How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
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.
How ought we to bear our illnesses?
When the need arises for each separate judgement, we ought to have it ready; at lunch our judgements about lunch, at the bath our judgements about a bath, in bed our judgements about a bed.
“Also allow not sleep to draw nigh to your languorous eyelids,
Ere you have reckoned up each several deed of the daytime:
‘Where went I wrong? Did what? And what to be done was left undone?’
Starting from this point review, then, your acts, and thereafter remember:
Censure yourself for the acts that are base, but rejoice in the goodly.”[1]
I try to go over every day when I am ready to sleep. I have slipped a few times this last week and gotten angry at inanimate objects while putting a new stereo in my truck. The best explanation I have is that my ankle still being swollen irritates me at a subconscious level, even though I am not limping anymore.
And keep these verses on hand to use, not by way of exclamations, as we cry, “Paean Apollo!” 5Again, in a fever have ready the judgements which apply to that. Let us not, if we fall into a fever, abandon and forget all our principles, saying: “If I ever study philosophy again, let anything happen that will! I’ll have to go away somewhere and take care of my poor body.” Yes indeed, if fever does not go there too![2]
Now that I have a probable cause, I am being more attentive to my mood. The fact I can’t run yet is a minor inconvenience, but as a person who has ran most of their adult life, it still bothers me. My ankle does not give me an excuse to act like an asshole, even if that is only towards truck parts. I enjoy working on things much more when I do not lose my cool, and I have less chance of breaking things.
But what is philosophy? Does it not mean making preparation to meet the things that come upon us? Do you not understand, then, that what you are saying amounts to something like this: “If I ever again prepare to bear quietly the things that come upon me, let anything happen that will”? It is just as if a man should give up the pancratium[3] because he has received blows.
Life is not easy. I can’t give up and let my anger flow just because my body is reminding me that I am getting older and recovery takes longer and is not promised.
The only difference is that in the pancratium a man may stop, and so avoid a severe beating, but in life, if we stop the pursuit of philosophy, what good does it do? What, then, ought a man to say to himself at each hardship that befalls him? “It was for this that I kept training, it was to meet this that I used to practice.”
If I was not practicing Stoicism, I would be having a much harder time with my injury. I first started seriously following it when I had a post surgery infection that left me stuck on the couch for 8 weeks and I was trying not to lose my mind.
God says to you, “Give Me proof, whether you have striven lawfully,[4] eaten what is prescribed,[5] taken exercise, heeded your trainer.” After that, do you flinch when the time for action arrives? Now it is time for your fever, let it come upon you in the right way; for thirst, bear your thirst in the right way; to go hungry, bear hunger in the right way. It is not in your power, you say? Who is there to prevent you? Nay, your physician will prevent you from drinking, but he cannot prevent you from thirsting in the right way; and he will prevent you from eating, but he cannot prevent you from bearing hunger in the right way.
I used to be really irritable when I was hungry. I have learned to control it. I still remember the look of surprise on my wife’s face the first time we went out for breakfast and we were able to have a normal conversation in spite of the fact I was starving.
10But am I not a scholar?—And for what purpose do you devote yourself to scholarship? Slave, is it not that you may be happy? Is it not that you may be secure? Is it not that you may conform to nature and live your life in that way. What prevents you, when you have a fever, from having your governing principle conform with nature?
Just because a new difficulty has arisen, that is not an excuse to throw my hands up and say “Well nothing I can do now” and not control my reactions. How I respond to things is a choice, even when it is difficult to make the correct one.
Here is the proof of the matter, the test of the philosopher. For this too is a part of life; like a stroll, a voyage, a journey, such is also a fever. I presume you do not read while taking a stroll, do you?—No.—No more than when you have a fever. But if you stroll in the right way, you perform what is expected of a stroller; if you have fever in the right way, you perform the things expected of the man who has a fever. What does it mean to have fever in the right way? Not to blame God, or man, not to be overwhelmed by what happens to you, to await death bravely and in the right way, to do what is enjoined upon you; when your physician comes to see you, not to be afraid of what he will say, and at the same time not to be carried away with joy, if he says, “You are doing splendidly”; for what good to you lay in that remark? Why, when you were well, what good was it to you? It means not to be downhearted, too, if he says, “You are in a bad way.” For what does it mean to be in a bad way? That you are close to a separation of the soul from the body. What, then, is terrifying about that? If you do not draw near now, will you not draw near later? And is the universe going to be upset when you die?
