The Good Life - 04/17/2023 - A stoic’s best friend
My small dog bit me twice yesterday. He bites me almost everyday. Yet, he seems to love me and wants to be with me always. At first his bites—deep bites that usually draw blood—were a painful and upsetting challenge, but then I discovered their boon! For my dog is a stoic’s best friend. He’s my always companion, reminding me of important principles: like true limits and opportunity, the real nature of things, and of the power and utility of apathy. For my dog has his limits, beyond which he will surely bite. Too many “pet-pet” pats upon the head do always deserve a bite. And touching his fluffy tail will surely earn a another painful bite. While failing to maintain a deep gaze into his dark, black hole eyes will bring down yet another hard, flesh-piercing bite. I know these things. I know my dog’s limits. I also know what to expect and that I should always anticipate some pain and blood loss should my mindfulness fail and I go too far, or not far enough with him. And so I see this now, and I no longer become upset when I am bit. For my dog is, in fact, a stoic learner’s best friend, always at my side providing me a valuable and constant reminder and opportunity to live and abide the world as it really is, and not simply as I wish the world to be.
#GoingAlone#TrueLimits#Apathy
The Good Life Meditation is my daily recitation and reminder of personal objectives and principles used in pursuit of a purposeful life in spite of a universe of seeming indifference. Learn more about The Good Life at my website GoingAlone.org or by reading my book Going Alone. And visit our Discord at: https://lnkd.in/gFgfGmY6
OBJECTIVES: 1. Be Always Ready to Die 2. Make Good Use of Time and Resources 3. Develop Good and Sound Life Principles 4. Cultivate Good Emotional Reactions 5. Perform Good Actions 6. Recognize True Limits and Opportunity 7. One Thing Slowly
PRINCIPLES: 1. Principle of War 2. Principle of Reason 3. Homunculus 4. Anchorhold 5. Home of Good and Evil 6. Principle of Purpose 7. Atomic Principle 8. Principle of Nature 9. The Pirate Ride 10. Principle of Maturity 11. Social Principle
12. Principle of Family 13. Public Speaking 14. Temperance 15. Life Will Not Go Well 16. The Horror Show 17. That Which Must Be Borne 18. The Feast of Offal 19. Distraction 20. Agency and The Great Indifference 21. The Best Seat in the House 22. The Restless Man 23. The Path of Wildness 24. The Great Life Adventure 25. The Risk of Avoiding Risk 26. Sin and Damnation 27. Complete Oblivion 28. The Season of Philosophy
29. Scriptwriting 30. Bullseye Aim 31. The Uphill Climb 32. Arena and Utility 33. Nothing IS enough 34. The Principle of Fun
#Stoic #Stoicism #StoicPhilosophy
My name is Kurt Bell.
You can learn more about The Good Life in my book Going Alone.
Be safe... But not too safe.