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2 episodes with roman stoic
2 episodes with roman stoic
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"You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." - Marcus Aurelius, Roman Stoic, author of "Meditations," and former Roman Emperor Welcome! Today, we focus on the Stoic virtue of self-control. You'll be guided to see temptations and distractions as opportunities to strengthen your inner discipline. THIS WEEK'S THEME: The Stoic's Gaze Welcome to this week's meditation series: "The Stoic's Gaze: Perceiving Opportunity in All Challenges" In each episode this week, you're guided with the mental tools to transform challenges into pathways for personal growth and virtuous living, directly inspired by Stoic philosophy. Each session focuses on a core Stoic virtue and offers practical techniques to shift perspective and find hidden opportunities within adversity. The series begins by establishing the foundational Stoic understanding that external events are largely outside your control, but your responses and interpretations are entirely within your power. It emphasizes that challenges, rather than being mere obstacles, are opportunities to practice and strengthen Stoic virtues like kindness, patience, resilience, wisdom, courage, and self-control. Each meditation session will guide you through a process of reframing your perception of challenging situations. You're invited to observe your initial emotional reactions without judgment, and then intentionally shift your focus to the potential for growth and virtue. The guided meditations will incorporate visualizations, affirmations, and contemplative practices that embody Stoic principles. YOUR MEDITATION JOURNEY DURING THIS WEEK'S SERIES This is episode 5 of a 7-day meditation series titled, "The Stoic's Gaze: Finding Opportunity Everyday" episodes 3283-3289. THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE: Opportunity Seeker Quest Identify a situation that typically tests your patience and find a creative way to practice patience within it. THIS WEEK'S MEDITATION TECHNIQUES: Day 1: Become aware of the energy you give to your thoughts. Day 2: Affirmation, "There's an opportunity in every challenge." Day 3: STOIC ANCHOR BREATH Inhale: visualize your greatest strength. Exhale: visualize the qualities of your greatest strength circulating throughout your body. Day 4: Kubera mudra for a positive attitude Day 5: 2nd chakra for opportunity Day 6: Layer Meditation Techniques Day 7: Reflection + Introspection SHARE YOUR MEDITATION JOURNEY WITH YOUR FELLOW MEDITATORS Let's connect and inspire each other! Please share a little about how meditation has helped you by reaching out to me at Mary@SipandOm.com or better yet -- direct message me at https://www.instagram.com/sip.and.om. We'd love to hear about your meditation ritual! SUBSCRIBE, LEAVE A REVIEW + TAKE OUR SURVEY SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss a single episode. Consistency is the KEY to a successful meditation ritual. SHARE the podcast with someone who could use a little extra support. I'd be honored if you left me a podcast review. If you do, please email me at Mary@sipandom.com and let me know a little about yourself and how meditation has helped you. I'd love to share your journey to inspire fellow meditators on the podcast! SURVEY: Help us get to know more about how best to serve you by taking our demographics survey: https://survey.libsyn.com/thedailymeditationpodcast FOR DAILY EXTRA SUPPORT OUTSIDE THE PODCAST Each day's meditation techniques posted at: sip.and.om Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sip.and.om/ sip and om Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SipandOm/ A DIFFERENT MEDITATION TECHNIQUE EVERY DAY FOCUSED ON A WEEKLY THEME: Get ready for an exciting journey with a new meditation technique daily, perfectly tailored to the week's theme! Infuse these powerful practices into the most stressful moments of your day to master difficult emotions. These dynamic techniques will help you tame the "monkey mind," keeping your thoughts from interrupting your meditation and bringing peace and focus to your life. FREE TOOLS: For free meditation tools to help you meditate please head over to my website at www.SipandOm.com, and there you'll find free resources to help you on your Meditation Journey. Enjoy access to more than 3,000 guided meditations without ads on the Sip and Om app. Try it for 7 days of free access to the full app! Listen on iTunes for 1-Week Free! https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sip-and-om/id1216664612?platform=iphone&preserveScrollPosition=true#platform/iphone 1-week Free Access to the Android app! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sipandom.sipandom ***All meditations are Mary Meckley's original copyrighted content unless otherwise stated, and may not be shared without her written permission. RESOURCES Music composed by Christopher Lloyd Clark licensed by RoyaltyFreeMusic.com, and also by musician Greg Keller. I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU I'd love your feedback! Please let me know how you're enjoying the meditations by leaving me a review on iTunes. **All of the information shared on this podcast is for your enjoyment only. Please don't consider the meditation techniques, herbal tea information, or other information shared by Mary Meckley or any of her guests as a replacement for any medical or psychological treatment. That being said, please enjoy any peace, energy, or clarity you may experience as you meditate.