While I am not dealing with a life threatening situation, I strive to handle it in the proper way. What does that mean? For me it means to not look back on my 20 years in the Marines when I sprained this ankle a couple of times. I always started running on it as soon as I could, even when it still hurt. That was the reason I had to get surgery on it 9 years a go, which led to the current swelling. I wish I had taken it easier recovering from injuries, but I had to be “hard” and not let a little pain stop me. Dwelling on choices from the past doesn’t help even a little bit in the current situation, but I can learn from it and not attempt to run until the Dr. clears me.
15Why, then, do you wheedle your physician? Why do you say, “If you wish, Master, I shall get well”? Why do you give him occasion to put on airs? Why not give him just what is his due? As I give the shoemaker his due about my foot, the builder his due about my house, so also the physician his due about my paltry body, something that is not mine, something that is by nature dead.[6] These are the things that the moment demands for a man who is in a fever; if he meets these demands, he has what properly belongs to him. For it is not the business of the philosopher to guard these external matters—neither his paltry wine, nor his paltry oil, nor his paltry body—but what? His own governing principle. And how treat externals? Only so far as not to act thoughtlessly about them. What proper occasion is there, then, any longer for fear? What proper occasion, then, any longer for anger? Or for fear about things that are not his own concern, worthless things? For here are the two principles that you ought to have ready at hand: Outside the sphere of the moral purpose there is nothing either good or bad; and, We ought not to lead events, but to follow them. “My brother ought not to have treated me so.” No; but it is for him to look to that. As for me, no matter how he behaves, I shall observe all my relations to him as I ought. For this is my part, the other does not belong to me; in this nobody can hinder me, the other is subject to hindrance.
As long as I accept my limitations without anger or regret, it does not bother me. I am focusing on the fact I can walk normally and have been walking my dog for 30 minutes every day and have returned to the gym. There also, I can not focus on how weak I am compared to 3 months ago, but look at where I am and work to improve from there. As Tony Horton says “Do your best, forget the rest”.
Taking out anger on inanimate objects is something I used to excel at. What finally broke me of that habit was watching a friend go to town on a 2-stroke weed eater that refused to stay started.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65PcmJRfgl0
It took me a long time to get my temper under control. There were many a door and wall punched when I was younger. There’s a fine line between bottling it up, and just letting it control you.
Not my best week.
But doing better once I figured out the root cause.
I was an angry child. Youngest of 6 brothers and sisters, mom and dad taking in whatever strays so our household was always at a minimum 10 people. So a lot of anger built up and I think hockey was my turning point. My anger was still there, just redirected and more constructive which then developed into drive and determination.
However, what really got me to switch my view on anger was when I was like, 13 or 14, during a hockey game I hit another player over the head with my stick. Suspended one game, coach benched for rest of season and all my practice days were bag skates and a trashcan for me to use if needed. Really rewired how and who I wanted to be.
We had a guy on our team do that. Just a 2:00 penalty, no suspension or anything. We still talk about how we’d have ejected him.
Jeez, what is it with us glibs and tempers? For me it’s the road – you’re behind the wheel of a couple of tons of death, pay attention. No, don’t lolly gag around, realize your about to miss the green light and accelerate to run a red light while preventing everyone behind you from making an easily made light if you were PAYING FUCKING ATTENTION TO WHERE YOU ARE, WHAT YOU DOING! Or working in the shop (read garage) where, if it can tangled/stuck/fall into a crack or behind something that covers 1/1000th of the available floor space, or inconvenience me in some other way, it will. WTF? I couldn’t tangle that cable around this if I FUCKING tried, but if it can, it will.
