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:
Disclaimer: I’m not your Supervisor. These are my opinions after reading through these books a few times.
Picking up where I left off with Seneca’s letters to his friend and student, Lucilius Junior, an official in Sicily.
Following is a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of the letter. Seneca’s text appears in bold, my replies are in normal text.
On Wisdom and Retirement
1. I fall in with your plan; retire and conceal yourself in repose. But at the same time conceal your retirement also. In doing this, you may be sure that you will be following the example of the Stoics, if not their precept. But you will be acting according to their precept also; you will thus satisfy both yourself and any Stoic you please.
While retirement sounds nice in theory, I might lose my mind if I don’t have something to do on most days. Once I do retire, hopefully in about 5 years, just because I am not working, I don’t have to sit on my couch and do nothing. I think this is what Seneca means when he says to “conceal your retirement”.
2. We Stoics[1] do not urge men to take up public life in every case, or at all times, or without any qualification. Besides, when we have assigned to our wise man that field of public life which is worthy of him, – in other words, the universe, – he is then not apart from public life, even if he withdraws; nay, perhaps he has abandoned only one little corner thereof and has passed over into greater and wider regions; and when he has been set in the heavens, he understands how lowly was the place in which he sat when he mounted the curule chair or the judgment-seat. Lay this to heart, – that the wise man is never more active in affairs than when things divine as well as things human have come within his ken.
It is more important to be a good person in your own life than it is to be important to the world’s affairs. Losing yourself to achieve great things is not as impressive as maintaining your integrity as an example for others to follow.
3. I now return to the advice which I set out to give you, – that you keep your retirement in the background. There is no need to fasten a placard upon yourself with the words: “Philosopher and Quietist.” Give your purpose some other name; call it ill-health and bodily weakness, or mere laziness. To boast of our retirement is but idle self-seeking.
Bragging about being a philosopher may have seemed gauche in ancient Rome, but today it would be silly and easily mocked. As I look towards a future without having to work, maybe I will describe myself as a part-time mechanic/landscaper.
4. Certain animals hide themselves from discovery by confusing the marks of their foot-prints in the neighbourhood of their lairs. You should do the same. Otherwise, there will always be someone dogging your footsteps. Many men pass by that which is visible, and peer after things hidden and concealed; a locked room invites the thief. Things which lie in the open appear cheap; the house-breaker passes by that which is exposed to view. This is the way of the world, and the way of all ignorant men: they crave to burst in upon hidden things. It is therefore best not to vaunt one’s retirement. 5. It is, however, a sort of vaunting to make too much of one’s concealment and of one’s withdrawal from the sight of men. So-and-so[2] has gone into his retreat at Tarentum; that other man has shut himself up at Naples; this third person for many years has not crossed the threshold of his own house. To advertise one’s retirement is to collect a crowd.
Showing off your idleness and riches is to invite scammers and hangers-on that can help to deplete your money and status.
6. When you withdraw from the world your business is to talk with yourself, not to have men talk about you. But what shall you talk about? Do just what people are fond of doing when they talk about their neighbors, – speak ill of yourself when by yourself; then you will become accustomed both to speak and to hear the truth. Above all, however, ponder that which you come to feel is your greatest weakness.
Even in retirement, be honest with yourself about your weakness. The lock downs showed me that I do not do as well without a schedule as I do when I am working. I have a tendency to procrastinate when I have all week to do something as opposed to having to do it on weekends.
7. Each man knows best the defects of his own body. And so one relieves his stomach by vomiting, another props it up by frequent eating, another drains and purges his body by periodic fasting. Those whose feet are visited by pain abstain either from wine or from the bath. In general, men who are careless in other respects go out of their way to relieve the disease which frequently afflicts them. So it is with our souls; there are in them certain parts which are, so to speak, on the sick-list,[3] and to these parts the cure must be applied.
Knowing myself like I do, I try to set a certain time to go to bed and get up on weekends and am moderately successful at this. I did manage to keep to my running schedule on vacation, but need to get off my butt and finish working on the interior of my truck. I have let it sit the past 2 weekends.
