If you have anger issues, this one is a great tool, H/T mindyourbusiness:
Disclaimer: I’m not your Supervisor. These are my opinions after reading through these books a few times.
April 16
“Pay close attention in conversation to what is being said, and to what follows from any action. In the action, immediately look for the target, in words, listen closely to what’s being signaled.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.4
I try to be careful in what I say. I have never said “I’m gonna kill you” in anger. I also try to be careful about what I do. I try to make my actions match my actual (not just stated) goals. I am not always successful at this. Last week, my toe had healed enough to try to run on and I keep saying I need to get in shape again, but I was unable (unwilling) to actually go running. This week, I have ran twice, so there is progress.
April 17
“Do away with the opinion I am harmed, and the harm is cast away too. Do away with being harmed, and harm disappears.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 4.7
This is still a difficult thing for me. I had my last appointment for my surgery follow up last week and the mask still infuriates me, even though I leave it below my nose the whole time in there. Still had high blood pressure when they checked. I know it’s 100% mental, but haven’t figured out how to not do that yet.
April 18
“What is bad luck? Opinion. What are conflict, dispute, blame, accusation, irreverence, and frivolity? They are all opinions, and more than that, they are opinions that lie outside of our own reasoned choice, presented as if they were good or evil. Let a person shift their opinions only to what belongs in the field of their own choice, and I guarantee that person will have peace of mind, whatever is happening around them.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 3.3.18b–19
Remember that it takes two people to start a fight, or maintain a feud. I try to choose to ignore things from others designed to piss me off and am much better than I used to be, but there is still improvements to be made.
April 19
“Epictetus says we must discover the missing art of assent and pay special attention to the sphere of our impulses—that they are subject to reservation, to the common good, and that they are in proportion to actual worth.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 11.37
Many of my impulses have nothing to do with anything I actually control, nor would they do anyone else any good if I followed them. If I know this about myself, it helps to lessen the amount of time I waste thinking about them. Concentrating on the good impulse gives me more of them and keeps me sane.
April 20
“Here’s a way to think about what the masses regard as being ‘good’ things. If you would first start by setting your mind upon things that are unquestionably good—wisdom, self-control, justice, courage—with this preconception you’ll no longer be able to listen to the popular refrain that there are too many good things to experience in a lifetime.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 5.12
What is “good”? To me, it is a happy life with my wife. If I can have wisdom, self-control, justice, and courage in my daily life, that will make the happy life more likely. It also makes it less likely that I would allow outside influence to encourage me to damage the life I am building. This isn’t a problem now, but when I was younger, I did have dirt bag friends.
April 21
“When you let your attention slide for a bit, don’t think you will get back a grip on it whenever you wish—instead, bear in mind that because of today’s mistake everything that follows will be necessarily worse. . . . Is it possible to be free from error? Not by any means, but it is possible to be a person always stretching to avoid error. For we must be content to at least escape a few mistakes by never letting our attention slide.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.12.1; 19
I screw up sometimes. It is important to recognize this and “be a person always stretching to avoid error”. If not, it is too easy to let it slide and think because I didn’t run today, it’s OK to eat some chips and drink a coke, instead of eating some fruit for a snack. Sleep is another thing that starts going south in a hurry, when I don’t sleep enough, I don’t do as well at work, and am more likely to take a nap when I get home. Once I nap, I have a hard time sleeping that night and the cycle starts over.
April 22
“These are the characteristics of the rational soul: self-awareness, self-examination, and self-determination. It reaps its own harvest. . . . It succeeds in its own purpose . . .”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 11.1–2
I am aware of what I still struggle in. I check in on my progress nightly before I sleep. I use this information to decide what I need to improve to have better self control. I know it’s working. Last week, my wife mentioned she hasn’t seen “Angry Ron” lately. This was in the middle of a situation that last year would have had me seeing red. Like working out, feeling internal improvement is nice, but it’s very nice to get outside validation sometimes.
Music this week is Shooter.
