"Suggestions for Thought" by Florence Nightingale: Analysis, Insight Into the Personal Philosophy and Spirituality of the Author
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the book "Suggestions for Thought" by Florence Nightingale. Specifically, it will discuss insight into the personal philosophy and spirituality of the author. Florence Nightingale is most known as a nurse and the founder of modern nursing principles. However, she was also a spiritual woman, as this volume indicates. She initially wrote it for friends and acquaintances that were not religious as an alternative to atheism, or no religious belief at all.. While this book has a strong religious and spiritual theme, the author also discusses several other portions of her life very candidly, including her unhappy family life, and the rigid differences between men and women in Victorian society. For example, she writes, "The connexion between parents and children, in its present state of transition, is a miserable one" (Nightingale 105). Her spirituality is great, but her outlook is still realistic, if somewhat skewed from her own unhappy family life. Many people would think that a nurse an
However, she was still a deeply spiritual and devout person, who acknowledged her problems and attempted to change them, but still believed there was a higher being that could guide her and perhaps even guide her fate. d woman determined to help heal others would be a soft and kindly woman, which certainly Nightingale was, but she also had a very stubborn and strong streak that came out in this book, and points to her deeply held beliefs about many things, not just religion and spirituality. Her ideas may have been controversial at the time, but they ring true today, and show just how strongly she believed her convictions, no matter how popular they were at the time. She believes it is not enough to want to be spiritual, but one must make a true effort, by marking the Sabbath, praying, and reading the Bible, even if they do not attend any religious services. Thus, her purpose here is to share that spirituality with others, in an attempt to help them find their own balance between the spiritual and the philosophical, and their own brand of belief, just as long as they believe in something. She believes that being guides her thoughts, and that she is still responsible for her actions and reactions to her fate. Her beliefs are strong and quite defined, and it is clear that her religion has carried her through her troubles with her family and her fight to be allowed to nurse. This book is very enlightening, because it shows that this woman, who could have been considered a feminist and liberal thinker of her time, was dissatisfied with many areas of society, and wanted to change them. Her feelings on spirituality would have been considered quite radical in her day, and yet, they seem to make sense even today. She writes, "[B]ut feelings called forth by the consciousness of a presence of higher nature than human, unconnected with the material, these we call spiritual influences" (Nightingale 120). She is almost like a paradox in her beliefs, but she made them work for her, and they helped her create great change in how society viewed women, and so, her spirituality helped her become a better, more enlightened and successful person, and that seems to be the true meaning and purpose of a spiritual self. This is her idea of true spirituality, and it is certainly different from the idea of spirituality that sustains many people. She believes true spirituality involves recognizing and acknowledging this presence, especially when engaging in pleasurable or moral activities. Yet, her ideas indicate plain common sense and a strong belief in a higher being, which is what religion and spirituality are supposed to be all about.
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