“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius These words, written by Marcus Aurelius nearly two millennia ago, cut to the core of what it means to live a good life – it isn’t what we say that defines our character, it’s what we do. Today, in a society obsessed with content, outrage, and drama, it’s easy to get lost in the echo chamber of the debate of what’s “better.” We can have endless discussions about what’s right and wrong. What’s a‘man?’ What does it mean to […]
Seneca had a rule for those who have been placed in a high position or accumulated success or power: “Bestow pardon for many things; seek pardon for none.” By that he meant that with power comes responsibility. A responsibility to be understanding and lenient with those who work for and with you, as well as a […]
Rome was filled with a number of rituals and practices that seem baffling today. They had distinct hereditary classes. Only certain classes and ages and positions could wear certain color togas or capes. These distinctions of importance and blood trickled down as far as dinner parties, in which certain guests were given better positions on […]
Epictetus reminds us: “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” He tells us that this is the “first task” of philosophy: to get rid of our preconceptions, to do away with the dogmas we have in our heads. Be humble. Be open to things you don’t know, or things […]