How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
If you have anger issues, this one is a great tool (h/t mindyourbusiness)
This week’s book:
Disclaimer: I’m not your Supervisor. These are my opinions after reading through these books a few times.
Picking up where I left off with Seneca’s letters to his friend and student, Lucilius Junior, an official in Sicily.
Following is a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of the letter. Seneca’s text appears in bold, my replies are in normal text.
ON STUDY AND QUIET
1. Beshrew* me if I think anything more requisite than silence for a man who secludes himself in order to study! Imagine what a variety of noises reverberates about my ears! I have lodgings right over a bathing establishment. So picture to yourself the assortment of sounds, which are strong enough to make me hate my very powers of hearing! When your strenuous gentleman, for example, is exercising himself by flourishing leaden weights; when he is working hard, or else pretends to be working hard, I can hear him grunt; and whenever he releases his imprisoned breath, I can hear him panting in wheezy and high-pitched tones. Or perhaps I notice some lazy fellow, content with a cheap rubdown, and hear the crack of the pummeling hand on his shoulder, varying in sound according as the hand is laid on flat or hollow. Then, perhaps, a professional[1] comes along, shouting out the score; that is the finishing touch.
*Curse
2. Add to this the arresting of an occasional partier or pickpocket, the racket of the man who always likes to hear his own voice in the bathroom,[2] or the enthusiast who plunges into the swimming-tank with unconscionable noise and splashing. Besides all those whose voices, if nothing else, are good, imagine the hair-plucker with his penetrating, shrill voice, – for purposes of advertisement, – continually giving it vent and never holding his tongue except when he is plucking the armpits and making his victim yell instead. Then the cake-seller with his varied cries, the sausageman, the confectioner, and all the vendors of food hawking their wares, each with his own distinctive intonation.
I used to not notice noise when I was younger and would study with music blasting. As I have gotten older, I like to read in silence. If I have music playing, I tune it out and while it still distracts me, I don’t even notice which song has just played. I would struggle to study in the circumstances Seneca is describing.
3. So you say: “What iron nerves or deadened ears, you must have, if your mind can hold out amid so many noises, so various and so discordant, when our friend Chrysippus[3] is brought to his death by the continual good-morrows that greet him!” But I assure you that this racket means no more to me than the sound of waves or falling water; although you will remind me that a certain tribe once moved their city merely because they could not endure the din of a Nile cataract.[4]
4. Words seem to distract me more than noises; for words demand attention, but noises merely fill the ears and beat upon them. Among the sounds that din round me without distracting, I include passing carriages, a machinist in the same block, a saw-sharpener near by, or some fellow who is demonstrating with little pipes and flutes at the Trickling Fountain,[5] shouting rather than singing.
Seneca says that the noise no longer affects him, but it sounds like it is a struggle to keep words in his mind as a background din. I try to do this when I am working on something and the office ladies are talking about some celebrity gossip that I could not care less about. Other times the Steve Harvey Morning Show has a “Strawberry Letter” (I don’t know why it’s called that) where a person writes in for advice about the situation they are in and this leads to a raucous debate. Usually these situations are caused by the stupidity of the letter writer or their unwillingness to see truth. Although it makes my brain hurt, I try to ignore them and am sometimes successful.
5. Furthermore, an intermittent noise upsets me more than a steady one. But by this time I have toughened my nerves against all that sort of thing, so that I can endure even a boatswain marking the time in high-pitched tones for his crew. For I force my mind to concentrate, and keep it from straying to things outside itself; all outdoors may be bedlam, provided that there is no disturbance within, provided that fear is not wrangling with desire in my breast, provided that meanness and lavishness are not at odds, one harassing the other. For of what benefit is a quiet neighborhood, if our emotions are in an uproar?
