If you have anger issues, this one is a great tool (h/t mindyourbusiness)
This week’s book:
Discourses and Selected Writings
Disclaimer: I’m not your Supervisor. These are my opinions after reading through these books a few times.
Epictetus was born a slave around 50 ad. His owner was Epaphroditus, a rich freedman who was once a slave of Nero. Though he was a slave Epictetus was sent to study philosophy under Musonius Rufus.
Epictetus was lame and there are some stories it was caused by his master and others that it was caused by disease.
He was a freedman when all philosophers were banished from Rome in 89 by the Emperor Domitian. He then started his school in Greece, and had many students. He did not leave any writings from his lessons, but one of his students, Flavius Arrian, took notes and wrote the Discourses.
Epictetus did not marry, had no children, and lived to be around 80-85. In retirement, he adopted a child that would have been abandoned and raised him with a woman.
He died sometime around AD 135.
He might be my favorite Stoic teacher. I love his bare bones and very straight forward approach.
Following is a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of one of his lessons. Epictetus’s text appears in bold, my replies are in normal text.
To Those Who Cling Obstinately to the Judgements Which They Have Once Formed
Some men, when they hear the following precepts: That one ought to be steadfast, and that the moral purpose is naturally free and not subject to compulsion, while everything else is liable to interference and compulsion, subject to others and not our own—some men, I say, fancy that whenever they have formed a judgement they ought to stand by it immovably. And yet the first requirement is that the judgement formed be a sound one. For I want vigor in the body, but it must be the vigor of the body in a state of health and physical exercise; whereas, if you show me that you possess the vigor of a madman, and boast about it, I will say to you, “Man, look, for someone to cure you. This is not vigor, but feebleness.”
Stubbornness is only a virtue when I am right. Sometimes it can be difficult to realize and admit that I was wrong, but clinging to a mistake doesn’t help me, nor does it help anyone else.
The following is another way in which the minds of those are affected who hear these precepts amiss. For example, a friend of mine for no reason at all made up his mind to starve himself to death. 5I learned about it when he was already in the third day of his fasting, and went and asked what had happened.—I have decided, he answered.—Very well, but still what was it that induced you to make up your mind? For if your judgement was good, see, we are at your side and ready to help you to make your exit from this life; but if your judgement was irrational, change it.—I must abide by my decisions.—Why, man, what are you about? You mean not all your decisions, but only the right ones. For example, if you are convinced at this moment that it is night, do not change your opinion, if that seems best to you, but abide by it and say that you ought to abide by your decisions! Do you not wish to make your beginning and your foundation firm, that is, to consider whether your decision is sound or unsound, and only after you have done that proceed to rear thereon the structure of your determination and your firm resolve? But if you lay a rotten and crumbling foundation, you cannot rear thereon even a small building, but the bigger and the stronger your superstructure is the more quickly it will fall down.
I usually try to make a decision and stick with it. If the initial choice was misguided, then it can lead to a larger mistake down the road. Being willing to look back at the initial choice before I am too far along to turn around is a skill I am developing.
10Without any reason you are taking out of this life, to our detriment, a human being who is a familiar friend, a citizen of the same state, both the large state[1] and the small; and then, though in the act of murder, and while engaged in the destruction of a human being that has done no wrong, you say that you “must abide by your decisions”! But if the idea ever entered your head to kill me, would you have to abide by your decisions?
Apparently the man Epictetus was talking to thought he had a sound reason to kill himself, but Epictetus disagreed. This was at a time when suicide was considered an honorable option so Epictetus’s objection was not blindly based on the “It’s wrong to kill yourself” belief that is common today.
Well, it was hard work to persuade that man; but there are some men of to-day whom it is impossible to move. So that I feel that I now know what I formerly did not understand—the meaning of the proverb, “A fool you can neither persuade nor break.”[2] God forbid that I should ever have for a friend a wise fool![3] There is nothing harder to handle. “I have decided,” he says! Why yes, and so have madmen; but the more firm their decision is about what is false, the more hellebore[4] they need.
Some of the most unproductive arguments I have ever engaged in were with stupid people. Especially when they do not see that they are not bright. Worse than that is an educated person that can not think. To quote “There are some ideas so absurd that only an intellectual could believe them.”
15Will you not act like a sick man, and summon a physician? “I am sick, sir; help me. Consider what I ought to do; it is my part to obey you.” So also in the present instance. “I know not what I ought to be doing, but I have come to find out.” Thus one should speak. No, but this is what one hears, “Talk to me about anything else, but on this point I have made my decision.”
