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Personal statement advice: philosophy

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Show your analytical abilities

Some applicants for philosophy degrees will already be studying the subject, but many won’t have studied it before. If you are in that position, then Professor Christopher Janaway at University of Southampton has some simple but clear advice to offer: 'We want you to show us that you have a genuine interest in the subject, so tell us about the reading you’ve done, lectures you’ve been to, or any other ways you have engaged with philosophy.'

University of Bristol selectors outline a whole range of qualities that would impress. But what perhaps stands out amongst these, alongside demonstrating your interest and commitment to philosophy, is that the way you approach your statement needs to show that you are capable of clear thinking, and understanding and that you can analyse problems and construct an argument.

Giving structure to your statement will be very important, though how you actually thread it is entirely up to you.

London School of Economics selectors are also interested in your views and opinions on 'questions such as morality, free will, or consciousness,' as well as the experiences you have had which have led to your desire to study philosophy. Such as, they would expect the majority of your statement to be based around your subject interest and enthusiasm.

It’s open-ended – you have 47 lines and no rules, but don’t try to be too smart. You will stand out by doing your research, being interesting, relevant, and different, and by reflecting on what you’ve been reading.

Successful Personal Statement For Philosophy At Cambridge

Last Updated: 6th April 2022

Author: Rob Needleman

Welcome to our popular Personal Statement series where we present a successful Personal Statement, and our Oxbridge Tutors provide their feedback on it.

Today, we are looking through a Philosophy applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure a place at Cambridge University. The Philosophy Course at Cambridge explores human thought, the basis of knowledge, the nature of reason, consciousness and cognition, as well as the foundations of value and political theory.

Read on to see how this candidate managed to navigate philosophical thinking to successfully receive a Cambridge offer.

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement:

SUCCESSFUL?

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Philosophy Personal Statement

“And if you find her poor, Ithaka has not fooled you. / Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, / You will have understood by then, what these Ithakas mean.”

Cavafy was right, indeed. Like any other reflective person, I am essentially a philosophical entity. While most people, perhaps those outside academic philosophy, would consider it a prime example, maybe along with Mathematics, of an established body of a priori truths, of some kind of Ithaka (thus excluding themselves from the possibility of realizing their philosophical essence), I beg to differ. For years, though, unwise as I was according to Cavafy, I was looking for Ithakas like most men, misled by this major misconception. For years, I have been reading Plato and Aristotle, Descartes and Nietzsche always, hastily and impatiently, heading towards truth; towards my rich Ithaka, and always falling on reefs and mythical objections raised by one philosopher against the truths of the other. Always, en route.

When, “wise as I had become” on the road, like old Ulysses, I realized that philosophy is much more than just a truth per se. Instead, philosophy is the pursuit of truth, irrespective of whether that truth is ever achieved; in fact, if and when something ever counts as truth, it does not belong to the realm of philosophy any more. Not until I read Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, had I realized that the aim of philosophy is to designate what can be said and what not, what is non-sense or what might be senseless. This very sub specie aeternitatis realization of philosophy as an activity, a method of approaching truth and reflecting on reality rather than as an established body of justified true belief, was crucial in my selection of philosophy as the subject of my academic study. Since this realization, my chief preoccupation has been to learn as much as possible from the journey to Ithaka, to hone this ability to philosophize effectively, to exercise and engage philosophy as much as possible, whenever and wherever possible.

A culmination of this constant struggle to sharpen my philosophical essence happened this summer in the Epic Questions Summer Institute of U of Va, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. In this intensive, three-week seminar for high-school teachers, I was the official note-taker and the only high-school student to be accepted among the scholars as an intern of Dr. Mitchell S. Green. Courses in Epistemology, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, Formal Logic, Philosophy of Language, Ethics, Political Philosophy and Bioethics unprecedentedly furthered this philosophical activity and I made the acquaintance of contemporary philosophical thought, reading, such as T. Nagel, R. Chisholm, D. Papineau, B. Williams, along with classical readings.

Hence, to my readings of Plato’s Five Dialogues, Descartes’s Meditations on First Philosophy and Nietzsche’s Übermensch, were added those of the British Empiricists, esp. some of Hume’s Enquiries, Kant, B. Rusell’s The Problems of Philosophy and Mill’s Utilitarianism.

I must admit that I have been uncritically assuming a certain account of human nature (as inherently philosophical), which many may find controversial. And this, itself, thus, turns into a philosophical question. And so on and so forth.

This is exactly the philosophical beauty I live for.

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

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Good Points Of The Personal Statement

The statement is well written, and the student clearly demonstrates their passion for philosophy, as well as their motivation for pursuing further study of it, and something of a personal journey through which their philosophical thinking has developed. The discussion of the nature of philosophical thought ties nicely into their own motivation to study philosophy. The statement shows their broad philosophical education, as well as indicating a strong self-motivating passion for learning (in a much more subtle manner than simply stating that they are self-motivated), as much of this education is in the form of private study. Acceptance to the prestigious seminar is an impressive achievement, and the student is right to stress this, and the ‘unprecedented’ effect it had on their philosophical activity.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

The statement is vague in what it terms ‘philosophy’; though the student clearly has an interest in some vague notion of ‘human nature’, they don’t narrow down exactly what they wish to study at university (philosophy being such a broad subject that quite a bit of specialisation is necessary). The time spent listing impressive works that they had read would have been better invested in mentioning just one (or even just one subject that they had read around) that had particularly affected them and expanding on it. Similarly, they could have expanded further on the experience of the seminar (how it affected their philosophical thinking, new ideas encountered while there, etc.), rather than listing the respected philosophers they had met. The grammar is, at points, questionable, indicating the statement required closer proofreading prior to being submitted.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

This statement is very strong; it conveys a rare passion for the subject and, more importantly, a passion that has been actively pursued in the student’s own time. It could, however, benefit from a little more specificity regarding their thoughts on specific readings, and from reading less like a list of books and philosophers. Overall, the statement reads like an intriguing personal philosophical work.

This Personal Statement for Philosophy is a great example of demonstrating passion which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Cambridge, these Admissions Tutors are often the people who will be teaching you for the next few years, so you need to appeal directly to them.

There are plenty more successful personal statements and expert guides on our Free Personal Statement Resources page.

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Applying to Grad School: What should I say in my Personal Statement?

As the graduate adviser for my department’s terminal MA program at NIU, I answer a lot of questions about applying to PhD programs in philosophy. I feel pretty confident about my answers to most of them. But there is one question about which I don’t feel confident at all:

What should I say in my personal statement?

Departmental websites tend to be pretty vague about what they’re looking for in this part of the application. “[I]f you can tell us a bit more about your background and interests, this information might be helpful,” Yale advises. Rutgers asks for “a short essay on why you are interested in applying to your program.” These instructions are pretty representative.

Since now is the time of year when prospective applicants start to worry about these things, I thought it would be useful to share the general advice I give in response to this question, and find out how it squares with the expectations and experiences of the people reading them. If it’s terrible advice, I’d like to know! And if it’s good advice, it seems worth sharing with others. So, here goes:

This should be your guiding principle. A great personal statement is unlikely to make the difference between your application being accepted and being rejected, but a terrible personal statement might result in a borderline application being moved to the reject pile. People on admissions committees will pay significantly closer attention to your writing sample, grades, test scores, and letters of recommendation. Taking risks in your writing sample can pay off; taking risks in your personal statement is unlikely to help and may very well hurt.

Be concise and substantive

Less than one double-spaced page is probably too short; anything more than three full double-spaced pages is probably too long. Don’t waste time on platitudes about how much you love philosophy, how deeply you cherish the life of the mind, what a privilege it would be to join the department at X, etc. Everybody reading your statement already assumes those things are true. Why else would you be applying to their program? Make each sentence count; don’t make your reader feel like she has to work to get to the point.

Be specific, but non-committal, about your interests

Describe your philosophical interests honestly, intelligently, and in specific terms. Don’t just say you’re interested in epistemology (for example); say what problems or topics in epistemology interest you and why. If you can, show you know something about what is going on in the field, talk about your best paper or conference presentation on relevant questions, and describe some issues and arguments you’d like to work on further. If you wrote a thesis that lays a groundwork for future research, it can be good to describe it. But don’t give the impression that you already know what you’re going to argue in your dissertation. You’ll have two years of coursework and probably another year or two of guided research before your dissertation topic is even settled. Departments aren’t interested in applicants who don’t think they have anything to learn .

