If you have anger issues, this one is a great tool (h/t mindyourbusiness)
October 8
“Yes, getting your wish would have been so nice. But isn’t that exactly why pleasure trips us up? Instead, see if these things might be even nicer—a great soul, freedom, honesty, kindness, saintliness. For there is nothing so pleasing as wisdom itself, when you consider how sure-footed and effortless the works of
understanding and knowledge are.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 5.9
I used to wish to be a famous heavy metal singer, in my younger days I could do a decent Geoff Tate/Bruce Dickinson. I also used to wish my high school girlfriend would marry me. Neither of these wishes came true. If they had, my life would have been completely different. Would it have been better? I never wished to be a better person or have more self control. If I had and those wishes came true, I think my life would have been improved.
October 9
“When the standards have been set, things are tested and weighed. And the work of philosophy is just this, to examine and uphold the standards, but the work of a truly good person is in using those standards when they know them.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.11.23–25
I have high standards for the people I let into my life. I learned fairly early that hanging out with people you can’t trust is a recipe for disaster. I also have standards for what I listen to or read. Same as with friends, trusting the wrong information can be disastrous. I am learning to have higher standards for my own mentality and behavior, using Stoicism as a backdrop to identify my shortcomings and improve them.
Oct 10
“Leave the past behind, let the grand design take care of the future, and instead only rightly guide the present to reverence and justice. Reverence so that you’ll love what you’ve been allotted, for nature
brought you both to each other. Justice so that you’ll speak the truth freely and without evasion, and so that you’ll act only as the law and value of things require.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 12.1
It is important to not let mistakes from the past ruin my future. It is also important not to let past success ruin what I accomplish today because they seem so small compared to what I used to be able to do. I can learn from the past without it tying me to certain behaviors or preventing me from improving myself.
October 11
“How rotten and fraudulent when people say they intend to ‘give it to you straight.’ What are you up to, dear friend? It shouldn’t need your announcement, but be readily seen, as if written on your forehead, heard in the ring of your voice, a flash in your eyes—just as the beloved sees it all in the lover’s glance. In short, the straightforward and good person should be like a smelly goat—you know when they are in the room with you.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 11.15
I try to never say “I’ll be honest with you”. To me that has always sounded insincere. I try to always be honest and as a result I am a horrible liar. Even when I am trying to keep a secret from my wife as a surprise, she knows something is going on. I know I have a reputation for being direct and honest even if it is not a pleasant truth. My mother has said she knows not to ask me a question if she thinks she won’t like the answer. I do not go out of my way to be outspoken, but if I get asked a question, I’m going to answer honestly.
October 12
“Hecato says, ‘I can teach you a love potion made without any drugs, herbs, or special spell—if you would be loved, love.’”
—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 9.6
I don’t have much for this one. I understand that if you aren’t happy with yourself, you won’t find someone who is happy with you. On the other hand, just because you love someone does not automatically mean they will love you back. From the Stoic point of not getting upset about things you can’t control, maybe he is saying to love who you want, but if that feeling is not reciprocated, you should not get upset and be happy you tried to love someone and learn from the experience, even if it didn’t work out.
October 13
“The best way to avenge yourself is to not be like that.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 6.6
“How much better to heal than seek revenge from injury. Vengeance wastes a lot of time and exposes you to many more injuries than the first that sparked it. Anger always outlasts hurt. Best to take the opposite course. Would anyone think it normal to return a kick to a mule or a bite to a dog?”
—SENECA, ON ANGER, 3.27.2
I have been wronged by other people before. If I had gone out of my way to “get even” I would have caused more problems for myself, even if I did get my revenge. This applies to the time one of my co-workers screwed up and tried to blame me, so there was an investigation. I knew I had done nothing wrong, but was still stressed out and had trouble sleeping while this was happening. If I had done something to them, it would have made their case stronger. It also applies to driving in traffic and having someone refuse to let me change lanes by speeding up to get beside me when I put the signal on. If I tried to get back at them by racing around them to get in front, I severely raise my odds of being in an accident. Instead I shook my head and said to myself, “I hate people”.
