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:
Discourses and Selected Writings
Disclaimer: I’m not your Supervisor. These are my opinions after reading through these books a few times.
Epictetus was born a slave around 50 ad. His owner was Epaphroditus, a rich freedman who was once a slave of Nero. Though he was a slave Epictetus was sent to study philosophy under Musonius Rufus.
Epictetus was lame and there are some stories it was caused by his master and others that it was caused by disease.
He was a freedman when all philosophers were banished from Rome in 89 by the Emperor Domitian. He then started his school in Greece, and had many students. He did not leave any writings from his lessons, but one of his students, Flavius Arrian, took notes and wrote the Discourses.
Epictetus did not marry, had no children, and lived to be around 80-85. In retirement, he adopted a child that would have been abandoned and raised him with a woman.
He died sometime around AD 135.
He is my favorite Stoic teacher. I love his bare bones and very straight forward approach.
Following is a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of one of his lessons. Epictetus’s text appears italicized in bold, my replies are in normal text.
To those who have set their hearts upon living in peace Part II
Come, if you have acted like this and devoted yourself to these things, have you done anything worse than reading a thousand lines, or writing a thousand?[4] For when you eat, are you annoyed because you are not reading? Are you not satisfied to be eating in accordance with the principles you learned by reading? And when you bathe and take exercise? Why, then, are you not consistent in everything, both when you approach Caesar, and when you approach So-and-so?
There is not enough time in the day to do all the things I tell myself I want to do. In spite of this, I still waste time watching YouTube or reading dumb stuff on X. Why do I do this? Afterwards when I see how late it has gotten I get frustrated with myself.
If you are maintaining the character of a man of tranquillity, of imperturbability, of sedateness, 10if you are observing what happens rather than being yourself observed, if you are not envying those who are preferred in honor above you, if the mere subject-matter of actions does not dazzle you, what do you lack? Books? How, or for what end? What, is not the reading of books a kind of preparation for the act of living? But the full measure of the act of living is made up of things other than books. It is as though the athlete on entering the stadium were to fall a-wailing because he is not exercising outside.
Studying for the sake of studying is not a useful way to spend time. I have done this, thinking that knowing more is a goal when the extra knowledge is not used by me. It is easy to discount the time wasted because I can claim I am improving myself. If I ignore what I have learned then have I really learned anything?
This was what you exercised for, this is the purpose of your jumping-weights, your wrestler’s sand,[5] your young training partners. And are you now asking for these things, when the time for action is come? It is as if, when in the sphere of assent we were surrounded with sense-impressions, some of them convincing, and others not convincing, we should not wish to distinguish between them, but to read a treatise On Comprehension!
While my wife is in Okinawa, my life is slightly more stressful. I have allowed frustration to creep in because I am not implementing the strategies I have learned from all of the Stoic reading I have done. This evening there was a wreck on the highway and my normal 45 minute drive took 2 hours. The last half hour I was just angry. That is not how I want to be and I thought I knew better, but in the moment it was too easy to just let the anger flow.
What, then, is the reason for this? It is because we have never read for this purpose, we have never written for this purpose—in our actions, to treat in accordance with nature the sense-impressions which come to us; but we stop with having learned what is said, and with the ability to explain it to someone else, and with analyzing the syllogism, and examining the hypothetical argument.
Memorizing quotes from the ancient Stoics does not help in my daily life if I don’t put them into practice.
15That is why, where our heart is set, there also our impediment lies. Do you wish at any cost to have the things that are not under your control? Very well then, be hindered, be obstructed, fail. If we should read a treatise On Choice, not in order to know about the subject, but in order to make correct choices; a treatise On Desire and Aversion, in order that we may never fail in our desire nor fall into that which we are trying to avoid; a treatise On Duty, in order that we may remember our relations in society and do nothing irrationally or contrary to the principles of duty; we should not be vexed by being hindered in regard to what we have read, but we should find satisfaction in doing the deeds required by our mutual relations, and we should be reckoning, not the things which we have been accustomed hitherto to reckon: “To-day I have read so many lines, I have written so many,” but, “To-day I made a choice in the way that the philosophers teach, I did not entertain desire, I avoided only those things that are in the sphere of the moral purpose, I was not overawed by So-and-so, I was not put out of countenance by So-and-so, I exercised my patience, my abstinence, my co-operation,” and thus we should be giving thanks to God for those things for which we ought to give Him thanks. But as it is, we do not realize that we ourselves, though in a different fashion, grow like the multitude. Another man is afraid that he will not have an office; you are afraid that you will. Do not so, man!