Show you’ve done your homework, but only if you really have

If there is a particular researcher or group you’re excited about at the department, talk about this. But only do this if your excitement is based on real knowledge of what those folks are actually doing — ideally knowledge acquired by reading their work, seeing them give talks, having conversations with them, talking with your own professors, etc. Do not just copypaste the names of all the people who work in your areas from the department website and proclaim your excitement about working with them. This makes you look like a bullshitter. In my experience, students invest the most time and energy into trying to sell their interests as a good fit to the most prestigious, competitive departments to which they’re applying. This is not an unreasonable strategy, but I think you can expect more bang for your homework buck by researching the departments that may not be your top choices. Just about everybody applying to NYU with an interest in metaphysics is going to talk about Kit Fine; you won’t stand out by showing off what you know about his work on vagueness or grounding. There are brilliant philosophers doing fascinating, exciting work at all of the departments you’re likely to consider, even the places you might think of as your “safety” schools. You can make a great impression by showing that you’re familiar with what’s going on at somewhat lower-prestige programs, and evincing genuine enthusiasm about them.

If you have a compelling history or relevant personal background, mention it, but don’t disclose too much

If you’ve had to overcome significant hurdles to make it where you are today, it can be helpful to tell your story (briefly). If there is some cool, interesting, memorable element of your personal history, feel free to work it into the statement. (I still remember the applicant who grew up in a travelling circus!) If you have a non-standard background — you’re in the midst of changing careers or fields, you aren’t currently enrolled in a philosophy degree program, or you didn’t graduate from one within the last few years — say what led you to philosophy and how your background prepares you to succeed in graduate school.

However, be cautious about disclosing too much personal information. I’ve read statements from applicants describing their struggles with addiction, eating disorders, mental health problems, appearances before disciplinary boards, family troubles, and run-ins with the law. Personally, I am drawn to people who have dealt with these kinds of struggles, so these stories tend to make me like the applicants more. But that attitude is not universally shared! There are some tricky moral and legal issues here, but you should avoid giving the admissions committee reason to worry that you are going to have trouble completing the program, or become a “problem” student.

On the other hand, if your personal situation is directly relevant to the academic work you want to do, it would probably be helpful to talk about it. So, for example, if you want to work on the philosophy of disability, and you have a disability, it would probably be helpful to discuss how your own experience as a person with a disability has shaped this interest, if it has. But even in a case like this, you would do well to talk with a trusted advisor, preferably someone who is also writing one of your recommendation letters, when thinking about how to frame your personal story. Unless they are directly relevant to your interests, avoid discussion of your political views or religious beliefs (and even if they are, err on the side of caution).

Unless it’s major, avoid the temptation to explain any weaknesses in your application

Perhaps your Verbal GRE score is low. Though many philosophers say that they do not care about GRE scores, my inductive evidence strongly suggests that many do. A poor GRE score is likely to hurt your chances, at least at some programs. But attempting to explain this problem away in your personal statement (“I have always struggled with standardized tests…”) is almost certainly not going to help. Moreover, it may hurt by calling attention to something the people reading your application may not have been worried about before. One exception to this piece of advice is when there is a major problem with your academic record; e.g., if you got terrible grades in most of your classes one semester because of a medical emergency or family tragedy. Then it is worth explaining the situation briefly, again keeping in mind the advice above about not disclosing too much. If you can, you should discuss how to discuss major issues like this with your recommendation letter writers. The assurances they can provide in their letters that the issue does not reflect your abilities or current situation may be more valuable than your own.

Miscellania: be professional but humble; be polished; don’t be cutesy

You should come across as an early career academic, a self-driven grown-up who can be expected to meet the demands of an exacting program. You should not come across as someone who thinks they are the next Wittgenstein, or as someone who regards themselves as an academic peer with the people reading your application. Don’t refer to your professors or those at the program by their first names, even if you know them and would do so in person; be deferential and respectful. Keep in mind that whatever else it does, your personal statement provides further evidence about your writing skills, so ask at least one person who is a good writer to carefully proofread your statement. Don’t be jokey, self-deprecating, or overly clever. Remember the guiding principle: do no harm.

Don’t mention your two-or-more-body problem

It’s best not to call attention to the fact that your ultimate decision about where to attend graduate school will depend in part upon your significant other’s (or others’) decisions, even if this is true. (This is the piece of advice I am least confident about.)

These are only meant as general guidelines. I am certain that some applicants have been helped by personal statements that violate all of them! And as I said before, I’m not especially confident in them: they seem plausible, and the people I’ve asked about them tend to agree, but it is hard to know. I’m quite interested to hear what others think.

Let us know in the comments section below!

Geoff Pynn is associate professor of philosophy at Northern Illinois University, where he has been the graduate adviser for the department’s terminal MA program since 2011.

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Having served on grad admissions at two places, this seems to me to be excellent advice. I agree with every bit of it. One small thing, just strengthening one of the points you make: be very careful about how/if you “name names” regarding who you might be interested in working with.

There are errors on the side of over-inclusion: you mention people who (a) are never around or are not taking on new students or are leaving, or (b) are not really working on the topics you are in interested in any more. Knowing either (a) or (b) can require a lot of very current local knowledge, and while you can’t be blamed for not having it, it can make us worry about your interest/fit in the program if it turns out (a) or (b) is the situation.

And there are errors on the side of under-inclusion: you don’t mention people who (c) are working in the area and (d) might be offended (we all have our frail egos…) not to be mentioned and who might be reading your file. You can sometimes be blamed for not knowing (c), but not always, if people’s interests don’t align perfectly with what they have already published, etc.

All of this makes it kind of dicey to name people, rather than areas. And I don’t see much upside to “naming names,” given that you shouldn’t get so much credit for being able to identify who works on what topics…

Programs want people who are likely to succeed in completing their graduate work on time and getting hired in the profession. But if you eat, drink and sleep philosophy you’ll come across as someone who is not well-rounded, or, worse, as someone who is unbalanced! So, mention (one sentence will do) other interests: from cooking to camping to children–DO mention that you compete in chili cook-offs, or go camping and forage for wild edibles, or volunteer at the local library to read books at storytime on Saturday mornings. Hobbies and non-academic interests show that you are a well-rounded human being, not some nut case who is seeking nirvana through the study of Nietzsche.

Dr. Pynn, thank you for the thoughtful comments on preparing a statement of purpose. As you are in the position of interacting with students both applying to enter MA programs as well as students moving on to PhD programs, I’m curious: Would your advice remain the same for students writing statements of purpose directed at MA programs, or would you tweak any of your emphases above?

Hi Connor, good question. I would say in general for MA applicants it is less important to have a detailed and specific statement describing your interests than it is for a doctoral program, but that may vary from program to program (some departments, eg Georgia State, have fellowships reserved for people working in specific areas, and if I were applying to such a program and had the relevant interests, I would definitely play that up in my statement). But speaking just about us, everyone will be required to take a broad range of courses, which we expect them to approach with equal gusto across the board, and there is no thesis requirement, so you aren’t going to develop any long term research relationships with your professors here. So while evincing some familiarity with the general thrust of our department (contemporary “analytic” philosophy, faculty who work in epistemology, ethics, language, metaphysics, and philosophy of science) and expressing an interest in stuff within that broad purview is good, we aren’t worried about whether your interests align with the research interests of our faculty. Hence concerns about “fit” are somewhat less important for us.

On all the other points I would say yes, my advice remains the same.

What a great article I have found finally, dear author, thank you very much for it! And I would like to add that not so long ago I was looking for some im personal statement for graduate school, but unfortunately I have not found it in the internet at all. And that is why I am really very happy that now I have seen your very helpful and well structured article. And please do not stop to write them, because I am completely sure that they can help to many of other people who are looking for some help as well as me!

The best of your ideas can come to your mind when you are not sitting in front of your computer and that is very much required to make your mind fresh at times because if you pay someone to write personal statements so you need to know that what is inside if that content and how that content is going to content is going to help you.