POST- PDF- https://erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/KING-OF-THE-STREETS-2.pdf # KING OF THE STREETS Recently, I embarked on an adventure with Seneca, my son. We visited the central library in downtown LA, a magnificent place. If you drive to downtown LA, park at the central public library, and with a valid Los Angeles public library card, parking costs just one dollar with validation for two or three hours at the information desk. We explored downtown LA, including the Apple Theater (with great public bathrooms in the Apple Store on the bottom level). We walked by my old haunts on Hope Street and Broadway in front of ilcafe. We tried to visit Santee Alley in the fashion district, but it was too hot, and another event was happening at the library, so we decided to visit next time. During our walk, I captured a street photo I was proud of—a tattooed man smoking a cigarette in front of a muscle car. I put down Seneca for a moment, grabbed my camera, took a few shots, and continued our walk. While on Broadway, I saw a group of street photographers with Fujifilm X100 cameras and a film Hasselblad X panoramic camera. One of them might have even taken a photo of me and Seneca. I felt a sense of pride seeing street photography alive and well, knowing that I had contributed to its popularity through my blog, work, YouTube videos, and e-books. ## The Death of Slim Shady A fellow rap and hip-hop enthusiast told me that Eminem released a new album. I was impressed by Eminem's longevity in the music industry. The greatest of all time (GOAT) is the most durable of all time, the one whose name will live on the longest. At a public library event near the Otis School of Design, I met a man who recognized Seneca's name from the Roman Stoic philosopher. It reminded me that names last. Choosing a meaningful name for your child can be significant, like naming them after someone who had a major impact on your life. ## The Path Forward Perpetually restarting with a fresh slate is essential. Don't be constrained by your past self or old styles. In photography and life, evolve and try new things. Seeing artists who never change their style becomes boring. Aim to evolve like a Pokémon, from Charmander to Charmeleon to Charizard, or from Magikarp to Gyarados. ## Random Pokémon Thoughts If you're born around 1988, you probably played or watched Pokémon. Today's kids still know what Pokémon is. Thinking of yourself as a high-level Snorlax can help you ignore annoying behaviors. Asking someone about their favorite or spirit Pokémon reveals a lot about their personality. ## Being the Number One Person in Your Niche It's better to be number one in a small, specific niche than to be number two or three in a broader field. For example, in photography, focusing on street photography rather than general photography helped me find my place. ## The Planet is Big Enough With over 8 billion people, even a small niche can have a significant impact. In photography, although many have iPhones, the community of dedicated photographers is still relatively small. Being part of a small, exclusive club is desirable. ## Pick a Fight Inspired by a scene in Fight Club, sometimes it's beneficial to stand up for yourself and make a fuss. If you suspect someone is trying to bully or disrespect you, react strongly. This applies to various situations, such as when employees treat you poorly based on appearances. ## Vanity Objects Despite not using my film Leica MP camera for years, it's a valuable vanity object I plan to pass down to Seneca. Film Leica cameras, like the MP or MA, might be the only cameras that can last 300 years. In contrast, digital Leica cameras are more vanity objects today. ## Bitcoin and Street Photography In the modern era, making money from art through traditional methods like selling prints is outdated. Instead, invest in Bitcoin.
