210830 What I learned in my studies this morning

House work a blessing?

Home again, jigity jig.

Working remote rocks.

Daily Stoic:

I don't usually mind doing chores.  A garbage bag here, a dishwasher load there . . . not a big deal.  Then there are the times when I'm just not feeling it or it's a more odious task.

When these come up, I either table the task for later (assuming it can be put off) or give myself a few minutes break to refocus and make sure I do it right.

Well, at least, ideally that's what I do.

How many times have I forced myself to continue even though my heart and mind weren't in it?  Or done a half-assed job that suffices, but just barely makes muster?  Or done it so poorly that I end up wasting more time later undoing what I did and redoing it the right way? 

Ryan Holiday has some good questions to help avoid these outcomes: "Why am I doing this?  If it is really a necessity, ask yourself: What's behind my reluctance? Fear? Spite? Fatigue?"

Keeping these questions in mind will make it easier for me to identify my problem and resolve it so I can finish the job.

Today's Meditation:

Today's Meditation II:

Today's Poem:

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, I Sing the Body Electric, 4

Daily Shakespeare:

From Letters from a Stoic by Seneca, Letter LXXXVIII, Part II:

After condemning the liberal arts in the first part, Seneca now lists myriad qualities which "are not helped by the liberal arts." Bravery, loyalty, self discipline, humanity, simplicity, modesty, restraint, frugality, mercy....

Even philosophy does not escape Seneca's disapproval, especially those philosophers who engage in sophistry and linguistic tricks. 

But yesterday we said that liberal arts are predecessor to wisdom. What gives? They are often coincident to wisdom, but not necessary. It's perfectly reasonable for a person to be wise though they cannot read and have never been to an academy.

Wisdom is truth, not words. Truth can be discovered in ten thousand ways. 

But surely it's better to know things than not to know.  It depends. 

If you don't know something important, because your time was spent on frivolous pursuits, then no, it is not better to know that thing.