October 14
“Are you angry when someone’s armpits stink or when their breath is bad? What would be the point? Having such a mouth and such armpits, there’s going to be a smell emanating. You say, they must have sense, can’t they tell how they are offending others? Well, you have sense too, congratulations! So, use your natural reason to awaken theirs, show them, call it out. If the person will listen, you will have cured them without useless anger. No drama nor unseemly show required.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 5.28
I still get angry at other people’s stupidity. I try to remain calm, but usually fail badly when it comes to mask true believers. Even if I can control the anger in my voice, I’m not sure this one works on the person you are talking to, showing them where they are wrong. I do like how he compares a natural odor problem to a natural ignorance problem. I don’t think most people can admit they were wrong and can bring out faulty data to prove their point. I do think it can have some influence on the other people around if they see you are honest and can reasonably explain why.
Music today is the late great Loretta Lynn.
This song always makes me smile
She was such a natural entertainer
This one’s not my favorite, but it was her best known song, and I appreciate that she was able to rhyme “hard” and “tired”
I am calm today, though through no merit of my own.
I think…
I think I’m caught up from vacation. There is nothing urgent left on my desk, and there is a three day weekend coming up.
Easy to be calm when the waters have stopped roiling for a bit.
Gotta figure out a good start date for this candidate. His response was the equivalent of a shrug. So I’m debating between just proposing one, or running my proposed date past my supervisor.
Personally, I just want to leave for the weekend.
Just propose a date.
Naw, I’m not into dudes.
/deliberately obtuse
(I also already sent the email)
I think you ought to know I am feeling very un-stoic
What’s got you worked up?
work
I got server error while trying to respond to you. A wise man once told me that you get paid the same whether you’re frustrated or not. I try to remember that when I’m dealing with other peoples incompetence at work.
It makes it difficult when things that are such a big thing in life like work, makes your life more stressful.
Hope you get it under control.
Likewise for Alanis Morissette.
I still get angry at other people’s stupidity.
There are too many non-drivers on the road and that damages my calm.
Those are called pedestrians.
“Hecato says, ‘I can teach you a love potion made without any drugs, herbs, or special spell—if you would be loved, love.’”
I don’t think this means directing love at a single person, but rather love universally. Probably the most difficult thing in life to actually do.
Speaking of difficult:
“Leave the past behind, let the grand design take care of the future, and instead only rightly guide the present to reverence and justice. Reverence so that you’ll love what you’ve been allotted, for nature brought you both to each other. Justice so that you’ll speak the truth freely and without evasion, and so that you’ll act only as the law and value of things require.”
Living in the moment is a mother. So much past shit accumulates while anxiety about the future drags the other direction. I think I have improved in this regard, but holy shit do I have a long way to go.
Thanks, Ron! A bunch of good ones this week!
Living in the moment is setting yourself up for failure. I used to do it, and the failure to plan bit me in the ass.
Being in the moment does not mean you don’t have plans. But it does mean that you are fully engaged and aware – which could significantly improve your planning, right?
I think you and I have different definitions of ‘in the moment’. I have always understood it as a state of disengagement in that anything not in immediate proximity is neglected. And if you spend too much time in such a state, affairs have a way of overtaking you.
Yes, we do. To me it is being fully engaged and aware. It ain’t daydreaming but precisely the opposite.
In the moment means you see thing from the past, present and future for what they really are. And how you can use them to make yourself better.
(Which makes being overtaken by anything much less likely.)
Focusing on all three – past, present, and future, is the opposite of the moment. The moment is the present alone.
I don’t think so. The moment is made up of everything else.
This is why philosophy is challenging for me. I don’t see it at all as focusing to eliminate distraction, but to experience the moment fully by seeing the world – and its constituent components – as it truly is. The present is affected (constructed?) by the past, present and future.
Since we have contradictory definitions on the basic level, I don’t think we’re going to be stuck at saying “no, you’re wrong” at each other.
I’m not a fan of Philosophy because of a lot of pretentious people who glommed onto the profession. It deeply ingrained a dislike for the whole kit and kaboodle in my psyche.
Note, I am not throwing accusations of pretentiousness, just elaborating on why I’m not into philosophy in general.
This is what I get for editing a comment over and over again for phrasing.