Dear author, I want to apply to grad school in a year’s time for a doctorates in Psychology. In many cases, the universities I am considering mention a personal statement – one of them even has a topic for an essay in the application that is about your personal background. I have experienced (personally) the speciality I want to go into – it is quite personal, therefore I shall not name it, but I think you can guess in what direction I am going. Should I mention it in my statement? It is very personal information and I am afraid that it would make a less attractive applicant. What do you think?

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Be True. Be Strong. Be Focused.

How to Form a Personal Philosophy: 7 Questions to Ask Yourself

May 31, 2022

how to form a personal philosophy graphic

Forming a personal philosophy isn’t easy – but it’s worth it. A personal philosophy provides you with a fundamental framework for creating a meaningful life. You can use it to align all facets of your higher self and find a purpose in everything you do .

Many people flow through life with no personal guidance system in place. From this position of uncertainty, we end up breezing through life with little direction and struggle to meet our long-term goals .

By forming a personal philosophy, you create an invitation to exist intentionally and catapult yourself towards your vision of a fulfilled life.

Whether you’re reinventing yourself or about to shift careers , a personal philosophy gives you the blueprint to ensure that you approach everything in life with intention, regardless of your current circumstances.

Does the idea of a personal philosophy resonate with you? Then keep reading to discover how to form a personal philosophy and create a life worth living.

What Is a Personal Philosophy?

Creating a personal philosophy is the secret ingredient to living a deep and meaningful life of purpose.

It’s a set of principles, unique to you, that guide you towards achieving your greatest dreams and aspirations.

A personal philosophy is a means of matching your thought patterns with your values, goals, and overall life vision. It’s the stepping stone towards living in alignment with your truth and reaching your highest self.

An article from the Journal of Space Philosophy explains that every human being has a personal philosophy that’s influenced by genetics, environment, and a lifetime of learning.

In this philosophical piece, Robert Krone suggests that:

“A small percentage of humans have explicitly documented their own philosophy as an analysis of their own value systems, or to understand the values, sources, and influences on their beliefs over time.” Robert Krone

Philosophy, in general, provides you with the means to deepen your understanding and improve your intelligence. Personal philosophies provide motivational guidelines that nurture expansive thinking and soul searching, ultimately enhancing your quality of life.

7 Questions to Guide You When Forming Your Personal Philosophy

Personal philosophies can be a wonderful ignition for your self-discovery journey. Devote this time to you, and let yourself be vulnerable in this period of discovery.

Below you will find an outline of 7 questions that will ignite inspiration and guide your mind towards new paradigms of thought.

Take some time on each to really dig deep and do the work.

1. What Are Your Core Values?

Begin by asking yourself, “What are my core values?”

Understanding your core values offers you an insight into your true identity and sets the bar for establishing core moral principles.

What values drive your actions?

As you write out each value, attach a definition to each and add a line or two about how you envision aligning your actions with your values.

For example:

“I live and work with honor. I believe that everything I do must come from a place where honesty springs up like the headwaters of the river. In decisions and actions, I allow integrity to be my first and foremost directive. I do not expect to be perfect at this. I do expect integrity to be a constant ideal.”

By outlining your core values, you are building the foundations of your truth. Once you understand what you hold close to your heart, you can then discover ways to align your actions and values to reach your goals.

If you need some guidance, check out my course, Be True: Discover Your Core Value System . In it, I personally walk you through proven exercises to discover your true self, find your truth and begin living it.

2. What Are Your Most Deeply Rooted Beliefs?

Take a moment to venture inwards.

Dive deep into the core of your being and unearth the beliefs rooted in your soul. These can be associated with your worldviews or that in which you have great faith.

Share or write down two or three of your most potent, deeply-rooted beliefs that are ingrained into your soul. These deeply-rooted beliefs are the ones that influence your perception and how you view the world.

A podcast episode by Boss Project on the subject demonstrates how our deeply-rooted beliefs are influenced by our environment and social norms.

When you react to a situation, rather than consciously responding, it’s your deeply-rooted belief system, crafted from your upbringing and life experiences, that triggers you to act, often without thinking.

Outlining these beliefs for your personal philosophy allows you to truly understand what you stand for and, in turn, allows you to create life guidelines that are rooted in your truth. It’s like planting a seed of sincerity and watching it grow as you evolve.

3. What is Your Life’s General Philosophy?

Now that you’ve taken some time to explore your core values and fundamental beliefs, it’s time to outline your general philosophy for life.

For this step, take a look at the principal thoughts which have blossomed from the experience, knowledge, and wisdom you have gained so far.

The basis of identifying a general philosophy starts with one question:

What is the meaning of life?

According to Joseph Campbell, “The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning.”

This means that the answer to this question is different for every single person.

From the second we are born into this earth, we each have a unique experience influenced by many internal and external elements.

The meaning of life varies according to different philosophies , but this question is for you and you alone.

Write down what you believe your life’s general philosophy is – what you believe your life’s meaning is – and allow this to guide you down the path towards success, satisfaction, and fulfillment.

4. What Are the Metrics by Which You Measure Success?

We all want to succeed in life, but understand that success looks different to everyone.

You may believe that you have ‘made it’ if you are excelling in your career. If you’re more family-orientated, you may feel that you’ve made it when you have created a beautiful family surrounded by love.

Regardless, by understanding success as it relates to you, you can inspire to integrate this definition into your personal philosophy and set out the actions you need to align with in order to achieve it.

Ask yourself – what does success mean to you ?

The answer to this intuitive question empowers you to define success broadly, in the context of your life and in relation to the unique challenges you face.

You can dissect this into different timeframes and metrics such as daily, annually, or even a lifetime measure of success.

Outline how you hope to achieve success using the most meaningful metric for you.

What does success mean to you?

“When this life comes to an end I will measure success by how open my mind has remained and how soft my heart still is.”

5. What Do You Feel Is Your Life’s Purpose?

It’s not uncommon for people to not yet know their life’s purpose.

Whether it relates to your career, passions, or relationship with others, each of us has a reason as to why we are here, on earth – but we might not yet know it.

Finding purpose in life can be difficult for some yet easy for others. It may take weeks, years, or even a lifetime. But once you have an understanding of what this purpose is you can live each day intentionally, consistently doing the things that are in alignment with your truth.

You can choose to add this step in or leave it out; it’s totally up to you. If you are exploring this step, see if you can write up no more than three sentences about what you sense your life’s purpose to be.

To make things even more simple, make the statement high-level, and less specific.

What do you feel is your life’s purpose?

“My purpose in life is to provide as much love as I can to those around me. I want to enrich my immediate environment and community. I want to leave the world a better place than when I arrived in it.”

You can take this exercise further by developing a full personal purpose statement .

A study on purpose, hope, and life satisfaction by the Journal of Positive Psychology states that when individuals, no matter what age they are, identify with a purpose in life, they experience greater life satisfaction.

Once you feel that you know your purpose, you can translate these inspiring and actionable guidelines into your personal philosophy. This in turn allows you to lead your life, nurture your relationships and achieve your goals with a sense of gratification.

6. What Are Your Greatest Strengths?

As with everything in life, we embody both strengths and weaknesses and translate these into everything we do.

Identifying each of these can attribute great value to your life, and help you understand where you already excel and where you can improve.

So ask yourself, “ What am I good at? ”

What are my greatest strengths in life?

Take some time to learn how to identify your strengths . While your strengths may change as your work life and circumstances shift, start with today.

Create a list and layout the great traits that allow you to elevate your everyday life and allow you to thrive.

For example, you may excel at what you do for a living, you may have a heart of gold that supports others, you may be the first person people call if they need help creating a PowerPoint presentation, and so on.

By adding your greatest strengths into your personal philosophy, you can identify how to take advantage of the skills that enhance your life and do more of what you are good at.

In fact, Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explains that doing something that you love, whether that’s work or play, invites you into a flow state.

It’s from this state of flow that you tap into your creativity, encourage free-thinking, and in turn increase your chances of success.

7. What Do You Need in Life?

As the final question for guiding your personal philosophy, ask yourself, “What is essential in my everyday life?”

Each of us has our own unique needs and when these are met, we are the best version of ourselves.