In today's episode, I explored the question of whether women should engage in the study of philosophy, particularly Stoicism, through the lens of Musonius Rufus, a Roman Stoic philosopher. Musonius was asked if daughters should receive the same education as sons, and his response is profoundly relevant today, especially in discussions about gender roles in philosophy. Stoicism, often perceived as a male-dominated philosophy, asserts that Virtue – the knowledge of how to live excellently – is attainable by anyone, regardless of gender. This principle is rooted in the belief that both men and women possess the same rational faculty – a brain capable of learning and understanding. The slight physical variations between genders do not impede the ability to acquire knowledge, including Virtue. Just as men and women can learn skills like math or carpentry, both can equally learn and practice Virtue. Musonius, whose teachings have been passed down over centuries, believed firmly in the equality of men and women in their capability and inclination toward Virtue. According to him, both genders have been endowed with reason by the gods, share the same senses, and have similar body parts. More crucially, both have a natural tendency toward virtue and are equally capable of distinguishing good from bad. He argued that if both men and women are naturally inclined to virtue and capable of discerning right from wrong, there's no logical reason why the study of philosophy – the pursuit of a good life – should be exclusive to men. If it's fitting for men to be good, it's equally fitting for women. Musonius went further to describe qualities that are ideal for a woman leading a good life, suggesting that these are best nurtured through the study of philosophy. He contended that a woman versed in philosophy would be a better housekeeper, a prudent manager of household affairs, chaste, self-controlled, not given to excessive grief or uncontrolled emotion, and a just and courageous individual. These teachings of philosophy, he argued, are universal and apply equally to men and women. Addressing concerns that women engaging in philosophy might become arrogant or neglectful of their duties, Musonius emphasized that philosophy should be a practical guide to life. He compared it to medicine, which is valuable only if it contributes to the health of the body. Similarly, philosophy is meaningful if it leads to the betterment of the soul. The overarching point Musonius made was that everyone, regardless of gender, should fulfill their duties and roles virtuously. His views, though rooted in the gender norms of his time, transcend these to focus on the universal human duty to care for our circles of concern, control desires, maintain emotional stability, and act courageously. In conclusion, Musonius Rufus, a thinker ahead of his time, affirmed that the pursuit of Stoic Virtue is not confined by gender. His teachings remind us that the path to sagehood and the practice of Virtue are open to all, encouraging a more inclusive understanding of Stoicism that resonates with contemporary perspectives on gender equality in the pursuit of philosophical knowledge. -- Become a Patron : https://stoicismpod.com/members Visit the store : https://store.stoicismpod.com Check out Neurohacker : https://neurohacker.com/practical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode talks about Vell's relationship with his grandmother and how it has shaped how he shows up for women. The Good Read for this episode is On the Shortness of Life by Seneca On the Shortness of Life" is a philosophical essay by Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca. In this timeless work, Seneca explores the theme of the brevity of life and the need to make the most of our time. He criticizes people for squandering their time on trivial pursuits and emphasizes the importance of focusing on meaningful and virtuous activities. Seneca advocates for a life of purpose, mindfulness, and the pursuit of wisdom. The essay encourages readers to reflect on their priorities, make conscious choices, and live a life in alignment with their values. Ultimately, Seneca's work is a profound reminder to appreciate life's fleeting nature and make the most of our time. What's Popping in Vell's World consists of seasonal depression, the inaugural NBA in-season tournament, and Puff Daddy/P. Diddy/ Love's sexual assault allegations, more. Follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @VellsWorldPodcast Email vellsworldpodcast@ldmonger.com with any comments, questions, or concerns you want to mention in our upcoming episodes. To sponsor an episode, send us an email. Don't forget to subscribe, tell a friend, and follow on all social media platforms. You can leave a voice message and become a monetary supporter for as little as .99 cents on the anchor.fm. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/vellsworldpodcast/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/vellsworldpodcast/support
What if Seneca, the great Roman Stoic philosopher, suddenly appeared in modern times? He'd be horrified by our constant distractions and time-wasting on pointless status symbols and luxury goods. In this psychology and self-improvement podcast,, learn Seneca's profound and practical wisdom on overcoming fear, not postponing happiness, using time wisely in pursuit of wisdom, and truly living rather than merely existing. Discover ancient life lessons on what matters when your days are limited.- - -On the growth mindset podcast with Sam Webster Harris, we explore the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create.Through a process of honest self-reflection of what is holding us back and what is driving us forward, we can lose the ego and build awareness of how to be the best we can be.- - -Connect with Sam:Sam's newsletter on creativity - Explosive ThinkingWatch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset)Twitter - @samjamharrisInstagram - @SamJam.zenYoutube - @Samjam- - -Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvementEpisode: Live Before You DieChapters:00:00 Seneca's quote on fearing death yet craving immortality01:08 How Fear and Desire limits growth and potential04:35 The Shortness of Life07:27 Increasing Distractions around us10:56 Lessons on Chasing Leisure, Luxury, Legacy 12:16 Leisure: You Should Not Postpone Happiness12:59 Luxury14:59 Legacy16:49 Living Fully Through Wisdom18:04 Gaining Knowledge from other people20:30 Parallels of Stoicism and Buddhism 22:46 Podcast Hosts' Ratings for the book - On The Shortness of Life22:46 Send OffRelevant keywords Growth MindsetSelf-improvementSenecaStoicismPhilosophy Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/growth-mindset-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode delves into the wisdom of Seneca, a Roman Stoic philosopher, who challenges perceptions about life's brevity and encourages living fully in the present. Source: https://philosophybreak.com/articles/seneca-on-coping-with-the-shortness-of-life/
What habits do you have? What are the things that you do automatically, on a regular basis? When we talk about habits, often the first place we think of is at bad habits we have – smoking, doomscrolling social media, staying up too late. But today, I want to talk about good habits. Epictetus, a Roman Stoic philosopher, wrote that “if you want to do something, make a habit of it.” So what are the habits that we want? What are the things we want to do, and how can we make those things habitual in our creative lives? Today, let's figure that out together. Let's look at the making of a habit. In this episode, you will learn: How to determine what habits will help you in your creative work and in the "business" side of your business. Why starting small matters when you are figuring out what new habits you want and where you will start. How to use a four-step process to successfully create new habits that you'll actually be able to stick with. Why knowing what will "trigger" your habit to happen is important. What "habit stacking" is and how to use it. What fun has to do with habits. Why Supportive Habits can help you be your best artistic self. In this episode, I reference this article from Daily Stoic, and I reference the book The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. A full transcript of this episode can be found here. Full transcripts of every episode will always be available at the Starving Artist No More Blog. Thank you for listening. Please feel free to reach out to me at www.StarvingArtistNoMore.com, with any questions, comments, or feedback. I'd love to hear from you.