Since we have contradictory definitions on the basic level, I don’t think we’re going to be stuck at saying “no, you’re wrong” at each other.
I get it. And I still find it helpful to get my thoughts straight.
I’m not a fan of Philosophy because of a lot of pretentious people who glommed onto the profession. It deeply ingrained a dislike for the whole kit and kaboodle in my psyche.
I can understand that. Philosophy covers a lot of ground though. Philosophers used to also include scientists who explored the world around them. Newton, Descartes, and then the transition to natural philosophers like Darwin, Banks, etc. The Royal Society of London has their proceedings available online from as early as I think the late 1700s. I enjoyed reading the original papers from people like Tesla and seeing the progression of science. Real science not THE SCIENCE(TM) as practiced today.
Eastern philosophy is completely different. I probably ascribe to Taoism more than anything else, which may make (((me))) a Jaoist. Interestingly, exemptions for homeschool require belief in the biblical God and do not allow for philosophical objections or any other religions. I saw the same with most Covid vaccine exemptions. Which is a ridiculous notion that philosophical underpinnings are any less valid than religious objections.
“I saw the same with most Covid vaccine exemptions. “
That would be illegal. Having actually studied the federal pronouncements, they are quite clear that exemptions are not limited to “organized” religion, or even disorganized religion, but are available based on strongly held personal beliefs that act in your life in a way comparable to religious belief. I squashed requirements for overt religion-only exemptions, although in practice we granted only about half of the applications, and those were all based on organized religion.
My advice that you only get in legal trouble for denying an exemption was ignored, and sure enough we have a handful of EEOC complaints working through the system. Now, the enforcers are very likely full-on Branch Covidians, being feds and all, so we’ll win, but still . . . .
Now, the enforcers are very likely full-on Branch Covidians, being feds and all, so we’ll win, but still . . . .
There’s that pesky process/punishment thing again.
That would be illegal. Having actually studied the federal pronouncements, they are quite clear that exemptions are not limited to “organized” religion, or even disorganized religion, but are available based on strongly held personal beliefs that act in your life in a way comparable to religious beliefs.
Of course. My point on that part is some eastern religions are indistinguishable from philosophy. Yet philosophical exemptions for Covid vaccines were explicitly banned in most jurisdictions and it sounds like your hospital did something similar by only approving exemptions for organized religions.
The VA regulations and court wins on homeschool religious exemption very specifically require belief in a single supreme being type god. I may be misremembering the date, but I think the last time it was tested was in the 60s. I have no doubt that someone could sue and would win for being denied the exemption based on other religious or eastern philosophy beliefs. But I had no desire to put my kids through that. Or draw that kind of attention to myself from the State.
“very specifically require belief in a single supreme being type god”
Yep. That would be an unconstitutional establishment of religion. Not that anybody cares what the Constitution says any more.
Hindus hardest hit?
I’m more with Tundra. If you’re doing a thing, then do that thing and don’t let yourself get distracted. Then move on to the next thing, and do the same.
I think it’s not letting the past ruin your present and not letting the present ruin your future.
If I was to purely “live in the moment”, I’d be drinking beer and not working during the day.
I would say more, not letting the past ruin you present, and not letting your anxiety about the future ruin your present, either.
If you have a clear head, here and now, uncluttered with baggage and anxiety, you are in a better position to plan your next move.
Sha la la la la… https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G5NtzB-voZo
Ain’t that the truth.
In life, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you are well or you are sick.
If you are well, there is nothing to worry about,
But if you are sick, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you will get well or you will die.
If you get well, there is nothing to worry about,
But if you die, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you will go to heaven or hell.
If you go to heaven, there is nothing to worry about.
And if you go to hell, you’ll be so busy shaking hands with all your friends
You won’t have time to worry!
So why worry?
“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn, Is just to love, and be loved in return.” – A Strange Enchanted Boy
Nat was awesome, but I love this version.
Thanks, I’ll give it a listen.
Thanks for the Loretta Lynn – that helps keep me calm.
She was real in a way that modern artists just aren’t. Maybe the real poverty, real problems, and real music she experienced.
Every interview or concert I’ve ever seen of her, she just seemed so nice and friendly.
