I was having a chat with some friends recently about some aspects of life. It gave me the opportunity to express my thoughts on one or two subjects. Let me tell you more about it.
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Thought
A Passage From Plutarch’s “Life of Timoleon”
Here is a morsel to chew on.
I was reading a bit of Plutarch this morning and came across a passage that is worth sharing. It is from the Life of Timoleon (6):
How A Rogue Can Take Over A Village
I was talking to a friend earlier today, and the conversation happened to be diverted into the topic of hucksters, pitch-men, and carnival-barkers.
After thinking about the conversation, my mind wandered off to some of the late-night “pitch-man” advertising I had seen years ago.
You Need To Think Hard About Your Educational Choices
I wanted to write something in response to some recent articles and commentary I’ve seen from colleagues and friends of mine. It concerns the subject of college.
Much of this recent commentary, while well-meaning and making valid points, nevertheless paints a picture that is in need of qualification.
So I wanted to share my thoughts.
Is it a waste of time? Should you go? Should you go to a trade school? Should you start working?
Jacopo Zabarella On The Advancement Of Learning
We do not often think about how knowledge is gained or transmitted. We simply take it for granted that some idea or morsel of information crosses our path, which we then incorporate into our storehouse of knowledge.
Or do we? Is this really how information is, or should be, passed on?
The Conquest Of Anxiety And Fear
The foremost lesson of philosophy should be the lesson of perspective. When I say perspective, I mean the different interpretation of events that can be given from viewing the matter from different vantage points.
What we think is a product of our relative position to an issue.
You say to me, how oppressed I am with earthly worries and anxieties. I can barely continue in my day-to-day struggle. I feel overwhelmed by the brutality and iniquity of the world.
Your Guardian Deity
Plutarch’s essay On Socrates’s Personal Deity (593A-594A) contains an idea that I find appealing. He proposes that every man has a “personal deity” that looks out for him and helps him in a time of need.
We can think of this deity as a kind of guardian angel.
The personal deity is an experienced attendant-god or demi-god, who is well-versed in the struggles of life. He now watches over the struggles of mortal man, and every now and then reaches down to help those he believes are deserving of his aid.
On Making Setbacks Appear To Be Advances
Conflict surges back and forth. There will be advances, and there will be reverses. It is inevitable: no one who is actively engaged in the games of life will be able to avoid reverses. But then the question becomes: how may reverses be characterized as gains?
If you believe that this is not a question worth asking, then I would disagree strongly with you. There are times when it will be necessary to conceal the magnitude of one’s reverses, so as not to embolden the enemy.
Remember: you will normally have very few allies. Most people want to see you fail, so that their inaction and timidity are thereby affirmed. We must be mindful of human nature, which in these matters resembles the proverbial crab in the bucket, clawing at every other crab, to the detriment of all.
The Fable Of Aridaeus of Soli
Plutarch’s essay On God’s Slowness to Punish (563C et seq.) relates a vivid fable on the punishments meted out to those to commit evil acts in their lives. It also relates to us the requirements and possibilities for moral redemption.
The fable takes the form of an out-of-body experience that has much to say about ethics and human responsibility. But it is parable rich in metaphor and meaning. Readers can interpret it in a variety of ways.
This is the story.
There was a native of the town of Soli named Aridaeus. He indulged himself in every type of sensual and mortal passion that he could, and was undeterred by the effects that these pursuits caused to others. He quickly exhausted his money, and turned to a life of crime. His sole motivation was profit and gain.
Seeking Peace Of Mind: A Letter
We cannot always choose our circumstances, but we can adapt our minds and attitudes to the circumstances we are presented with. Plato, in the Republic (604c5 ff.), famously compared life to a game of dice that was structured at two levels: the throw of the dice (over which we have no control), and the way in which we deal with the results of the throw. This same dice analogy is found in Epictetus (II.5.3). Our attitudes mold our lives. If we do not adapt our attitudes to our circumstances, we will be like the man who carries a hidden sickness wherever he goes. He travels here and there, always seeking a better environment, but he finds himself equally miserable wherever he is. Why is this? It is because the problem lies in his mind.
Quintus Curtius 
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