Waiting and waiting. But the scene's neverchanging. Maybe tomorrow. Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Thoughts: My dad's in the hospital again. Same as before. Maybe they'll discover a better treatment this time. I remind myself that I am only borrowing him and must someday see him return. Hopefully not for a while now. Illness and old age don't scare me so much as make me simply wish they didn't happen. (Something I hope my grandchildren or great grandchildren might know, if medicine keeps advancing.) Go away, for heaven’s sake, back to where you came from. I have no need of you. It’s only ingrained habit that has made it possible for you to come. I’m not angry with you, but just go away. (Meditations 7.7) Marcus was talking about some unknown impression, but I think this applies here as well. I don't look forward to the troubles of aging, but I don't fear them. When they come, I will, of course, accept them gracefu

A night of singing — Carousing with our fast friends — Leads to right thinking. Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III: Thoughts: Today's Thoughts are about other people. Know myself to know others, to forgive them, to learn from them. I know my sins are broad and deep. I know they're relentlessly, incessantly fighting to strengthen their presence in my life. My vicious ways erupting again to my shame. It's a daily effort to hold them in check and still they find their way through and I fail. I sin.  On what grounds can I judge others for committing the same offenses I commit?  Or when their misstep is less grievous than others of mine? Humilty is a natural consequence of this realization. If I find myself puffed up and prideful, or crowing about some success or victory, let me but meditate upon my sins and retake my place among the rest of humanity. Thankfully, humanity includes those who show me t

Moving things around. Making innovating renovations. New things are coming. Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III: Thoughts: "Ta eph’hemin, ta ouk eph’hemin" "What is up to us, what is not up to us." — Epictetus (Enchiridion, opening line) One thing that is up to me is the order I present the items in my posts. It seemed to me that I might focus my Thoughts on my Meditations more often, so it would be better to put the quotes first. (Given that today's Thoughts are about thinking, it somehow seemed apropos.) In the second Meditation, Tolstoy makes a divide that appears unnecessary to me. In answering, "How shall I live?" doesn't intellect also tell me "Why am I here?"? I am here to live with perfect virtue. This (ideally, if coincidentally) will provide both communal benefit and personal eudaimonia. I fail, but that is my purpose. If he means only "Why do I e

The boy, the mole, the Fox and the Horse, trudge through the Silent passing fields. Thoughts: (I forgot to finish this one yesterday.) I already have everything I need, I just don't believe it. It's one thing to say it, another to live it. I still buy too many things. I still want stuff. I still find reasons to justify buying just one. more. must. have. item. Maybe it's because I feel that I'll get there someday. I don't feel a sense of urgency. —  Lord, grant me chastity and continence . . . but not yet.  (Da mihi castitatem et continentam, sed noli modo.) - St. Augustine, Confessions, book 8, chapter 7 — the plea of an honest sinner who struggles with temptation and insufficient resolution.  I know what I need to do, but do not yet have the courage to do it. Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III:

Learn it all. ¡Todo! All is at my beck and call.  I needed still more. Thoughts: Knowledge. Intelligence. Study. The common theme to today's Meditations. There's nothing wrong with knowledge per se  — there's a lot to be said in it's favor, obviously — but sometimes I placed too much importance on it.  The very thing these aphorisms warn against. I was always the smart kid. I remembered things easily. I understood new concepts quickly. I puzzled my way through complicated ideas without too much trouble.  I was often praised by family and teachers  for being sharp and quick-witted. Like many people with these gifts and this motivation, I leaned into it. I emphasized it. (And, of course, wasted it all too often.) I was proud of my mind and capabilities and, though I like to believe I avoided being too proud, I made it a large part of my personality.  I always knew that, while I might not be the smartest person in the room, I was usually near the top. So what? What's

Better and better. And the center? It can hold. Does that matter? Yes. Thoughts: "A tour de force." That's the description of the first Meditation below by Robin Waterfield in his note 5. It's long. It's complex. It's intricate. It's challenging. It's true. It's gorgeous. It's a personal version of Epictetus' first lesson. "Ta eph’hemin, ta ouk eph’hemin" "What is up to us, what is not up to us." I have to remind myself that I'm reading words he never meant to publish: these are private thoughts meant to guide the author and no one else. Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II:

Weaving to and fro, The boxer matches his foe. Patience is the key. Thoughts: One area I disagree with the Stoics is their emphasis on engaging in politics. Marcus Aurelius was an Emperor. Cato was a Senator. Seneca was a chief advisor to the Emperor. Publius Rufus was consul (one of the two chief magistrates of the Republic). If they said "engage in the community" or "be public-minded," I'd be fine.  I fully agree that we should, as part and parcel of our cosmopolitanism, be active in local events and work to improve our local area.  It's politics I cannot abide. If nothing else, I worked in politics.  I worked on Capital Hill in DC and both helped with and outright managed political campaigns at various levels. I've seen the sausage made and want no part of it.  That said, volunteerism, community outreach, local activism, etc. are all good and praiseworthy endeavors I fully support. Just don't ask me to be part of a system that . . . well, it'

Water fills the bin, Promising mist-laden air For porch relaxing. Thoughts: Friendship is such a boon.  I've two great friends in my life. One mercurial, the other constant. Recently returned from a 5 year sojourn to another state, Mr. X and I have known each other almost 40 years.  Mr. Y, firmly planted nearby, I've known yet another year or two longer.  It's the latter I want to talk about today. From Mr. Y, I've learned the value of generosity. He has a giving spirit that never stops.  He is persevering and dedicated, working constantly to provide for his family (his kids are almost grown) and to create a most welcoming setting for the gathering of friends. His Epicurean Garden, as he names it, is a sight to behold.  And he is always, always ready to gather and feast and fête and share his life and bounty with friends. He'd have people at his table, so to speak, every night if he could. I don't doubt it for a moment. He's also a fellow philosopher, whic

(The gameshow of death!) (Truth or death?) um.. Truth, thank you. (*snap!* Almost got ya!) Thoughts: Been reading about ancient ethics v modern morality. Personal rules v universal rules.  Living a good life v living for lifes' good. Individualism v altruism. Aristotle and Plato v Kant and Mill. Happiness v happiness . I need to read it again because I know I missed stuff.  That's ok. It's an enlightening if operose read. Plus, I've come to really enjoy reading things twice so I understand them better. Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III:

Balls fall through the air Juggling my life and purpose. Perfect the pattern. Thoughts: Many things in the air today. Lack of sleep last night. Ultimate with my kid. A friend's party. Day 4 of fasting (which I plan to break at the party). Reading to do. My country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it; I'm swamped. At least these things are good things. (Thank you, autocorrect; I did, indeed,  not mean to type 'thongs' there.) Even the ostensibly bad thing, lack of sleep, is a good thing when I examine it and recast my judgment of it. It's a chance to test my coping strategies, see which work best, and refine them for the better. (Buying out Starbucks' inventory of cold brew is a strategy, right?) One of the things I'm hoping to do today is to choose the next book to read with my second child. We just finished How to Think Like a Roman Emperor .  They enjoyed it and learned a lot of practical

Thoughts: Dadding is tough. My kids are a source of wonder for me. A spring of energy, imagination, conflict, worry, hope, care, tenderness, sorrow, and love which both enlivens and enervates me daily. My eldest is turning into a person of depth, but they have an exoskeleton of such anxiety that is hard to watch sometimes. I see the goodness, the intelligence and honesty, the quality of their thinking, the general disposition of their soul, and watch it all crumble at times because of worry and self-doubt.  We've made progress — between counseling, philosophy, and general parenting — but there's still a ways to go. My second child is more attuned to philosophy than their siblings. It seems to come more easily to them and I'm excited that I might influence them to take philosophy seriously as an interesting and functional part of their life. My third child is no longer with us. Rest well, my sweet child. My fourth child is a little young for the lessons I do with the older

Three hours in the chair A thousand dollars of pain Flies away like ghosts. Thoughts: Meditation at the dentist office is tough. A good place to challenge myself and practice. Feeling moderately whelmed today. Just life, imposing a melancholy on the day. A thousand things — minute cuts and burns, abrasions and punctures to my soul — that I need to accept and integrate into my world and yet, for whatever reason, it's tough today. At least I get to do philosophy with my daughter tonight. That always helps me feel better, feel like I did something worthy. Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III: Today's Meditation IV:

Wastin' away a- Gain in Margaritaville. Searching for wisdom. Thoughts: Too many books to read. In my pile are: Memorize the Stoics by Kevin Vost Most of Ryan Holiday's works The Epicurus Reader by Brad Inwood and L. P. Gerson An Essay on the Unity of Stoic Philosophy by Johnny Christensen Lessons in Stoicism by John Sellars 4 of Ward Farnsworth's books Seneca, Selected Dialogues and Consolations by Peter J. Anderson Hellenistic Philosophy by A. A. Long Philosophy as a Way of Life by Pierre Hadot Robin Waterfield's annotated version of the Meditations The Confessions of St. Augustine Seneca's Letters from a Stoic Verrisimus by Donald Robertson Bea Wolf by SMBC author Zach Weinersmith Mythos and Heroes by Stephen Fry A New Stoicism by Lawrence Becker A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy And those are, literally, just the ones within arms reach. Some I've read before.  Some I am reading to deepen my knowledge of philosophy. Some I know nothing about o

L Thoughts: One more day off work. Now it's over.  Time to reflect. Did I finish that reading? No. Did I spend time with my kids? One of them. Did I practice wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance? Not as I should. Did I waste time on a movie? Yes. And a show. Did I learn something? Yes. Even though I did not finish it, I did read deeply enough to understand several important points the author made. Tomorrow is back to normal. And hopefully back to making more progression on my journey. Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II:

Drive. Practice patience. Expect delays. Embrace them. Grumbling kids. Love them.* Thoughts: Packing for the drive home. Trying to get our  smaller version of our stuff back in order so we might return it to the bigger pile of our stuff . Today may be one gripe after another. One construction delay followed by more. A single inconsiderate driver presaging many, many more. I knew this is coming. I signed up for it when I decided to go on this trip. Why would I let myself become angry because the world is full of real humans and not the perfect automatons I might wish to encounter today? I live in the real world. I'd best learn to deal with it. Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III: =========== * That haiku was accidental. I was beginning this meditation and it was part of my thoughts when I realized that the cadence fit the scheme and it got promoted from prose to poetry.

Shut up. Just shut up. And I mean that in the nice Est way possible. Thoughts: Never miss a good chance to shut up  (to 1:15). (variously attributed) I try to be laconic. Prattling on and on is something I try to avoid. On a practical level, life is so much easier that way. I don't have to come up with a ton of things to say.  And I don't have to remember all those (unsaid) things later on. Win-win. That doesn't mean I don't do my part in conversation. In fact, my son and I are studying How to Talk to Anyone  by Leil Lowndes.* I've read it before, years ago, as part of trying to learn to be better at my job. I use her techniques even now when I find myself talking with people I don't know. I ask open-ended questions. I physically turn my body to the person to outwardly (if subconsciously) demonstrate to them that I am giving them my full attention. I use eye contact, mood matching, and verbal mirroring. Etc. Etc. Etc. (It's an excellent book. I recommend it

Sit, breathe, study, think. Plan the day. Accept the change. I'm alive. I'm here. Thoughts: Today, my thoughts and plans will be frustrated. I won't get my way. I will deal with the unaware, the crude, the insensitive, the meddling, the over-sharer, the child who doesn't know better, the unreasoning and the unreasonable. And it will be fine. I will adapt and make it part of my will that I appreciate these opportunities and excel through and despite and because of them. Today's Meditation: Meditations 2:1 Meditations 10:13 Today's Meditation II: The answer to the question “Why did you do the right thing?” should always be “Because it was the right thing to do.” ~  Stephen Hanselman and Ryan Holiday Today's Meditation III: Today's Meditation IV:

Confetti vict'ry Celebratory messes For teeming masses. Thoughts: What is up to us and what is not up to us.  Fifteen years ago, William Irvine wrote a book called  A Guide to the Good Life  and used the term Dichotomy of Control . Holy crap the arguments Stoics get into because of this.    "IT'S WROOONNNNNGGGGG!" they whine. Yes. You are right. It is wrong.  Now what? Unfortunately, my fellow travelers have either not heard of, or not understood, the idea of Lies to Children . A lie-to-children is a simplified, but false, explanation of technical or complex subjects as a teaching method for children and laypeople. ...  Stewart and Cohen wrote in  Figments of Reality  (1997) that the lie-to-children concept reflected the difficulty inherent in reducing complex concepts during the education process. Sometimes, we oversimplify concepts until they are no longer correct, BUT they get the person thinking in the right direction and, later, when they have more knowledge a