“Yes, getting your wish would have been so nice. But isn’t that exactly why pleasure trips us up? Instead, see if these things might be even nicer—a great soul, freedom, honesty, kindness, saintliness.“
I like this. I also see it in the instant gratification lifestyle which so many youngsters fall into. If your all your wishes are instantly granted, life will not get better.
should be like a smelly goat
The truth stinks, don’t it?
It’s better than a smelly ass.
My favorite Loretta and Conway song. Their banter at the end always makes me smile.
I had never heard that before, it’s excellent.
From the dead thread: “Ill accept a correction from our spanish-speaking Glibs, but point of order: she called herself a “gringo” when I think it should be “gringa”.”
Gringx
U w0t m8?
I ain’t no Gringx
I still get angry at other people’s stupidity.
#metoo
I’ve been worn down by the volume of it within DoD. Now it takes some exceptional stupidity to rile me up.
You must have missed out on the “Unconsous Bias Training”
Looking back, there are things I shouldn’t have done but did anyway.
There are things that I did do that I’m glad I did
There are things I wish that I had done but maybe the results wouldn’t have been as I hoped or expected.
My favorite are the things that at the time, I shouldn’t have been doing, but I am glad I did.
Along those lines, there are a number of things I would not have done had I know how difficult, or boring, or just plain un-fun they were going to be, but I’m glad I did them because they each were one credit towards my master’s degree in Life.
“There are terrible temptations that it requires strength and courage to yield to.” -O.W.
Oprah Winfrey? 😉
Owen Wilson
Wait! No! Oliver Warbucks! 😃
Orville Wright! /Dayton booster
Some people smoke a cigarette afterward.
https://twitter.com/Gamblingblues/status/1576630062404849664
“post-coital fondue” should be my new password.
*takes notes*
Why would anyone ruin the good feelings of sex with the aftertaste of… cheese?
That looks like a chocolate fondue.
Is that supposed to make it better?
You don’t like chocolate OR cheese??
What is the matter with you… person???
“No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity.”
“But I know none, and therefore am no beast.”
William Shakespeare, Richard III
Per The Joy of Cooking, cheese is “milk’s leap to immortality.”
Respect the cheese!
I have many questions…
https://twitter.com/Jo_Bell/status/1577666388596064257
They don’t have to be dicks about it.
Yeah, that would earn a sideways glans.
There is a vas deferens between this place and the penis museum
I don’t see why there would be confusion, if the name is circumcised right on the sign.
I would say ANY place can be a penis museum if you are brave enough.
The trans travelling exhibit?
It’s his m.o.: Did Biden sniff her?
She’s a bit old for him.
Any port in a storm I guess.
Monstrous.
No shit.
I wonder how much the hospital makes from an euthanasian.
I believe self agency includes the right to self terminate. Commoditizing euthanasia as a service in a centralized health care system of limited resources seems like a very dangerous path.
No credit cards or checks accepted
How about 12 easy payments?
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Death-on-the-Installment-Plan
Linguist explains where ‘woman’ comes from
Cool stuff
‘I try to never say “I’ll be honest with you”. To me that has always sounded insincere. I try to always be honest and as a result I am a horrible liar. Even when I am trying to keep a secret from my wife as a surprise, she knows something is going on. I know I have a reputation for being direct and honest even if it is not a pleasant truth. ‘
This is me to a T.
I say as little as possible, though I also have a tendency to ramble.
The dissonance hurts.
While I think it’s a good phrase to avoid, it doesn’t necessarily indicate insincerity. It simply means that you are going to say something the listener may not like hearing. Similar to using “frankly” or “honestly”.
Florida man Friday.
A man died when he fell from a hotel balcony in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while performing a handstand as Hurricane Ian swept through the area on September 30.
Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard said 34-year-old Ohio resident Markell Hope plunged from the 15th floor of the Patricia Grand Hotel, WYFF reported Thursday.
That would be an ugly site to see, hands down.
It was the wrong site to do a handstand that’s for sure. Don’t know how ugly it was.
Ohio man falls from South Carolina balcony. Not seeing the Florida connection.
Handstand in a hurricane?
Maybe I need to learn to read.
sight*, even.
