Today's Meditation(s): Discourses , 1.20.10-12 (Waterfield) Whoa. That's pretty extreme. Right? That's quite a statement. Better blind — actually blind, not metaphorically — than granting mistaken assent? Damn. Thats going to take some processing. Gimma a minute, here.....

Today's Meditation(s): Discourses , 1.18.15 (Waterfield) One of the most famous incidents from Epictetus' life (perhaps because it's one of the few we know about from his own mouth, so to speak), it's another story showing that Stoicism is meant to be a lived philosophy; mere words and thinking will not do. More directly, Epictetus is discussing how 'one can only lose what one has.' (1.18.16) I need be grateful that I had it at all, rather than upset that I no longer do.  Alternately, I could give up more material things and thus reduce that chance that someone will disturb me by taking them from me. Alternately again, and preferable, is to go back to the Handbook 1, and relearn that lesson. ' Some things are up to us and some things are not .' That covers all of it, if I apply it correctly.

Today's Meditation(s): Discourses , 1.18.10 (Waterfield) In what situation would it be helpful to truly allow myself to become angry with someone? I can only hope that if such an opportunity presents itself, I listen to the wisdom in allowing it, because from here, I'm not seeing it. Seneca allows for feigned anger to achieve a purpose, but proscribes actually feeling the violence in your heart or your mind. I'll try not to abandon good sense.

Today's Meditation(s): Discourses , 1.17.28-29 (Waterfield) This should be a touchstone, a shibboleth, by which Stoics in the early part of the twentieth century tell who is a traditionalist-to-a-fault and who sees the project as requiring an update in the face of mistakes made re the fundamental nature of reality. Divination? Really? Entrails? Augeries? Portents? Some (accidental) foreshadowing by a ham-handed author (if it's right) or (more likely) gauzy words distracting us from seeing what is really happening (when it's wrong)? Why is this still here, given our understanding of the world? We could argue, per Epictetus that the method by which he demonstrates his point is not as important as the point itself. Ok. So, what about replacing the premises so that the supernatural is unnecessary? Seems to me that Epictetus didn't do things the hard way when an easier path was available. If he had a prosaic pin upon which to linch this crux of the argument, why

Today's Meditation(s): Discourses , 1.15.6-8 (Waterfield) Don't expect the rules of Nature, or the arrow of Time, to change according to my desires. What is, is. The more honestly I look, the more clearly I see, the better able I'll be to deal with the truth in front of me. I may not like it — I may loathe it; I may panic at the thought of it — but until I face it, I will only be guessing at what to do. In what sense am I practicing courage if I refuse to look at life as what it is? Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not, but it always is . Try not to get fooled. Do not fool myself. Don't try to fool others.

Today's Meditation(s): Discourses , 1.13.3-5 (Waterfield) They're kinsmen, brothers by nature. Cosmopolitanism is not a sidebar to Stoicism, not an add-on or something to be taken or left alone as we please.  Belief in the common humanity is absolutely consubstantial with Stoicism.  It is a core driver of how they address justice (wisdom as applied to people and relationships). If I am to be virtuous, and to achieve the good life, everyone is my equal and must be treated as such. I must take into account their future as much as I do mine. We are one and I must proceed that way always.

Today's Meditation(s): Discourses , 1.12.21b-23 More amor fati . Fortuna mas fatuous. A fun, more favored fate. I need to sleep. Need to feel better for work tomorrow. Play my role until time comes for a change. Go unpunished by unpopular necessities, needfully accepted and thus more than bearable.

Today's Meditation(s): Discourses , 1.12.18-19 (Waterfield) Live in the world. Accept that it is as it is. This is hard. The harder part? Don't wish it to be other than it is.  In this instance, it's about people. People are people. People act as they do. They always will, but they cannot cause me to abandon virtue save I do so by choice. Harder and harder.

Today's Meditation(s): Discourses , 1.9.15 (Waterfield) Second verse, same as the first. It's almost like this was worth stressing. Proper assent — or deciding there's no need to form an opinion — allows action in accordance with Nature.