The attention you pay to any action should always be in proportion to its value. That value is determined by the benefit that will be returned to you and also to the value that will be returned to your fellow beings. It doesn’t matter if that return is recognized or not.
Do not be anxious about the future. Realize instead that unless you are in control of some aspect of man’s destiny (most of us are not in such a position) there is little we can do to control that destiny — beyond those things that are our public duty.
Feeling bad about something that hasn’t happened yet is a choice that we are making. It is a choice that is draining energy from us that could otherwise be put to some worthwhile purpose.
The Stoic dresses in whatever way is customary for the location and situation. The Stoic does not attempt to stand out from the crowd. What makes the Stoic unique is what is inside. Uniqueness threatens and alienates many people. Often it is those people that are most in need of what you have to offer.
Peace of mind is not just about doing a few things as opposed to many things, it is about doing a few things well. That includes avoiding unnecessary things. Doing so gives us the best chance of doing all that we have the ability to accomplish.
Avoid those tasks that are purely driven by vanity. We must focus on eliminating those things that are a waste of our time.
The good life does not consist in its length. The good life is defined by its accomplishments. A long life lived too little is a short life. The best approach is to focus on the task at hand, whatever that is.
You have two voices in your head. Don’t let the “resistance voice” prevent you from doing what you know you should be doing. Listen to the voice that tells you what to do. Ignore the voice that is trying to give you excuses not to do it.
Use philosophy to prepare yourself. The pursuit of wisdom is the best work you can undertake to prepare for any outcome that might befall you.
Choose quality over quantity.
How do you keep up with all.the information, all the books published every year. You don’t. Choose wisely what you consume and absorb carefully what you consume. This is how you fill your mind and enrich your life.
How do you get good at Pickleball? “Learn, practice, train.”
The Stoics knew this. Epictetus in his Discourses said: Don’t be satisfied with mere learning. Learn, practice, train. This is as true with philosophy as it is for athletics. Learn the right thing. Practice the right thing. Train for a lifetime to do the right thing.
Thinking about the future, thinking about the past, is easy. Real thinking is to focus on what is in front of us. What you do today might be the last thing you ever do.
Momento Mori
A Latin phrase meaning “remember that you will die.” The phrase is a symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of life. Ancient Romans used the phrase to inspire humility, perspective, and urgency. It is intended to encouraging people to live fully, value time, and avoid wasting life.
Which is preferred, theories alone or conduct based on theories that have been tested and proven to be of value…
Conduct takes precedence over theory every day in every way.
As Hamlet said:
”There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Philosophy (theories) alone will not lead to a good life. Only action taken based on sound philosophy can bring us fulfillment.
When something is told to you, don’t allow yourself to embellish that news with your own thoughts and opinions. It’s news and that’s all it is until it has been verified. The wise man verifies carefully. In other words, he uses an enquiring mind to examine the news from all possible angles before determining what is fact and what is fiction. Even then, the door to clearer understanding is never closed.
“Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough.”
It’s not about “settling.” It’s about not getting overwhelmed by idealism. Don’t look at the world through the lens of where you want the world to be, look at the world as it is and ask, what is it I should be doing to effect change?
Abraham Lincoln was humble, self-educated and well spoken. He was deliberate, fair, open-minded and purposeful. He did all that while following a career as a politician.
It doesn’t matter if you live in the snake pit of D.C., the materialist zoo of Wall Street or you grew up in a small closed minded community, you have a choice.
You can still live well. Others have managed to do it.
When things look dim, stop and take another look. The simple act of stopping and allowing our thoughts to seek a new perspective can often be enough to turn things around. We simply need to give our brains enough space to come up with a solution. Stop, breathe, allow the mind to work through whatever it is that has us stymied.
Silence is strength.
Weak people will be the last to subscribe to that idea, but that shouldn’t be surprising. Silence is a sign of intelligence. There are two types of people in the world, those that are fear based and those that are open to learning. It is a spectrum of varying degrees but the point is that everyone can be found somewhere on that scale. It’s how our brains are wired. The key to being open to learning is to listen. There is another way of looking at silence. “The more you say, the more likely you are to look foolish.” Not only that, but the more you say the more likely you are to ignore. The more likely you are to not learn something new. Silence is the guardian at the gates of learning.
Stop blaming life and others and set your terms based on what is right and truthful. Stop following. Instead, choose the path that will lead to respect. Respect for yourself and respect from others.
Do we need the perfect surroundings before we pursue our passion, or is it good enough to just go do it and not wait until circumstances and the environment are perfect?
Do what we need or want to do and do it wherever you happen to be. The place to do your work is wherever you are. The good life can be lived anywhere.
How do we respond to a turn of fate? That is a question we should all give thought to before it becomes a necessity. The purpose of life is to learn. A difficult turn of events should be viewed as an opportunity to learn. Learn within the space we are granted and accept that which we are unable to do any longer.
Here’s some of the best Stoic advice I think I’ve read so far. I can get behind this. Don’t expect perfection. The keyword there is “expect.”
This morning I took apart one of my favorite framed pictures. I wanted to put a label behind the glass describing where the picture was taken and when. I accomplished that easily. After I was finished and the picture was reassembled and rehung, I noticed that the label I had placed on the mat in the lower portion of the frame wasn’t perfectly straight. At first I thought about taking it apart and placing a new label under the glass, then I realized it was good enough. Not perfect, but good enough. Would other people notice? As soon as I realized that wasn’t likely, I settled down and made the conscious decision to call my efforts satisfactory.
The bottom line: Don’t let petty annoyances distract us from what we should be doing… The world is not perfect. Do what we can to make it better, but at the same time, don’t obsess over every little thing.
“We must not get so wrapped up in our work that we are immune from the reality of aging and life.”
If you are a public servant it is on you to know when to step out of the spotlight and retire. Sadly, many people in public service have no concept of this principle. I can think of many examples, I’m sure you can too. I’m also sure we are both right.
As I was writing this, my cat came and sat by my side as if to remind me what is most important, namely, taking care of those around us that need us. That extends to the responsibility held by public servants as well as us ordinary folk.
Real joy takes work. To dismiss the woes of the world to be cheerful is good but to feel joy, the dismissal must be done with proper intention or sadness can result. True joy takes cultivation. Living with purpose, living with excellence, living with an understanding of your duty, that is the cultivation of true joy. That is the joy that surpasses cheerfulness. The beauty of following this path is that others will see that as an inspiration.
There is philosophy, and there is the practice of philosophy. Study can lead to understanding. Practice can lead to a better self. It is essential that one do both.
We are advised by the Stoics to be understanding and patient with other people. The person we are dealing with may not have grown up with the same advantages that we have. The more tolerant and patient we can be, the more helpful we can be. Isn’t that our true responsibility? I admit to failing at this goal more often than I would like to admit. The goal is to keep trying. My desire for myself and for my country is to keep striving in this direction. It begins with our speech and it extends to making sure those we choose to lead us also are also striving in this direction.