Friday, August 11, 2023

Time for a Random Day of "The Daily Stoic"

I try to remain above the day to day crap coming out of the US, unless I find it particularly import and / or ridiculous. I don't always succeed and today I need a little "Daily Stoic" help.

No Time for the Theories, Just Results

When the problem arose for us whether habit or theory was better for getting virtue - if by theory is meant what teaches us correct conduct, and by habit we mean being accustomed to act according to this theory -habit it more effective.

Musonius Rufus

Knowing how to act is good. Acting in accordance with that knowledge, even better. This means I need to act, even without full knowledge, in the ways that reflect Stoic principals. And, if I can do it often enough, it becomes second nature.

From another stoic site, this is expanded and illustrated thus:

And the problem is that today, there’s a humongous amount of information channels. Some of them are legit, some of them are not. But overall, most people don’t really apply critical thinking when consuming information. One interesting proof is this study showing that most of us can’t spot fake news from real information.

That’s why I’ve always been wary of people who disregard experience in favor of information. Yes, I said information, because there’s a difference between education and information. Education is power, yes, but education implies rational, critical thinking.

It requires you to question what you are reading, hearing, discussing, and apply it to your own experience. It implies being able to change your mind if the reality clashes with what you’ve been taught, shown or told.

Like today’s stoic meditation states, theories are always clean and simple, black or white. Situations always move in shades of gray.

And in Project Management Terms, thusly:



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