I could say that because I have read almost all of the existing ancient Stoic works that I am an expert in Stoicism. That would be a lie because I don’t consistently follow the teachings that I have learned. I always reiterate that while I am far from perfect at it, I have become so much better at either managing anger or avoiding it all together than I ever thought was possible before I discovered Stoicism. I will continue to call myself a practicing Stoic and I will never be a completed one.
You don’t need to censor yourself, Ron. If you want to say ‘Stoic Friday Cunt’, we won’t stop you.
How do you know it’s not Stoic Friday Cock?
It could be, but I don’t think that Ron would have censored ‘cock’.
He’s never been shy about talking turkey…
I need to practice some stoicism, because I am having a repeat of previous arguments with a truculent DBA about my database.
Okay.
We got the work done.
Now I have to remember the detail of all the old bugs we’d gotten a special patch to fix from the vendor to see if they rolled them in to this version or not. (if not I’ll have to pster the vendor for a new patch for these bugs, since each was a game-breaker)
This evening there was a wreck on the highway and my normal 45 minute drive took 2 hours. The last half hour I was just angry. That is not how I want to be and I thought I knew better, but in the moment it was too easy to just let the anger flow.
I know that feeling.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I find driving to be ideal for practicing stoicism. You can’t do anything about the other drivers or traffic delays, etc. Once you are traveling, you are “in the chute”; it’s gonna go the way it’s gonna go. I still get flashes of irritation, of course, but I’ve gotten pretty good about not vocalizing (cursing at other drivers, etc.) when I’m on the road.
Of course, flying is when things are really beyond your control, and there’s no point at all in not just rolling with it.
What? You don’t have Armored Ram Plates, Anti-Traffic Missiles, and Carpoons?
I don’t. Mrs. Dean’s FJ has solid steel bumpers front and rear (total weight is probably 300 pounds?). They bolt directly to the frame, so they are pretty much battering rams.
The most solid combo is to try to carpoon the slowest thing in traffic so that you’re almost guaranteed to land hits with a whole salvo of ATMs, then ram through the debris before the other drivers exploit the opportunity.
Now I want a new Carmageddon game.
Interesting comparison – this is how I survived my recent 3-day hospital stay/4x daily blood tests, despite my lifelong phobia of needles. I decided, basically, “This is preordained; you can’t fight it; so just try to get to the other side with some dignity and grace.”
It did help.
The girlfriend gets very upset with me when I point out that there’s nothing that can be done when turbulence strikes, so enjoy it like you would a roller coaster. Not a damned thing you can do about it but bounce around.
This is interesting and on point for me.
Lately I’ve been retaking a bunch of my old college Calculus courses on Khan Academy, just as something to exercise my brain. I firmly believe in exercising the brain just like the body.
But honestly, relearning differential equations isn’t going to be very useful in my day-to-day life. Maybe instead I should be doing some courses or certification work that would be useful in my present IT career?
But on the other hand, I don’t really like my IT career and have been thinking about a mid-life change. Maybe I should be trying to rebuild some of those neural pathways that have gone fallow since I dropped out of engineering school twenty-odd years ago?
Something to ponder.
I thought about that same quote with my Japanese studies. I’m pushing at least a decade and a half. I pondered and my goal isn’t the studying, but the usage. Being able to communicate with and understand my Japanese friends better. And to better understand the culture and history through mastery of the language.
But I’m also a firm believer that studying helps keep the brain exercised.
This isn’t exactly a black and white thing. I don’t know that it’s a waste of time to read and study about something you enjoy, for instance, lots of people read about history but they’re not going to be a historian.
Then there’s the idea of the “talent stack”, which is the unique set of skills you bring to the table. Adding additional skill or knowledge can still complement your talent stack even if it’s something that’s not directly related to the things you already know.
You see, this is where you pick up a hobby that uses the stuff you’re studying. That way even if it’s not career related, you’ll have gotten use out of the effort.