Great, now I’m pissed off.
See, I find driving to be a great place to practice Stoicism. Absolutely nothing you do (that isn’t colossally stupid) will affect, or likely even be noticed by, the other driver, and you certainly can’t make them a better driver. So why get angry? I try to not say anything out loud when somebody does something stupid on the road, and that has helped from getting (as) angry or upset at other drivers.
I have that seedeater. Turns out a dirt dobber made a nest in the muffler. 2 minute fix.
What the fuck is a seedeater? An ungulate? I saw and corrected its mistake on dirt dobber but I missed the weedeater one. Seedeater is a word?
The spell check on my Notes function on my phone does that constantly to my grocery list. I can usually figure out what the nonsense was changed from. I still cant figure out, nor can my wife, what ‘usually sex’ came from. I didnt think that was available at grocery stores…but what do I know.
My girlfriend was wondering what cootage cheese was in the grocery list I texted her.
I suppose its like fromunda cheese?
You have to pay special at Hole Foods to get the ‘usually sex’.
It’s in the meat department.
Bobarion LMD:
Should we call you Odin, or do you prefer to go by the Meatman?
Thanks Ron,
As we age the unexpected happens ’cause we always thought things would be the same forever. Now there are things I can’t do, do to physical limitations. Things I can do but take a lot longer. Things I can do but won’t ’cause they are not important anymore.
As a kid it was fun to drive to the big city (county seat, 15 K people). Now I hate going there, it’s a little dangerous as my reflexes aren’t what they were. When we do go we spend time shopping and eating, my wife is very slow at both. I’m in a hurry to get home where I can relax.
Other folks’ priorities are not the same as mine and I’m not too patient.
G Lytton, from dead thread:
Leaving aside the too frequent stupidity of giving guns to a kid as therapy (Sandy Hook, Kip Kinkle, etc), I think the real goal is to intimidate ordinary gun owning parents from allowing their kids to access firearms and make them into some mystical totems rather than a normal but dangerous if not handled properly tool.
One of their tactics for quite a while has been braying against the “normalization” of guns and gun ownership, which of course is the direct opposite of reality. Gun ownership has been “normal” behavior since the Pilgrims landed. The anti-gun activists are the ones trying to initiate a radical change of behavior.
I have the shotgun my grandfather got from his grandfather when he was 13. So yes, a well adjusted kid can handle the responsibility of firearms at that age with some proper training.
If your kid is on mod meds, transitioning to something nature didn’t intend, or already known to the FB for making terrorist threats – then no, don’t buy him a gun or allow any unsupervised access to them.
Gun grabbers lie. It is known.
And…I just remembered Eric Fucking Holder, that piece of shit telling people “We have to brainwash people against guns.”
He wants us to be helpless for our own good. He’s just a nice guy like that.
You know those guns have agency of their own. I often worry about what those metal geniuses are plotting in their safe.
And if you are going to arrest parents for not being mind readers, why not teachers and administrators?
We do not arrest parents when their children break the law.
Given the current concept of charging parents for shootings, then parents should be co-defendants when children shoplift.
Given the arrest warrant for the dad claims he knew the kid was a threat to themselves and others — I am now wondering if dad is trying to fall on the sword in hopes his son’s life isn’t over (cause it is if convicted and nothing is reduced in charges).
I was shaking my head at the irony of a school shooter actually having a dad, and the guy turned out to be a fuckwit. But maybe you are onto something.
Whoa there, you go too far. Just because those people take away your control over the situation doesnt mean they are taking the responsibility also. These are professionals we are talking about here.
Or FBI agents.
Or the aunt or grandma since they ran to the media and blabbed how they all “knew”. Just wipe the planet of the whole family actually.
My version of stoicism: Adding panic or any strong emotion really makes every bad situation better.
Wait…that’s not it…
The root of anger is loss of or no control over one’s circumstances. Sometimes you can fix that if you keep a cool head, sometimes you cant. Getting upset about that doesnt change anything.