I HATE modern country, and I think Shooter agrees. Outlaw You
Here he is with Bucky Covington doing a fun song. I don’t know if there is a legal limit to how many cute chicks you can have in your video, but if there is, this one has to be cutting it close. Drinkin’ Side of Country
This is still a difficult thing for me. I had my last appointment for my surgery follow up last week and the mask still infuriates me, even though I leave it below my nose the whole time in there. Still had high blood pressure when they checked. I know it’s 100% mental, but haven’t figured out how to not do that yet.
Getting pissed off at stupid pointless wasteful idiocy just tells me I’m still alive.
True, it would be no fun to live as a robot.
Getting pissed off at stupid pointless wasteful idiocy just tells me I’m still alive.
Like you expect hell to be efficient? Think the DMV in July, with the heat cranked up.
late to the game today
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Off to ‘SIDA Homeland Security we don’t really pay attention to who we give an airport badge to’ signatory training. Thanks for the stoics and I will have to dive into them when I get back.
Remember that it takes two people to start a fight, or maintain a feud. I try to choose to ignore things from others designed to piss me off and am much better than I used to be, but there is still improvements to be made.
I also try to improve in this area, but it’s a struggle.
My (older) brother should be studying Stoicism.. He’s losing his shit over stuff he isn’t (and, at this point shouldn’t be) in control of. He called me yesterday, and all I could hear was, “Waah waah waah why can’t I be the boss?” If he keeps it up, I’m going to tell him he sounds like a goddam two year old.
“These are the characteristics of the rational soul: self-awareness, self-examination, and self-determination. It reaps its own harvest. . . . It succeeds in its own purpose . . .”
This is really good. Can Stoicism be interpreted as developing and cultivating a system of thoughts and habits? It seems so.
Thanks, Ron! Always look forward to these.
I like that one, it shows a clear blueprint to changing and improving yourself.
” I try to choose to ignore things from others”
Good advice. I’ve been unfriended and I have unfriended. Both ways worked out.
I spent the morning listening to the “The Outlaws”. There will never be a quartet like that again.
I was going to work in the garage but last nights freezing rain and snow changed my priorities.
Exercise can wait ’til it gets safer.
I haven’t listened to The Outlaws in forever.
When I was a regular at a bar in Florida around 1993-4, Green Grass & High Tides was always being played on the jukebox.
What are conflict, dispute, blame, accusation, irreverence, and frivolity? They are all opinions, and more than that, they are opinions that lie outside of our own reasoned choice, presented as if they were good or evil.
What? Listen. If you think I’m going to abstain from irreverence and frivolity, you’re just fooling yourself.
Sure that wasn’t an euphemism?
*of a sexual nature, of course.
What other kind of euphemism is there?
Good one though, did not see that one.
I missed putting this up on the dead thread wrt salesman.
That was such a great movie.
If it’s movies about salesmanship you want
Sadly, I have not seen it in a very long time.
We still use “it’s the po-leese Mordecai”.
If it’s music about salesmanship you want.
Salesmanship? obligatory
Vintage salesmanship movie
https://www.morrissussexfamilypractice.com/general-3
Well, there’s a practice looking to get harassed and canceled.
Cha-ching!
Actually, it sounds clinically sound to me, given that cardiomyopathy is a known risk of the vaccine in young people.
This remains a great series, Ron. Thanks!
I don’t know if there is a legal limit to how many cute chicks you can have in your video, but if there is, this one has to be cutting it close.
I’ll be in my bunk.
It’s great muted!
A freaking 4 day weekend. No reference to the 1SG, barracks watch or anything. And of course – nobody disciplined.
You’d think they’d have at least held him pending results of the CT scan.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/fort-bragg-caleb-smither-malpractice-claim/
Wow.
Twenty years of TBIs and still giving out aspirin and rest profiles. ?♂️
That’s fucking horrendous. The poor guy appears to have been surrounded by incompetents and assholes.
His roommate smelled something horrible and instead of knocking on the door to find out what was wrong, just sprayed Febreze and went on with his day. Jesus.
Not doing a CT on his head with those symptoms is flat-out malpractice. No question about it.
Aren’t military doctors immune from malpractice lawsuits?
