Thinking is the soul speaking to itself.

I don't think I can write the story of my life, but I can write the story of my hair.

I think one reason is that philosophers are more insecure to speak accessibly because non-philosophers are skeptical that philosophers have any special expertise. After all, all people - not just philosophers - have attitudes and points of view on various philosophical questions, and they rather resent being told that there are professionals who can think about these things better.

Philosophical thinking that doesn't do violence to one's settled mind is no philosophical thinking at all.

That's one of the compensations for being mediocre. One doesn't have to worry about becoming mediocre.

Plato worried that philosophical writing would take the place of living conversations for which, in philosophy, there is no substitute.

Does God have a reason for wanting us to be charitable, to take care of those who can't take care of themselves? Either God does or God doesn't, it's just logic. If God has a reason then there is a reason independent of God and whatever God's reason is we should figure it out for ourselves. There is a reason and God doesn't really ground morality at all. God wants us to give charity because it's the right thing to do.