201217 What I learned in my studies this morning

Today's Tao:

From The Daily Stoic: 

Examine your life before it's too late. 

"Death lies heavy upon one who, known exceedingly well by all, dies unknown to himself." ~ Seneca 

From Eric Hoffer, Part III: Factors Promoting Self-Sacrifice, Make-Believe:

Deprecation of the Present 

In the early stages of the movement, the past is established, senile, a drain and stoppage to the pristine opportunity of the present. The past is old. The present is where we must throw of those ancient shackles. Attack the past so as to liberate the present. 

As the movement coalesces and assumes a nascent ruling form, this metamorphosizes into a deprecation of the present for the imagined future. 

"To lost one's life is but to lose the present and, clearly, to lose a defiled, worthless present is not much to lose." 

The present, mean and vile, is untenable. It is not worth living. Therefore, you must give yourself up to the movement, where you can be part of a glorious future. We, now, are not important. It's what we make for posterity that counts. 

Practical goals are part of the present. The movement must go beyond the feasible and implant a mystic vision of the future for which we must all strive. As one. As unity. Without individuals. 

(The True Believer, XIII-48)