Our second episode on this tough passage. Here, we focus on Cato and Marcia, two big problems in the text. Why and how is Cato redeemed? Or is he? And how does Marcia pray for him from Limbo?In the end, love moves the fence. But not without costs. Not without hairline fractures in Dante's COMEDY. Because moving the fence is always costly. But necessary.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:37] My English translation of PURGATORIO, Canto I, Lines 49 - 84. If you'd like to read along, print it off, or drop a comment, please go to my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:09] The gatekeeper of Purgatory is Cato the Younger, a Roman Stoic pagan suicide.[06:07] How do we know this is Cato when Dante never names him? Because of references to Lucan's PHARSALIA and Dante's CONVIVIO.[08:28] Why doesn't Dante the poet name Cato?[09:37] Who is Marcia, Cato's wife?[12:11] Is Marcia truly praying for Cato from Limbo? Four possible answers.[16:24] Is Cato truly redeemed? Many commentators quibble or just say "no."[18:53] What does it mean that Cato is redeemed? Motive begins to count as much as action.[22:19] Augustine's CONFESSIONS may be a structuring device for PURGATORIO: Stoicism, Platonism, Christianity.[27:59] Cato's place in PURGATORIO heightens Virgil's tragedy and brings hairline fractures to the very structure of COMEDY.
Today we bring you the last part of Vol. I of “Moral Letters to Lucilius” or “Letters from a Stoic” by Seneca - in an audiobook/videobook with relaxing music, visuals, and captions to help you stay engaged. Letters from a Stoic playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6wZrAjRwk7cuolfm0Dfs0J1AkvoChWFd And don't forget to like and subscribe for more Chillbooks videobooks! #audiobook #philosophy #stoic #lofi About Seneca Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger, usually known as Seneca, was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and, in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature. (Wikipedia) About Moral Letters to Lucillius / Letters from a Stoic "Moral Letters to Lucilius", also known as the Moral Epistles and Letters from a Stoic, is a collection of 124 letters that Seneca the Younger wrote during his retirement, after he had worked for the Emperor Nero for more than ten years. Genre(s): Classics (Roman & Latin Antiquity), Philosophy, Stoicism Language: English Chapter List 00:00 Part 7 of Letters from a Stoic by Seneca 00:12 Letter 53: On the Faults of the Spirit 07:52 Letter 54: On Asthma and Death 12:22 Letter 55: On Vatia's Villa 20:06 Letter 56: On Quiet and Study 29:21 Letter 57: On the Trials of Travel 34:29 Letter 58: On Being 58:37 Letter 59: On Pleasure and Joy 1:11:35 Letter 60: On Harmful Prayers 1:14:13 Letter 61: On Meeting Death Cheerfully 1:16:36 Letter 62: On Good Company 1:18:34 Letter 63: On Grief for Lost Friends 1:27:43 Letter 64: On the Philosopher's Task 1:33:31 Letter 65: On the First Cause Make sure you leave a comment if you enjoy the content --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chillbooks/support
Today we bring you letters 40 to 52 from “Moral Letters to Lucilius” or “Letters from a Stoic” by Seneca - in an audiobook/videobook with relaxing music, visuals, and captions to help you stay engaged. Letters from a Stoic playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6wZrAjRwk7cuolfm0Dfs0J1AkvoChWFd And don't forget to like and subscribe for more Chillbooks videobooks! #audiobook #philosophy #stoic #lofi About Seneca Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger, usually known as Seneca, was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and, in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature. (Wikipedia) About Moral Letters to Lucillius / Letters from a Stoic "Moral Letters to Lucilius", also known as the Moral Epistles and Letters from a Stoic, is a collection of 124 letters that Seneca the Younger wrote during his retirement, after he had worked for the Emperor Nero for more than ten years. Genre(s): Classics (Roman & Latin Antiquity), Philosophy, Stoicism Language: English Chapter List 00:00 Part 6 of Letters from a Stoic by Seneca 00:14 Letter 40: On the Proper Style for a Philosopher's 09:10 Letter 41: On the God within Us 15:23 Letter 42: On Values 21:20 Letter 43: On the Relativity of Fame 23:47 Letter 44: On Philosophy and Pedigrees 28:14 Letter 45: On Sophistical Argumentation 36:38 Letter 46: On a New Book by Lucilius 38:55 Letter 47: On Master and Slave 51:17 Letter 48: On Quibbling as Unworthy of the Philosopher 59:33 Letter 49: On the Shortness of Life 1:08:01 Letter 50: On our Blindness and its Cure 1:13:45 Letter 51: On Baiae and Morals 1:21:56 Letter 52: On Choosing our Teachers Make sure you leave a comment if you enjoy the content --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chillbooks/support
Two beautiful, sleepy letters from the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca to his friend Lucilius. When you join my free newsletter, every month I'll send you a story about something I've learned living here on the mountain along with some tips to help you get a better night's sleep and a little more peace during the day. You'll also get a free sleepy audiobook and a relaxing 30 minute recording of the creek behind my cabin when you join. Just go to https://www.listentosleep.com/blog/category/newsletter/. If the podcast helps you sleep, would you consider supporting it with $3 a month? You'll get two weekly episodes a day earlier with no ads or introductions and an immediate download of the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland audiobook. For another $2 a month, you'll get an extra story every week that's just for supporters. You can join or find more information at https://www.listentosleep.com/support/. You can also leave a tip or buy a shareable audiobook of the longer books I read on Listen To Sleep Plus. It's a great way to support the podcast and get some extra bedtime stories without a monthly subscription. Each one is available to own for just $5.50 as chapterized mp3s that will play on any MP3 player. You can find them at https://www.listentosleep.com/store. You can read these letters by downloading them for free at https://tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/taoofseneca_vol1-1.pdf Sleep well.
