I used to think philisophy was for academics. Then I grew up and recognized many of the timeless philosophical questions repeating themselves in my own life.
The primary one of course is “How does one live this life?” Actually this death. Because we all are born to die. We are trying to do this very difficult thing – living and dying – as well as we can. We can let circumstances push us around and passively be a passenger on the trip. Or we can engage our reasoned choice of how, why, and what for to live. In that way we must become philosophers.
The philosophers who have made the most sense to me are the Stoics. The don’t ask us to believe in anything really. Just to wake up, contemplate, pause, question and decide for yourself. A pretty good program I must say.