To those who enter lightheartedly upon the profession of lecturing Part II
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 is 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 enter lightheartedly upon the profession of lecturing Part II
15Only thus do the Mysteries become helpful, only thus do we arrive at the impression that all these things were established by men of old time for the purpose of education and for the amendment of our life. But you are publishing the Mysteries abroad and vulgarizing them, out of time, out of place, without sacrifices, without purification; you do not have the dress which the hierophant ought to wear, you do not have the proper head of hair, nor head-band, nor voice, nor age; you have not kept yourself pure as he has, but you have picked up only the words which he utters, and recite them. Have the words a sacred force all by themselves?
Pretending to know things is easy at a superficial level. I have a lot of basic knowledge about many subjects and could convincingly sound like I know what I am talking about to someone with no knowledge. The problem would start when thay asked questions or someone with more knowledge showed up and explained that I was trying to sound smarter than I really am.
One ought to approach these matters in a different fashion; the affair is momentous, it is full of mystery, not a chance gift, nor given to all comers. Nay, it may be that not even wisdom is all that is needed for the care of the young; one ought also to have a certain readiness and special fitness for this task, by Zeus, and a particular physique, and above all the counsel of God advising him to occupy this office, as God counseled Socrates to take the office of examining and confuting men, Diogenes the office of rebuking men in a kingly manner, and Zeno that of instructing men and laying down doctrines.
If I am trying to explain things to someone and I am just pretending to be an expert, than I will be no help to them. When I was a weapon instructor in the Marine Corps, I went to school for it so I would have a deep understanding of proper shooting techniques and not just knowing how to shoot well. This enabled me to watch shooters and be able to offer solid critiques to help them improve,
20But you are opening up a doctor’s office although you possess no equipment other than drugs, but when or how these drugs are applied you neither know nor have ever taken the trouble to learn. “See,” you say, “that man has these eye-salves, and so have I.” Have you, then, at all the faculty of using them aright? Do you know at all when and how and for whom they will do good? Why, then, do you play at hazard in matters of the utmost moment, why do you take things lightly, why do you put your hand to a task that is altogether inappropriate for you? Leave it to those who are able to do it, and do it with distinction. Do not yourself by your own actions join the number of those who bring disgrace upon philosophy, and do not become one of those who disparage the profession.
While I might not have the deepest understanding of Stoic principles, I have read and wrote enough about it that I feel comfortable trying to help others with dealing with their problems using it.
If, however, you find the principles of philosophy entertaining, sit down and turn them over in your mind all by yourself, but don’t ever call yourself a philosopher, and don’t allow anyone else to say it of you, but say, rather, “He is mistaken; for my desire is no different from what it used to be, nor my choice, nor my assent, nor, in a word, have I changed at all, in my use of external impressions, from my former state.” Think this and say this about yourself, if you wish to think aright. If not, keep on playing at hazard and doing what you are doing now; for it becomes you.
I would not call myself a philosopher, just a man that found a structure that works for him. I hear and read people complaining about things and I realize what they are really complaining about is their reaction to some outside force more than they are complaining about the external issue itself.
My wife came home today after 8 weeks away. Unfortunately when I first saw her I was still a little peeved about the TSA agent that made me circle the airport again even though I told her my wife was standing at the baggage carousel. I recovered much quicker than I would have before I started following Stoicism. I will never be a perfect Stoic, but I am still practicing. I can tell though I feel much more at ease around the house with her being here. Life is good.
I can tell though I feel much more at ease around the house with her being here. Life is good.
🙂
Life is good.
It is. Even when it isn’t.
I’m off to close on the property. I guess Colorado it is!
My sister lived in Colorado Springs for most of two decades. She left because she came to the conclusion that she would never be able to buy a house there.
She moved back to Iowa. Misses being in Colorado. But now looks forward to buying her happily-ever-after house in the near future.
I didn’t know you were moving. All the best!
I thought you were already in Colorado???
I am guessing that a renter is about to become an owner
Congrats.
Congratulations
Congratulations!
Congrats!
Thanks, all!
Kinnath is correct. We worked a deal with the guy we were renting from. We really dig the area and are very comfortable in the place.
Congrats.
In the same way that first concepts shape one’s entire body of knowledge whether they realize it or not one’s first principles shape their entire outlook and moral character. It is simple really. I dont subscribe to any fully formed ideology. I start with:
Everyone owns themselves. Their mind, body and conscience are exclusively their own property. That applies to life, liberty and external property.
Just go from there.
More than once having a conversation with a cop I was asked “Have you ever been arrested?”
No. What would I be arrested for?
That puzzled them. They all seemed to be under the impression that everyone at one time or another gets arrested.
Their mind, body and conscience are exclusively their own property.
That hits on what was a real challenge for me in reading Merton’s Seven Story Mountain. That was written from an entirely different fundamental perspective.
They all seemed to be under the impression…
Occupational hazard I presume, particularly when your job entails arresting people. You end up seeing that as a very normal thing.
