Category: Personal Development

Wise Advice on Human Flourishing in 10 Terrific Quotes

5/1/2017

This guest post was first published at Freedom and Flourishing by my friend Winton Bates, who curated the following wise advice based on his vast knowledge and life experience:

The quotes selected for this post are related specifically to individual flourishing or personal development. I will follow this up later with a selection of quotes relating to the social conditions that favour human flourishing.

Rather than selecting the most inspirational quotes I can think of, I have selected quotes that seem to support what I hope is a coherent set of propositions about human flourishing.

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The Revolution Inside

1/7/2017

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Peace and justice are two goals which the politically inclined often seek, but they are simultaneously inner qualities which a philosophical person must posses, not just external conditions which we would like to see in the world. If we want to see the world change we must first concern ourselves with healing our own lives.

In Xenophon's Memoirs of Socrates, Hippias tells Socrates that instead of always asking questions about justice, he would do better simply to say, once and for all, what justice is. Socrates replies: "If I don't reveal my views on justice in words, I do so by my conduct." A modern parallel to Socrates' statement can be found in Martin Luther King's quote, "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”

What Socrates wanted to show is that we can never understand justice if we do not live it. King similarly noted that we won't achieve peace through our actions if outwardly we are irrationally angry and inwardly we are a mess of anxiety and nuerosis. We can't expect the world to give us better than we give the world.

In antiquity, philosophy was a way of life akin to therapy or care of the soul. Socrates, the Cynics, Aristotle, the Epicureans and the Stoics all stressed that we can achieve autarkia, or inner freedom independent of external events.[1] Autarkia is a self-sufficiency and peace of mind where we feel that we lack nothing, relying on our inner resources. To be liberated, we must turn our attention to the revolution within and to what we can control; our thoughts, emotions, and actions. In order to obtain autarkia or inner freedom, we must train ourselves for it.

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How to Make Yourself Immune to Propaganda

11/30/2016

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In the current climate of increased political tension, it's important to be two things: open-minded and not easily angered. Why? Because being closed-minded, irrational, or both makes you more vulnerable to propaganda.

The French philosopher Jaques Ellul literally wrote the book on propaganda methods throughout history and around the world.[1] Ellul examines propaganda as an existing sociological phenomenon in modern technological societies. One of his most important contributions is the distinction which he draws between agitation and integration propaganda.

Agitation propaganda appeals to anger and anti-social tendencies. Integration propaganda is subtle and perpetual; it speaks to our fundamental anxiety and our need to be part of the mass. In this post I'll explain both types of propaganda and elaborate on how you can make yourself less vulnerable to their effects.

Unchecked exposure to propaganda - even in a democratic society - tends to make people psychologically totalitarian. Propaganda works against dialog, towards belief systems which benefit the system as a whole, but make it genuinely hard for us to live together. So how do we avoid being influenced by propaganda? In short, by being a reasonable person.

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The Social Justice Warrior Paradox

9/3/2016

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Do we have an obligation to be good, community minded citizens and to act accordingly? The simple answer is yes, but the full answer is more complicated, so please bear with me for a second.

I received some mildly critical feedback on my most recent post: 4 Pieces of Stoic Wisdom For Dealing With Negative News Media. (Nothing too harsh of course - this blog has polite readers!) The objections are with my suggestion that we should tune out news media entirely or almost entirely if we want equanimity. Those who commented, argued that Stoics (and presumably non-Stoics) have a duty to act socially and politically, and that ignoring the news smacks of self-interested isolation in the Epicurean Garden.

So, what is the problem with staying informed via news media, you ask? Isn't that what we are supposed to do in a democracy? There are two parts to this question which warrant a response. First, there is the problem of social and political action, ostensibly based on the information we get via media. In other words, what should we "do about," current issues? Second, there is the problem of the information itself - with the quality and manipulation of news and mass media - which I will go on to address in part 3 of this series.

Do social and political actions really have any effect? Can taking such actions be harmful? Do we have a duty to stay informed? Well yes...and no. It all boils down to the question of what do you plan on doing with the information you get from the news. There are certainly more and less ethical and effective ways to create a better community and a better world, so I have also included some helpful suggestions at the end of the post:

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5 Signs You Lack Maturity According To Cicero

7/22/2016

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Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, and constitutionalist.

Cicero lead by the example of his life, and by all accounts he was ethical, moderate, and constantly strove to better himself and gain knowledge. Like other Romans, he believed that we all have a duty to society, and he took his personal and civic responsibilities seriously.

Consequently he set a great example of maturity and personal growth, and his advice is worth taking seriously today. I have gathered some of his best quotes into the post below. You can be sure that regardless of your age, you lack maturity if you do these 5 things:

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The Ancient Greeks Got Happiness Right: 3 Steps to Eudaimonia

7/2/2016

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We all want to be happy. But could it be that we have our understanding of happiness all wrong? The general definition of happiness is philosophically unsophisticated. It pretty much boils down to the ongoing experience of positive emotions and a lack of negative ones. Life is about more than just moving yourself around, spending money and enjoying your next fix. Is our unphilosophical (and perhaps incomplete) understanding of happiness why so many of us are miserable according to mental health statistics?