6. ‘Twas night, and all the world was lulled to rest.[6]
This is not true; for no real rest can be found when reason has not done the lulling. Night brings our troubles to the light, rather than banishes them; it merely changes the form of our worries. For even when we seek slumber, our sleepless moments are as harassing as the daytime. Real tranquillity is the state reached by an unperverted mind when it is relaxed.
7. Think of the unfortunate man who courts sleep by surrendering his spacious mansion to silence, who, that his ear may be disturbed by no sound, bids the whole retinue of his slaves be quiet and that whoever approaches him shall walk on tiptoe; he tosses from this side to that and seeks a fitful slumber amid his frettings!
8. He complains that he has heard sounds, when he has not heard them at all. The reason, you ask? His soul is in an uproar; it must be soothed, and its rebellious murmuring checked. You need not suppose that the soul is at peace when the body is still. Sometimes quiet means disquiet.
We must therefore rouse ourselves to action and busy ourselves with interests that are good, as often as we are in the grasp of an uncontrollable sluggishness.
Lately I have had trouble remaining calm while driving. I have also had trouble going to sleep. I figured out why and since have had better luck keeping calm. I am a contractor for the Navy and do inspections on ships. They are temporarily making me a Project Manager for some ships because a couple Government workers retired and they haven’t hired replacements. This is not what I like doing as it means I have to be in the office every day and not travel anywhere. I realized that I was keeping my frustration inside and it would bubble out when I was alone in the car or trying to sleep. Keeping myself from getting frustrated about the situation has helped my tranquility in other areas.
9. Great generals, when they see that their men are mutinous, check them by some sort of labour or keep them busy with small forays. The much occupied man has no time for wantonness, and it is an obvious commonplace that the evils of leisure can be shaken off by hard work. Although people may often have thought that I sought seclusion because I was disgusted with politics and regretted my hapless and thankless position,[7] yet, in the retreat to which apprehension and weariness have driven me, my ambition sometimes develops afresh. For it is not because my ambition was rooted out that it has abated, but because it was wearied or perhaps even put out of temper by the failure of its plans.
One way I am keeping my frustration under control is working hard to learn the new position and making sure I continue to run and workout on my schedule. Seneca wore himself out at the Emperor’s court and still feels the pull to be important. In my case I feel the pull to do a job I enjoy that also has less work.
10. And so with luxury, also, which sometimes seems to have departed, and then when we have made a profession of frugality, begins to fret us and, amid our economies, seeks the pleasures which we have merely left but not condemned. Indeed, the more stealthily it comes, the greater is its force. For all unconcealed vices are less serious; a disease also is farther on the road to being cured when it breaks forth from concealment and manifests its power. So with greed, ambition, and the other evils of the mind, – you may be sure that they do most harm when they are hidden behind a pretense of soundness.
I thought I had a handle on my anger, but I allowed it to sneak up on me. If I had been more aware of the fact I wasn’t in control, I probably would have noticed it sooner. Last weekend I caught myself getting angry when I pulled the dash on my truck and the inner frame was as brittle as glass. This made me look back and realize I had been angry driving for at least a week.
11. Men think that we are in retirement, and yet we are not. For if we have sincerely retired, and have sounded the signal for retreat, and have scorned outward attractions, then, as I remarked above,[8] no outward thing will distract us; no music of men or of birds[9] can interrupt good thoughts, when they have once become steadfast and sure. 12. The mind which starts at words or at chance sounds is unstable and has not yet withdrawn into itself; it contains within itself an element of anxiety and rooted fear, and this makes one a prey to care, as our Vergil says:
I, whom of yore no dart could cause to flee,
Nor Greeks, with crowded lines of infantry.
Now shake at every sound, and fear the air,
Both for my child and for the load I bear.[10]
I think part of the frustrations I have been having is learning a new skill and doing tasks that I haven’t done in over 6 years. I know I can do it and yet I have some self doubt. Between this and the fact I really don’t want to do this even just for a couple months I let it add up to stress myself into frustration.