One thing I did when I retired was I (finally) started trying to learn Spanish, partly because I had the time (although I always did, really), but mostly to exercise my brain. My Spanish still sucks, but now at least I suck at a lot more Spanish than I used to. So I’ve got that going for me.
#ows626 🔎 5/5 (00:59)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔥 streak: 5
onewordsearch.com
#stack241 5/5
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
⏱️ 2m 54s
🔥 streak: 5
puzzlist.com/stackdown
I like to waste my time on word games.
Suppose I’m being stoic and well-poised for this delayed MRI to begin. It is always oddly stressful, being put in an odd box.
It is, or can be, a rather nap-friendly time, so I’ll try and put that hat on. Cheers, all.
Stunning revelation
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is privately telling confidants that JD Vance is the frontrunner for the 2028 Republican nomination and that he’d support the vice president if he chose to run, according to two people close to the administration.
Rubio’s private comments are a vivid example of how some Republicans are already gaming out a post-Trump succession battle, less than one year into the president’s term.
What a scoop. I never saw that coming.
he want’s to be VP for Vance.
Everybody wants to see Vance as the meme at inauguration.
Speak for yourself, kemosabe.
Well, he’s got three years to avoid being like his boss calling opponents “slimy” and all sorts of silly names that only alienates some of the population without materially adding to one’s likeability with other segments.
I 100% agree with the sentiment about Trump being needlessly abrasive. However, what are the demographics of the people who can’t vote Team Red until that awful man is no longer the face of the party?
My experience with them is indirect – mostly the Peggy Noonans of the world and everybody 60+ years old. This isn’t a growth part of Team Red. It’s the same Team Red voters that gave us both both Bushes, Mittens and both Cheneys. Or specific to me who I absolutely detest – Chris Christie. The distinction between him and Phil Murphy is barely different than a blond one.
OTH, the talking trash seems to play well with the younger and more MAGA base of Team Red. Sometimes it backfires spectacularly, however sometimes it works amazingly well. On the street we’d call it a “high beta” play.
Sensei nailed it. The never Trump thread is the same it has always been, GOPe boomers who are sad that Nikki Haley and Jeb! didn’t make the ticket.
Chasing those people is a lost cause. If it’s not abrasive behavior, it’s “extremist policies” or “a lack of statesmanship” or “not bipartisan enough.”
Cucks.
Communist enablers.
Closeted Progressives.
But honestly, relearning differential equations isn’t going to be very useful in my day-to-day life. Maybe instead I should be doing some courses or certification work that would be useful in my present IT career?
But on the other hand, I don’t really like my IT career and have been thinking about a mid-life change. Maybe I should be trying to rebuild some of those neural pathways that have gone fallow since I dropped out of engineering school twenty-odd years ago?
You could study up on practical steam power. It might come in handy some day.
Probably smart. Along with subsistence gardening, breaking large rocks into smaller ones, and trading sexual favors for salt, sugar, and cooking oil…
I was more planning to exchange small lead pellets for necessities, but you do you.
Let’s just call it a pause
When Ford electrified its bestselling pickup truck, it pulled out all the stops. The F-150 Lightning may look virtually identical to other versions of the pickup, but it’s smoother, faster, and obviously far, far more efficient than the ones that run on gas, diesel, or hybrid power. But the future of the country’s bestselling electric truck may be in doubt.
——-
While Ford told Ars it doesn’t comment on speculation on its future product plans, the automaker said that “F-150 Lightning is the best-selling electric pickup truck in the US—despite new competition from CyberTruck, Chevy, GMC, Hummer and Rivian—and delivered record sales in Q3.”
“Right now, we’re focused on producing F-150 ICE and Hybrid as we recover from the fire at Novelis. We have good inventories of the F-150 Lightning and will bring Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (REVC) back up at the right time, but don’t have an exact date at this time,” a Ford spokesperson said.
Ford was the first of the domestic automakers to bring a full-size pickup EV to market. But like General Motors, it has found that pickup truck customers have not flocked to electric propulsion in anything like the numbers predicted pre-pandemic. As we learned last week, GM has also scaled back its EV production, and last month Stellantis announced that it has ceased development of an all-electric version of its Ram 1500.
They’re just waiting for demand to catch up. Any day now people will be clamoring for battery powered luxury pickup trucks.
tallest midget
[Citation needed]
I’d almost settle for them explaining what they mean by ‘more efficient’.
