As you may have realized, I have become an enthusiastic consumer of Stoic philosophy and thinking. I have always been a fan of Epictetus’ views and teachings about worrying about only those things that we have control over and not fretting about the things we don’t, and – in that regard – I have been a good stoic for one (if not two) decades. And although I had an appreciation for Epictetus, I leaned more into the angst and meaninglessness of existentialism as it tends to be a much better fit for my depressive realism. In the end though, I think that someone can view the world through a more-existential lens while finding value in the virtues of stoicism, which is what I have been trying to do for the last year. What are the central virtues of stoicism, you ask? They are quite simple really. They include wisdom, courage, […]
The 20th century philosopher Bertrand Russell famously said: A stupid man’s report of what a clever man says can never be accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand. From “A History of Western Philosophy” If you are amongst experts and think you understand and have a valid opinion on their subject of expertise, take pause. Ask yourself the question: Is it rational to think that I have all the knowledge that is required for insight and deliberation on the given topic of complexity? If you think for a moment that it is, pause again, because only the fool fancies themselves capable without the requisite vocabulary, foundational knowledge, or thinking that is required to be less than stupid. ‘ Sure, you might be an expert too, but it is much more likely that you don’t know what you think you know because you aren’t even […]
“To these things which are perceived, and as it were accepted by the senses, [Zeno] adds the assent of the mind, which he considers to be placed in ourselves and voluntary. … After it had been received and approved, then he called it comprehension, resembling those things which are taken up in the hand. … That which was comprehended by sense he called felt, and if it was so comprehended that it could not be eradicated by reason, he called it knowledge; otherwise he called it ignorance: from which also was engendered opinion, which was weak, and compatible with what was false or unknown. But between knowledge and ignorance he placed that comprehension which I have spoken of, and reckoned it neither among what was right or what was wrong,” Cicero I heard this passage and loved it. I also loved the response that followed from the host in the […]
This is another in a series of reflections on the content of my favorite podcast of 2021: episode 110 of The Knowledge Project with Jim Collins. Sometimes you don’t know the whole story. Sometimes it may not be ill-intent. Sometimes it could simply be a misunderstanding or it could be incompetence; somebody may not be untrustworthy, they may just be incompetent or they made a mistake, right? Maybe you don’t see the whole situation. Maybe you are jumping to a conclusion about why someone is doing something, when actually – if you could see everything from all perspectives – you would forgive. As a teen, I refused to put up with other people’s bullshit. If you acted like an idiot, I was out. If you wronged me (or a friend), I saw no reason to talk to you. If you hurt me or someone I loved, you were worse than […]
This is another in a series of reflections on the content of my favorite podcast of 2021: episode 110 of The Knowledge Project with Jim Collins. You need to decide: what is your opening bid when you are establishing a relationship with someone, when you are interacting with the world. Is your opening bid to assume trust? To assume that someone is trust-worthy and to grant them the full benefits of that? … Um, no? I really cannot think of an instance when I have trusted someone. Many people in the world are jerks. Even more are inconsiderate. A ridiculously percentage of us are horribly irrational. To start with an opening bid of trust, in spite of such considerations, is itself irrational. … Or is your opening bid to not trust, but the the trust can be earned? So many aspects of your life will be affected by which fork […]
This is another in a series of reflections on the content of my favorite podcast of 2021: episode 110 of The Knowledge Project with Jim Collins. A really great relationship is one where, if you ask each person independently who benefits more from the relationship, they would each say, “Well, I do.” … the reason that both people can answer that way is because both people are putting into the relationship not for what they are going to get from it but for what they can give to it. And because both people are doing that, both people would feel that they are the ones who are the ultimate beneficiary because of how much the other person gives. A great relationship isn’t measured in time or money spent. Nor can it be measured in Likes or engagement. It may include such things, but is never about such things. Relationships are […]
Social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) encourages everyone to build and show a model home. The houses look pretty on the outside and the grounds are well groomed. The insides are adorned with frames on the walls and have lovely furnishings with flowers on the table. And while they are wonderful to show, if you look closely you’ll see that the grass isn’t rooted, the pictures are lack connection, the furniture is uncomfortable, and even the flowers are fake. No one lives in a model home.
This is one of a series of reflections on the content of my favorite podcast of 2021: episode 110 of The Knowledge Project with Jim Collins. People break into 2 buckets. There are those that come at life as a series of transactions and there are people that come at life as building relationships … the only way to have a great life – you can have a successful life doing transactions – the only way to have a really great life is on the relationship side … In the end it is [all about] really deep relationships and doing things that you love with people you love (and those connections). I don’t know that this is true, but it feels like it is. I have written before of my ethical/philosophical struggles with social media/surveillance capitalism and my unsuccessful means of maintaining meaningful connections with people outside of it. The […]
In the wake of failure, avoid asking yourself if you did what you should have. Instead, ask yourself what else you could have done. The former breeds stagnation. The latter catalyzes humility, creativity, and growth. It doesn’t guarantee your success, but you’ll never fail the same way twice.