13. This man in his first state is wise; he blanches neither at the brandished spear, nor at the clashing armour of the serried foe, nor at the din of the stricken city. This man in his second state lacks knowledge fearing for his own concerns, he pales at every sound; any cry is taken for the battle-shout and overthrows him; the slightest disturbance renders him breathless with fear. It is the load that makes him afraid.[11]
14. Select anyone you please from among your favourites of Fortune, trailing their many responsibilities, carrying their many burdens, and you will behold a picture of Vergil’s hero, “fearing both for his child and for the load he bears.” You may therefore be sure that you are at peace with yourself, when no noise reaches you, when no word shakes you out of yourself, whether it be of flattery or of threat, or merely an empty sound buzzing about you with unmeaning din.
I will endeavor to persevere in the face of my admittedly small problem. I need to remind myself that it is only temporary and I still have a pretty good paycheck. I know I have nothing to be concerned about, it is all self induced.
15. “What then?” you say, “is it not sometimes a simpler matter just to avoid the uproar?” I admit this. Accordingly, I shall change from my present quarters. I merely wished to test myself and to give myself practice. Why need I be tormented any longer, when Ulysses found so simple a cure for his comrades[12] even against the songs of the Sirens? Farewell.
There is no need to wallow in self induced stress. Just like Seneca has the ability to leave his noisy quarters, I have the ability to face the fact that I might not enjoy the new role, but I can thrive in it.
Music this week is from Queensryche’s second album, The Warning.
Warning, live from Tokyo, Geoff Tate’s voice was unreal.
No Sanctuary, this song is almost a cappella for most of it, but he really has the power to make it work.
NM 156, I love the story in this one. As he’s adding people to the kill list, he asks if this is wrong and then he sees his number on the list.
“When your strenuous gentleman, for example, is exercising himself by flourishing leaden weights; when he is working hard, or else pretends to be working hard, I can hear him grunt; and whenever he releases his imprisoned breath, I can hear him panting in wheezy and high-pitched tones.”
Wow, they had gym bros back then? Wartius Hugica hardest hit.
Sounds like gym bros have been around forever.
How The Ancient World Lifted Weights
Pretty interesting, actually. The Greeks, naturally, had to gay it up with the naked exercising.
Gym bros will always be with us.
Speaking of that, how is your gym coming along?
Work has been busy so I might have missed any updates.
Thank you for asking! Our gym equipment is still safe and sound in two storage units. We’ve had several close calls on a space but so far everything has fallen through. Either asking too much, or the current tenants decided not to move out, or even one place where they were behind on their property taxes for years. There are plenty of places too far away and in bad neighborhoods, too.
I enjoy listening to music while I’m reading, but it pretty much has to be instrumental. The only vocal music I don’t find distracting while reading is choral music that’s not sung in English.
I put on background music to block out the other noises. It provides something that I can tune out.
I used to like reading to music, but as I have aged that need has dropped off, and now I read in silence.
Or, at least nothing more than the dog yipping.
Same here. I used to like something playing in the background, but now not so much. With two pit bulls, there is never silence. They are constantly snoring, grunting, groaning, wheezing, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, or whining, and very occasionally barking. If there is ever dead silence, Mrs. Dean and I both go looking for whatever they’ve gotten into.
When your strenuous gentleman, for example, is exercising himself by flourishing leaden weights; when he is working hard, or else pretends to be working hard, I can hear him grunt; and whenever he releases his imprisoned breath, I can hear him panting in wheezy and high-pitched tones.
Sounds like Seneca wasn’t swole.
This is not true; for no real rest can be found when reason has not done the lulling. Night brings our troubles to the light, rather than banishes them; it merely changes the form of our worries. For even when we seek slumber, our sleepless moments are as harassing as the daytime. Real tranquillity is the state reached by an unperverted mind when it is relaxed.
Spot on. Nights are far more difficult for me. If I wake up at 2 or 3 it can be a couple hours or more before I fall back to sleep. I need to re-establish some tranquility.