List the needs that you require at this moment in time. Next to each need, attach an intention for how you intend to meet these.

For example:

What do you need in life?

“In my day-to-day life, I search for peace amidst the chaos. In every moment, I sprinkle a sense of calmness onto all situations as it’s from this place of serenity that I can make conscious choices that are beneficial for me, others around me, and the environment. Even when I have no control over outside circumstances, I always have a choice to venture inwards where true peace resides.”

Maybe you are unsure as to what you truly need from this lifetime. That’s okay. Why not first figure out how to discover your passion and take it from there?

When we lead from the heart, we can never go wrong.

Philosophy in Practice: Examples of Personal Philosophy

We’ve shared the questions to ask yourself when forming your own personal philosophy, now let’s take a look at some examples of how they might look:

1. Failure Inspires Positive Change

This example is a life philosophy someone might create to remind themselves to embrace challenges and the unavoidable setbacks they will face on their path to success. It will guide and inspire them to keep going, especially when things get tough.

Nothing worth having in life ever comes easy. It’s only natural to experience failure along the way when pursuing your dreams.

Keep in mind that failure is not the end. Rejection is only redirection that can support you on this journey called life.

No matter whether it’s in your personal, career, or romantic life— failure welcomes learning curves and can even be an invitation down the path less taken.

The path to success is never a straight line. It involves frustration, setbacks, replanning, but most importantly, continued effort. And from there springs ultimate satisfaction and achievement.

Core values:

2. Always Act From a Place of Integrity

Someone with this life philosophy wants to remain true to themselves in all situations, and build authentic connections to enrich their lives.

When you make decisions based on honesty you can stand up for what you believe in while also staying humble.

It’s from this place that you can stay rooted in your truth while also staying open-minded to others’ perceptions.

Treat every interaction as an opportunity to discover something new. You might just find learning something from welcoming a different outlook.

Open-mindedness

Take the First Step Towards True Purpose

Discovering the right direction in life isn’t always easy. And often it’s not about the destination but the beautiful, complicated, and sometimes painful journey along the way.

It may take exploring different avenues before you discover and unleash your true purpose. By dedicating time to understanding your values, beliefs, and goals through developing a personal philosophy, you’ll get there.

One step at a time.

And when you do, I promise it’ll all be worth it.

If you need a push in the right direction, check out my Online Course: Believing in Yourself . You’ll learn a number of proven methods to push past self-doubt, take action and achieve your goals.

About Lyn Christian

Hi there, I'm Lyn . My purpose is to support you to earn a living and live your life by doing what inspires you. To accomplish this, I work as a coach, consultant, TEDx speaker, author and founder of SoulSalt Inc.

Two doctors and the 'ketamine queen' are charged in the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry

A web of people motivated by greed — two doctors, a live-in-personal assistant, an acquaintance and a drug dealer known as the “ketamine queen” — conspired to provide Matthew Perry with the ketamine that caused his accidental overdose death last year, federal authorities announced Thursday.

The five individuals have all been charged in connection with Perry’s death. As his descent into ketamine addiction deepened last fall, they took advantage of the actor’s vulnerable condition to enrich themselves, authorities said.

“They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said at a news conference. “But they did it anyways. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well being.”

Perry, 54, was found face down in the heated end of a pool at his Pacific Palisades home on Oct. 28, 2023. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office attributed his death to the acute effects of ketamine, an anesthetic with psychedelic properties.

According to an 18-count superseding indictment, the events leading to Perry’s death began in September when a Santa Monica doctor, Salvador Plasencia, learned that Perry wanted ketamine. Long known as a club drug, it’s increasingly used to treat people with depression and other mental health issues but carries serious medical risks.

Plasencia reached out to another doctor, Mark Chavez, of San Diego, who had owned a ketamine clinic. Soon the two physicians were discussing how much to charge Perry for the drug.

“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia said in a text message to Chavez, according to the indictment. “Lets find out.”

Plasencia went on to provide ketamine to Perry and his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, 59. Plasencia repeatedly injected Perry with the drug himself and also instructed Iwamasa on how to do it, the indictment says.

“It was like a bad movie,” Plasencia wrote in a text message to Chavez, the indictment says.

From September until Perry’s death in late October, the doctors provided him with about 20 vials of ketamine at a price of $55,000 in cash, federal prosecutors said.

In mid-October, Iwamasa sought an additional source of ketamine for his troubled boss, the indictment said. He reached out to an acquaintance of Perry’s, Erik Fleming, who then reached out to a major underground seller known as the "ketamine queen."

A dual U.S. and U.K. citizen who lived in North Hollywood, Jasveen Sangha had been selling ketamine and other drugs for years, according to federal prosecutors.

She knew that ketamine could be fatal. In August 2019, a man overdosed on ketamine provided by Sangha, prosecutors said. Afterward, one of the man’s family members sent a text to Sangha. "The ketamine you sold my brother killed him," they wrote. "It's listed as the cause of death."

According to prosecutors, Sangha then typed a question into Google: “Can ketamine be listed as a cause of death.”

She began providing the drugs to Perry through Fleming, and he coordinated the sales with Iwamasa, the indictment says. On Oct. 28, Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three shots of ketamine using syringes provided by Plasencia, according to the indictment.

The actor, best known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom “Friends,” was found unresponsive in his pool later that day.

“Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday,” Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Millgram said at the Thursday news conference. “And it ended with street dealers who sold him ketamine in unmarked vials.”

Sangha, 41, and Plasencia, 42, were both arrested Thursday in Southern California. They were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Sangha was also charged with several other drug-related offenses.

Plasencia, who appeared shackled and in dress clothes during a court hearing Thursday, pleaded not guilty. His bond was set at $100,000.

The judge overseeing the case agreed to allow the non-controlled substance part of Placensia’s practice to remain open if he posts a note at his office explaining the charges and seeks releases from patients stating that they understand the allegations against him.

Plasencia's next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 28.

A lawyer for Plasencia, who operated a clinic in a strip mall in Calabasas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The owner of a local business, who asked not to be named for fear of harassment, said he met Plasencia briefly about two months ago after noticing a sign for weight loss medication at the clinic.

Plasencia offered him weight loss drugs without a consultation, the business owner said. The local business owner declined. “I’m glad I didn’t do it,” he said.

On Thursday afternoon, a sign advertising weight loss medication remained outside Palencia’s clinic but the front doors were locked. A handwritten note said the urgent care would be closed for the day.

After Perry’s death, federal agents and detectives searched Sangha's home. They found approximately 79 vials of ketamine, three pounds of orange pills containing methamphetamine, hallucinogenic mushrooms and cocaine.

Sangha appeared in court wearing large round glasses and a bright green baggy Nirvana T-shirt. After she pleaded not guilty, a judge ordered her to be held without bail, saying she was a flight risk.

Sangha was previously arrested in March in a separate federal drug case in which she was accused of being "a large volume drug dealer." She was released from custody in that case after she posted a $100,000 bond, according to court records.

Iwamasa, Perry's 59-year-old assistant, pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing a death. He admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including on the day the actor died, according to prosecutors.

Chavez, 54, the physician based in San Diego, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, prosecutors said. He admitted to selling ketamine to Plasencia, according to prosecutors.

Fleming, 54, the acquaintance who helped Perry procure ketamine, pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He admitted to distributing the ketamine that killed Perry — drugs that he received from Sangha, according to prosecutors.

Perry had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to treat depression and anxiety, but his last session took place more than a week prior to his death. The medical examiner noted that the ketamine in Perry’s system “could not be from that infusion therapy” given its short half-life.

The levels of ketamine in his body were high — equivalent to the amount used for general anesthesia during surgery, according to the medical examiner. The coroner ultimately ruled his death an accident.

Perry had been open about his lengthy struggles with opioid addiction and alcoholism, which he chronicled in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.”

It’s not uncommon for law enforcement to investigate — and in some cases bring charges against — the people who supplied the drugs that caused a high-profile death.

After the death of Michael Jackson in 2009, his private physician, Dr. Conrad Murray , was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for providing the singer with a fatal dose of powerful drugs. More recently, federal prosecutors in New York brought charges against four men who supplied actor Michael K. Williams with the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed him in 2021.