I can respond to a crisis quickly and logically after a 2-second freakout, but when that shit’s all over with, man, do I break down into a heaping pile of sobbing goo.
Random thoughts. Increasingly there’s connected people protected by police/armed guards getting raided. FBI on NYC police commish, FBI at Mar Lago, Trump being arrested, etc. How long before one of those camps says nah, you’re not doing this? Five years, ten? It’s only a matter of time before the FBI raid party ends up getting prone boned.
Yesterday someone, I think Evil Sheldon?, talked about a genuinely dangerous person that the FBI snagged…at an airport inside the secure area. No midnight knocks for him. I will let you draw your own conclusion from that.
Yep, although the I posit that the guy was competent and trained not dangerous. But to the FBI agents that would be the same thing.
Special forces vet, full-time shooting instructor, USPSA grandmaster.
I’d say a bit above competent.
Yeah, that dude was an Army Special Forces veteran and a high-level competitive shooter (and also a piece of shit child molester, which is relevant in that he had every possible reason to make a fight of it.) 100% not someone who you want to get into a gunfight with. So yeah, hit him with overwhelming force in a place where he’s almost certainly unarmed and has no easy way to escape. It was a legit smart plan.
I think that a lot of these security services that Gustave is talking about are either compromised in advance, or are just not very good. A lot of rich people (and make no mistake, only very rich people can afford close protection details) have this kind of security for nothing more than the status signaling, and that market pressure has been reflected in the quality of the product.
Also get him with actual police in uniforms with badges. Not the night-raid where he has no idea if a (different) criminal gang has invaded his house versus the police.
Don’t want to be treated like an occupying army? Stop acting like an occupying army.
+1 left lane hog driving well over the speed limit
They got shot up pretty good when they first tried to barge into the Waco compound.
Modern police tactical teams are trained almost entirely on entries. If they ever take a big loss, it will because a team ambushes them outside before or during an entry.
Indoor battle is hideously dangerous, even if your team is very competent and well-trained (F-Troop was neither.) Indoor battle against an adversary with comparable skill levels is suicidal. We’ve looked pretty good in the MENA arena because we’ve been fighting against primitives (to quote Matt Pranka, “We’ve been beating up retards,”) but the first time we tangle with a near-peer adversary, that CQB cool-guy shit all goes away.
In a more symmetrical fight, the need for targeted kill/capture raids would be considerably lower, i.e. the reason room clearing became a thing outside of a LEO/Tier 1 context. In that environment room-clearing SOPs will return to WWII room clearing wherein every room is fragged, twice if needed, prior to entry.
Shoot the building from about 1200M with HE and then bypass.
Armored operations.
I have been struggling on how to instill this into one of my children. He is talented and intelligent but man if a roadblock appears its game over. Its hard for me because I am not a defeatist so me just saying “gotta push through” or some other platitude doesn’t work.
My son was five. He had to get ready to leave the house in short order. He had about ten mins. He complained it was impossible.
I told him I would give him five bucks if he showered and dressed inside five minutes. He was aghast. That is impossible! he protested.
I started barking short sharp orders. Turn on the shower. Take off your clothes. Get in. Wet your hair. Dab of shampoo…rub in in and around. Rinse. Stop talking. Quick quick soap underarms and crotch. Rinse. Stop talking. Get out. Dry your hair rub rub rub. Underwear. (by now he got the game and was going as fast as he could) Shorts. Shirt. Comb your hair. Socks. Shoes. Get out!
It took about 3 and a half minutes. He was amazed. I gave him ten bucks instead of five. He was happy the rest of the day.
I did things like that a number of times before he was grown. You can do what you put your mind to. Dont stop, dont slow down, if you fall, get up and keep running. Dont let anyone tell you different.
He is now 35, has his own business, a success on his first try (average business owner fails 7 times before hitting the bullseye). He has made more money than probably all of us here put together.