I am unfamiliar with Merton.
That fundamental assumption thing is a big problem especially when trying to understand other cultures. A lot of stuff gets hardwired in during our developmental years and we cant be rid of that. Even languages are loaded with assumptions that the new learner cannot know and thus, even if ‘fluent’ in the language they can never really understand it. To do so would require a brain transplant.
Most concerning to me is how such fundamental differences can divide societies. Societies have sub-cultures within them. Bridging those differences can be difficult to impossible to do. That is why civil wars are so prominent in our history as a species.
Also, I have a number of cop acquaintances that I grew up with. I warned them all that it would skew their outlook and not in a good way. They all agreed. It happened to them all. We drifted apart and aren’t friends any longer.
Merton – was a Catholic (convert) monk in a Benedictine order in Kentucky (IIRC). It was a good read, but hard for me to deeply relate to it.
That is why civil wars are so prominent in our history as a species.
Unity is IMO way oversold, but I’m a pretty extreme outlier on that.
Credentialism has always existed.
I will never be a perfect Stoic, but I am still practicing. I can tell though I feel much more at ease around the house with her being here. Life is good.
Life is good. This should be everyone’s mantra. Unless you are actually suffering greatly daily.
Yeah, and no one is ever perfect about anything, not even being an asshole!
My wife would say I have it perfected.
She needs to be more stoic about your assholery.
You need to warn her that you could indeed be a more perfect one, if she wants.
Hey! I set a perfect lineup (with my available players) in my fantasy leagues a couple of times this year. 🙂
My wife would say I have it perfected.
My nick-name around the house is ‘ass-pain’. And not in the good way.
‘ass-pain’
Is there ever a good way for that?????
I’m off to close on the property.
ORLY?
Yay! My optic arrived three days early! Time to get out the torque wrench and loctite!
A new bionic eye? For you or for Lily?
Me. It’s supposed to show where the bullet coming out of the P322 will impact. I’ll need to take it to the range to make final adjustments.
NA, per the last thread, I have no idea what an airsoft would get zero’d at, as I don’t own one, but AIR RIFLES get zeroed at 25 yards.
…and the snow has started. How nice.
It’s been snowing here for a few hours. It’s very pretty, but I won’t think so when I have to drive home through it. 😒🌨️
We’ve got a dusting here, just enough to make the roads hazardous. The wife is on her way to pick up a neighbor that got rear-ended.
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/decision-2024/woman-accused-of-trying-to-fraudulently-register-4-people-to-vote-in-election/4059830/
There better be some heavy jail time.
That will depend on which party she was registering them for.
https://www.newpaproject.org/npp-team/
Three Democrats and zero Republicans on the board, so I think that question is answered.
From ded thred, Mace said last night she voted against the new CR because while it trimmed down the authorizations, it didn’t do anything about the underlying appropriations for any of the removed stuff (and the appropriations portion is only 9 pages out of the new CR).
And Mike Lee was blaming Johnson/Jeffries/Schumer/McConnell for the failure and mess.
🍿 🤡
Urthona pointed out correctly last night that the bill was smaller, but had the same amount of dollars spent. It was a big WTF.
Which is a condemnation of all of the extra BS that was in the original as much as it is the spending in the latter.
EDS
The Crone has spoken!
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1870162215128707432
Perfect
Rumored 2028 Democratic frontrunner… OMG they may actually have found someone less electable than Hillary or Kamala.
What’s with the hair? It was a thing in Germany but I dont know what it means other than bug-fuck crazy.
It’s the poison frog hair. Stay away. Bright colors mean danger.
Jarflax:
Seriously? Let me guess, age will no longer be a factor in 2028.
How dare a serf challenge the anointed class?
Aaaand TOK nails it.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f1/c5/b0/f1c5b05750bb268f099363284743283d.png
Obama’s book list:
https://x.com/BarackObama/status/1870153606822797692
Have any of you heard of these?
I don’t know any of them.
So either virtue signal or actually pay the author less!
Just guessing from the titles, they sound like the pretentious bullshit I would expect him to read.
I’m betting money a staffer picked them and gave him summaries in case of a question.
I wouldn’t take that bet. You know it was assembled for him.
So, who thinks he’s actually read any of them?
*crickets*
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
pretentious bullshit I would expect him to read
Or at least pretend to read.
Though Haidt is pretty good though I think “Coddling of the American Mind” is better. And no, it’s not pretentious for me to say that. Just him. Asshole.
I read Haidt’s The Righteous Mind some years back and found it very interesting. (Had some complimentary things to say about libertarians, as I recall.)
I don’t know the books but I have read some from Johnathon Haidt.
I know about half of them. Only read one of the authors, Haidt.
It is mostly high-brow shelf and status displays.
Neither has he.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republicans-reach-deal-plan-c-avoid-government-shutdown-after-back-to-back-defeats-sources
House Republican negotiators have tentatively reached an agreement on averting a partial government shutdown at the end of Friday, sources told Fox News Digital.