Last night I watched an episode of the Smithsonian Channel’s Air Disasters about the U.S. Navy shooting down an Iranian passenger jet in 1988.
I do not remember this, but I was 17 at the time.
Are we the baddies?
According to the show the Captain of the ship sent his helicopter to investigate some Iranian gun boats. The boats fired 5 or so rounds towards the helo. In response, the Captain took his ship to engage. They then tagged the Airbus A300 as an F-14 and mistakenly said it was descending so he ordered his ship to fire.
Turns out , he was way north of where he was supposed to be, apparently because he wanted to get his ship some action.Nobody bothered to verify if the plane was descending and it was actually ascending the whole time.
Don’t worry though, the Navy did a thorough investigation and gave the Captain a Navy Commendation Medal for remaining calm under the stress of combat.
That story really pissed me off and made me feel not so Stoic.
We caught the latter part of the AD episode about the ’96 AF transport crash in Croatia that killed Commerce Sec’y Ron Brown and everyone else on board. The AF did not come out smelling very pretty. Heads rolled. (Not necessarily those of the crash victims. Too soon?) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Croatia_USAF_CT-43_crash
I remember it well, and knew the people involved had been cleared. Didn’t know about the medal, but that figures.
Sconnies better be stoic!
LOL
That’s funny, I don’t care who you are
As a long suffering Vikings fan, this made me very happy.
But Rogers has 100% more rings than the Vikings.
“Long suffering”
So long it’s generational.
My Dad was 24 when they lost their first Superbowl. He’s now 77.
/looks at all the Superbowls the Browns have been in
TBF, the Browns did win NFL championships – just before you were born.
juris:
I’m aware. But the Browns sit here with the Lions as the only two non-expansion teams (depending on how you count the Browns) who have never been to a Superbowl.
Must be something about that lake. 😉
juris:
Buffalo being the exception that proves the rule?
Well there is getting to the Super Bowl, and going 0-4. That’s a disappointment Browns fans can only aspire to.
Vikings look to Tampa Bay, see a prospect wearing 3 rings
At publishing time, reporters spotted Gisele with her new boyfriend Steve, a middle-aged insurance salesman from Indiana.
How about a lowly project engineer from RVA? *wiggles eyebrows*
Is he trying to out MAGA Trump?
I am becoming numb to the videos capturing Brandon saying stupid things.
yeah, this one is a slam dunk for stupid things Presidents shouldn’t say…and yet for Biden, very mild.
He’s like Yogi Berra, without the charm, likeability, and ability to do something well.
Now do oil, Brandon
Maybe he was renaming the Miss America pageant. Maiden America could also be a new superhero.
Come on Bro’ and tell me what you told my friends
If you think you’re brave enough
And I’ll show you what a real Firster is
Since you think you’re hot stuff
You’ll bite off more than you can chew
If you get to cute or witty
You better move your feet
If you don’t wanna eat
A meal that’s called First city
Perfect.
I’m enjoying this new feature!
Is this gonna be the Glib’s First Rap Battle?
Seems inappropriate w/o HM.
Are you gonna rap, or are you gonna fap
You need to lay it down and cut the crap
I need to win this battle and take a nap
So I can go out later for some tender trap!
*passes mic
How can she be so wrong about guns when she is so right about this?
I knew she was a Russian agent!
Seems to me that she likes guns just fine.
https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1577254504549924864?cxt=HHwWgICqgbCnxOMrAAAA
Just because she likes them, doesn’t mean she thinks the peasants should own them.
👆🏻
guns for me . . . .
not for thee . . . .
same as it ever was . . .
Yeah, and her economics… but she has good instincts. I think she can be trusted to do the right thing more often than not.
That would explain her being on the outs with the Democratic party.
Yep. I don’t know what her future plans are, but I think she’s orphaned herself, politically speaking.
I think she’s orphaned herself
I have a spare room…
*changes name to “the right thing”*
SC had open primaries, so I voted for her in 2020. But yeah, her economics and gun policy is bad. But still the best of the Dem pack.
Meanwhile in Philly.
Armed Group Seen On Video Jumping From Van, Stealing Car At Gunpoint In Philadelphia