Hey I employed the ‘hit the main parts’ for them showering many a times. “What is that?” they would ask. Groin and armpits..thats it. The kid has drive its just for him, any deviation from the predetermined path he creates in his mind for a task is a mountain.
My wife used to tell them “wash your pink parts” LOL
Tangentiel , but it wasn’t until I started cooking more seriously (about a decade ago) and trying to coordinate things that I truly appreciated how much you can do in 60 seconds if you’re really trying.
It has been a net benefit to my life.
I am somewhat of a defeatist, honestly, until the stakes are high enough and/or I have absolutely no option but to push through. The payoff for having succeeded is never very high, which is why I have zero motivation. It’s like playing games for me. I’m a sore loser, but winning doesn’t do anything for me.
I could have a bucket list of the hardest things imaginable, and I’d do them, cross them off, then feel very little and promptly forget how hard it was or what an accomplishment it really was.
Guess I’ll get more practice being calm with truck parts.
Getting new tires on my truck and the shop says I need a new ball joint.
Now I know what I’m doing next weekend.
Did they show you the wear or play?
Loose joints in yer balls is a depressin’ development.
Haven’t picked it up yet.
I will check it and then buy new ones.
I’ve dealt with the shop for many years, I doubt they are lying.
I’ll be putting them in myself, probably do all 4, even though they only said 1 was bad.
Better than swollen.
God says to you, “Give Me proof, whether you have striven lawfully,[4] eaten what is prescribed,[5] taken exercise, heeded your trainer.” After that, do you flinch when the time for action arrives?
Excellent. We are rarely completely prepared because we rarely do our work completely honestly.
Thanks, Ron! I liked this one.
This hit me hard. On my break from work and I’m loving the recovery process now.
Every step matters. Today was a bid day. First pay. I’m set up in medical factory work for at least 6mo, likely a year.
This process was long and will remain such. Who ever said life was supposed to be easy?
Always see the smiley faces in headlights. Light out? Cutie’s winkin’ atcha. The little positives are always there. Ya can walk better, or think and function better as an individual. Sacrifices necessary. They’re positive. Mindset is key. Be negative and it magnifies, ha always find more (bad?) when ya look for it. Heads up for EVERY smiley face.
They matter. If this pay is to go off, I got a $30-35k gig. Single dude, no kids? No rent for now, as I sacrifice independence for security. Bless my loving family.
Life will get better. Work IS improving as I master it. Onward, upward, always. Otherwise ya spiral down into despair, a merciless swamp.
I’m proud I have the solid mindset to overcome. Relearned to walk 3 times, once adding relearning who i and my family are. Life is better now.
That is not trivial. Happiness, pride, at accomplishment upward. Every. Step. Matters.
Thanks, Ron.
RFK off the ballot in NC and Michigan.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/09/bad-news-kamala-harris-rfk-jr-ordered-ballot/
This sends the investigation in a whole new direction.
Today I have to be stoic about my kid going for a ride on an aircraft carrier this afternoon, and me missing it because a flight wasn’t in our budget. But I am happy for her and she’s always thoughtful about sending me pictures when she does stuff like this.
They are doing a tiger cruise? That’s neato.
I don’t know what they call it, but I like that name. It’s “friends and family day”. She’s on a bus right now heading to the ship. It’s nice of them to do this, next Friday they’re underway for a month.
That is what Sailors I worked with at joint assignments called events like that, IIRC.
Judge delays Trump sentencing in hush money case until November
Seems big. I wonder if they were worried about the backlash of jail time.
The Dems have always had the habit of pushing things way too far. Every once in a while one of them has an “oh shit” moment like this. He sees the writing on the wall, all the lawfare isn’t working and we’re getting dangerously close to some real violence. (Not counting the assassination attempt).
Only words are violence, Other Kevin. That foiled assassin was forced to take action because of Trump’s mean tweets. It’s not the assassin’s fault.
Merchan issued the ruling after Trump’s attorneys had asked him to postpone the Sept. 18 sentencing until after the election to allow them to appeal a pending ruling involving presidential immunity.