This was a major part of the last few years that really ground my gears, the government had decided that lock downs and masks were the only acceptable solutions to the COVID “problem”. Once they made this decision, no amount of evidence could change the minds of them or their supporters. Instead I was told that my opinion didn’t matter, because “You’re not an expert, they are.” My reply was, “Maybe not, but I am honest and I know how to read a chart.”
“Anything else” indeed! Why, what is more important or more to your advantage than to be convinced that it is not sufficient for a man merely to have reached decisions, and to refuse to change? These are the sinews of madness, not health. “If you force me to this, I would gladly die.” What for, man? What has happened? “I have decided!” It was fortunate for me that you did not decide to kill me![5] Or again, another says, “I take no money for my services.”[6] Why so? “Because I have decided.” Rest assured that there is nothing to prevent you from some day turning irrationally to taking money for your services, and that with the same vehemence with which you now refuse to take it, and then saying again, “I have decided”; 20precisely as in a diseased body, suffering from a flux, the flux inclines now in this direction and now in that. Such is also the sick mind; it is uncertain which way it is inclined, but when vehemence also is added to this inclination and drift, then the evil gets past help and past cure.
I try to remain open to the possibility that I am wrong, or that my starting point was wrong so I don’t get attached to what I think is correct right now. With that being said, it is important to stick to my principles, so I do not lurch from one opinion to another based on who is involved instead of what is involved. When I do this, it is easier to actually make a decision and stick to it.
Music this week is from the Son of Apollo again. Their first CD, Psychotic Symphony is amazing and all 3 songs from the last time I featured them is from that.
I also like their next one, MMXX , but is not as good as the first one.
The first song is a really good one: Goodbye Divinity
Another one I really like is Fall to Ascend
This one isn’t from an album, but it is a cover of one of my favorite Rainbow songs, Gates of Babylon
Although as much as I like the cover, Dio’s vocals are on a different level.
I saw the front page summary and immediately went “Define ‘Unreasonably'”
the post enlighten you?
What post?
you know
It’s daytime, the lamp post is dark.
It’s daytime – it is not
The window says otherwise. Perhaps if you were not hiding under the globe, the sunshine would reach you.
Believe what you want, just leave me out of it.
your attempt to skirt away from you duties to the public goo has been denied
I gather you HAVE visited either New York City or San Francisco at some point.
SEA SMITH FINISH WITH R.J.’S CRUISE SHIP. COME VISIT PIE NOW, GIVE SOME PUBLIC GOO!
I try to remain open to the possibility that I am wrong – assuming our opinions are not identical you are obviously wrong about some things
Sign at work:
“We never make misteaks”
I assume someone grilled them on that.
“A fool you can neither persuade nor break.”
But you can elect him.
Well, it was hard work to persuade that man; but there are some men of to-day whom it is impossible to move. So that I feel that I now know what I formerly did not understand—the meaning of the proverb, “A fool you can neither persuade nor break.”
Anybody who feels compelled to correct my way of thinking can fuck right off.
tell that to the reeducation camp guards
What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.
Some men, you just can’t reach.
So you get what we had here last week — which is the way he wants it.
Well, he gets it.
And I don’t like it anymore than you men.
— Cool Hand Luke
*Begins whistling intro to Civil War*
Biden, pardons people who have violated Federal laws against marijuana possession. I’m not sure as to how many people that affects as most possession convictions are on the state level. his seems mostly symbolic.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-pardons-marijuana-nationwide-heres-135757989.html
I saw 11 people being reported. Mostly symbolic or not, it’s a good thing.
It’s a trap! 😳
It’s obviously not going to have the dramatic effect of the First Step Act, but it’s another small step in the right direction.
My dad would die on every hill, whether he was right or wrong. Sometimes he even built those hills himself. He also died of a heart attack when he was 51. I think he was just afraid of “being dominated” (whatever that means), or he had something to prove (don’t know to whom). I also think the progression of his heart disease was sped up by his constant willingness to engage in strife.
Somewhere in there I decided most hills just weren’t important enough to look at, much less die on. I needed to save my effort for hills that were worth it. Now, there were hills I SHOULD have died on, on principle alone, but I didn’t. I regret those to some degree, but my life was still easier for not having taken those fights.
Or, you know, maybe I’m just lazy.
It has been a life-long struggle to learn what battles are worth it and those that aren’t. I hope I’ve made some progress in distinguishing the two, but I can’t say for sure.
Indeed. It takes a lot to get me going, but I noped out of my career path, and my hometown over COVID. Was that crazy or smart? We’ll never know.
That’s me as well. Angry, younger me loved fighting. About anything. Having two boys made me reexamine that mindset.
Or, you know, maybe I’m just lazy.