And if you consider ‘smoothness’ as a point for a pickup truck? You should be cursed to drive a Prius with factory tires for the rest of your life…
In a group email with other activity directors at the gun glub, I used the phrase “have your shit together.” I was reprimanded for my language. I was so tempted to respond, “sack up you pussy.” but I restrained myself.
“Lighten up, Francis.”
It sounds like the discussion was getting a bit heated. Or French.
“Get hard, ya big Jessie!”
Tell them you’re channeling your inner Kiwi.
Tell them to get their fasces together next time.
It may help to bundle them around a handy axe…
Reprimanded by who? Anyone that matters?
“More efficient” = “Propelled by magic”
See, it’s easy. You mine the coal, put it on a train, take it to the power plant, unload it, feed it into a furnace, heat up some water, use the steam to spin a turbine, send the resulting electricity onto a transmission line, step down the voltage several times, then charge the battery in your truck. Since none of those steps involve any losses whatsoever, it’s obviously more efficient.
At that point can you just deliver the coal to me, and I’ll put it directly in the boiler of the truck?
That sounds like a lot of work, I’ll just plug it in and get free electricity.
Same way gasoline magically appears at the gas station!
(The data I’ve read suggests if batteries appeared by magic – even with the conversion losses for the electricity an electric automobile is more energy efficient compared to ICE. OTH – let’s not bring up energy density…)
let’s not bring up energy density
How many miles to the pound does your car get?
I don’t know, the stupid meter’s stuck in Metric.
k-Miles per square escargot just doesn’t convert easily.
Rat – this couldn’t be a reason Ford just canned the F-150 Lightning – could it?
Which one of you is this?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that fure color on the head and back in animals generally called “Blue”, making it a Blue Ox?
(None of the ‘blue’ mammals are really blue, just a shade of gray)
How quickly we forget the blue dogs of Chernobyl.
I have no proof those are really blue and not just covered in a foreign substance.
Those were the Poison Dart Frog/Dogs of Chernobyl. They spend most of their days protesting for Ukraine or Palestine, and they all answer to the name “Karen.”
🙂
Mongo?
“You got a license for that there bull, boy?”
*kicks pebble*
My Walmart is lame.
The only cows I see in the Wal Mart parking lot “round here” are usually getting in or out of a Nissan Altima.
That sounds like a lot of work, I’ll just plug it in and get free electricity.
It comes right out of the wall!
“You can’t pahk that animal theah.”
“Since I just did, I’m pretty sure I can, in fact, pahk that animal theah.”
I’m practicing Stoicism by going through my annual compliance training.
The ones I’ve completed so far have an option for reviews at the end, with a checkbox saying “Make my review anonymous”. I’m rolling the dice, worst case scenario, I get fired.
If you’re going to get fired anyway, tell them your biggest complaint about the compliance training is that there isn’t nearly enough of it. An annual video on sexual harassment, for example, is insufficient since you find yourself wanting to harass, sexually, just a week or two later. If Julie in accounting knows what’s good for her she should avoid you the other 51 weeks of the year.
We have to go through sexual harassment and anti-bullying training for hockey. One of my teammates always says it seems like they’re giving tips on how to be a sexual predator.
I work from home, unfortunately, the opportunities for sexual harassment there are pretty sparse.
Believe in the power of self-abuse, Neph!
This reminds me a bit of some ATF compliance training for 01/07 FFLs that I sat in on.
One of the classes was on identifying illicit machine gun conversion parts – drop-in auto sears, lightning links, etc. The agent had a whole PowerPoint presentation with images and diagrams of different conversion kits for different guns, complete with handouts.
At the end of the class, one of the students raised his hand and asked, “Are these drawings to scale?”
R.J.:
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is bruised and spongy.
Amen, brother Neph.
#meToo Neph. The bad thing is that the kids are at home all day, too, so there are only rare occasions when I get to sexually harass their teacher.
You need to start taking Nitric Oxide boosters.
Trying my best to be Stoic. A layoff, or having my team dismembered is coming soon. I will be spending time reproducing my good templates and work examples in preparation for a different job, after about 20 years. Jeez, I just needed about 5 more years here before I could downsize my job needs.