The family of “Dateline” correspondent Keith Morrison, who is Perry’s stepfather, said in a statement that they welcomed the news of the law enforcement action.

“We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew’s death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously,” the family said. “We look forward to justice taking its course.”

Andrew Blankstein is an investigative reporter for NBC News. He covers the Western U.S., specializing in crime, courts and homeland security.

Eric Leonard is an investigative reporter and joins NBC4 with more than 20 years of experience in the news business.

Rich Schapiro is a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit.

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Highlights: Harris to hold rally in North Carolina, highlights from Trump’s NJ news conference

With consumer goods placed on tables near him, Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump National Golf Club, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Bedminster, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

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Today’s live coverage has ended. See what you missed below and find the latest on the 2024 presidential election at apnews.com.

Donald Trump held a press conference Thursday in Bedminster , New Jersey in which he said he thinks he’s “ entitled to personal attacks ” on his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris, saying he’s “very angry” at her because of the criminal charges he faces.

Earlier, Harris joined President Joe Biden to announce a deal to lower drug prices , their first joint speaking appearance since she replaced him at the top of the Democratic ticket, as they both struggle to convince voters that costs will trend down after years of above-normal inflation.

What to know:

Harris is set to unveil her economic agenda. Her upcoming speech in North Carolina will preview policies around price gouging on groceries and cutting other costs, as her campaign zeroes in on food and housing prices.
Trump addressed inflation and the economy Thursday. The Republican presidential nominee blamed inflation directly on government spending, sidestepping some of the more complex realities of global supply chain interruptions during the pandemic and global oil price spikes after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Vance and Walz plan to debate later this year. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance have agreed to debate each other on Oct. 1, setting up a matchup of potential vice presidents as early voting in some states gets underway for the general election .

Trump warns that anti-Israel protestors will descend on next week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Trump said that “hundreds of thousands of people that are opposed to Israel” are planning to protest around the events. “There will be no jihad coming to America under Trump,” he said, to applause from the crowd.

Trump called Democrats “a radical group of people,” again criticizing Harris for not attending Netanyahu’s recent speech before a joint session of Congress, traveling to Indiana instead .

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, also did not attend the speech, stumping in Ohio and Virginia.

Harris, however, met with the prime minister privately.

Of Trump, Adelson said there’s just one president in her lifetime that fully shares the values she’s been talking about. “That president is Donald Trump,” she said, to cheers from the gathered crowd, adding that it was a “promised kept” when Trump moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, as well as recognizing the Golan Heights and withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.

Trump is being introduced by GOP mega-donor Miriam Adelson, an Israeli-born, naturalized U.S. citizen who earned a medical degree from Tel Aviv University and founded drug abuse treatment and research centers in Las Vegas and Tel Aviv.

In her remarks, Adelson talked about the impact of the Israel-Hamas war, saying that “Israel is being demonized,” adding that, “in too many parts of the world, it is open season against the Jews, and antisemitism becomes acceptable.” Miriam is the wife of the late Sheldon Adelson, a Las Vegas casino magnate considered one of the nation’s most powerful Republican donors, who died in 2021 .

The Adelsons donated $30 million to Trump’s campaign in the final months of the 2016 race, and Miriam Adelson is behind some major spending aimed at boosting Trump’s current campaign. Preserve America super PAC, a pro-Trump group backed by her, has reserved $45 million worth of advertising through the end of August.

As president, Trump awarded Miriam Adelson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the highest honor the nation reserves for a civilian — in 2018.

Trump repeats false claims that Minnesota law requires tampons in boys’ bathrooms

CLAIM: Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz “signed a bill that all boys bathrooms in Minnesota will have tampons.”

FACTS: Walz signed a bill in 2023 that requires Minnesota public schools to make tampons available to “all menstruating students.” The law does not mention gender. The relevant section of the law reads: “A school district or charter school must provide students with access to menstrual products at no charge.

The products must be available to all menstruating students in restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 to 12 according to a plan developed by the school district. For purposes of this section, ‘menstrual products’ means pads, tampons, or other similar products used in connection with the menstrual cycle.”

That means a school system could theoretically opt to place dispensers in all bathrooms. But there is no legal requirement that tampons be distributed in boys’ bathrooms — because a system could satisfy the law with dispensers in girls’ restrooms.

Former President Donald Trump falsely claimed he won Pennsylvania in the 2020 election. He did not.

CLAIM: “I won Pennsylvania and I did much better the second time. I won it in 2016, did much better the second time. I know Pennsylvania very well.”

THE FACTS: Trump did win the state in 2016, when he beat Democrat Hillary Clinton to win the presidency. But he lost the state in 2020 to President Joe Biden, a Pennsylvania native. According to the official certified results Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris received 3.46 million votes, compared to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence with 3.38 million votes.

Trump is arguing that his presidency brought more national unity than he gets credit for and that he is not actually as brash or bombastic as he often seems on the campaign trail.

“I think I’m doing a very calm campaign,” he said after being asked about some criticism from Republicans who want him to focus less on personal attacks. “Some of you will say, ‘he ranted and raved,’” Trump said, referring to journalists.

“I’m a very calm person, believe it or not,” he said.

He pointed to a criminal justice overhaul enacted when he was president. He did it with Democratic support."When you do that, that’s a big step,” he said, describing a negotiation process involving unusual allies. “Our country was coming together. Success will bring our country together again.”

Trump says he’d welcome Nikki Haley on the campaign trail if she wanted to stump for him.

Asked if he would want Haley to rally support for him, Trump said, “I’d love to have her go around and campaign.”

“I fought Nikki very hard,” Trump said. “I beat her in her own state by legendary numbers. I get along with her fine.” The former South Carolina governor, who was the last remaining GOP opponent against Trump in the primary campaign and served two years as his administration’s ambassador to the United Nations, shuttered her campaign after Trump’s big wins on Super Tuesday.

She didn’t endorse Trump immediately but has since and spoke at last month’s RNC in Milwaukee in support of his candidacy. Otherwise, she has not campaigned for him.

Trump says he feels that he’s earned the right to take on his political opponents in a personal way, citing what he termed the way the justice system has been “weaponized” against him.

It’s a theme Trump often hits in his rally speeches, citing the legal cases against him and characterizing them as politically motivated attacks by Democratic prosecutors and the Biden Justice Department.

On Thursday, asked if he felt he needed to run a more disciplined campaign in the closing months ahead of Nov. 5 and pivot away from making personal attacks on Harris, Trump said, “I think I’m entitled to personal attacks, I don’t have a lot of respect for her, I don’t have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think she’ll be a terrible president.”

Trump went on to say of Harris that “people don’t know who she is,” explaining that he doesn’t typically use his opponent’s last name because, “You can ask the man on the street, what’s the last name of Kamala?’ Nobody knew.”

Trump’s been encouraging supporters to vote for him early, but he again called for “one-day voting” in elections.

“We should have one-day voting, paper ballots,” Trump said, in part of a response to a question about credit card debt.

Saying that large numbers of early voting is “ridiculous,” Trump also called for “voter ID, and we should have proof of citizenship” for voting in U.S. elections.

Trump claimed the U.S. could suffer an economic collapse akin to the 1929 crash that preceded the Great Depression if Harris wins the election.

CLAIM: “We’re going to have a crash like the 1929 crash if she gets in.”

THE FACTS: Countering Trump’s gloomy predictions, the economy has shown recent signs of strength and stability. On Thursday, the S&P 500 jumped 1.6%, its sixth gain in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also increased, as did the Nasdaq composite.

Recent economic reports show that shoppers increased their retail spending last month and fewer workers sought unemployment benefits.

Fears that the economy was slowing emerged last month following a sharp drop in hiring and higher unemployment rates. But those worries were assuaged earlier this month when a better-than-expected jobless numbers led to Wall Street’s best rally since 2022.

Trump was asked if he had reflected on his assassination attempt and why he felt his life had been saved.

Calling it “a miracle” that he wasn’t more seriously harmed, Trump said that “God has something to do with it. ... And maybe it’s, we want to save the world.”

At the Republican National Convention, Trump spoke in depth about the shooting and said that he wouldn’t make a habit of talking about it, although he has done so frequently at campaign events since.