Two people familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that the deal would include a short-term extension of this year’s federal funding levels, disaster aid funding and agricultural aid for farmers — but under three separate bills.
It would also involve an agreement to act on the debt limit next year as part of Republicans’ planned massive conservative policy overhaul via a process called reconciliation.
A win for Massie?
a process called reconciliation
More honestly called a Trojan Horse.
How about we stop raising the debt limit every time we approach the debt limit? This seems to contradict the idea of a debt limit.
That’s crazy talk.
Definitely a win for Massie.
#winning
According to the MSM, 𝕏 is a Schrödinger’s Social Network: both dead and too powerful at the same time.
https://x.com/tunguz/status/1870115187900198952
I think you left out two important phrases: “formerly known as Twitter” and “right-wing bubble”.
Wait, what? X was formerly known as Twitter? When did that happen?
It never fails to grind my gears when some smooth-brain inserts that into a sentence.
“We durstn’t go with it, my preciouss, no we durstn’t, gollum!”
I’m officially checked out of work for the next two weeks. It’s been a rough couple of weeks. New job with constant communication and visibility with VP’s is tiring.
The C-suite is asshole. Mandatory vacation for the next two weeks, but be sure to get all of your work done and keep pushing your projects.
Yes. Yes it is. Someday we may commiserate over the Zooms.
We should. I plan to be on this weekend at some point.
How does that work?
Just like it sounds.
Work on your vacation but, let’s pretend that you didn’t and I never said to.
I’m supposed to work on Monday, and then a week off for Christmas.
I expect Monday will be quiet.
Might be a bit too somber for you all, but…
There’s a modern classical composer most often associated with choral music called Eric Whitacre. A decade or two back he kind of rubbed against the mainstream when his song “Sleep” got used in something.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aynHSTsYcUo
Anyway I haven’t been keeping up, but he wrote an amazing if terribly sad oratorio called “The Sacred Veil.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0g62Nl4mNY
How sad? The sixth movement is titled “I’m afraid we’ve found something.” Using “metastasis” in a choral work allows for some really interesting sibilants.
Thanks. It’s modern, but not so modern as to be unapproachable.
Wiki paste
The last two movements are just incredible.
How about we stop raising the debt limit every time we approach the debt limit? This seems to contradict the idea of a debt limit.
“I’ll quit. Honest. But I can’t today.”
This.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdr0zx4e04no
Car driven into crowd at German Christmas market, reports say
A car has crashed into a crowd at a Christmas market in east Germany, local media report.
A least one person has been killed and several injured in the incident in Magdeburg, according to German public broadcaster MDR.
The suspected driver of the car has also been arrested, MDR said, citing a government spokesman.
Other headlines indicate this is considered a possible terrorist attack.
Are we sure it’s just not some Syrians “celebrating”?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14214497/German-Christmas-market-Syrian-refugees.html
Urgent and necessary
A provision to transfer the land that is the site of the old RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia is no longer included in Congress’ slimmed-down, short-term spending bill that lawmakers are racing to pass before a government shutdown.
The removal Thursday of that part of the bill is a loss for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, who were hoping to have the land available as an option to build a new stadium. Controlling owner Josh Harris and Commissioner Roger Goodell lobbied on Capitol Hill in favor of its inclusion earlier this month.
The revised bill came after President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk criticized and rejected the initial package, which included the RFK Stadium land remaining in control of the city for 99 years.
How will the nation survive?
Debt limit: Raising the debt limit is pointless. With the inflation we have had the actual numbers are near meaningless.
We need tax and debt limits based on percentages. Of course with the kind of grifters in govt they would simply play games with measuring percentages and defining parameters.
Obama’s reading list: I miss ‘What are we Reading?”. Maybe we could once per week put up one of our book lists. Mine is quite long.
“We’ve done all we’re supposed to do, and this is the vehicle that has been identified — and agreed to by Democrats and Republicans,” Bowser said. “Have you been to RFK? Anybody? (It is) 177 acres surrounded by asphalt and a stadium that hasn’t been used in 10 years that is a blight on the nation’s capital. Now, I agree with the president-elect on this point: We want to make our nation’s capital the most beautiful capital in the world, so we have to move and free RFK.”
Rip it all out and build houses. Tell the “Commandos” they’re on their own.
Put that RFK parcel up for sale to the highest bidder, with the proceeds used to retire federal debt.
No shit. You want to build a stadium? Buy the damn land.
THAT’S NOT HOW THIS WORKS! THAT’S NOT HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS!!!!
The tide comes in, the tide goes out- you can’t explain it
The Dow Jones Industrial Average bounced on Friday to close out a tough week that saw the index plunge 1,100 points in a single day and complete its longest losing streak since the 1970s. Some cooler-than-expected inflation data helped fuel Friday’s bounce.
I looked at the list of Dow stocks yesterday or the day before, when the Dow was in the shitter. Lots of “financials” and interest rate sensitive stuff. People are twitchy. Life goes on.