I've just went through the first call with a telemarketer in which I didn't have to lie.
Telemarketer: Hi, this is XXXX from XXXXXXXX. May I speak with your director?
Me: Sorry he's not in.
T: Ok, how may I address you?
M: Mr [ ]
T: Hi, Mr [ ], when can I speak to your director?
M: He won't be around for quite a bit.
T: Ok, so can I have his mobile number?
T: Sorry, I can't give you his number.
I feel so nice and warm inside for being so honest to people. A director that does not exist will always be absent; he isn't around and will not be in the foreseeable future; a non-existent person cannot have a mobile number, legally speaking.
In contrast, this is what I usually do without being impolite:
(Outside walking, shopping or whatever)
T: Hi, is this [company name]?
M: Yes.
T: Hi, I'm from XXXXX. Can I speak with you for a minute?
M: Sorry, I'm in a meeting right now.
(Me hoping he can't hear the noise from the foodcourt/hawker centre/etc through the phone)
T: Ok, sorry to disturb you. Bye.
I know lots of people just hang up on them, but I had a few friends who worked part time as a telemarketer before, so these days I tend to be slightly nicer to them.
So what do Saudi Arabian tourists in Ireland do?
Lots of people think that philosophy is useless.
Indeed, after years of dwelling on it, I have to admit there have been times when I thought that it's just a waste of time.
It is, of course, not true.
The main issue here is practicality.
For most people, practicality means quick, visible effects.
Like I've once said before, what we call "practicality" is just a form of partial blindness, the kind that makes the victim see only what can be seen directly with the eyes.
To me, the main benefit of knowing and thinking about philosophy is to give purpose to one's life.
It is like religion, which can be seen as a ready-made combination of several things including a set of philosophies.
What makes it seem useless is that some have already found a purpose while others don't even realize they need one.
Humans are generally curious creatures, hence it's obvious many of us would be curious about why we do what we do and why we are what we are.
It's the almighty "Why?", the question that never ends.
The unfortunate thing is that thinking about the whys take a lot of effort for most of us, effort that could be used instead for our more basic needs.
It is our instincts overcoming our conscious mind.
We are born with the desire to be the best, yet we don't know why.
Aristotle figured out a thousand years before me that everything we do is for happiness, but does it really end here?
What if I pose this question "Why do we want to be happy?"
Because it makes us feel good?
Then why do we want to feel good?
It is far simpler to listen to the voice that leads us from the beginning than the one we created.
We are sheeps to our instincts.
Alternatively, there is an easier way, a compromise of sort - religion. It's like pre-cooked dinner. You just have to pay attention to it for a short while and you have the result of lifetimes' worth of philophizing.
That's the obvious benefit.
The catch is that it is not made to suit you specifically, but the masses in general. It's the difference between wearing a custom-tailored shirt and a cheap mass-produced one.
In both cases, most people are fine with the latter. Some have tried to adjust it to suit some groups of people better, like shirts for larger people, but the demand is just too small for most of them.
It's really which you hold more dear - time or the specifics of your purpose.
Conformity is simplicity. Paths have been made, questions have been answered. You just have read and listen for a while, and then you will have all the things you need for the rest of your life.
Sure, there are things you don't agree with, but is it really worth the time to think of the perfect adjustment(s)?
Hence the people who philosophize.
I won't call them all "philosophers". Most of us do it to different degrees, but only those who have figured out something truly original and useful can be philosophers.
The majority of those who think about such things will eventually realize someone's already came up with whatever great ideas they thought of and most likely even written entire books on them.
That's normal, and it's how we know ourselves.
Like many have said before, when it comes to philosophy, one should think on it, form ideas using one's own observations and experiences, and when it is done, read on it.
Chances are, there's already an entire school of thought for it, so it's hard to go wrong to follow the above steps.
It's like learning to walk, then run, and then you put on your mechanical exoskeleton.
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