210522 What I learned in my studies this morning

Walking with the dawn

Begins the day with new hope. 

Grant me a new peace. 

From The Daily Stoic: 

Do today what you can do. Waiting is not necessary. 

"I'm in this picture and I don't like it...." 

Procrastination gets me all too often. I've been good about doing my reading — seemingly succeeding in making it a habit — but many other things "wait for tomorrow." 

On a note pertaining to Marcus Aurelius' statement more directly, I almost always know the right right thing to do in a given circumstance.  Based on my sense of morality, I already have rules to guide me through difficult situations. But I don't always choose to do it. I sometimes choose to do the wrong thing. 

This is more important. This is what I must address today. 

From A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine 

Chapter 10: Social Relations — On Dealing with Other People

Though we place ourselves in peril of becoming unhappy and dissatisfied, we should not avoid others. Rather, we should find better ways of working with them so that we may both be calm, productive, and happy.

By always being true to ourselves — a definition of virtue many may find more conventionally modern — we allow others to know us, to count on us to always behave in a certain way. Even if they wish we acted differently, at least they can understand where we are coming from and be confident of how we will act. 

Conversely, if we understand that some people do not act consistently, that they sometimes act in one way and at other times act in the opposite way, we can gird ourselves against both disappointment and frustration because we expected it and came prepared for it.

And if they do act in a dependable manner? So much the better.