As ol’ Vice Grip Garage says, the easiest mess to clean up is the one you never made.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1KH84-0yyg
I have linked this channel before , some Romanian guy in a cabin in the mountains. he speaks Romanian but it is not essential. the beginning has some recent drone images of the Romanian mountains and next he is preserving a whole pig, salting, smoking, rendering fat etc. if anyone wants to see some drone images you can click.
Looks cool, thanks.
Attn TPTB, fresh Nietzsche content up for review and scheduling.
To Those Who Cling Obstinately to the Judgements Which They Have Once Formed
/looks around
/scurries off
“This was a major part of the last few years that really ground my gears, the government had decided that lock downs and masks were the only acceptable solutions to the COVID “problem”. Once they made this decision, no amount of evidence could change the minds of them or their supporters.”
I just finished reading “THE SPARS PANDEMIC 2025 – 2028, A Futuristic Scenario for Public Health Risk Communicators”. Written in 2017 from Johns Hopkins it was a tabletop exercise on communications during a pandemic. It was about a coronavirus originating in SE Asia (go figure) and named St. Paul Acute Respiratory Syndrome, because the first outbreak was in St. Paul, MN (somehow not racist).
The assumptions built into the exercise ground my gears. The government knows best. Don’t question. A repurposed antiviral drug is the only treatment. (That the anti viral turned out later to be not so effective didn’t cause any kind of rethink.) Talk about natural immunity is just crazy. Vaccines are the only solution. Concern about a rushed vaccine are crazy. It certainly was an interesting look into the mindset of these people, a mindset that apparently predates COVID.
It was also interesting that lockdowns, masks and vaccine mandates were never mentioned in the scenario.
Interesting, found this… https://www.start.umd.edu/publication/spars-pandemic-2025-2028-futuristic-scenario-facilitate-medical-countermeasure but wouldn’t you know, when you go to view the publication it 404s.
Try this. https://centerforhealthsecurity.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/spars-pandemic-scenario.pdf
Well, it was equally interesting what the website was that purported to have a link. Probably on another list.
It certainly was an interesting look into the mindset of these people, a mindset that apparently predates COVID.
There was a very interesting article, early on (in Nature, I believe) about the global ecosystem of “public health” functionaries who have for decades gamed out doomsday scenarios involving global plagues. Somehow, they managed to get control of the response, this time.
“Maybe not, but I am honest and I know how to read a chart.”
Our greatest scientist!
Its like we’re living in Idiocracy, but at least there the people knew to trust someone smarter than them.
Florida State fed up with being stoic
Something from the article that seems bizarre, and maybe the legal types could explain it:
Not being allowed to have a key part of the contract in your possession seems absolutely insane. Software EULAs aside, why would anybody sign such an agreement?
Not being allowed to retain a copy of the contract for your own records is an unconscionable clause and I say means the contract is void and uneforcable.
What mechanism does a signatory have to ensure that the language has not ben altered secretly?
This is no way to do business and the ACC should be sanctioned into oblivion.
Not being allowed to retain a copy of the contract for your own records is an unconscionable clause
How is this even legal? Also, agree with TedS – who would sign such a thing? Unless they didn’t acutally read it.
The ACC is being run by ex Intel Community types?
So no one came to my defense on sweet tea.
Too many damn yankees on this site.
To be on topic, I refuse to be stoic in my defense of sweet tea.
Also, the sugar must be added while hot, adding it to cold tea doesnt work, as you must supersaturate.
the sugar must be added while hot
Sugar doesn’t dissolve well in cold liquids, so yeah.
I only had sweet tea once, when I spent Thanksgiving with my cousin in Cummings GA a few years ago. Not terrible, I do have a sweet tooth – I take coffee with plenty of sugar and cream, which is anathema to some here.
Missed that thread. This here yankee prefers hot tea with honey, no milk. Black tea, darjeeling, or oolong depending on time of day and mood. Each tea has an optimal honey – buckwheat honey for strong black teas, orange blossom or clover for oolong and first flush darjeeling, blueberry or wildflower for second flush darjeeling.
‘patzie!!! THERE you are! I was getting worried! How are you?
Hey, GT!
Still alive and well, thanks. Turns out the hernia was a lot larger than they thought, good thing I did not postpone the operation, but surgery went well. Recovery was/is a bitch, was groggy from anesthesia for a long time – wound up staying overnight and taking an extra day off from work. Truth be told, I hardly worked at all this week.
Excellent. Glad you are fixed up!
Now we just need a sighting of RC Dean.
Indeed. Perhaps resting his eye? Pondering becoming a pirate king? (Obligatory: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=05AHp8MgSjk )
My scoutmaster taught me how to make sweet tea when I was a young lad in TN.
It is the only way I will drink iced tea.
However, I rarely drink iced tea now because I became addicted to the Dew in my teenaged years.