Rene Descartes was a French philosopher and mathematician who was born in France in 1596. From a young age, he had a passion for physics, mathematics, and philosophy. Throughout the 17th century, he dedicated his life to the pursuit of understanding and knowledge, driven by his passion.

In his early 20s, he joined the French army as a mercenary, where he stayed for 2 years. After that, he travelled around the world, spending a large amount of time in the Netherlands, while also exploring various corners of the world to learn more about life, people, and cultures, but most importantly, to learn more about himself. During his philosophical journey, he established a saying for which he became most famous: "Cogito Ergo Sum," which means "I think, therefore I am."

Descartes wrote many significant pieces of work that have had a profound impact on the Western world. One, in particular, was 'The Passion of the Soul.' Descartes believed that the soul or mind was distinct from the body and that it was through the passions of our mind and soul that our experiences were shaped. He described these passions as being caused by external influences or internal thoughts and believed that they could have both positive and negative effects on ourselves.

He noted that he believed there are six main passions: wonder, love, hatred, desire, joy, and sorrow. However, contrary to many ancient stoic philosophers, he didn't believe in vanquishing passions. Instead, he believed it was better to focus on understanding how to identify each one within oneself and their impact on one's behaviour and then finding ways to control them.

His philosophy emphasizes the importance of introspection and clarity of thought and believes that the various issues in the world are actually consequences of our inability to use our minds. He was a strong believer in the power of the mind, the potential for universal energy to transmit from our minds into the world we create.

He had a very subjective approach to philosophy and questioned everything universally. To the point in which he questioned: how can anyone know anything truly existing, and that we are simply not in a dream?

He had profound ideas, but most definitely what has stuck with me the most after reading about him was the passion and focus on the power of the mind and, through introspection, manifestation, and projection of our universal energy, we can create the tangible reality that we all live in. This aspect of life and the purpose of better understanding ourselves, I believe, is a strong contributing factor in our search for happiness.

Thanks,

Dean