Talk To The Dead

 

The Stoic writer Ryan Holiday tells a story about Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism. Zeno once asked the Oracle at Delphi how to live the best life. Her reply was cryptic: “Talk to the dead.”

Years later, Zeno came to understand what she meant. He encountered a book about Socrates, and through its pages, he heard the voice of a thinker long gone. By reading the dead, he learned how to live, and from this encounter, Stoicism was born.

In our troubled times, we may also find it helpful to talk to the dead. We can do this by picking up their books. Through reading, we can listen to the thoughts of people who lived long before us, yet faced challenges not so different from our own. Their words still speak to us. 

Perhaps, if we are willing to listen, like Zeno, we too may learn how to live the best life.

Experts and trust

 

My friends, I was once told that I am wise because I know that I know nothing.

I have spent my life seeking out people said to be experts, hoping to learn from them. But I have often found that some do not realize the limits of their own knowledge. It's as if their confidence is mistaken for wisdom.

From this, I have learned two things:
First, we should never blindly accept what experts say.
But second, neither should we dismiss them simply because they are experts.

The wise response to an expert is questioning:
1.    What is your evidence?
2.    How was it tested?
3.    What would count against your claim?

To question expertise is not arrogance.
To refuse all expertise is.

Write it down

 

Historically I am known for not writing anything down. In fact, everything that people know about me comes from the writings of my contemporaries. With this in mind, you may find what I'm about to say to be ironic. But, here it is: Write!

We struggle with life decisions. We get frustrated with every day events. We ruminate on the past. But let me ask: is it better to keep those thoughts bouncing around in the mind, or offload them? Writing offers a means by which we can externalize thoughts and work through them in a methodical way.

Marcus Aurelius famously kept a daily journal. When we read his thoughts, we see him grappling with day-to-day issues, many of which are not too different to the issues we face in our day and age. His wisdom was to write it down... to work it all out on the page. This helps clarify thoughts and free the mind. So, my friends, despite my historic suspicion of the written word, I have come to think that setting one’s thoughts down privately -- not for display, but for examination -- can help liberate the mind.