I’m digging the Queensryche deep-dive. Warning is an amazing song.
Thanks, Ron!
I had learned how to fall asleep quickly, but lately had lost that ability.
It took longer than it should have to figure out what the problem was.
I agree.
Seneca activated the drinking game by naming TOS.
I like to listen to Enya while deliberating my Firsts.
That is a priceless vision.
I enjoy the opening vignettes a lot more than the philosophical maunderings at the end of the letters. Are they all structured that way?
Not all, but there are many that start with a story that he expounds on to explain the philosophy or answer questions.
OT: Another good essay over at IM-1776
The Time of Monsters
That was a disturbing read, but not wrong.
Holy shit.
Fenix CEO is out of bubblegum
Great response.
*sheds tear*
My dick got a little hard there I’m not going to lie.
The only place you’re First is premature ejaculation.
In the world of Firsting, there is no such thing as premature.
*points to avatar*
That was impressive.
Insert Ron Paul “It’s Happening” GIF here.
I continue to use and recommend Fenix 147grn. 9mm Luger ammunition. Their jujitsu rash guards are pretty cool too.
At 2000+ rounds, it’s competitively priced too.
Lol, why did they even bother responding.
The police I mean
Reloaded both barrels
https://twitter.com/FenixAmmunition/status/1657058194928304128
Bravo.
Wow, nice to see someone taking a stand.
Excellent. I just bought a bunch of ammo from them because of this.
Great response to people who say we should have some type of amnesty. Just forget what they did and the harm they caused, that way they can do it again next time. This is the type of push back we need.
Janelle Monae. That’s it. That’s the comment.
I ❤️ Janelle Monae.
Elon confirms his bad hire:
People seem to forget that Elon was all in covid hysteria at the start. He was pro-mask and pro-vax. So it’s not surprising he wouldn’t hold that against a hire.
If he doesn’t stick with some commitment to free speech, the platform is dead. He’ll never win back the hive mind of NPC’s and he’ll have betrayed the non-wokerati.
People seem to forget that Elon was all in covid hysteria at the start. He was pro-mask and pro-vax.
I certainly forgot that.
I rate my own comment mostly false, with one caveat.
He flip flopped on the vaccine multiple times, but at the height of the push for mandates he said the science was settled and that they were safe and effective. He encouraged everyone to get them, claimed he and his family were all fully vaccinated.
He had a bad reaction to being vaccinated for Covid and one of his relatives did as well. That’s when he changed his mind.
He did, but he never went full mandate.
He first said he wouldn’t take the vaccine. Then he got covid, and then took the vaccine. “The science is unequivocal.” Then he expressed doubt on getting second shot.
Definitely all over the place on that one.
So…like mainstream Americans
Without the right Twitter is a boring and very stupid place. As you said, if he does betray the nonwoke that’ll be the end of the platform and, likely, some of his other ventures as well.
It’s unclear what she is.
The left hates her because she follows Tucker Carlson and LibsOfTikTok.
The right hates her lizard people globalism.
I suspect she is a just mainline conservative like my wife.
I don’t think it will be as bad as either side thinks.
Good.
A federal judge in Virginia on Wednesday declared unconstitutional a set of federal laws and regulations that prohibit federally-licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to people who are 18 to 20 years of age, finding that the measures violated the Second Amendment.
“Because the statutes and regulations in question are not consistent with our Nation’s history and tradition, they, therefore, cannot stand,” U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne, who sits in Richmond, concluded in a 71-page opinion.
Attorneys on both sides of the case said they expected the Justice Department to appeal the decision and request a stay, which would prevent Payne’s ruling from taking immediate effect while higher courts weigh the case.
Of course, the government will use your money to keep litigating against you in order to violate constitutional rights.
Payne, who was nominated to the bench by President George H.W. Bush, repeatedly cited the Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, a ruling from the high court’s conservative majority that expanded the right to bear arms last year.
