Admit it - if Marcus Aurelius had a local pizza spot, you’d go. And not just for the wisdom of the old dude in front of the ancient oven, but because there’s just something about the deftly burned crust edges you wake up thinking about at 4am on a Thursday. Less pizza daydreaming for a … Continue reading Put The (Stoic Pizza) Dough In The Oven
Tag: stoic
The Taoist Farmer Parable
I’ve met quite a few people telling a version of this story in the past few years: Everything fell apart. It was a complete shit show. But, in hindsight, it was exactly what I needed to happen. It’s their version of the Taoist Farmer Parable. The parable says to not judge whatever is happening right … Continue reading The Taoist Farmer Parable
This Is Not About You
Music industry legend Jimmy Iovine says the most valuable 5 words he’s ever heard were, This is not about you. He was moving up the ranks in the music business. He felt like it was his time. He felt like he was already the man. Bruce Springsteen was not satisfied with the drum sounds Jimmy … Continue reading This Is Not About You
Ways People Can Hurt You
Mokokoma Mokhonoana’s explanation of how people can hurt you immediately attached itself to my brain. You can be hurt, not by what others think of you, but by what you think of what they think or you think they think of you. Extra-Frankl bonus points, this is all about how our feelings are a choice. … Continue reading Ways People Can Hurt You
My Happily Humbling Failures List
There’s a point in trying something out when you realize you’re just not going to take it to the next level. I think a lot about how towards the end of my Little League years, I realized, “Well, I’m not that good at this and I don’t want to try enough to keep going and … Continue reading My Happily Humbling Failures List
Fail > Learn > Persist (USMNT’s Matt Turner)
The first time any national media outlet ever talked about current USMNT goalie Matt Turner, they reported this: NCAA goalkeeper commits an all-time great howler I hope everyone this guy knows gives him a hug every day for the rest of his life. Matt Turner is a goalkeeper for Fairfield, who plays in the MAAC … Continue reading Fail > Learn > Persist (USMNT’s Matt Turner)
Wanting: The Power Of Mimetic Desire In Everyday Life
Rene Girard says most of what we desire is imitated, not intrinsic. We don’t want the successful career because we intrinsically value success. We want the things (and life) some more successful, happier, wealthier, cooler, more attractive, better sleeping, rock star of a human has in their successful career. The brilliance of Girard, and the … Continue reading Wanting: The Power Of Mimetic Desire In Everyday Life
How To Have Your Cake And Eat It Too (Tao Te Ching Edition)
"Freedom," or chapter 80 in Ursula K. Le Guin’s interpretation of the Tao Te Ching has this footnote (and it’s as good as the chapter): Lao Tzu thinks the materialistic dualist, who tries to ignore the body and live in the head, and the religious dualist, who despises the body and lives for a reward … Continue reading How To Have Your Cake And Eat It Too (Tao Te Ching Edition)
Optimism And Pessimism Are Copouts
Leave it to Wendell Berry to drop a stoic line like this, The programs of optimism and pessimism are copouts because you’re taking the responsibility off of yourself to keep trying. Leave it Nick Offerman to interpret said Wendell Berry stoic line like this (paraphrased): You can say, “everything will be great, so let’s watch … Continue reading Optimism And Pessimism Are Copouts
There Are Stones In Your Passway. Get Past Them. 
My guitar teacher when I was 13 or so had a poster of Robert Johnson on the wall of the glorified music store closet he taught lessons out of. There you’d be, trying your damndest to stumble through Stairway, and Robert Johnson was just posted up, staring you down. At the time, the image burned … Continue reading There Are Stones In Your Passway. Get Past Them.