8. What, then, am I myself doing with my leisure? I am trying to cure my own sores. If I were to show you a swollen foot, or an inflamed hand, or some shrivelled sinews in a withered leg, you would permit me to lie quiet in one place and to apply lotions to the diseased member.[4] But my trouble is greater than any of these, and I cannot show it to you. The abscess, or ulcer, is deep within my breast. Pray, pray, do not commend me, do not say: “What a great man! He has learned to despise all things; condemning the madness of man’s life, he has made his escape!” I have condemned nothing except myself.
Working on my own mental weaknesses is more difficult for me to focus on then my physical ones. When I don’t run or go to the gym on schedule there is a definite loss of progress next time I do. When I don’t study Stoicism, there are no obvious outward signs, and it is easy to gloss over losing my cool a little here or there by rationalizing it with, “Still better than I used to be”.
9. There is no reason why you should desire to come to me for the sake of making progress. You are mistaken if you think that you will get any assistance from this quarter; it is not a physician that dwells here, but a sick man. I would rather have you say, on leaving my presence: “I used to think him a happy man and a learned one, and I had pricked up my ears to hear him; but I have been defrauded. I have seen nothing, heard nothing which I craved and which I came back to hear.” If you feel thus, and speak thus, some progress has been made. I prefer you to pardon rather than envy my retirement.
While I try to improve myself and hopefully help others(with this weekly essay and in real life), I am definitely not a healed person myself. If someone was paying close attention to how I live day to day, I would understand if they thought I was a hypocrite.
10. Then you say: “Is it retirement, Seneca, that you are recommending to me? You will soon be falling back upon the maxims of Epicurus!”[5] I do recommend retirement to you, but only that you may use it for greater and more beautiful activities than those which you have resigned; to knock at the haughty doors of the influential, to make alphabetical lists of childless old men,[6] to wield the highest authority in public life, – this kind of power exposes you to hatred, is short-lived, and, if you rate it at its true value, is tawdry. 11. One man shall be far ahead of me as regards his influence in public life, another in salary as an army officer and in the position which results from this, another in the throng of his clients; but it is worth while to be outdone by all these men, provided that I myself can outdo Fortune. And I am no match for her in the throng; she has the greater backing.[7]
While I am not retired, I do not strive to get promoted or advance to a different job. There are many people that make more money than me, but I don’t think there are a large percentage that are more contented with their life at 52 years old than I am.
12. Would that in earlier days you had been minded to follow this purpose! Would that we were not discussing the happy life in plain view of death! But even now let us have no delay. For now we can take the word of experience, which tells us that there are many superfluous and hostile things; for this we should long since have taken the word of reason.
If I had had this attitude as a younger person, I might not have joined the Marines and I would not have stayed in for 20 years and subjected my wife and kids to that uncertainty and chaos. Now I have a different outlook and can enjoy my remaining time, but I would have a better relationship with my kids if I would have had this epiphany sooner.
13. Let us do what men are wont to do when they are late in setting forth, and wish to make up for lost time by increasing their speed – let us ply the spur. Our time of life is the best possible for these pursuits; for the period of boiling and foaming is now past.[8] The faults that were uncontrolled in the first fierce heat of youth are now weakened, and but little further effort is needed to extinguish them.
I can try to make up for lost time and learn all I can about being a better person, but time is undefeated. I will continue to work on my faults and try to be the kind of person I want to be.
14. “And when,” you ask, “will that profit you which you do not learn until your departure, and how will it profit you?” Precisely in this way, that I shall depart a better man. You need not think, however, that any time of life is more fitted to the attainment of a sound mind than that which has gained the victory over itself by many trials and by long and oft-repeated regret for past mistakes, and, its passions assuaged, has reached a state of health. This is indeed the time to have acquired this good; he who has attained wisdom in his old age, has attained it by his years. Farewell.
Maybe I get nothing tangible from what I have learned and try to practice, that doesn’t mean it is a waste of time. I will endeavor to improve myself so one day I might actually be the man my wife thinks I am. While being older sucks in a lot of ways, it also brings experience and a better outlook on life.
