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I believe that personal philosophy is based on knowledge. In 1971 Kneeler described five kinds of knowledge (cited in Blais, Hayes, Kozier and Erb, 2002 , p. 92); revealed- disclosed by god, intuitive- based in self-discovery, rational - logic derived, empirical - based on observation or experiment, and authoritative- vouched for by authorities. At times, knowledge is gained through epiphany, and our own life experience (revealed and intuitive). At other times we learn from the experiences and experiments of others (authoritative and empirical). Sometimes we know things are so because they just make sense (rational). Learning is a life long process. As our knowledge increases our personal philosophy grows, the two becoming tightly woven about one another and becoming ultimately inseparable. My personal philosophy defines who I am as a human being. It shapes my life and drives my daily experience as I interact with myself, my family, strangers, my environment, and my world. The keystone of my personal philosophy is listed by Watson, as one of the critical values in Nursing; “a belief in the dignity and worth of each person” (as cited in Blais, Hayes, Kozier and Erb, 2002, p. 15). A second fundamental piece of my personal philosophy is the Native American proverb ‘before you can know someone you must walk two moons in their moccasins’. I remember vividly the first time I was introduced the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Anonymous, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and More, 2001). At last! A short cut to walking two moons, a way to understand someone by looking at their circumstances. Maslow’s theory prioritizes human needs from most basic physiologic needs such as oxygen, food, water and constant body temperature, necessary to maintain life, to the ultimate human potential, self-actualization.
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