Hello!
I have been reading a lot on the history of Greek philosophy. I have become very interested in this topic due to some existential angst I've been having. Personally, I have found studying the ideas of these thinkers have given me some perspective as well as providing my pursuits with a purpose. That purpose being fulfillment.
I find that having a goal in life is the most important step a person can take against depression. Depression is a complex state that has no single cause or cure. What I can say is that a crucial part of overcoming hopelessness and self-hatred is experimentation.
Experiment with your worldviews. My last post was (in retrospect) very similar to the philosophy of Parmenides, and I would not have known this unless I was open-minded enough to read about Parmenides. I would not have conceptualized those ideas unless I let go of my nihilistic roots. Moreover, I would have never come across nihilism without first relinquishing my religious upbringing.
As you can see, more knowledge does not bring wisdom. Wisdom comes when a multitude of personality traits unite in a person. These being openness, studiousness, conscientiousness, and pragmatism. And then comes the phase of relinquishing these traits and entering a voluntary state of close-mindedness. We must examine the arguments of our interlocutors first-hand. After we understand the position as if we believed it, we return to our previous perspective and look upon the situation as a whole.
Such is the holistic nature of philosophy.
More soon! Follow me if you would like to see posts about the pre-Socratics!