Saturday, June 14, 2014
Simply Stoic: Chapter One of On the Shortness of Life by Seneca
People complain because life is too short and that short span goes quickly. Everyone, rich and poor, famous and common, bemoan this fate. Hippocrates said "life is short, art is long." Aristotle, contemplating the subject, said Nature must favor animals as it gave some lifespans far longer than ours, forgetting that at least we are capable of greatness. It isn't that life is short but that we waste it. Life is long enough, provided we spend the time wisely. Used carelessly and you won't even notice that life has passed until it has. So, it is not that life short, but is made so by our foolishness. As good money can be used poorly by wasteful people, so too can a good life be used poorly. Just as poorness can become greatness in the hands of wise, a poor life can become greatness when lived with wisdom.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Moving Back
Funny how the mind works, isn't it?
On the one hand, Stoicism is, well, a bore. Let's face it, you aren't scoring points on the popularity meter. Sometimes, I push aside what would be the better Stoic response in a conversation (that is, in most odds, ignoring things) in favor of a pithy comment or some wiseass remark. A little rebellion here and there, blah blah blah, and I'm back to where I was before, well, Stoicism.
But, of course, I should have remembered what it was like before Stoicism. The sleepless nights as I stay up worrying about death. The guilt of not controlling anger. Doing stupid video game shit over actually living my life -- which, by the way, isn't by itself bad, but is when it's all you do.
I guess the problem before was I wasn't having fun blogging. I was worried about what people thought of me (odd for a guy writing about Stoicism, right?), so I either spent more time making what I was writing "reader friendly" or whatever you want to call it or just not writing at all because that was easier.
Then I got to reading some of the old posts (...again) and some of the letters and other shit. And I was all, "Hey, it makes sense. Again."
And so here we are.
Brain, make up your damn mind.
On the one hand, Stoicism is, well, a bore. Let's face it, you aren't scoring points on the popularity meter. Sometimes, I push aside what would be the better Stoic response in a conversation (that is, in most odds, ignoring things) in favor of a pithy comment or some wiseass remark. A little rebellion here and there, blah blah blah, and I'm back to where I was before, well, Stoicism.
But, of course, I should have remembered what it was like before Stoicism. The sleepless nights as I stay up worrying about death. The guilt of not controlling anger. Doing stupid video game shit over actually living my life -- which, by the way, isn't by itself bad, but is when it's all you do.
I guess the problem before was I wasn't having fun blogging. I was worried about what people thought of me (odd for a guy writing about Stoicism, right?), so I either spent more time making what I was writing "reader friendly" or whatever you want to call it or just not writing at all because that was easier.
Then I got to reading some of the old posts (...again) and some of the letters and other shit. And I was all, "Hey, it makes sense. Again."
And so here we are.
Brain, make up your damn mind.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)