Is there a missing moral component at the root of happiness? The ancient Greeks definitely thought so, and it turns out that genomic research conducted by Barbara Frederickson, which Winton Bates writes about at his excellent blog Freedom and Flourishing, indicates that we may be biologically wired for what they called eudaimonia (from daimon, or true nature). Differing from hedonism (pleasure or self gratification), eudaimonia is often translated as flourishing or living well, with a sense of noble purpose, virtue, and connection to others.

In other words, real happiness is impossible without virtue - or arete in ancient Greek. Arete means excellent character, or reaching your highest human potential. Eudaimonia not only protects our physical and mental health at the cellular level, it may lead to a long term, more profound sense of well being.
So what do we do if we want to experience eudaimonia? How do we reach our highest potential?

There are 3 concrete steps that you can take to be happy in the ancient Greek sense. First, you must acknowledge that virtue is necessary for happiness. Eudaimonia is about more than just feeling good, it is about becoming the best person that you can be. Second, you must do the inner work that is necessary to truly "know yourself," as Socrates said when he quoted the Delphic Oracle. And finally, you must take action and apply your unique talents and gifts in life for the good of yourself and others.

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Are You Suffering From Negative Socialization? The Stoic Philosopher Musonius Rufus Can Help Free Your Mind

3/19/2016

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Since antiquity, inquiring minds have been calling into question the effects of being socialized into conformity with dominant cultural ideas or peer groups. Agents of socialization, both negative and positive, often include family, schools, peers, culture, media, and religion.

According to the Roman Stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus, humans are innately virtuous, but our nature is degraded from childhood by negative socialization. The dominant political and social environment is corrupting to the soul. Bad habits, unconsidered social norms, and negative views of "reality," that we pick up as we go through life, often impede our personal development.

By the time we reach adulthood, we all have accumulated beliefs that our culture imposes on us, including our views on money, pleasure, leisure, and entertainment. We may view minor inconveniences as a hardship, and fear things that are beyond our control. Even if our parents don't model this behavior, peers, the media, and the the culture at large often do. Living in society handicaps us in this regard.

Fortunately, developing a philosophical outlook can correct the effects of negative socialization. Musonius argued that “All of us are so fashioned by nature that we can live our lives free from error and nobly.” [1]

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6 Fool-Proof Ways to Create a More Relaxed Mental State

6/7/2014

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One reason that I study philosophy is that I’m a somewhat of a high-strung person by nature. I try to apply the lessons in my life.

What I have found is that when you have a relaxed inner life, you generally have a relaxed outer life. To put it another way, you choose to create the types of conditions in your environment which enhance your sense of relaxation and contentment. Even when stressful events happen, you choose to go with the flow and make the most of a bad situation, rather than panicking or dwelling on the negative aspects.

My experiences living in Hawaii for the past 2 months taught me several important lessons about being more laid back. Let me share what I have learned about creating a more relaxed attitude. Following the six steps listed below will put you firmly on the on the path to a more relaxed mental state.

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7 Behaviors That Lead To Lasting Happiness

4/10/2014

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Recently I was posting on a debate forum that I frequent, when another poster asked me if I read Spanish. (I don’t but I’m working on reading Latin). The person’s question really hit home for me, because I realized that by spending time posting on a forum, I was neglecting goals that are more important to me, like learning Latin.

We all do trivial things which take up our time unnecessarily, deplete our energy, steal our focus, or detract from our relationships with loved ones. Wasting time is just one of many behaviors that lead to unhappiness in the long run, when we fail to achieve our goals, or regret the things that we didn’t do. Instead, we should be cultivating these 7 intentional behaviors, which contribute to lasting happiness:

1. Learn From Your Mistakes

Failures and mistakes are ok, as long as you learn from them. You fell in love with the wrong person? It happens. You failed to achieve an important goal? Everyone who succeeds fails first. You made the wrong choice regarding an important decision? At least you came away from the experience more knowledgeable than when you started.

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Be afraid of repeating the same mistakes over and over again. When you make a mistake or something goes wrong in your life, ask yourself, what can I learn from this? What does this situation have to teach me?

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Wise Advice on Human Flourishing in 10 Terrific Quotes

The Revolution Inside

How to Make Yourself Immune to Propaganda

The Social Justice Warrior Paradox

5 Signs You Lack Maturity According To Cicero

The Ancient Greeks Got Happiness Right: 3 Steps to Eudaimonia

Are You Suffering From Negative Socialization? The Stoic Philosopher Musonius Rufus Can Help Free Your Mind

6 Fool-Proof Ways to Create a More Relaxed Mental State

7 Behaviors That Lead To Lasting Happiness

1. Learn From Your Mistakes

Growing in Goodness

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1. Learn From Your Mistakes

Growing in Goodness

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