philosophy
fi-LOS-uh-fee
/fɪˈlɒs.ə.fi/
A theory or attitude held by a person or organization that acts as a guiding principle for behavior.
In coaching, a philosophy is the 'soul' of the team—it dictates how they play, win, and lose.
The story behind the word. A beautiful combination of the Greek 'philos' (loving) and 'sophia' (wisdom). In coaching, your philosophy isn't just a set of rules; it’s your 'love of wisdom' regarding how the game should be played and how athletes should grow.
Word relationships
- ideology: Ideology is often political or social; philosophy is more personal or professional.
- credo: A credo is a statement of belief; a philosophy is the reasoning behind those beliefs.
Commonly confused with
- strategy: Strategy is the plan for one game; philosophy is the belief system for all games.
Word family
- philosopher (noun): A person who studies or writes about philosophy.
- philosophical (adjective): Relating to or devoted to the study of philosophy.
Collocations
- coaching philosophy
- guiding philosophy
- personal philosophy
Example sentences
- "My philosophy is that if you can't have fun, there's no sense in doing it." Personal outlook
- "The coach's philosophy was simple: defense wins championships, and offense sells tickets." Sports management
Memory hook
A 'Philo-sophy' is a 'Fill-of-Wisdom'. The love of wisdom.
When not to use
Don't use it for a single rule; it must be a broad, guiding principle.
Fun facts
- The first person to call himself a 'philosopher' was Pythagoras, who preferred the term to 'sophos' (wise man) because it was more humble.
Related words
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