The quote “Philosophy is the sum total of all that you know and what you decide is valuable” suggests that our personal philosophy is a reflection of our knowledge and our values. It implies that philosophy is not just a theoretical discipline studied in universities, but a practical guide that each of us carries within us, which is shaped by our experiences, our learning, and our judgments about what is important in life.

The first part of the quote, “the sum total of all that you know,” suggests that our philosophy is shaped by our knowledge. This knowledge could come from various sources – formal education, personal experiences, observations of the world around us, or lessons learned from others. It’s all the information we’ve gathered and internalized over our lifetime.

The second part of the quote, “what you decide is valuable,” refers to the judgments we make about what is important in life. These are our values, the principles that guide our decisions and actions. They could include things like honesty, kindness, ambition, or the pursuit of knowledge itself. Our values are subjective and personal; they reflect what we care about most.

Applying this idea to today’s world, we could say that our personal philosophy is constantly evolving as we gather more information and as our values change. For example, a person might start out valuing wealth and success, but after experiencing the emptiness of materialism, they might shift their values towards relationships and personal growth.

In terms of personal development, this quote suggests that we have the power to shape our own philosophy by consciously choosing what knowledge to seek out and what values to uphold. For example, if we value kindness, we can seek out knowledge about empathy, compassion, and altruism. If we value knowledge itself, we can commit to lifelong learning. By doing so, we can develop a personal philosophy that guides us towards the type of person we want to become.