Trump made it more than 45 minutes into his remarks before bringing up his grievances over the 2020 election. He again implied — falsely — that the election was rigged as he bragged about getting “millions more votes” than he got in 2016 plus “other votes that we can talk about at a different day.”

Indeed, turnout in 2020 was considerably higher than in 2016. Trump’s national vote total jumped from just shy of 63 million to 74.2 million. But Joe Biden got almost 81.3 million votes, up from Hillary Clinton’s 65.9 million votes four years earlier.

Much of Trump’s remarks have been aimed to focus on the economy, and — more than 40 minutes into his event — he made reference to the food items and household goods set up in a display behind him.

“I haven’t seen Cheerios in a long time,” Trump said, noticing the cereal box. “I’m going to take them back to my cottage.”

At about 45 minutes in, Trump started taking questions.

But there have been some stem-winding moments, reminiscent of his rallies, where remarks can run an hour and a half.

Trump is promising to eliminate all incentives and mandates that push the U.S. auto market toward electric vehicles. But he’s insistent that he does not oppose EVs — just that he wants market forces and consumer choices to guide the economy.

Trump is going after remarks that Harris made in a Senate confirmation hearing in 2018. He said that Harris had compared U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the Ku Klux Klan.

In 2018, Harris, then a senator, aggressively questioned acting Director Ronald D. Vitiello of ICE about a comment he had made on social media that compared the Democratic Party to the KKK.

After a heated exchange during the hearing, Harris asked Vitiello, “Are you aware that there’s a perception that ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing fear and intimidation — particularly among immigrants and specifically among immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?”

Donald Trump is 30 minutes into what his campaign billed as a news conference, but he has yet to take questions. He stuck largely to prepared remarks on inflation but has stretched his remarks with various broadsides and anecdotes.

Trump misstated Harris’ role in overseeing border security during his press conference Thursday in Bedminster, N.J.

CLAIM: “She was the border czar but she didn’t do anything. She’s the worst border czar in history ... She was the person responsible for the border and she never went there.”

THE FACTS: Biden tapped Harris in 2021 to work with Central American countries to address the root causes of migration and the challenges it creates. Illegal crossings are one aspect of those challenges, but Harris was never assigned to the border or put in charge of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees law enforcement at the border .

Trump is hammering Harris as a politician who wants to “defund the police.” His characterization of her previous statements is not accurate.

After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Harris expressed praise for the “defund the police” movement and questioned whether money was being effectively spent on public safety. But she has not advocated abolishing police forces, the insinuation behind Trump’s line of attack.

Harris did an interview in June 2020 with the “Ebro in the Morning” radio show in New York noting, “This whole movement is about rightly saying, we need to take a look at these budgets and figure out whether it reflects the right priorities.” Her comments were part of a wider critique that police departments have to confront more social problems because other public programs — education, social services, mental health care — are often not funded well enough.

The Biden administration tried to overhaul policing, but the legislation stalled on Capitol Hill, and Biden ultimately settled for issuing an executive order . The administration also pumped more money into local departments.

The pivot to criticizing the Biden-Harris administration on immigration has been a theme of many of Trump’s speeches and events during this campaign cycle, and it’s one the GOP nominee is again renewing during his Bedminster remarks.

After listing off programs he said Harris would threaten as president — saying “she will destroy Medicare, she will destroy Social Security” — Trump then turned back to immigration concerns, overstating the number of people who have come across the U.S.-Mexico border during Biden’s time in office.

It’s a regular feature of modern U.S. elections for Republican nominees to cast Democratic nominees for various offices as “too liberal” or even “socialist.”

Trump has elevated that line of attack on Harris. “She wants to change a free-enterprise-type country into a communist-type country,” he insisted.

Trump’s argument depends heavily on certain positions Harris took as a U.S. senator from California and candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Harris once co-sponsored Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for All” Senate proposal, but she has backed away from that since the 2020 campaign.

The Biden-Harris campaign in 2020 advocated for a “public option” plan to be added to existing private health insurance exchanges set up under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. That policy would not, as Trump claims, end private health insurance or private health care.

Trump is warning that his Democratic opponent would upend not only the U.S. economy but also American relationships abroad.

“If Kamala wins the election, the worst is yet to come,” Trump said, claiming that Harris is “far more radical” than Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and “wants to change a free enterprise type country into a communist type country.”

On foreign relations, Trump warned that “you’ll have a real problem in the future because people don’t respect her in the world.”

Turning to the grocery items that are surrounding him, Trump quoted various inflation statistics for various staples of U.S. household diets.

But he blasted Harris’ talk of taking on price gouging, including on food, calling it “communist price controls” and “the Maduro plan,” a nod to the authoritarian socialist leader of Venezuela. “She wants price controls,” he said. “They don’t work. ... They lead to food shortages.” He’s adding references to higher car insurance premiums and fuel costs.

So far, Trump has not introduced any of his proposals to confront the situation. He’s opting instead for blaming Harris, because she is Biden’s top lieutenant, and recycling his sweeping predictions that a President Harris would tank the economy.

Trump is opening his latest news conference with renewed attacks that Harris “broke the border and broke the world.”

He is highlighting her role as vice president casting the tie-breaking Senate vote on major spending initiatives for the Biden administration.

As the economy takes center stage in the presidential contest, Trump is blaming inflation directly on government spending — sidestepping some of the more complex realities of global supply chain interruptions during the pandemic and global oil price spikes after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Harris, in turn, has focused the blame on corporate greed, glossing over the effects of considerable stimulus spending by the U.S. and other governments around the world.

Trump has started a news conference outside at his Bedminster resort in New Jersey, where he is speaking surrounded by groceries set on tables.

The former president and Republican nominee is trying to step up his attacks on Vice President Harris, shifting blame for rising prices from Biden to her as she becomes her party standard-bearer.

Trump delivered what was billed as a major address on the economy a day earlier in North Carolina but he spent most of the 75-minute speech on his usual grievances. The news conference marks another opportunity for him to focus his argument on what many political observers believe can be a weak spot for Harris.

For her part, Harris is planning an address on the economy Friday in North Carolina.

At a rally yesterday in North Carolina that his campaign billed as a big economic address, Trump made little effort to stay on message. He mixed pledges to slash energy prices and “unleash economic abundance” with familiar off-script tangents.

He aired his frustration over the Democrats swapping the vice president in place of Biden at the top of their presidential ticket. He repeatedly denigrated San Francisco, where Harris was once the district attorney, as “unlivable” and went after his rival in deeply personal terms, questioning her intelligence, saying she has “the laugh of a crazy person” and musing that Democrats were being “politically correct” in trying to elevate the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.

The former president will meet members of the press at his New Jersey golf club at 4:30 p.m. ET for his second news conference in as many weeks as he adjusts to a newly energized Democratic ticket.

He’ll be flanked by popular grocery store items as he seeks to highlight the rising cost of food.

The event comes one day after the Labor Department announced year-over-year inflation reached its lowest level in more than three years in July — the latest sign that the worst price spike in four decades is fading. But consumers are still feeling the impact of higher prices and the Trump campaign is hoping to capitalize on those frustrations.

▶ Watch Trump’s New Jersey news conference live

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has released a video of her chatting with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as the pair discuss their upbringings and tastes.

Running just under 10 minutes and filmed last week when the pair made a joint campaign appearance in Detroit, the video recalls a similar one then-candidate Joe Biden had with former President Barack Obama during the 2020 campaign.

Walz likens the election to a football game, saying it’s “halftime in America” and he feels like the campaign is trailing by a touchdown, adding, “I kind of like the idea of being a little bit behind.”

Harris, who’s played up her running mate’s former career coaching high school football responds, “I’m looking at Coach Walz right now.”

The vice president asks her running mate about liking what he describes as “white guy tacos,” which he says are ground beef and cheese but no sauce — prompting Harris to note that she’s grown chili peppers at the vice president’s residence.

He tells her about his love of Bruce Springsteen and Harris talks about growing up with the music of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis and John Coltrane and her love of Prince. She says she’s “more of a hip hop girl” while her husband, Doug Emhoff, is more partial to Depeche Mode.

Harris talks about supporting policies that don’t “let people fall through the cracks” and trying to unify rather than divide the country.

