The ancient Roman Stoics were keen on freedom. There are as many definitions of that word as there are people on the planet, but, in this context, I will use it to simply mean not letting your mind be under anyone else’s control. You may be reading this, thinking that […]
When I was 17 or 18 years old, one day I sat down and drew a line on a piece of paper. I don’t remember why I did so, but it turned out to be a special moment. At the beginning of the line was a dot, with another about […]
Being focused on reason, the ancient Roman Stoics exhort us to rely upon it greatly, for if we don’t, we are mere animals; it is because of reason that we have risen above all other species on the planet in terms of dominance. (Although, I think I can honestly state, […]
I never had much use for the word “duty.” It implies an expectation imposed by a higher authority. Doing something because someone told me to do so did not fly once I realized I could think for myself. Whether it is true or not, “duty” to me at least implies […]
After a several year absence, I recently returned to the realm of Twitter. Although it continues to be a vast ocean of vitriol, ego, and incomplete thoughts, I also find that it can be used for good. Being that the platform takes kindly to the realm of Felis catus, I […]
A friend once asked me, “With all the years you’ve studied the mind and its functions, why have you not written a book? Especially since you love to write?” I could have given him a dozen different answers, but what instantly issued from my mouth was, “You’re supposed to write […]
Blame no one. If you can, correct the offender; if you can’t, correct his offense; and if not even that’s possible, what’s the point in looking for someone to blame? – Marcus Aurelius As I am certain happens with most couples that have been together for years, if not decades, […]
Since the time of the Roman Stoics, philosophy has generally been turned into a field inhabited solely by intellectuals that like using multi-syllabic words, writing almost incomprehensible texts that only their academic friends could understand (I’m looking at you Hegel.) Ultimately, the field became mere contrarian word games, ensuring academics […]
At time of writing one of the most popular programs on television is AMC’s The Walking Dead. With an average of over ten million viewers per episode, and no sign of its popularity abating, I found myself asking the question, “How is it that a story line, based on a […]
I once had the good fortune of being an assistant to the actor John Rhys-Davies for three days at a media event. He is perhaps best known for playing Gimli the Dwarf in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, or if you are a bit older (or geekier) you […]
