There is nothing as good for the soul as wisdom. Seek it out. Avoid adopting the opinions of others as wisdom. Don’t be lazy, do the work.
On my Social Science journey this week, I’ve learned a tiny bit about what constitutes meaning in life. (There are many possible answers to this question.) It’s a theory called the “Discovery Loop of Romantic Love.”
It goes something like this.
It is possible to exit the loop when you have not failed. When you succeed you find the meaning of love (and a lot of other things.) Let’s step through this one experience at a time.
| Person | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wife #1 | Risk | Fail | Suffer | Learn | Daughter #1 Daughter #2 |
| Wife #2 | Risk | Fail | Suffer | Learn | Daughter #3 |
| LOML | Risk | Success | Suffer | Learn | The Cat |
A couple of things worth noting. I did more learning than suffering, I hope that is true for those persons that were along on the ride with me. If you are fortunate to exit the loop successfully, there is still suffering — just a lot less. There is always learning. The longer I live, the more wonderful the meaning is. “The Cat” is a stand-in. No one (not even The Cat) could reach the level of, let alone replace, the meaning that the LOML and I have been fortunate to acquire. In case there is any confusion — that would be our children.
Credit where credit is due. I learned this from reading “The Meaning of Your Life,” by Albert C. Brooks.
Doing wrong is only doing wrong to yourself. It may feel good, but if you are honest with yourself and reflect on your action, you will realize the damage you are doing is damage to yourself.
Celebrate your friends’ success as if it were your own.
When an opponent on the Pickleball court makes a good shot, say “Good shot.” It’s that simple. Life is not a zero-sum-game.
Words cannot be unsaid once spoken.
Spend time often meditating. Reflect on the interconnectedness and mutual interdependence of all things in the Universe.
“Cosmopolitanism” was first articulated by Marcus Aurelius. This is the notion that we are not only citizens of our local community and our country, but we are also citizens of the world. A concept lost to many people today.
Stilpo was Zeno’s teacher. He taught Zeno that to develop a strength that cannot be broken is to develop true strength. The only way you can loose true strength is if you give it up.
Beware of success. Don’t let success lead you to want more. It is better to have less and be thankful than to have more and need even more.
The problem with hemorrhoids is similar to “hanging chads.”
I never thought I would need to go into depth on this, and indeed I don’t. One final thought on this subject however: Politics and the people make for strange bed fellows, but also strange bathroom fellows
Control.
To put it simply control, is the one thing we control.
Do we look around us and see all the things that are out of our control, or do we look around us and focus on those things that we can control?
We should focus on those things we can control.
I picked this up my last time through Kanab. I love the little coffee shop / book store / sporting goods store there. For me it’s a must stop. The subtitle of the book, “Cultivating Presence in a Distracted World” caught my eye. I admit I’m not as well put together as I would like to be. The book was good, and I was happy to learn that I am already doing the practices that she recommends to increase one’s attention and presence in the world. (No brag, it’s actually not terribly complicated.) Here are the practices she recommends:
The point is do things that help you detach from media and the culture that demands so much of our attention. So much that we don’t have enough left for ourselves. She makes the point thoroughly (almost too thoroughly) and I’m happy to report I agree with her 100 percent.
I found this quote in Chole Dalton’s book “Raising Hare.”
Seton was not writing philosophy, but what he is saying is philosophical. Seton is expressing the notion, as was put forth by the Stoics, that logos i.e., reason, underpins all of nature. That animals are just as beholden to logos as are humans. In fact, there is no distinction between humans and animals other than by degree of separation when it comes to recognition of logos.
Robert Caro said: “Power doesn’t corrupt, it reveals.” We all recognize this and see it constantly in our daily lives. People with power often tend to wield it for their own benefit.
There is another attribute that can corrupt or reveal: Prosperity. Prosperity has the same potential effect as power. Prosperity can be financial or personal, in fact there are many types of prosperity. If we have the good fortune to prosper, we must remember not to let it change us. Strive to have the character that is strong and true even in good fortune.