In the weeks since launching her presidential campaign, Harris hasn’t sat for a major media interview — making her chat with Walz one of the closest approximations.

Former President Donald Trump will speak at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Thursday flanked by popular grocery store items as he seeks to highlight the rising cost of food.

Staff were seen laying out a selection of items, including tubs of instant coffee, sugary breakfast cereals, pastries and fruit, on tables behind the lectern where he’ll speak at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

But consumers are still feeling the effect of higher prices — something Trump’s campaign is banking on to motivate voters this fall.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have appeared together for the first time since she replaced him as the Democratic presidential nominee.

Biden and Harris spoke at an event at a Maryland community college to talk about the administration’s work to lower the cost of prescription drugs.

They also praised each other.

Harris, who spoke first, said it’s her “eternal and great honor” to serve with Biden, whom she called an “extraordinary human being and American and leader.”

Biden said of Harris, “She’s going to make one hell of a president.”

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris arrive to speak about their administration’s efforts to lower prescription drug costs during an event at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Md., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling is touting extensive officer training as a critical part of the city’s preparations for the Democratic National Convention next week.

Roughly 50,000 people are expected in Chicago for the convention, including thousands of anti-war activists who plan to demonstrate near the United Center where Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the party’s nomination.

Snelling maintained that the Chicago Police Department — working alongside federal law enforcement agencies — is prepared to deal with large crowds and any security concerns.

“There’s a possibility that things could take a turn. Something could happen that we don’t expect,” Snelling told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “We know that our officers can respond in a professional manner with training behind them. They’ll be more effective in decision making. And then the response becomes greater and better.”

FILE - Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign event, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed paperwork Thursday, June 20, 2024 to get on the ballot for the November election in swing-state Pennsylvania, the state’s election office said. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign suffered a blow this week when a judge in New York invalidated his petition to put his name on the state ballot, a ruling that could potentially create problems for the candidate as he faces challenges elsewhere.

Kennedy’s attorneys filed an appeal Wednesday to a ruling this week from Justice Christina Ryba, who said the residence listed on his nominating petitions was a “sham” address he used to maintain his voter registration and to further his political aspirations. The judge ruled in favor of the challengers, who argued Kennedy’s actual residence was the home in Los Angeles he shares with his wife, the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines.

New York is just one of more than a half-dozen states where challenges have been made to Kennedy’s petitions from Democrats and their allies. Some of the challenges allege he falsely listed the same New York address that was the subject of litigation in that state, or that there were problems with petition signatures.

Donald Trump is asking the judge in his New York hush money criminal case to delay his sentencing until after the November presidential election.

In a letter made public Thursday, a lawyer for the former president and current Republican nominee suggested that sentencing Trump as scheduled on Sept. 18 — about seven weeks before Election Day — would amount to election interference.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche wrote that a delay would also allow Trump time to weigh next steps after the trial judge, Juan M. Merchan, is expected to rule Sept. 16 on the defense’s request to overturn the verdict and dismiss the case because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July presidential immunity ruling .

“There is no basis for continuing to rush,” Blanche wrote.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio speaks at a campaign event, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Byron Center, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

To attendees gathered at a VFW post in New Kensington on Thursday in western Pennsylvania, Vance lauded Trump for putting “in place real policies that really benefit the veterans who served in our military.”

As he opened his remarks, Vance asked attendees to hold a brief moment of silence to commemorate the deaths of 13 service members killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan three years ago, a move by Biden he said occurred “in the most disgraceful way,” also laying blame on Harris.

Vance was introduced by several veterans now serving in Congress, including Florida Reps. Brian Mast and Mike Waltz. Pat Harrigan, a Republican running for the U.S. House in North Carolina, levied harsh criticism on Tim Walz’s record, calling the Minnesota governor “a coward who betrayed his men at their greatest time of need.”

Since Harris named Walz - a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard - as her running mate, Vance has repeatedly questioned his rival’s military credentials, accusing him of retiring to avoid deploying with his unit and saying Walz misled voters about serving in a combat zone, when he was deployed to Italy in 2003 in a supportive, not combat, role.

As he ramped up for a congressional bid in 2005, Walz’s campaign in March issued a statement saying he still planned to run despite a possible mobilization of Minnesota National Guard soldiers to Iraq. According to the Guard, Walz retired from service in May of that year. In August 2005, the Department of the Army issued a mobilization order for Walz’s unit. The unit mobilized in October of that year before it deployed to Iraq in March 2006 .

“Kamala Harris, showing terrible judgment, has decided that her way out of this political problem is to claim that she and Tim Walz are the victims,” Vance said, referencing comments by the campaign pushing back on Republicans’ criticism. “I think the victims are the veterans who are having their service disparaged because the guy who wants to be their vice president is lying instead of telling the truth.”

Vance said he became a member of the VFW Post at which he spoke, saying he’d be back in the future to “have some pancakes, maybe a cigarette, whatever.”

Vice President Kamala Harris has a perceived advantage over former President Donald Trump on several leadership qualities such as honesty, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds, although Americans are slightly more likely to trust Trump on the economy and immigration.

Nearly half of Americans say that “committed to democracy” and “disciplined” are attributes that better describe Harris. About 3 in 10 say these qualities better describe Trump.

About 4 in 10 say Harris is someone who “cares about people like you” while about 3 in 10 say that about Trump. About 4 in 10 say “honest” better describes Harris and 24% say that quality better describes Trump.

▶ Read more about the AP-NORC poll

Vice President Kamala Harris plans to hold a rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday in the same venue where Republicans gathered for their national convention last month.

Harris will hold the event at the Fiserv Forum while the Democratic National Convention is underway about 100 miles to the south in Chicago, the Harris campaign said Thursday.

The stop will mark the third time since Harris become the Democratic presidential nominee that she’s come to swing state Wisconsin, a nod to the importance of the state. She held her first rally of the presidential campaign outside Milwaukee and last week stopped in Eau Claire, in western Wisconsin, with her newly selected running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The campaign didn’t say if Walz would be with Harris on Tuesday. The rally is scheduled during the second day of the Democratic National Convention.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, running mate to Republican Donald Trump, planned to be in Milwaukee on Friday to speak at the Milwaukee Police Association. That would be his second visit to Wisconsin as the vice presidential nominee. He was in Eau Claire last week at the same time as Harris and Walz.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance have agreed to debate each other on Oct. 1, setting up a matchup of potential vice presidents as early voting in some states gets underway for the general election.

CBS News on Wednesday posted on its X feed that the network had invited both Vance and Walz to debate in New York City, presenting four possible dates — Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 — as options.

Walz reposted that message from his own campaign account, “See you on October 1, JD.” The Harris-Walz campaign followed up with a message of its own, saying Walz “looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up.”

Vance posted on X that he would accept the Oct. 1 invitation. He also challenged Walz to meet on Sept. 18.

And she’s zeroing in on corporate price gouging.

Her campaign says Harris plans to push for a federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries. She’s putting particular emphasis on rising meat prices, which she says account for a large part of rising grocery bills.

Year-over-year inflation has reached its lowest level in more than three years. But many Americans are still struggling with food prices, which remain 21% above where they were three years ago. Republican Donald Trump has been pointing to inflation as a key failing of the Biden-Trump administration and its energy policies.

Former President Donald Trump invited reporters to his New Jersey golf club Thursday for his second news conference in as many weeks as he adjusts to a newly energized Democratic ticket ahead of next week’s Democratic National Convention.

Trump will meet the press as he steps up his criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris for not holding a news conference or sitting down for interviews since President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign and endorsed her to replace him.

▶ Read more about Trump’s scheduled news conference

The Biden administration is taking a victory lap after federal officials inked deals with drug companies to lower the price for 10 of Medicare’s most popular and costliest drugs, but shared few immediate details about the new price older Americans will pay when they fill those prescriptions.

White House officials said Wednesday night they expect U.S. taxpayers to save $6 billion on the new prices, while older Americans could save roughly $1.5 billion on their medications. Those projections, however, were based on dated estimates and the administration shared no details as to how they arrived at the figures.

Nonetheless, the newly negotiated prices — still elusive to the public as of early Thursday morning — will affect the price of drugs used by millions of older Americans to help manage diabetes, blood cancers and prevent heart failure or blood clots.

