I find myself to be much more absorptive now when reading. It’s like I have fully switched on the ‘philosopher mode’ in my brain to allow for full processing. Here are excerpts from week 2:
“Who is invincible? He who allows nothing to disturb him which is independent from the will. Examining one circumstance after the next he observes and is not disturbed.”
– Epictetus, Discourses
I find that in setting goals, it is extremely empowering to base them on things we have control over (e.g. to accomplish a project, not please a person). In other words, make them completely dependent on our own will and not that of anyone else’s.
“If faith in sense is not first firmly set, if it does not prevail, there is nothing to which we can appeal in what we claim, by any form of mental reasoning, about the truth of things we cannot see.”
– Lucretius, On the Nature of Things
Lucretius was a materialist. He valued the primacy of the physical senses as the bedrock for all knowledge. Although I am not a materialist, I greatly value his contribution to methodological naturalism, which is now the substrate upon which modern science is grounded.
“But although I appreciated his detailed exposition very much, I still think it is more suitable to stop at individual points, in order to understand what each person concedes or denies; from such admissions, one may make the necessary deductions, and finally arrive at an appropriate conclusion. When the discourse gushes forth like a torrent, many subtle points are washed away. You hold on to nothing, and you grasp nothing; nowhere can you curb the speed of the onrushing rhetoric.”
– Cicero, On Ends
Here is Cicero decrying the usage of the Gish gallop, where a debater tries to overwhelm the opposition by sheer number of arguments, instead of the strength of each individual point within an argument. I wholeheartedly agree with his frustration!
“This is the touchstone of such a spirit; no prize fighter can go with high spirits into the fight if he has never been beaten black and blue; the only contestant who can confidently enter the ring is the man who has seen his own blood, who has felt his teeth rattle beneath his opponent’s fist, who has tripped and felt the full force of his adversary’s charge, who has been knocked down in body but not in spirit, one who, as often as he falls, rises again with greater defiance than ever.”
– Seneca, Letters from a Stoic
This quote is powerful and speaks for itself. Amazing imagery!
“Remember too on every occasion which leads thee to vexation to apply this principle: not that this is a misfortune, but that to bear it nobly is good fortune.”
– Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
I like to view everything in life as either an opportunity for enjoyment, an opportunity for growth, or both. If I remember to do this, I can find a way to be grateful for whatever happens, and sometimes even excited despite less than favorable circumstances.
“The soldier who has slain a man in obedience to the authority under which he is lawfully commissioned, is not accused of murder by any law of his state; nay, if he has not slain him, it is then he is accused of treason to the state, and of despising the law.”
– Augustine, The City of God
If the government commands you to murder someone and you refuse, is this treason? Maybe. I definitely agree if you are a soldier in an active combat situation, it is necessary for there to be unquestioning obedience to orders, but I’m not sure how far this extends. I’m reminded of the Nuremberg trials.
“Tolerance is to not reveal the faults of others.”
– Huineng, The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
Simple. Straightforward. Powerful. Are you tolerant of others? What about politicians? What about media figures? If you value tolerance and use the above definition, this cuts out a lot of everyday gossip, which is probably a good thing both for you and those you are discussing.
Namaste.