Life On A B-I7

Parts of Speech - Pronouns

Pronouns take the place of nouns. “Her” is a pronoun, it takes the place of someone’s name, as in: Mary baked her pizza.

Common pronouns: I, you, he, she, them, they, we, us, him, her, and it.

An Antecedent is the word the pronoun is standing in for. A pronoun may or may not have an antecedent depending on the voice being used. “He showed the manager her report,” has no antecedent.

Tip: Pronouns must agree in gender and number (singular or plural) with their antecedents. Make sure your antecedents are clear or you will confuse your reader.

Here is some more pronoun trivia (more than you probably want to know):

1. Interrogative Pronouns ask questions.
2. Personal Pronouns come in three varieties, First Person, Second Person, and Third Person.
3. Demonstrative Pronouns tend to give direction or state ownership.
4. Relative Pronouns are Interrogative Pronouns that don’t ask a question.
5. Intensive/Reflexive Pronouns have “self” at the end of the word and refer back to the subject of the sentence.
6. Indefinite Pronouns are pronouns that are not one of the five types listed above (simply put).

Decision Making

I’m a big fan of David Brooks. His writing for The Atlantic is wonderful. He recently wrote a piece describing three decision making strategies. Here they are in a nutshell (in my words):

1. I’m smatter than you; I make decisions when I “feel them in my bones.”
2. I will make decisions based on analysis of facts and data.
3. I understand and can exercise the art of compromise.

Note: I’m sure you have noticed we are currently suffering a plague of bad decision making because strategy #1 is the prevailing methodology in use today by our administration in Washington D.C.

What David Brooks does so well is take a position and not only explain it, but do so in a fashion that is both erudite and also beautiful.

Of course the position I’m referring to here is his support of strategy #3. Before I share his words, which I am quoting because I could not improve upon them, let me set them up so they stand more firmly on their own.

Lord Halifax, the Anglo-Catholic reformer in late 17th Century England was often criticized as being a “Trimmer.” At the time, “a Trimmer” was a disparaging term used to describe someone with no clear course either for or against some position. The figure of speech is a reference to someone who trims the sails of a ship in order to capture the most favorable winds. Of course this is a common practice in sailing, but during Lord Halifax’s time the exercise of compromise in politics was considered anathema.

Here is why the exercise of compromise is so important. In David Brooks’ own words:

“The Trimmer understands that reality is more complicated than any single person can comprehend, and therefore he insists that no decision be taken until there has been a collision of diverse views. He maintains trust and communication with the broadest possible range of stakeholders but refuses to be owned by any of them. He governs through cooperation and compromise, not through domination and fear. His greatness comes in the art of holding his nation together, not in the exercise of arbitrary power. He perceives that if a leader loses the affection of his people, he can no longer govern except by threat of violence.”

It is my personal opinion that weak minded people (non-thinkers) prefer to follow people who use decision making strategy #1 because that makes life simpler for them and they don’t need to do any work on their own. I believe the smartest among us use decision making strategy #3 with input from people that fall into category #2.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 176

Avoid giving in to fear. Fear is a warning to be cautious and aware, not a signal to give up hope. The Stoics speak of the “Inner Citadel.” Our inner domain is our sanctuary. Fortune can affect us. Physical vulnerabilities may befall us. It is our inner sour, our inner fortress that sustains and supports us.

The Game Within the Game

_ There is little to be gained by getting angry. There is always something we can do to adjust our behavior to avoid becoming a victim of anger._

I play pickleball with a woman that always turns her back on the court when she walks back to the baseline to get ready for her next serve. She is completely oblivious to what is going on around her. When returning the ball to the serving court after a point, we all tend to pick up the ball and toss it, expecting the serving player to grab it on the way back to the baseline. Not so with this woman. It invariably rolls past her and now she has to walk an additional distance behind the baseline to retrieve the ball. This slows down play even more. It’s frustrating and I’ve seen other players get frustrated with this behavior. I’ve seen people tell her to pay attention but the comment seems to be lost on her. I’ve decided to take a different approach. I’ve turned this otherwise frustrating behavior into a game. When I pick up the ball I hold it in my hand until she is almost to the baseline, I then roll it slowly back to her and try and time it so the ball rolls up to her feet just seconds after she turns around to face her opponents. It’s almost as challenging as the game itself. I guess you could call that an example of the “game within the game.”

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 175

Avoid arrogance. Nothing is more unbecoming. Even the lowliest creatures can sense arrogance and will avoid it. If you want to be respected, if you want to be taken seriously then avoid arrogance at all cost. Let your actions speak for you. If you are questioned, answer from your heart, what you know to be true. Don’t give answers you think other people want you to give.