From the article:
This is what I get for not reading the article.
I never knew Congress fixed that problem. It seems…. out of character for them.
I’m glad that was fixed. I vaguely remember when dependents (read family members) could start suing for malpractice. Had an NCOIC whose wife lost almost all feeling in her lady bits after a botched epidural.
I know a couple of law firms with sizable practices suing the VA. I’m not sure its actually the case that the army/VA was completely immune from any kind of malpractice liability before 2019 – that doesn’t sound right to me, but I really don’t know.
They said they did do a CT but nothing about timely results.
Yeah; I’m not a doctor and when I saw that line my first thought was a fairly severe concussion, if not something like a subdural hematoma.
When I coached hockey we had a lot of training and a very strict concussion protocol. People still tend to underestimate all the shit that can go sideways with a head injury.
You’d think the military would be at the forefront of recognizing and treating head injuries.
A couple more fun Shooter songs. Another one condemning Nashville Pop
And a good one to play on April 20
Daily Tulsi
She makes me stoically tingly.
Despite the overtly coarse comments, I cant leave reddit alone:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Politically_NSFW/
I’m addicted to r/AmITheAsshole
Its like Morton Downy Jr. started an advice column.
Sometimes that group has some gems.
Even though I haven’t been reading and learning as much as I’d like lately, I am making a conscious effort to practice Stoicism more in my life. One of my biggest flaws is immediately getting worked up when something “bad” happens. While I’ve mellowed greatly over the last 20 years, I am still quick to anger. While I am far from stopping, or even muting, that initial response, I am doing marginally better and talking myself down quicker. I’m still a work in progress, but as long as I am making progress, that is good.
I always get a “flash” of anger.
I have gotten better over the last year, but it still shows up.
This is true.
Where I’ve been making the most progress is with my road rage. I suppose because I have more time to anticipate that I may be about to angry. And driving is somewhat of a “mindless” activity, and my consciousness is more of a blank slate and ready to remember the Stoic teaching and employee it faster.
Where I need a lot more work is in situations where my mind is fully occupied on something other than Marcus Aurelius, and something goes against plan. Like working on a vehicle, things are going great, and you snap a bolt. ? I don’t expect that flash of rage to ever completely go away, but I need to train myself to be able to talk myself down quicker.
I see what you did there.
One thing I started doing when I get the “flash” is making a waaa sound in my head to remind myself I’m acting like a baby.
Also this book was vaery helpful.
I have that one on my wish list. I’ll move it to the top. I need to get back at reading the others waiting in my Kindle.
I like the waaaaa idea. I’m gonna try that.
Where I need a lot more work is in situations where my mind is fully occupied on something other than Marcus Aurelius, and something goes against plan.
This is where I struggle sometimes, too. When I’m buried in work or a project or something and the preschooler comes up with the most urgent issue ever, I tend to snap at her.
My other struggle is carving out the time/energy/space for things that are important to me when there are other distractions/priorities. It’s all too easy to be too busy and exhausted to balance myself between employee, father, husband, and person. More often than not, “person” loses out.
She makes me stoically tingly.
Too bad she’s a Russian Nazi disinfo asset.
I’d be willing to try to turn her, IYKWIM.
I came around to stoicism long before I had heard of the stoics. I basically came to two conclusions: 1) all my problems were my own doing; 2) people could only upset me if I let them.
I am similar. I’ve known that for a long time…I think a lot of us do, to some extent. What’s been nice for me to discover is that Stoic teaching helps to drive it home. It helps me to not just know it, but employ it in my everyday life.
I call that learn to love oneself. We are so critical of ourselves that we can be bothered by what someone else says or may be thinking. Once we understand that we are really likeable it becomes easier to like others.
We need that heart-to-heart talk with ourselves on occasion.
Or, we come to terms with the fact that we’re not “normal” and don’t care anymore.
When I was 20 something, I tried to hang out with the “cool” people at work, but it didn’t take long before I decided that wasn’t for me.
