Stoicism for a Better Life – Weekly exercise (April 4, 2021)
Hello there,
Wisdom is the domain of everyone. As such, wisdom is to be found everywhere, heard from (potentially) everyone. The only way we can learn all that it is we want to try and learn in this life time, we MUST look at other schools, doctrines, studies, etc. Our school has identified many truths, necessary for a tranquil and purposeful life. However, our school is also very clear that no one has all the answers, including our own school. With that in mind, for this week’s exercise, let us find some inspiration from outside our own school of thought” This is from the mind and pen of French author and Nobel prize winner André Gide:
“Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.”
One thing we know for sure is that we do not know anything. The more we learn, the more we realize how little we know. And if you’ve read my book series you would have undoubtedly noticed a ton of other quotes with this same message ranging from the ancient teachings of Greece and Rome encouraging us to look outside our own schools of thought, the far East (Lau Tzu – Those who talk don’t know. Those who know, don’t talk), to modern days (John Archibald – As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance).
I often come back to this message because one thing I have learned through my study of our human history is that for any civilization in our history, the most dangerous political system, economic system, social order, ideological system, etc. has always been the same: The one that is in place right now.
We tend to take the status quo as being a good thing. We brand most deviations from it as being wrong, anarchistic and even evil. Talk about how great Biden is in a red state. Talk about how great Trump is in a blue state. Try to talk about how a two party system does not work with an American. Try talking about how every single meat industry is at the top of the list of things that are destroying our eco-system with a BBQ lover. I mean…man…we can’t even agree on wearing masks to reduce the risk of airborn infections during a pandemic! You don’t have to look far (at all) to see how as a species, we have lost the ability to open our hearts and minds and to look in the camp of the opposing schools to learn something.
But is change that bad? Are different thoughts that bad? It is easy to look at the world as a snap shot today and think we got it all right. But 2000 years from now, who knows what people will be believing, and how they will look back and judge us harshly…the same way we judge our ancestors. Greeks and Romans had slaves. Women had no rights. They had gladiator games where a great majority of the town would gather to watch two living breathing human beings fight, until one literally stopped breathing. Savage right? Do you think we will be judged any harshly for the lack of very basic healthcare for all human beings today? How should it be okay that living in North America means it’s okay to own multiple cars in your driveway, when hundreds of millions of helpless human beings around the world die from very easily (and cheaply) treatable diseases? The examples can go on forever.
My point today was not to suggest one idea is wrong over the other. Any two rational and intelligent human beings can disagree and exchange ideas. As a Stoic, I never claim that what our school teaches is for sure the answer for everyone to find a purposeful and tranquil life. Different philosophies and religions work for different people. The important thing is that we keep improving and bettering ourselves. It is of no importance whether we can “prove” what we know is better and right. What is important is that we keep improving, and to do that, we need to first admit that we don’t know enough….and that our school’s teachings can very easily be complemented by other schools’ teachings. So for this week’s exercise, try and learn something (or many things) that resonate with you from another school.
Learning is never a bad thing. And EVEN if you learn the wrong thing, it will only confirm the right answer to be truer (this is, after all, the Socratic method). Just keep learning my friends. And with each new piece of information you will be one step closer to the gods we are all trying to emulate.
Anderson Silver