Happiness

How do you gauge the happiness of the human species — taken as a whole — now vs. 100, 200, 1,000, 4 million years ago? I’m not aware of any scientific study that has addressed that question (or possibly could). We know from recent studies that a greater percentage of the population is “unpartnered” than when the first study of this phenomenon was undertaken. What does this mean to our species? It has been recently postulated that in the last four million years of human evolution, two events have had a dramatic effect on the species perception of intimacy. The agricultural revolution and the internet revolution. Each of these watersheds, in their own way, have led us towards a decreased need for monogamous bonding and have (presumably) led to a decline in long term intimacy. This could potentially having a blow-back effect on reproductive trends.

Will the human race become extinct? Will a handful of people with the resources live forever and the rest of us die off? That is anybody’s guess. I think the real point here is happiness. Happiness will be the driving force which chooses our path as a species. Let us think about happiness and how important it is not only to our personal survival, but the survival of all of us.

National Security

Guess what? Socialism is good for National Security. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check back with me in 10 years. You’ll want to buy me a drink…

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 174

Think about surviving on less, so that when that day comes, you will be better prepared to accept it. This will help not just in the case of financial loss, but also in the case of physical or emotional loss. For these things are sure to befall us sooner or later.

Political Language

In George Orwell’s essay Politics and the English Language, he warns us:

“Political language — and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservative to anarchist — is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”

This is as true today as it was in 1946. All people need to be aware of this propensity of politics, but there is even more to be aware of. With the increasing use of AI in all forms of human communication, this problem is only going to get worse. The species needs to be careful when it comes to speech in all forms, else we become little more than slaves to communication, rather than masters of it.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 173

Think about spending one day a month experiencing the worst fear you can imagine. That act alone can be preparation for any calamity that may befall you in the future.

Premeditatio Malorum

Latin for Premeditation of Evils.

It’s good to ask in advance what can go right about this plan? It’s also good to ask in advance what can possible go wrong about this plan? Unless you are able to see both sides of the coin, and in particular the latter, you aren’t allowing yourself a “Plan B.”

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 172

If you start a task and then begin to have second thoughts about it, ask yourself, “why am I doing this?” Don’t continue doing the task hoping the answer to that question will somehow reveal itself. Remember that quality is better than quantity. Steve Jobs understood that. It was his motivation for creating one of the most valuable companies in the world.

He once said, “a home run is better than two doubles.” He was partly correct. That is true in the business world, but in the world of baseball, he would not have been a good manager. Both a home run and two doubles score a run, but two doubles leaves a runner in scoring position.

TDOV

Happy International Transgender Day of Visibility. Today is internationally recognized as a day to celebrate transgender people, their accomplishments and the barriers they confront in many societies. Sadly, it seems to me, those barriers are greater in the United States than they should be. Perhaps our political climate (Trump, MAGA and their entourage of toadies) makes the discrimination more visible to us. Perhaps that discrimination has always been there, just not used as a political weapon like it is today. I hope that someday we will, all of us, even those mentioned above, wake up and look at one another through open and caring eyes.

To celebrate this day I’ve ordered a copy of “The Lilac People,” by Milo Todd. I will begin reading it as soon as it arrives. This is a novel about a trans man in WWII Germany and his struggle to survive first the Nazis then the Allies, all the while protecting the ones he loves.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 171

We must be willing to bear the consequences of the risks we take. Both the good risks and the bad risks. If we make a bad choice we must be humble about the consequences we will suffer. If we make a good choice we must be humble about our good fortune.

Prevarications

No President of the United States has ever lied to the American people more than has Donald Trump. If you wear a red hat you don’t have to believe me. It really doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. History will be the final arbiter and it is highly unlikely that history will not confirm that conclusion.

I find it ironic that the term “fake news” is shouted from the rooftops to deny something that has actually happened, while often explanations with no substance in reality are handed to excuse some decision or event. What is even more astonishing than this irony, is the fact that there is a large segment of the population that eats these statements up (both of them).

For those of you who may be curious: “Prevarication is the act of intentionally deviating from the truth, lying, or avoiding giving a direct answer in order to mislead.” That is the trifecta of deception.

Journaling

I’ve been journaling now for 5 years. A fair amount of that effort has not been published here — most actually. What you see here is not the only journaling that I do. I also have a paper journal that I enjoy writing in. Those pages are open only to me. I don’t think they would be of any real interest to anyone else, that is the real purpose. What you see here are thought that I think are of marginal value when it comes to sharing with the world. (YMMV.) When it comes to writing in my personal journal, I can honestly say it gives me great pleasure. Many great people have been journals. From Ancient Romans to some of our Founding Fathers, to great writers and scientists. That certainly makes me proud to say I journal, but that’s not the reason I do. I do it for peace of mind. I think it makes me a better person, calmer, more willing to listen. I marvel at that really. I think the reason is because journaling allows me to get rid of thoughts I might otherwise be carrying around inside my head. That fact makes it easier for me to listen to others, and more tolerant as well. This effect has been verified by scientific study, along with lots of other benefits. When you break it down, the simple reality is I enjoy the practice. It is fulfilling.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 170

You have the power to determine what your life means. Only you. Living in Wisdom Montana will not make you wise, only you can do that — and you can do that anytime, anywhere. Use reason, make good choices, that is your hidden power.

