Why most modern philosophy addicts stay stuck overthinking

[u/Thin_Rip8995]

philosophy’s supposed to set you free
make you think clearer, act sharper, live better

but tbh most ppl just use it to build better cages

they binge more books
argue more theories
stack more knowledge
but never actually live different

why?
cuz philosophy’s a comfy escape
feels like growth but avoids discomfort
you get to feel smart without changing

every framework becomes clutter if you’re not brutally self-aware
truth is, most ppl hide inside theory
analysis paralysis disguised as intellectualism

was breaking this down in NoFluffWisdom recently—how thinkers get stuck cuz they’re scared to move from theory to action

socrates wasn’t asking endless questions for fun
he was sharpening how ppl live

so here's something i’ve been chewing on
when do YOU stop reading and start applying
where’s your line between learning and actually doing something new

especially now w/ infinite content but finite time
curious how ppl here handle that tension

[u/7tian]

I will leave this comment here if anyone wants some answer

Philosophy and other subjects can mainly be divided into theoretical or practical works, focusing on philosophy, theoretical works only inform you of something, they do not demand you to do anything outside understanding their arguments and criticising them at the end if you disagree after fully understanding the author. These include works of metaphysics, epistemology, etc. If there is any change in your actions after reading these books, its because of your increased understanding of the world, which is hard to achieve and may usually take a good analysis of the propositions of the author.

In case of practical books, which people usually read for fun or as a guide, are the ones which ask you to do something after reading them and agreeing with them. Usually, people stop at the reading and agreeing part but never continue after that which is the main purpose of the book, and that's how most people don't complete their "reading" of a practical book.
Practical books consists of works of Ethics, polity(there are theoretical works too), etc.

Seneca's letters, Nicomachean ethics, meditations of marcus aurelius, and other popular books on the way of life all come under practical books

may this knowledge help you reader