Plenty of cover to push this out past the election.
So the consequence of losing the election is going to jail? Or will it be used to remove him as a winner?
Totally not a banana republic.
Could be either or both. No telling how the agencies will jump after the election. Well, the general direction, but not the specifics.
I think they correctly calculated that jailing him now would cause serious social and political strife. Letting it ride is the smart play. If he loses, sure, lock him up, he’s done anyway. If he wins, well, it’s on the list of options.
These kinds of vipers pulled that on Earl Long once down here. They had him committed under our state version of the 25thA. He was confined to a state mental hospital.
He had his lawyer visit him on visiting day. The lawyer, had a psychiatrist with him. The doc declared Long sane, then after having the papers signed (Long was still technically the governor) served everyone in the hospital administration, doctors, etc. with a pink slip. Then the same to the State AG’s office.
Just sayin’. I suspect Merrick Garland should be boxing up his office.
The ‘usually sex’ on my grocery list. Mrs. Suthenboy and I were laughing about it just now and she guessed that I misspelled ‘dressing mix’ somehow and spell check corrected it to ‘usually sex’. Best guess I have heard so far.
https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/politics/elections/nc-appeals-court-orders-rfk-jr-off-ballots/83-62520cce-2d09-498f-ab35-a515ff3ea288
Suck it, commies!
Drake beat you to it.
Two points to House Drake.
Wife told me a minute ago all of this is such a giant clusterfuck. I pointed out that this ‘clusterfuck’ always seems to work out in the commie’s favor. Until now. Funny that.
I dont believe polls. They lie their asses off. Just saw one on the teevee claiming Kamalamadingdong is only 1/2 of a point ahead. I am guessing that means an honest poll would show Trump ahead by 20+ points.
Trump must clearly win the debate or, I afraid, Kommiela wins a fortified election. God help us if the GOP doesn’t win a couple seat majority in the Senate.
The Trumpmala debate is Tuesday. Will there be a Zoom party later? Special post?
Flavor- Aid party?
Maybe a cringe party. I just can’t watch it. I’d rather be forced to watch “Bigfoot vs. Megalodon” again, in its entirety. I’d snark about highlights later though.
I have resigned myself to knowing that I am going to have to watch that live, because every piece of news afterwards will be a lie.
I think there is still a VHS recorder and tapes in the house. I may need to record it for posterity.
This is true. I am still having flashbacks to the movie I mentioned above. I just can’t lose another hour or so of my life again this month.
Who’s going to invoke 9/11 the hardest?
Pretty sure I can find something… anything… else to do.
Zoom with R.J. and pick a movie from the big list for Thursday while having bourbon?
R.J.:
I’ve been trying to keep an eye out for some of the more modern terrible movies. I did just see that Prime has the terribly named The American Society of Magical Negroes available, but I’ve already subjected myself to Madame Web this year.
Regardless, the best Tuesday this month is, of course, Ohio Pint Day.
I shall be galavanting around Utah (Zion), so you’ll have to drink my share.
Hell yes. First time there?
Yep M-W at Zion, Th-F at Bryce, back to Vegas sometime on Saturday & fly home early Sunday.
We contemplated staying through Saturday in Bryce and driving straight to the airport on Sunday (10-something flight) but didn’t want to risk it.
The couple we’re meeting are off to Antelope for a few days after we leave.
I think you recommended the Oboz – I’ve been happy with them, so thanks.
Oh you know I’m in.
PS The best way to watch is to find someone doing a live reaction. Razorfist, or Taibbi & Kirn are my current favorites.
Tim Walz and Minnesota Democrat Senator Tina Smith’s Attempt to Troll J.D. Vance in Front of Bakery Backfires When Social Media Users Remind Them of a Brutal Fact
That’s gonna leave a mark.
Actually yes, that may leave a mark. For once.
If it would have burnt down, she could have enjoyed the smell.
That was such an evil, elitist thing to say.
This kind of stuff won’t affect anything but damn if it isn’t entertaining.