Today we bring you letters 29 to 39 from “Moral Letters to Lucilius” or “Letters from a Stoic” by Seneca - in an audiobook/videobook with relaxing music, visuals, and captions to help you stay engaged. Letters from a Stoic playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6wZrAjRwk7cuolfm0Dfs0J1AkvoChWFd And don't forget to like and subscribe for more Chillbooks videobooks! #audiobook #philosophy #stoic #lofi About Seneca ---------------------------------- Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger, usually known as Seneca, was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and, in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature. (Wikipedia) About Moral Letters to Lucillius / Letters from a Stoic ---------------------------------- "Moral Letters to Lucilius", also known as the Moral Epistles and Letters from a Stoic, is a collection of 124 letters that Seneca the Younger wrote during his retirement, after he had worked for the Emperor Nero for more than ten years. Genre(s): Classics (Roman & Latin Antiquity), Philosophy, Stoicism Language: English Chapter List ---------------------------------- 00:00 Letters from a Stoic by Seneca 00:12 Letter 29: On the critical condition of Marcellinus 06:14 Letter 30: On conquering the conqueror 14:51 Letter 31: On siren songs 20:47 Letter 32: On progress 23:31 Letter 33: On the futility of learning maxims 29:29 Letter 34: On a promising pupil 31:09 Letter 35: On the friendship of kindred minds 33:26 Letter 36: On the value of retirement 39:26 Letter 37: On allegiance to virtue 41:49 Letter 38: On quiet conversation 43:18 Letter 39: On noble aspirations - Do you like Chillbooks audiobooks? Let us know in the comments! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chillbooks/support
Today we bring you letters 22 to 28 from “Moral Letters to Lucilius” or “Letters from a Stoic” by Seneca - in an audiobook/videobook with relaxing music, visuals, and captions to help you stay engaged. Letters 1 to 7: https://youtu.be/BoziWV8bwto Letters 8 to 14: https://youtu.be/L-QJRcfn_bw Letters 15 to 21: https://youtu.be/PJ2C1pt8MQI And don't forget to like and subscribe for more Chillbooks videobooks! #audiobook #philosophy #stoic #lofi
Today we bring you letters 15 to 21 from “Moral Letters to Lucilius” or “Letters from a Stoic” by Seneca - in an audiobook/videobook with relaxing music, visuals, and captions to help you stay engaged. Letters 1 to 7: https://youtu.be/BoziWV8bwto Letters 8 to 14: https://youtu.be/L-QJRcfn_bw And don't forget to like and subscribe for more Chillbooks videobooks! #audiobook #philosophy #stoic #lofi
Today we bring you letters 8 to 14 from “Moral Letters to Lucilius” or “Letters from a Stoic” by Seneca - in an audiobook/videobook with relaxing music, visuals, and captions to help you stay engaged. For letters 1 to 7: https://youtu.be/BoziWV8bwto And don't forget to like and subscribe for more Chillbooks videobooks! #audiobook #philosophy #stoic #lofi
Today we bring you “Of A Happy life - De Vita Beata“ from “The Dialogues of Seneca'' - this book features a collection of quotes in audiobook format with relaxing music, visuals, and subtitles to help you stay engaged. And don't forget to like and subscribe for more Chillbooks!
Today we bring you letters 1 to 7 from “Moral Letters to Lucilius” or “Letters from a Stoic” by Seneca - in an audiobook/videobook with relaxing music, visuals, and captions to help you stay engaged. And don't forget to like and subscribe for more Chillbooks videobooks! #audiobook #philosophy #stoic
This episode comes out for free on 10/23/22. Today's episode features two sections from the lesser known Musonius Rufus Stoic Fragments: That Man Is Born With An Inclination Toward Virtue and That Women Too Should Study Philosophy. Pick up a copy of That One Should Disdain Hardships: The Teachings of a Roman Stoic by Musonius Rufus at the Painted Porch Bookshop.✉️ Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail
Two beautiful, sleepy letters from the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca to his friend Lucilius. When you join my free newsletter, every month I'll send you a story about something I've learned living here on the mountain along with some tips to help you get a better night's sleep and a little more peace during the day. You'll also get a free sleepy audiobook and a relaxing 30 minute recording of the creek behind my cabin when you join. Just go to https://www.listentosleep.com/blog/category/newsletter/. If the podcast helps you sleep, would you consider supporting it with $3 a month? You'll get two weekly episodes a day earlier with no ads or introductions and an immediate download of the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland audiobook. For another $2 a month, you'll get an extra story every week that's just for supporters. You can join or find more information at https://www.listentosleep.com/support/. You can also leave a tip or buy a shareable audiobook of the longer books I read on Listen To Sleep Plus. It's a great way to support the podcast and get some extra bedtime stories without a monthly subscription. Each one is available to own for just $5.50 as chapterized mp3s that will play on any MP3 player. You can find them at https://www.listentosleep.com/store. You can read these letter by downloading them for free at https://tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/taoofseneca_vol1-1.pdf Sleep well.