Parts of Speech - Nouns

A Noun is a person, place, thing, idea, or emotion. Of course we remember that from grade school, (But I learned just person, place, or thing.) The tricky ones might be ideas and emotions. Example: happiness, religion.

Most words that start with capital letters are nouns. You don’t have to be able to see it for it to be a noun. You cannot see ideas and emotions but they are still things.

There are five types of nouns.

1. Common
   Nouns that do not start with capital letters. happiness, boy, city

2. Proper
   Nouns that start with capital letters. California, Buddhism, Joe

3. Concrete
   Things you can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel.

4. Abstract
   Nouns that represent ideas or emotions. happiness, anger

5. Collective
   Nouns that represent a group of things without being plural. group, orchestra, audience, flock, herd (These can also be plurals.)

Most nouns can be counted.

Balance

It seems we have lost our sense of balance. The ability as a nation of individuals to find a common ground, to compromise. The art of compromise was one of the things our Found Fathers cherished most.

As Benjamin Franklin said: “Compromisers may not make great heroes, but they do make great democracies.”

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 169

Your freedom of choice is the most precious gift you have. All manner of harm can be done to you but no one or no thing can take away your freedom of choice. People can try to change who you are but you are the only person with the power to do that.

Florsheim

If anyone (and I mean anyone) buys a pair of Florsheim Wingtips for me I assure you I have no place to wear them — not even to a voting booth should my right to vote by mail somehow be taken away from me. For the record, it doesn’t matter if they are the right size or not.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 168

Remember that what belongs to others is not yours. To covet what others possess enslaves you. What is yours is yours and no one can take that away from you. Focus on what you can control — yourself and yourself alone.

Introduction to My Study of English Grammar

It’s taken me 72 years to realize that I really don’t know a great deal about my own native language (American) English. It’s never too late to learn something new, so for the foreseeable future (I don’t have a strict timeline for this endeavor) I’m going to take it upon myself to learn a thing or two about the English language. Here’s a perfect example, I don’t know if the word “language” in the previous sentence should be capitalized or not.

Be that as it may, I’m going to try and learn something (finally) about proper grammar, punctuation, capitalization and word usage. Wish me luck. Since I love to write, this can only help to improve my writing. Also, the rebel in me says there is so much bad writing on the internet today that I don’t want to be a part of that, so, I better get my proverbial stuff together. Becoming a better writer is my goal. Better speaking is another matter. So many people judge you by your words, I think I will continue to talk just like I always have, so as not to alienate anyone that I haven’t already managed to alienate by this point in my life.

An interesting side-bar here: I’m using the book “The Best Grammar Workbook Ever!” By Arlene Miller. This is not her first grammar book. She knows what she’s talking about. The book opens with a 100 question pre-test. I took the test and got a score of 68 out of 100. I consider that to be pretty good given the circumstances of my education and upbringing. (Probably above average compared to most people.) I asked my partner to take the test also. I consider her to be better educated and smarter than I am. I thought I would get smoked. Oddly enough, she scored 68 also. We both got a good laugh out of that! (It made me feel better too.) When I finish this course of study, I will casually suggest that we both take the final test… to see if our pre-test scores were a true reflection of our relative grammatical strength. I don’t plan to tell her I’m undertaking this study, and she doesn’t read this blog either… I’m looking forward to the results of the final test. That may be a bit harsh of me. I will confess that I studied for it… at some point…

This is the introduction to my grammatical study that follows, I make no claims about the “correctness” of the grammar used in the above paragraphs.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 167

Misfortune is a blessing not a curse. It shows us where we are strong and where we are weak. Look should look at misfortune as an opportunity to strengthen ourselves.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 167

The inspiration for this category of entries is “The Daily Stoic,” by Ryan Holiday. Ryan has written extensively about Stoicism and done a great service to bring the philosophy of Stoicism to the modern mind. Ryan has made a career out of guiding and encouraging people to not only understand but also live by Stoic principles. (I’m not a big fan of his profiteering from his life work, but that is the nature of capitalism I suppose.)

My discovery is that living by Stoic principles takes more than study. These daily entries are my “study,” I am also trying to live the words of the Stoics. That will not be an overnight achievement, it will be a lifetime endeavor. I will be returning to these entries in the years to come for inspiration, encouragement and guidance. It is not my goal to become a Stoic Master. I will be happy to achieve the level of apprentice someday.