That’s not what it did.
Some more info on the new Twatter CEO courtesy of Carl Benjamin aka Sargon:
https://youtu.be/IUnKaDsLePA
I was hoping against hope but it ain’t good folks. She sounds like a WEF true believer. What the hell is Musk thinking?
That she’ll be a reliable flak catcher?
Hopefully those are his motives. On a side note, I’m not happy about it either but the comments at Zerohedge are hilarious in their blackpilledness and everybody knew, just knew, that Musk was some kind of elitist shadow government plant. Those people don’t take bad news well at all.
Musk is one of (((them)))?
I didn’t scroll enough to see Jew but I did see Satanist and Mason.
Did take a bit.
Musk is CIA. Whatever act he’s putting on, if it is an act, is being approved by the Deep Stat
Mossad. His father, who he supposedly hates, is a Mossad agent. Mossad owns the CIA.
I once found myself in a situation where the Girls Scouts controlled the KGB, who in turn was in charge of both Richard Nixon and the CIA. It was a confusing time.
tarran:
It’s all the same, right?
Upon reading that, I though “It better be an Illuminati! link.”
Also, to avoid legal issues, some groups have their names changed. So the Boy Scouts are called the Boy Sprouts.
The KGB and CIA are the KGB and CIA.
The Robot Seas Monsters are the Robot Sea Monsters.
Also, also, in my group the card is always referred to as the Orbital Mind Control “Laser”. Finger quotes are necessary.
Well…the Left hates her cause she follows Catturd and likes Poso’s tweets and the Right hates her cause she is WEF…my guess and thinking is this doesn’t change my life.
Stop being so stoic.
As the Fennix guy asked – you okay with this person running your new platform Tucker Carlson?
This should be a fun circle for the left to square.
Black leaders hold massive protest in Chicago against accepting and housing Illegal non-citizens.
‘This is not good for the black community.’
There’s only so much free shit to go around. Someone needs to move some of that money for illegals to the NAACP and any other activist organization to get them to shut up.
Gonna be really fun when they see local and state government services that are beyond what they were promised for decades being showered upon the new arrivals.
Sorry community organizers, your political power has to be diluted in order to make sure the Dems at the Federal level can fortify their election hopes. Just like those junior Congresspeople who had to sacrifice their positions after Obamacare was passed.
Comments are priceless bullshit.
Heh, I see James Woods getting his barbs in and he has remained a surly fucker.
My stoicism is being tried. I have a serious hole in my garage roof, where the chimney used to be. I can’t seem to find anyone that wants the money bad enough to do the job. Admittedly it’s a project that requires both brawn and a few brains but no one needs the money that bad.
I’ve been waiting for months to get our bathroom remodeled. 🙁
I thought you were in construction.
More of a specialty niche, not renovations.
Someone’s at least slapped a tarp up there for you I’d hope.
I did get that done, local handyman did that as soon as it was safe (snow gone).
Hire one of the several hundred thousand who just ran across the border? I’m lots of them are skilled brick masons.
How inconvenient.
Hispanic Texas mass shooter Mauricio Garcia, whom the media insisted was a “white supremacist,” said white people are “a race I don’t like” and fantasized about Mexico taking over America in a handwritten post uploaded to his social media profile on OK.RU.
Is Russia a haven for Aztlan sympathizers? Man that guy was mixed up.
Does anyone believe this will receive anywhere near the coverage as the reports that he was a white supremacist?
The FBI has already filed this under another case of right wing extremism. IT’S ALREADY FILED, THEY CAN’T JUST UNFILE IT HERE PEOPLE.
Just like you can’t unreport something. Once it’s out there, there is no way to retract it.
It’s because people use Nazi and White Supremacist interchangeablely when reallly they’re not exactly the same.
Although the previous Dallas mass shooter was a black nationalist and no one called him a white supremacist.
The previous Dallas shooter was memory holed within like two days.