I think – so far – I’ve got at least three conclusions about my relationships with other people over the course of my life. First, I did a lot of dick-ish things in my first thirty years or so. Perhaps no more than most people but I started seeing my own failing more and tried to address them (lots of rabbit holes to go down, but a central one was that it was tied up in some bad self-perception issues. Once I got a handle on those, it was easier to deal with behavior). Number 2(a): other people also do dick-ish things because they’re dealing with their own insecurities. I learned to work around, ignore, or push people to see those things (depending on the relationship). Number 2(b): other people also do dick-ish things because they’re dealing with their own insecurities but their way of dealing with those insecurities is to constantly attack, tear down, lie about, and attempt to wreck other lives. These people are best avoided. Third, I just kind of got tired of being pissed off a lot of the time, so (i) confronted myself and (ii) removed some of the things that pissed me off. Fourth, I’m not going to be friends with everyone I meet and that’s OK. I’m happy to just not be at war with anyone.
To quote my brother when someone he met was a little pushy about hanging out:
“I have enough people on my Christmas card list.”
Pay close attention in conversation to what is being said
Good advice. And pay attention to what is not said.
Two examples:
I was interviewing a candidate for open position at a place I hated working for. I was interviewing in an attempt to get out. The candidate asked me, “Do you like working here?” I hemmed and hawed a bit, and gave some reasons why a person would like working there but never actually said “Yes” or “no”. The candidate said, “Thanks, that answers my question.” I realized that moment that if the company offered him a job, he’d turn it down.
About ten years or so ago I met a woman at a swing dance. I was interested in dating her. I asked for her phone number. She went on about being separated and going through a divorce, but never once said “no” or that she doesn’t give out her number. I.e. she’s giving reasons to not give out her number. I had recently gone through an ugly break-up and sympathized with her story about the divorce and never picked up on what she didn’t say. We parted ways. I saw her at a dance a month later. She walked across the room to say hi to me. I didn’t ask for her number. I ran into her a week or two later. She was taking dance classes with some teachers I was taking classes with, though she taking a different class. She was leaving as I was walking in. Sometime during that four week class stint, I asked again for her number. She very happily gave it to me. I suspected had I picked up on her not saying no that first time, she would have given me her number then. We dated for about two months. It was fun, but we just weren’t that compatible.
I have definitely not been stoic this week. Work has aggravated me. A few days I’ve cursed up a storm about how my testing and coding has been going.
Sometimes the cursing helps.
Absolutely. Just do it to yourself and get it out of your system.
Anyone else getting “Internal Server Error”s?
Apparently it’s only on my shitty home internet connection. When I use my phone data, I can connect just fine. 🙁
Future historians debating the existence of Trump: https://twitter.com/ByzCat/status/1500257031952879616
This made me laugh:
“Indeed, we can also see the messianic roots of Trumpism in the end of the Trump narrative. Many supporters of Trump still believe he will return one day to reclaim the presidency and save America”
I’ve run across people like that, so I’m not so inclined to laugh.
Even later than Kinnath:
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Nitrous oxide is a helluva drug:
https://www.reddit.com/r/maybemaybemaybe/comments/u0sbzp/maybe_maybe_maybe/
lololol, fucking l, there is no way a simple gas can do that.
I refuse to even undertand what stoicism is. I REFUSE!
Sounds about right.
Oops…wrong Hype!
Ichoate rage moving to the next level? Was it you who said that, or Ted S? I can’t even tell you Mikes and Teds apart, you all look alike.
Mike Tyson on Rogan today!
Doh!
Damn. Good comment:
Word.
He should have Elon on also and they can all smoke weed. Hey, I have an idea. Elon should take those 2 guys to the Twatter board meeting with him. ‘Hey Mike, you see that guy? He’s the one just called you a pussy’.
“How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life”
Unpossilbe! In today’s fucked up world, you’re going to have to cuss out some sumbitch at least once a day! And maybe even go on a tirade! A fucking TIRADE!!!
Sit under some LED’s and you’ll be fine.
I’m almost sitting under one right now and it’s not working.
?
You two know this LED thing has went way too far, right?
I don’t know Watt you’re going on about
You’re way too amped up, Hyp.