For us busy and practical folks who live lives in the real world, there is one branch of philosophy created for all of us: Stoicism. As defined by DailyStoic.com, it's a philosophy designed to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuous and more wise–and as a result, better people, better parents and better professionals. It has been practiced by Kings, presidents, artists, writers and entrepreneurs.To this day, lessons from this philosophy help people from the mundane to the most complex of human challenges. In this episode, we find calm from quotes from the Roman Stoic philosopher, Seneca. Originally aired November 2021. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/find-your-daily-calm/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Much of what we think and feel is being subconsciously shaped by social media platforms cementing beliefs and perspectives. Emotions are an involuntary initial response to external stimuli by the brain's limbic system as part of our evolutionary survival system. The ancient Greek and Roman Stoic philosophers were well aware of this human trait. So, they developed a philosophy of life that maximizes positive emotions, reducing negative emotions, and honing virtues of character. The Stoics believed that the way in which you respond to the world is your responsibility. They propose that most of the time your response to any given situation is a choice. At any moment you have the ability to choose one response over another. Wisdom was seen as living in harmony with the divine Reason of that which governs nature. They trained the mind to remain calm amid the vicissitudes of life and fortune. More information: www.reinogevers.com Books: Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul Walking on Edge Social Media: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn
For us busy and practical folks who live lives in the real world, there is one branch of philosophy created for all of us: Stoicism. As defined by DailyStoic.com, it's a philosophy designed to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuous and more wise–and as a result, better people, better parents and better professionals. It has been practiced by Kings, presidents, artists, writers and entrepreneurs.To this day, lessons from this philosophy help people from the mundane to the most complex of human challenges. In this episode, we find calm from quotes from the Roman Stoic philosopher, Seneca.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/find-your-daily-calm/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
William B. Irvine is emeritus professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He is the author of eight books that have been translated into more than twenty languages. His A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy played a key role in the Stoic renaissance that has taken place in recent years. His subsequent The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient provides a strategy for dealing, in proper Stoic manner, with the setbacks we experience in daily living. He is currently at work on a book about thinking critically, but with an open mind, in the age of the internet."Stoicism started in 300 B.C. in Athens. Zeno of Citium was the first Stoic. He created it. He put together components of some other then existing schools of philosophy and started his own school, but what we know primarily are the Roman Stoics. So this would be in the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. in Rome. And the four big names are Marcus Aurelius (who was also an emperor), Seneca (who was also a playright and the first century equivalent of a billionaire), an interestingly complex guy, and Epictetus (who was a successful head of a school of philosophy). Fourth name (less known, but a very important Roman Stoic) is Musonius Rufus, who was actually the teacher of Epictetus. And the interesting thing is, all four of them, you can pick up and start reading them, and you will very quickly sort of say – Oh, I see what they're doing. And I see why it's relevant to my life. And I see how it can be useful to my life.”www.williambirvine.comThe Stoic Challengewww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgPhoto credit: Lyndon French
"Stoicism started in 300 B.C. in Athens. Zeno of Citium was the first Stoic. He created it. He put together components of some other then existing schools of philosophy and started his own school, but what we know primarily are the Roman Stoics. So this would be in the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. in Rome. And the four big names are Marcus Aurelius (who was also an emperor), Seneca (who was also a playright and the first century equivalent of a billionaire), an interestingly complex guy, and Epictetus (who was a successful head of a school of philosophy). Fourth name (less known, but a very important Roman Stoic) is Musonius Rufus, who was actually the teacher of Epictetus. And the interesting thing is, all four of them, you can pick up and start reading them, and you will very quickly sort of say – Oh, I see what they're doing. And I see why it's relevant to my life. And I see how it can be useful to my life.”William B. Irvine is emeritus professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He is the author of eight books that have been translated into more than twenty languages. His A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy played a key role in the Stoic renaissance that has taken place in recent years. His subsequent The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient provides a strategy for dealing, in proper Stoic manner, with the setbacks we experience in daily living. He is currently at work on a book about thinking critically, but with an open mind, in the age of the internet.www.williambirvine.comThe Stoic Challengewww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org
"Stoicism started in 300 B.C. in Athens. Zeno of Citium was the first Stoic. He created it. He put together components of some other then existing schools of philosophy and started his own school, but what we know primarily are the Roman Stoics. So this would be in the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. in Rome. And the four big names are Marcus Aurelius (who was also an emperor), Seneca (who was also a playright and the first century equivalent of a billionaire), an interestingly complex guy, and Epictetus (who was a successful head of a school of philosophy). Fourth name (less known, but a very important Roman Stoic) is Musonius Rufus, who was actually the teacher of Epictetus. And the interesting thing is, all four of them, you can pick up and start reading them, and you will very quickly sort of say – Oh, I see what they're doing. And I see why it's relevant to my life. And I see how it can be useful to my life.”William B. Irvine is emeritus professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He is the author of eight books that have been translated into more than twenty languages. His A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy played a key role in the Stoic renaissance that has taken place in recent years. His subsequent The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient provides a strategy for dealing, in proper Stoic manner, with the setbacks we experience in daily living. He is currently at work on a book about thinking critically, but with an open mind, in the age of the internet.www.williambirvine.comThe Stoic Challengewww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org
