The Crust

Hi. It’s me again. The writer.

I want to make something clear. I am not a Philosophy major. Or an academic scholar.

I am Human. And I tend to look at the world through the 20’s century schizoid man’s eyes.

My faith is logic and the scientific method. If it cannot be proven empirically — it is not true.

And looking at the world through this lens, I find reality quite transparent. And truth unavoidable.

And this is what I see:

Truth is not a mystery. Or a mystic notion. Or a lie. Truth is just true.

What is it? It’s everything we see and feel and experience. It’s what come before we tell ourselves a story about it. A lightning storm is impressive. An overwhelming experience. We can say: There’s a god of lightning that creates this supernatural phenomenon. But we can also be honest and say: Lightning is just another manifestation of physics. Reality. Truth. And we don’t need the story anymore. Because we just admitted that what we see is what’s actually there.

I use the word “Praxis” (originally meaning ‘Practice’ in Greek) to describe “Meaningful Action”. It is a principle. It states: Don’t look for the story. Follow what is. The best way to live your life is simply admitting it is a life worth living. And it is what it is. No more. No less.

I “invented” Praxis to describe a simple method to live right. And I broke it down to three simple manageable steps: Intend, Do, Observe.

Intend is morality harnessed. I want to be good, I want to do good, I want to reduce suffering in the world and thus to myself. It is a simple notion. The less everyone suffers, the better the life. This is what Siddhartha, the historical Buddha, talked about. What Plato implies in his Cave’s Allegory. What many religions and philosophers tell us over the years. Good prevails, Evil collapses. Because when life matters — it matters. When death matters — it’s evil.

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Do is about courage. Stand up and do what you believe is right for the right reason. Which is what you intend. In some cases it might mean you have only 2% to prevail. But when the cause is justified, these 2% becomes a 100.

Observe is about honesty. It’s about the ability to recognize success, but also admit failure. When you succeed, it must align with the Intent. Reduce suffering all around. When you fail — you must recalculate your trajectory. Intend for better outcome. Evolve.

Intend is moral.

Do is heroic.

Observe is honest.

So this is my view. Simplified. Maybe even naive. It is a circular practice. You do IDO and try to make it better on the next cycle. And when you keep following it: Praxis emerges. And the old wisdom is at your fingertips. Not elusive. Not hidden. Obtainable.