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It has long been understood that Mistral is a great philosopher and on numerous occasions he has been known to cause jaws to drop by the amazing aptness of his pronouncements. The basis of his philosophy rests on the principle that he knows best and he has many and varied arguments to back up his theories. This has sometimes caused certain members of the family to "misunderstand" him and on several occasions he barely survived the threat of being thrown out of the car after a pleasant family day out! His unshakeable belief in his own opinion and his remarkable ability to change his mind with no apparent loss of credibility puts him on a par with many of the great thinkers throughout history (not to mention most of today's politicians!). One of Mistral's first pronouncements was - "I do all the nosing in this house" which was very indicative of his inquisitive nature and interest in other people and their concerns. Over the years (for he has reached a venerable age) he has continued to express a lively and intelligent interest in other people's concerns. Indeed his insights and opinions are a revelation to all who are privileged to know him! "Jump for joy" is an expression very much associated with Mistral and he can very often be heard to exclaim thus. His philosophical nature does not intrude upon his well-developed sense of humour; indeed the two are inextricably linked. Unlike many philosophers of the past, Mistral's feet remain firmly fixed on the ground - except when he jumps for joy!
His usual means of communication, however, is "waasch" or "waaschy waasch" or umpteen variations of a similar nature with the meaning being drawn from the expressiveness of the sound rather than the actual words - useful in an ambiguous sort of way!
Another favourite expression is "nip nay nayle". There is a good tune that goes with this which is commonly associated with a character called Roobarb (of Roobarb and Custard fame!) but Mistral maintains that he had it first and it's doubtful if it could be proved otherwise! Listen to Mistral's tune here!
Mistral's philosophy is truly beyond compare but if you did want to know about some of the other philosophers of the world from ancient times to the present day then The Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy is quite a good place to begin!