Quotes for the day: “Another has done me wrong? Let him see to it. He has his own tendencies, and his own affairs. What I have now is what the common nature has willed, and what I endeavor to accomplish now is what my nature wills.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.25 …

“This is the true athlete — the person in rigorous training against false impressions. Remain firm, you who suffer, don’t be kidnapped by your impressions! The struggle is great, the task divine — to gain mastery, freedom, happiness, and tranquility.” Epictetus, Discourses, 2.18.27–28 “Robbers, perverts, killers, and tyrants — gather…

Often when I “check out the Net” — and many of the articles promoted on Medium can be good examples of this — I am very disappointed. I’ll read an article with a tasty headline that takes 2000 words to say absolutely nothing of value. Then there’s another one which…

We’ll start today with some words from ancient thinkers and then turn our attention to a more modern movement — the Enlightenment. First, the ancients: “This is the true athlete — the person in rigorous training against false impressions. Remain firm, you who suffer, don’t be kidnapped by your impressions…

I find myself a bit bemused when folks make a big thing about dates and numbers like “2–22 at 2:22 pm.” Seems like rolling three 20s in a row on a 20-sided die. You know: it happens, it’s unusual, but it means very little. We as humans like to find…

I like the idea the idea that people are "energy efficient" (lazy) especially when it comes to the hard work of thinking. We'd rather have someone do it for us. But, you know, it comes at a high cost!

Hello folks… My brain has been totally full dealing with all sorts of stuff, so I haven’t posted anything recently. But hopefully I can be a little more active in the near future. One of my strategies will likely be writing less for most posts so each isn’t a prohibitively…

Today I’m reflecting on what a pleasure it is to be able to have the time and space to contemplate — simply to sit back and think of things without acting or reacting. We’ll begin with Aristotle, a font of practical wisdom. …

Today’s readings are about an apparent contradiction. We always look for universal laws and patterns, which is part of the way our mind works. But there are limits to everything. Where do the application of principle, or law, and an appreciation of the differences in each person and situation collide…