"I shall not say anything about Philosophy, but that…it has been cultivated for many centuries by the best minds that have ever lived, and that nevertheless no single thing is to be found in it which is not subject of dispute, and in consequence which is not dubious…
That is why , as soon as age permitted me to emerge from the control of my tutors, I resolved to see no other science than that which could be found…in the great book of the world…, and employed the rest of my youth in travel, in seeing courts and armies, in intercourse with men of diverse temperaments and conditions, and in collecting varied experiences…For it seemed to me that I might meet with much more truth in the reasonings that each man makes on the matters that specially concenr judgement, than in the case of those made by a man of letters in his study touching speculations which lead to no result." - Descartes
I find this to be one of the most inspirational things I’ve ever read. How many of us manage to make our own philosophy. Maybe that’s man’s highest achievement.