210428 What I learned in my studies this morning

If I wish to have 

A good life, I must study 

My nature and purpose.

From The Daily Stoic: 

Desire creates want.  Want creates need.  Need creates power over me by others. 

The less I desire, be it money, goods, approval . . . the object of desire is unimportant. Its mere existence creates a way for anyone who can fulfill the need to demand something from me. 

There's a reason so many philosophies and religions, including Stoicism and Zen / Buddhism, tell their adherents that eliminating desire is a crucial step in achieving peace and happiness. 

Today's Meditation:

Idle hands are the devil's workshop. Is that the right quote? If not, it's close enough for jazz or government work.

I don't have the mental power for permanent boredom. Not that I feel compelled to be busy at all times, but too long periods of idleness grate on me. (As Montesquieu's quote above implies, that one episode of Black Mirror would indeed be hell.)