From Philosophy to UX Design
The story of my passion for knowledge and the one thing that defined who I am today.
Hello, nerds!
In this story, I decided to share my path from Philosophy to UX Design. How did I end up studying Philosophy? What did I learn from it? And the most important thing is how studying Philosophy shaped who I am today.
Stick till the end — there are some wild things there 🤩
So, let’s begin.
I remember always being a curious kid.
I loved the idea of studying and knowing things.
My parents told me that one day I skipped out of kindergarten and went to the class where my elder brother studied just because I wanted to learn so much so I tried to skip ahead a few years. I love that story, and they even have a picture of me, a small four-year-old in a class of seven-year-olds 😂
When high school came, I wanted to study as well, and I did, but not in the way you might think. I wanted to learn more about the world and not only what was assigned to me. I enjoyed reading books, and I still do! So, even when my grades were low, I always read something. And, knowing how teenagers are, it was always more fun to go out than it was to sit at home and prepare for the test. I was a curious kid who was always up for a good time and meeting people and discovering new places! But I managed to get by with mediocre grades.
I was introduced to philosophy in my third year.
The passion for that type of knowledge, and for knowledge in general, arrived very instantly! I immediately wanted to know everything there is to know about philosophy, the concepts, the philosophers, and their ideas. I even write an essay for graduation regarding Spinoza’s philosophy.
But, even though philosophy was my favorite subject in high school, I didn’t imagine I’d ever pursue it further. Or that I would major in it in university.
When it came time to choose a university degree, I was pretty sure I wanted to study Psychology since, to be honest, it was trendy at the time and practically everyone wanted to study it. I must sincerely admit that it was not one of my favorite classes when I studied that topic in university. Don’t attack me!
Thank God that my grades did not qualify for the Psychology major — but they did for the philosophy major, which was my second choice. For some of my former classmates, this was their backup plan also, but they couldn’t care less about philosophy.
And I cared! Oh, how I cared!
I enjoyed every single day and moment of my university years!
I met some fantastic big minds — alive or dead. My professors were all unique in their own way, and the classmates who really were interested in philosophy were the weirdest and most wonderful minds I’ve ever met.
I began to see the world through new eyes.
I read everything assigned as homework, and I was the first to raise my hand and ask questions. I’ve attended conferences and given public presentations regarding my views.
I went to every cultural event involving philosophy! Every festival about it, and I volunteered at every one of them.
I’ve written essays on topics regarding suicide, the topic of taste, and the stoic concept apatheia. I always wanted to write about the things that really interested me since I was able to really think deeply about the concepts and came up with excellent theses. I published a written peace about a topic that piqued my interest! That is when my love for writing truly began!
And the most essential thing I gained from studying Philosophy was that it gave me confidence!
I didn’t know what I wanted or whether I was even smart enough to learn something (I know that seems ridiculous, but I was 19), but philosophy taught me that I am.
I am capable of critical thinking. I was able to expand and broaden my mind to possibilities I had no idea existed, and it is incredible!
If I owe anyone anything for who I am now, the reason I am pursuing a UX career, the reason I thought I could do it in the first place, and the reason I have the courage to sit here and write — it’s all thanks to Philosophy!
Of course, when I talk about her, it’s not like I’m talking about some imaginary buddy — though that would be awesome! 😆
But, seriously. When I say that Philosophy helped shape who I am now, I mean that me, myself, with the help of this old and great discipline, helped me believe in myself more.
Although it may appear unusual, I believe that UX is doing the same job.
I frequently emphasized in my stories that I only chose to study UX because I shared the same passion and enthusiasm for it that I had for philosophy.
You know the story now.
Recently, I had some deep discussions with friends, and I was reminded of how much excitement I still have for discussing the world, the why of human thinking, behaving, and simply existing. In some ways, it’s magical.
So I decided to stop neglecting Philosophy and to remind myself of what she had given me.
I want to be able to deepen my thinking even more. To go through what I went when I first attempted reading Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason — what I experienced can only be described as mind orgasms.
To do that, I decided to start with Podcasts.
In this day and age, I believe that is the most simple approach to learn things.
I can’t guarantee myself that I’ll sit down and read a book that I know will require intense concentration and time that I just don’t have right now due to my transition into UX but, that doesn’t mean I’m ignoring my passion for philosophical thinking.
One podcast episode a day, week or even a month will do me so much into the long run.
My platform for Podcasts is Spotify so the links are from there
As you probably know, I always write my stories with the hope that hearing about my life decisions would inspire someone else.
So, what can you learn from my story?
To follow your passions. Analyze and discover what you truly want in life, then go for it.
Also, even if things did not go as planned, you may still make connections and combine your interests.
Make time for the things you love. Even if it is only one hour per week or one hour every month. But don’t be too hard on yourself. If you can’t read a book every few months, consider reading Medium articles or watching YouTube videos. It doesn’t really matter if it means you enjoy doing it.
Believe in the process. I know this is the most difficult, but I made the same mistake when I finished university and didn’t know what to do. I was so hard on myself and everything worked out in the end. It will work out for you as well.
If I had listened to everyone who suggested that studying Philosophy isn’t worth it, I would not be where I am now. I would not have the courage and wisdom that Philosophy gave me. So I didn’t listen to anyone, I was stubborn, and I followed my dream.
Perhaps one day I will further integrate UX design with Philosophy. Who knows? The sky’s the limit!
But first, let me get my first UX job, and then we can talk.🤣
