"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not a truth"...

I disagree with what Aurelius states in this quote. I guess what he is trying to say is that there aren't any facts or truth in the world and that is something I don't believe. I think some people find solace in thinking that we don't have any control in what happens to us and that even though we think we can explain our surroundings, God or whomever/whatever they believe in, has ultimate control and is the only truth regardless of what we see or experience. I, on the other hand, think that is absolutely terrifying. I find comfort in facts because they are the only things I can rely on. I can find no proof that God exists, but I can find proof that Earth is one of eight planets that orbit the sun, for example. This isn't to say that there aren't opinions or perspectives, though. Every person has their own perspective and opinions on what happens in life, but I hope that when I look out my window and see a blue sky, the sky is in fact blue and that is the truth. Some people argue that mental illnesses are examples of how our eyes can sometimes deceive us, so how can we trust our sight? In this case, although sight might not be trustworthy, I trust the science of mental illnesses and complications in our brains to be the reality of the situation. Maybe I should be more open minded though...      

My Personal Philosophy

The idea of existence is complicated. Why do humans exist? What is the purpose of our lives? I'm not sure there is a answer, or at least not one answer. As people experience life, they come up with their own purpose, their own reason for existence.
I'm a rationalist. I believe in science because it makes sense to me and it's trustworthy. I think humans are highly intelligent warm-blooded animals packaged with chemicals and a brain that allows us to believe there is a purpose to life. I think we got lucky in the evolutionary process. But this is cynical and sometimes the only way to continue on in this possibly pointless life is to believe that we are here for a reason and that we're something more than skin and bones. I choose to believe that along with the nerves and hormones, we're composed of our ideas, experiences, and beliefs. I think we're composed of all the bits and pieces of our daily lives: the music we listen to, the books we read, the food we eat, the people we love. Our minds are filled with the knowledge we learn in schools, but also the things we choose to learn by ourselves.
My mind is filled with movies and science fiction novels. Quotes from my favorite books and characters from my favorite movies occupy my thoughts and affect the way I choose to live my life. In my mind, my future self is composed of different pieces of the lives I see others living. My memories, my friends, the breakfast I ate this morning, all make me who I am and define my existence. Whether or not these things determine the purpose of our life is unclear, but I think that without them, our lives would be pretty meaningless.