The drugs include the blood thinners Xarelto and Eliquis and diabetes drugs Jardiance and Januvia. Medicare spent $50 billion covering the drugs last year.

In his first solo appearance as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz warned cheering union members Tuesday that Donald Trump would wage war on working people and threaten Medicare and Social Security as he kicked off a five-state fundraising swing.

He spoke of a grim future for unions if Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance are elected, describing a nation where bargaining rights, overtime pay and other protections would be scuttled. He said Trump and Vance have “waged war on working people.”

However, Trump also has courted union support. When he accepted the Republican nomination, he said that he would rescue the auto industry from what he called “complete obliteration.”

Read more about Walz’s 5-state fundraising blitz

Whatever possessed Vice President Kamala Harris to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, it probably wasn’t a desire to inflame arguments about apostrophes. But it doesn’t take much to get grammar nerds fired up .

“The lower the stakes, the bigger the fight,” said Ron Woloshun, a creative director and digital marketer in California who jumped into the fray on social media less than an hour after Harris selected Walz last week to offer his take on possessive proper nouns.

The Associated Press Stylebook says “use only an apostrophe” for singular proper names ending in S: Dickens’ novels, Hercules’ labors, Jesus’ life. But not everyone agrees.

While there is widespread agreement that Walz’s is correct, confusion persists about Harris’ vs. Harris’s. Dreyer’s verdict? Add the ’s.

▶ Read more about the political world’s latest grammar debate

Vice President Kamala Harris talks to the media, Friday, June 25, 2021, after her tour of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Central Processing Center in El Paso, Texas. Harris visited the U.S. southern border as part of her role leading the Biden administration’s response to a steep increase in migration. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Vice President Kamala Harris was never the “border czar,” as her critics claim.

Biden administration officials say she was assigned to tackle the “root causes” of migration from the Central American nations of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras that were responsible for a large chunk of border crossers.

A review of Harris’ work on immigration reveals a record that is more nuanced than the one presented by her critics or allies. It also provides insights into how Harris — who took over as the Democratic standard-bearer when Biden dropped out of the presidential race last month — might tackle one of the nation’s most vexing concerns.

▶ Read more about Harris’ work on immigration

The Democratic National Committee will offer a schedule of trainings, panels and other programming it’s calling “DemPalooza” during the party’s convention in Chicago next week. The name is a play on the Lollapalooza music festival Chicago plays hosts to every year.

“DemPalooza” events will range from trainings on how to use organizing tools to polling briefings and skills workshops. The DNC says these programs are part of its and the Harris campaign’s efforts to organize and reach voters in an evolving media environment and provide opportunities for Democrats to take what they’ve learned back to the communities that will decide the November presidential election.

President Joe Biden leaves after speaking about prescription drug costs at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is taking a victory lap after federal officials inked deals with drug companies to lower the price for 10 of Medicare’s most popular and costliest drugs, but shared few immediate details about the new price older Americans will pay when they fill those prescriptions.

▶ Read the full story here .

Former President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower in New York on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Trump is expected in court for an important hearing in his New York hush-money criminal case. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Donald Trump has lost his latest bid for a new judge in his New York hush money criminal case as it heads toward a key ruling and potential sentencing next month.

In a decision posted Wednesday , Judge Juan M. Merchan declined to step aside and said Trump’s demand was a rehash “rife with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims” about his ability to remain impartial.

It’s the third time Merchan has rejected such a request from lawyers for the former president and current Republican nominee. They contend the judge has a conflict of interest because his daughter works as a political consultant for prominent Democrats, including Kamala Harris when she sought the Democrats’ 2020 presidential nomination. Harris is now the party’s nominee against Trump.

The judge’s daughter, Loren Merchan, met Harris occasionally in 2019 but never “developed an individual relationship” with her, consulting firm founder Mike Nellis told the chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, in a letter Tuesday. The firm, Authentic Campaigns Inc., has not worked for Harris’ campaign, President Joe Biden’s now-ended reelection bid or the Democratic National Committee in the 2024 election cycle, Nellis said.

This discussion is now closed.

Cambridge philosophy personal statement
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Politics was not an option at GCSE in my school but having grown up in a family of strong minded individuals working in public service I knew it would be my first choice at A –Level. I have not been disappointed. I was brought up with views formed during the political turmoil of the miners’ strike, continuing on through student riots and onto the formation and expansion of far-right extremists groups such as EDL.

The interactive nature of politics has allowed me to form my own opinions on the effect of political events and their relationship with society. Foreign policy with Syria, fiscal control with the credit crunch, moral objections of same sex marriage are just a few examples of the broad range of subjects that humanities influence and has kept me enthralled throughout my course.

Politics is an ever changing subject which means over time it can develop and improve. I want to be part of this. I want my university life to be flexible, rewarding and engaging so I have chosen to expand upon my learning experience by studying more than one discipline which are tailored to my interests.

The subjects mesh well and deal with the related issues of the use of power, social policy, fiscal awareness, morals and the interconnection of the individual and state.

During my time at school I have not been afraid to expand my social skills, team building and communication skills. Participation in extra-curricular activities has helped me to maintain a balance between my studies and leisure.

I have been an avid swimmer, achieving the Honours Swimming Challenge which is the highest Challenge award available and has taught me the value of perseverance and hard work. I was also a member of the Ribble Valley School of Dance for 10 years and have been awarded Grade 3 in ballet, tap and modern jazz.

Both of these sports are more individually driven which has given me the push to achieve as my own person without relying on others to help me succeed.

This does not mean I cannot work well in a team though, as I was a member of the school netball team at secondary school where I learnt the importance of every person’s strengths and how to best utilise these abilities to succeed well in a team.

I have expanded my personal growth by completing The Challenge. This was a summer programme which consisted of a series of team and individual challenges where we worked within the community with different charities such as Nightsafe homeless shelter and Darwen’s neighbourhood community Trust.

I continued in this area of social awareness by becoming an Associate Mentor with the Challenge in which I have a leadership role with current Challengers. I was involved throughout the summer with a new series of charitable causes such as raising awareness for suicide watch and highlighting misconceptions about learning difficulties.

My work experience has included work in a commercial law office where I learnt about credit histories, contract formulation and customer relations with face to face contact with clients. I also work in my families company where I have dealt with problems as diverse as steel orders for agricultural buildings to VAT returns and product sourcing.

Last year I was awarded the National Citizen Service 2012 for my voluntary work within the community. This shows I am willing to dedicate my free time for the benefit of others and possess a strong work ethic.

I am currently taking part in the Bar mock trial with the Citizenship foundation where students work as a team to prosecute and defend set cases which will give me an insight into the legal system and improve my ability to think on my feet.

I have always aspired to study at University with a subject choice that reflects my interests. The experience will develop and mould my knowledge in these subject areas.

I hope I have shown myself to be a well rounded candidate who has a willingness to learn, the dedication and the drive necessary to excel at your University.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by sarahb123 for application in 2014.

sarahb123's university choices Keele University Loughborough University Oxford Brookes University University of Surrey University of Wales Swansea

Green : offer made Red : no offer made

sarahb123's Comments

I have applied to a different courses but all are 'politics and...' so my personal statement is mostly politics but can be used for politics and another subject

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How difficult is a Philosophy degree?
Student of Entomology. I studied biology and took 2 year one philosophy modules and a year two philosophy module (of the mind, space time, and of the mind 2). I got 2x 1sts and a high 2:1 in the essays and exams, with little outside input and obviously not the benefit of the rest of the course. On that basis it is not difficult.
Politics, Philosophy & Economics (PPE) Personal Statement Example 1
The experience will develop and mould my knowledge in these subject areas. I hope I have shown myself to be a well rounded candidate who has a willingness to learn, the dedication and the drive necessary to excel at your University. This personal statement was written by sarahb123 for application in 2014. sarahb123's university choices.
r/AskReddit on Reddit: What is your personal philosophy?
Get paid, get laid, blow up like the world trade. Decide who you want to be and then act accordingly. So many people will want to make their goals your goals, and they're very good at convincing you that you want what they want. I want to be happy, healthy, wealthy, and smart. That's it.