One of the things I did when I was in my 20s was to look for some kind of great person to adopt as a hero, or a philosophy that would cover all of the tough questions. I guess my feeling was that there was some exact solution to everything and that putting myself in the right bucket I&#x27;d have a lot of personal questions answered.<p>Looking back, this is probably a good reason to wait until studying philosophy until your 30s -- you need some time actually living in order to put things in their proper place. Epistemology, especially, can really take your head for a spin.<p>But I finally realized that various forms of thought are not solutions, rather they are tools for dealing with the day-to-day issues that life brings. Different situations? Use different tools. The goal wasn&#x27;t to find an universal answer, it was to fill a tool belt with the tools you&#x27;d need for an interesting and rewarding life.<p>An obvious corollary here: it&#x27;s okay if the tools don&#x27;t all work together at the same time. I&#x27;m a human, not a math equation. It all doesn&#x27;t have to add up and be consistent in the end. (Very tough to realize and accept this as well!)<p>Today the three main tools I use the most are agnosticism, existentialism, and stoicism. Between these three I find that I am safely and soundly able to navigate various difficult ethical, moral, and professional questions. In addition, they give me direction for further joy and fulfillment in life. And extra bonus points: they do not preclude any of the wonderfully human and irrational beliefs I may want to pick up along the way, such as using supplements for life extension, playing the lottery, or choosing to believe in the Great Pumpkin.<p>Modern life is one of people instantly connecting together in mobs. Nobody can tolerate being bored, and it&#x27;s very easy to spend a lot of your life without really thinking about what you&#x27;re doing. Stoicism, existentialism, and agnosticism guides me in mindfulness, self-directed purpose, and the limits of my knowledge. I&#x27;m very happy to have them as part of my tool belt.