Music this week is from a Canadian band, Annihilator. They don’t have the best singer, but their guitarist and main member, Jeff Waters is really good.
Their 2020 release Ballistic, Sadistic might be good.
Somehow, Ron reads my mind. Good and timely stoic post.
Not your mind, just your diary.
Dammit UCS, stop giving away trade secrets.
Speaking of music, I’ll just leave this here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7eD2PFBhlE
That’s awesome.
My wife’s grandmother lived with us for a short time before she passed away. She spent all of her time sitting in a chair. Not reading, not sewing, not even watching TV. Just sitting. And that likely contributed to her early exit.
Her son (my FIL), however, just retired and is making the most of it. He’s taken his Harley on at least one bucket list road trip, and spends most of his time in his woodworking shop building amazing things.
I think it has to do with what you feel your life’s purpose is. For a big percentage, life is their job. 8-5, everyday in an office. Since life is their job, when the job ends, life ends.
Your life should be centered around goals and accomplishments. Both at work and in personal life. That way you don’t go crazy when retirement from a job occurs. I can’t even imagine how sad it would be if my corporate gig was my life. Horrible.
Agreed. To him, the important thing was always his hobbies, and work was just a way to put food on the table. I’m a lot like him. If I were to retire, I’d be much busier than I am now, because I’d be spending all day doing the things I now have to squeeze into my day. If I won the lottery, I’d quit my job and never write software again.
I’m trying to figure out how to finance my hobbies.
One requires
morea different space so I don’t burn everything down.The others are a lot less front-loaded with expenses, but more sedentary.
Is your hobby being a Gene Simmons impersonator, welder, black smith, or a majorette with fire batons?
Knife Making
Of course I screwed up the second link
https://www.glibertarians.com/2022/02/moving-steel-part-3-knifemaking-day-2/
I somehow forgot about that post. Cool.
I’m finishing my detached garage as we speak. My hobby will be taking 70-90’s cars and making them fun, motorcycle customization, and building electronic systems.
I took me 10 years of savings, but it is worth it already.
If I had enough land, I’d be working out how to set up a forge on my property.
But I had to go for the cheap house without a lawn. Now I got nowhere to stand up a forge.
Even when I was in the Marine Corps and loving it, it was never my life.
Having my job now as my life sounds very bleak.
My Grandma did the same thing, except she would watch TV all day, every day.
Bein gone for a long time, when I saw her, the decline was startling.
My wife’s Granndma was very active and stayed healthy until a heart attack at 87 years old, but she looked and acted like she was 60 at the oldest.
I do recommend retirement to you, but only that you may use it for greater and more beautiful activities than those which you have resigned
I like that.
I’ll be working for awhile, but as I said last night I will never really retire. I have a great deal of autonomy, so it’s not the same as when I basked under fluorescents all day, but there are financial realities, too.
Thanks, Ron! This is an interesting one.
I could probably retire now, if I didn’t like where I live and having extra money for vacations and the like.
My current job gives me that, plus I travel a little and am out of the office enough that I don’t go crazy.
One requires more a different space so I don’t burn everything down.
Keep an eye on the foreclosure market.
I don’t have the cash on hand yet, I just paid off my debts at the start of this year.
Tucker is on Russell Brand’s show right now. Really good conversation.
https://rumble.com/v2yn47a-live-tucker-carlson-world-first-interview-since-leaving-fox-163-stay-free-w.html
Tucker and Brand talking about genital tattoos had me laughing pretty hard.
Speaking of retirement, I had two small IRAs with Vanguard (one rollover Traditional from a long-ago job’s retirement plan and one Roth I’d opened myself. I didn’t like what I was hearing about Vanguard’s possible involvement in pushing ESG, DEI, and whatever other TLAs (three-letter acronyms) they were foisting on corporations at the possible expense of fiduciary responsibility toward their investors. (I also decided my retirement savings were spread out among too many financial institutions. I still have accounts with Ameriprise and Voya.)
