This text explores the difficulty of defining philosophy and the necessity of distinguishing between authentic philosophical thought and its mere imitation. The author argues that philosophy cannot be legitimately defined from an external or pre-philosophical perspective; its essence is only revealed through the act of philosophizing itself. A central theme is the ongoing struggle to differentiate true philosophy from pseudo-philosophy, a process compared to Søren Kierkegaard’s metaphor of a snake shedding its old skin, which imitators then try to inhabit. This issue is not limited to philosophy but extends to the general relationship between genuine values and anti-values, as illustrated by Hermann Broch. The greatest danger lies in lies or imitations that closely resemble the truth, making them difficult to detect. Ultimately, the text asserts that the validity and existence of philosophy depend entirely on its relationship to truth. This relationship serves as the fundamental criterion for distinguishing genuine inquiry from empty rhetoric or professionalized pretense.