‘I Just Want a Plane’: When a College Student Demanded Pepsi Hand Over a Harrier Jet
Interesting side note at the end:
Why exactly does Pepsi have a Harrier jet? I mean I get that the Post Office and Pepsi need swat teams, but a fighter jet?
To find out, you’re going to have to read an article for a change. Just sayin’!
People here read articles?
And they type with both hands.
Semi-related: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zejPi_b_C_g
Skunks sound like muppets
https://twitter.com/ThatSexToyGuy/status/1512364945912045571
*SFW despite the guy’s user name
I’ll just take your word for that…
That is adorable.
You can pet one of them first, I’ll be somewhere… over there…
Bet the guy was extremely nervous.
Alors, c’est le pew!
There’s no way a LePew cartoon, with his shameless womanizing, could even be conceived of today.
I have a tough time defending Pepe LePew. I mean, he literally did not take “no” for an answer. Yes, it’s just a stupid cartoon, but every installment was him stalking and sexually assaulting her. I mean, they even drew her as terrified; she didn’t enjoy a single second of it. IIRC
Nah. She kicked his ass a few times.
Every cartoon if I recall.
True. I had forgotten that part. Girl power!
Still, that doesn’t make him not a sexual predator.
The point of Pepe LePew was to mock his behavior and showcase its wrongness. He was never supposed to be the hero.
I never said he was a hero.
Or was even supposed to be the hero.
To clarify; I’m not for second saying our over-amorous, French skunk deserved to get canceled. I’m just saying he’s a creepy fucker and I never really found any of his adventures humorous.
Oh, but that accent!! ::swoons::
“There’s no way a LePew cartoon, with his shameless womanizing, could even be conceived of today.”
It is conceived in the halls of government and newsrooms everyday. Think of LePew as the PM of Canada and the female cat as someone who doesn’t want a covid vaccine.
They sound like otters. Which isn’t that surprising, I suppose.
“I am frightened by the impact on society and politics if Elon Musk acquires Twitter,” wrote Max Boot”
From a recent TOS article.
LOL
Sounds like Max Bot. “Wherever shall I turn for narcissistic internet flame wars with strawmen?”
Or Maximum Boot Stomping On Your Face Forever. “Freedom Is Slavery!!”
The Bee knocks it out of the park!
Again.
That brought a tear to my eye.
hahaha!
Meme that reminded me of you lot
Bravo.
Heh.
Isnt that kinda like how The Bee is always making fun of Calvinists ?
They are calvinists. It’s self depreciating.
Wait, really? Huh.
That’s a tough denomination.
TULIP
Still makes me laugh
Their ‘about’ page is great as well
uhhh…I don’t think so. You sure about that?
I always got the vibe they were Evangelicals or similar.
I don’t think the Bee is staffed by Calvinists.
It’s like looking in a mirror
Only someone who is not a real libertarian would think that’s funny.
I think it’s deadly serious. More so than you do, I’m sure.
Well, I am a conservative, not a libertarian.
You’re not a real conservative.
Fortunately, I don’t need my morals and principles validated by internet randos.
Bah, it fits every ideology. Replace “libertarian” in the cartoon with “socialist” for example.
When you start out a class saying that ‘we are seeing 2% unaccountability in security badges’ and then proceed to coach a person through the final test to ensure they pass…you may want to audit your own classroom before waging your finger at all of us signatories.
I can’t believe how good they are.
Make sure and stay with it to the end.
When the girl next to him takes his masks! Brilliant
Hahaha. The chick sitting next to hjim putting his masks on as he took them off.
Oh and the end!!!!!! WHO HERE WROTE THAT!
Told ya.
That’s hurtful.
My wife said the ending was accurate.
I need more of the background girl.
That was great.
On the plus side, I’ve cleared my desk of all ‘priority’ items.
Agency morons will be agency morons, but I don’t have anything due monday.
Yup. POs in, billing done. Imma go for a walk and start the weekend.
Cheers!
I will start doing stomach-stretching exercises, in preparation for this weekend;
I’m at my MIL’s in CT for Passover.