SO I just finished closing out my Vanguard accounts and putting the modest dollars involved into almost-keeping-up-with-current-inflation IRA CDs at my (employer) CU, an institution I trust. 😁
I assume none of my possible sources of income will have any money in them by the time I’m eligable to retire.
The downturn from 2020 onward has knocked a good chunk out of my deferred comp. The State Retirement system could invest itself into insolvancy even if the Comptroller prevents the legislature from raiding it. And of course Social Security is already broke.
Another reason I’m glad I gave up on teaching – I got out of the State Teachers Retirement System: https://news.yahoo.com/ohio-state-teachers-retirement-system-200100935.html
Ha… my mom went through the OH State Teachers Retirement System. Per my dad, they’re covering pretty much everything my parents are doing in retirement.
“If Congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare, and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands; they may appoint teachers in every State, county and parish and pay them out of their public treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may assume the provision of the poor; they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post-roads; in short, every thing, from the highest object of state legislation down to the most minute object of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress. … Were the power of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for, it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature of the limited Government established by the people of America.” — James Madison
I am not very stoic about how this turned out.
And of course Social Security is already broke.
But they still have checks!
I’m having a hard time being stoic about my mother’s living conditions. She is feeble, and she just had a near-fall which resulted in severe pain in her trochanteric bursa (she got an injection today). She lives with 2 of her sisters, who are feeble as she is. They live in a 3600 ft2 house on 5 acres with horses out in the middle of fucking nowhere. One of my aunts refuses to move and they live by “decisions must be unanimous.” I brought her home from the doctor and yet AGAIN lectured her about moving out, which she WANTS to do, but not enough to pull the rug out from under the lone hold-out, who has hoarded the house (relatively speaking) and won’t let go of her horses because it’s all about what SHE wants.
I told my mom she needs to get an apartment and say, “I’m moving. You can do what you want.” I told her she can only control herself and negotiate from a position of power, because my aunt can’t afford to live on her own, and … she won’t.
Now, I’d say, “Well, she’s the one who has to live with the consequences.” Sure, she is. Yes, that is true. But so do I. Her sister is so fucking selfish as to not do what’s in the best interest of the people she says she loves and I tell you, I am starting to hate her for that. I never really much liked her in the first place, tbh.
That’s rough, it’s hard to deal with elderly parents.
My step-dad is close to 80 and missed a step on his tractor on Monday and cracked his pelvis.
Ouch!
I hope both you and Mo’s respective feel better.
“One of my aunts refuses to move and they live by “decisions must be unanimous.”
Not helpful, I know, but if the question is posed as “do we stay here” rather than “do we move”, then the unanimity requirement turns out a little differently, no?
I suspect that three elderly ladies in such an arrangement will not accept the legal quibble of inverting the question.
Besides, it sounds like a nonunanimous result defaults to continuation of the status quo.
Correct. I have my suspicions as to whether my mother really does want to move out or whether she’s just dreading the moving process. I get that, but it may be that she’s just stalling too. She has other excuses too. I’m going to oresent her apartments, and she’s going to discard each one of them.
I took her to the doc today and he said something about she needs to move.
I’m sitting here typing this and I’m trying to get into the mindset that it’s not my business, and that something is eventually going to happen that forces the issue.
I would love retire, but it would be very expensive, all those hobbies aren’t cheap,
You make awesome stuff. Sell it for awesome dollars.
Thank you R.J.
Retirement from my current gig is looking more appealing these days. I’m far too young to consider stopping work and i like what I do. In about 5-7 years I’m looking to move to a lower level of intensity and start my pre-retirement career.
I want to volunteer, consult, and focus on keeping busy.
I retired at 52, seven years ago. It was more of a case of retire or get fired to be honest. Keeping my mouth shut was getting beyond my ability to maintain. A definite lack of stoicism.
My biggest regret is staying nearly 28 years at a place that I truly came to loath.
One of the YouTube channels I watch, Rainman Ray’s Repairs, got fired from to shops.
He said he had to ask himself, “Maybe I’m the asshole?”
He determined he was and instead of looking for another job, he opened his own shop.
*TWO shops, not TO*
I asked myself the asshole question with regards to failed relationships. I live alone and it’s still a huge mystery as to why. Not really.
It would be nice to have some marketable trade skills to fall back on like that guy but I am not very handy. Plus, the essential tremors make watching me try to use a hand tool an exercise in slapstick comedy.
I am pretty so I got that going for me. Not really.
Essential tremor is a bitch. What have you tried?
All the meds. Combos of meds. The focused ultrasound looks promising but it is expensive.
I’ve had it since high school. Grandfather had it but his didn’t manifest until he was elderly.
It’s been an annoyance but the last ten years it has progressed to being an actual hindrance. Can’t write legibly.
I also watch that.
If you like him I also recommend:
South Main Auto Repair LLC
He lives in rural New York and does not have kind words for as what he and some of us refer to as the People’s Republic of New York.
I watch him too.
It’s fun to contrast the amount of rust on their respective cars under repair.
We most certainly salt here in northern NJ, but Eric and his customers deal with salt and rust in ways that are much worse.
South Main Auto is the shit. If all mechanics were like him (I try), mechanics wouldn’t be so frowned upon as a trade. I’m fortunate to have customers tell me they think I’m as reliable as their Dr. or Pastor, but I know plenty of mechanics who aren’t held in as high regard.
I used to do my own work and found a very honest and reasonable independent.
I’m happy to give him the work. When you find someone like this you value the relationship.
Somebody is leaking this stuff out to hurt the Brits.
https://thegrayzone.com/2023/07/05/reuters-overthrow-egyptian-democracy/
I’m assuming DC owns the AP.
…and UPI and the NYT and the WP and…
I thought the CIA had the exclusive NYT franchise?
Why buy when it comes free.
Because buying makes the recipient complicit in the crime and easier to manipulate.
I’d been thinking in terms of retiring as soon as I was eligible for Medicare rather than waiting until my full SS retirement age, but now I think I’ll stick around another three months after that to get through one last Hell Month (AKA January) at work so as not to foist that off on my unsuspecting successor so soon. That also ensures I get one more annual employer contribution to my 401(k) and maybe allows me to work part time the rest of the year with less concern that my annual earnings get my SS benefits cut.
ah retirement. Checks 401k balance…
Almost back to where I was 2 years ago, so Im only down the 20% or so inflation of the past few years and 2 years of contributions. Should be able to feed the dog with it by the time i retire in a few decades.
The planet will be dead by then due to climate change.
Don’t sweat it.
But you’ve been buying low the last two years.
It’s funny, but I used to look forward to the downturns because of that, and have made my biggest gains during previous downturns. Now that I can see the goal line, they aren’t as fun. That said, I made one more single stock play that if it come to fruition, it should take me across the finish line nicely, but if it doesn’t, isn’t going to derail me either.
https://levittownnow.com/2023/07/06/man-gets-state-prison-sentence-for-road-rage-shootings/
15-30 years. Do you think that’s about right, too much, or not enough?
No deaths, one injury.
If I’m reading this it is three separate incidents, not just one moment of rage.
I do understand we are dealing with PA drivers here… And we’ve all been tempted, but it seems about right to me.
See below. He will probably be out in 2. Sadly. Dude needs to lose a decade.
Hmm….
He is a mighty asshole who shot at people. In multiple incidents. He needs to get the hell out of society for a fair stretch. 10 years? And much more restitution per victim. I feel like the sentence is set so he actually gets out with good behavior in 2 years. Should be none of that. 10 years, solid stretch.
3 separate incidents. Previous felony conviction. Also, sounds like he may have been the instigator. This is exactly the sentence he should get. Unfortunately, he’ll be out in half that and probably kill someone before he gets real time.
If he was shooting at one of those PA drivers who pulls right up to the edge of the freeway then stops, he should get a medal.
After that they drive the left lane at 5 mph under for the duration of the trip.
For our GlibFit cyclists.
Jezus. Haha, yeah. That’s about right