William B. Irvine is emeritus professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He is the author of eight books that have been translated into more than twenty languages. His A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy played a key role in the Stoic renaissance that has taken place in recent years. His subsequent The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient provides a strategy for dealing, in proper Stoic manner, with the setbacks we experience in daily living. He is currently at work on a book about thinking critically, but with an open mind, in the age of the internet."Stoicism started in 300 B.C. in Athens. Zeno of Citium was the first Stoic. He created it. He put together components of some other then existing schools of philosophy and started his own school, but what we know primarily are the Roman Stoics. So this would be in the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. in Rome. And the four big names are Marcus Aurelius (who was also an emperor), Seneca (who was also a playright and the first century equivalent of a billionaire), an interestingly complex guy, and Epictetus (who was a successful head of a school of philosophy). Fourth name (less known, but a very important Roman Stoic) is Musonius Rufus, who was actually the teacher of Epictetus. And the interesting thing is, all four of them, you can pick up and start reading them, and you will very quickly sort of say – Oh, I see what they're doing. And I see why it's relevant to my life. And I see how it can be useful to my life.”www.williambirvine.comThe Stoic Challengewww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgPhoto credit: Lyndon French
What if the Roman Empire had experienced an Industrial Revolution? That's the compelling hook of Helen Dale's two-part novel, Kingdom of the Wicked: Rules and Order. Drawing on economics and legal history, Helen's story follows the arrest and trial of charismatic holy man Yeshua Ben Yusuf in the first century — but one with television, flying machines, cars, and genetic modification.In this episode of Faster, Please! — The Podcast, I dive into the fascinating world-building of Kingdom of the Wicked with Helen. Below is an edited transcript of our conversation.James Pethokoukis: Your Kingdom of the Wicked books raise such an interesting question: What would have happened if Jesus had emerged in a Roman Empire that had gone through an industrial revolution? What led you to ask this question and to pursue that answer through these books?Helen Dale: There is an essay in the back of book one, which is basically a set of notes about what I brought to the book when I was thinking. And that has been published elsewhere by the Cato Institute. I go into these questions. But the main one, the one that really occurred to me, was that I thought, what would happen if Jesus emerged in a modern society now, rather than the historic society he emerged in? I didn't think it would turn into something hippy-dippy like Jesus of Montreal. I thought it would turn into Waco or to the Peoples Temple.And that wasn't necessarily a function of the leader of the group being a bad person. Clearly Jim Jones was a very bad person, but the Waco story is actually much more complex and much messier and involves a militarized police force and tanks attacking the buildings and all of this kind of thing. But whatever happened with it, it was going to go badly and it was going to end in violence and there would be a showdown and a confrontation. And it would also take on, I thought — I didn't say this in the essay, but I thought at the time — it would take on a very American cast, because that is the way new religious movements tend to blow up or collapse in the United States.And so I was thinking this idea, through my head, “I would like to do a retelling of the Jesus story, but how do I do it? So it doesn't become naff and doesn't work?” And so what I decided to do was rather than bring Jesus forward and put him now, I would put us back to the time of Jesus — but take our technology and our knowledge, but always mediated by the fact that Roman civilization was different from modern civilization. Not in the sense of, you know, human beings have changed, all that kind of thing. We're all still the same primates that we have been for a couple of hundred thousand years or even longer. But in the sense that their underlying moral values and beliefs about the way the world should work were different, which I thought would have technological effects. The big technological effect in Kingdom of the Wicked is they're much better at the biosciences and the animal sciences. They're much weaker at communications. Our society has put all its effort into [communication]. Their society is much more likely to put it into medicine.To give you an idea: the use of opioids to relieve the pain of childbirth is Roman. And it was rediscovered by James Young Simpson at The University of Edinburgh. And he very famously used the formula of one of the Roman medical writers. So I made a very deliberate decision: This is a society that has not pursued technological advancement in the same way as us. It's also why their motor vehicles look like the Soviet-era ones with rotary engines. It's why their big aircraft are kind of like Antonovs, the big Ukrainian aircraft that we've all been reading about since the war has started in Ukraine. So, in some respects, there are bits of their culture that look more Soviet, or at least Britain in the 1950s. You know, sort of Clement Attlee's quite centralized, postwar settlement: health service, public good, kind of Soviet-style. Soft Soviet; it's not the nasty Stalinist sort, but like late-Soviet, so kind of Brezhnev and the last part of Khrushchev. A few people did say that. They were like, “Your military parades, they look like the Soviet Union.” Yes. That was deliberate. The effort has gone to medicine.It's an amazing bit of world-building. I was sort of astonished by the depth and the scale of it. Is this a genre that you had an interest in previously? Are there other works that you took inspiration from?There's a particular writer of speculative fiction I admire greatly. His name is S.M. Stirling, and he wrote a series of books. I haven't read every book he wrote, but he wrote a series of books called the Draka series. And it's speculative fiction. Once again, based on a point of departure where the colonists who finished up in South Africa finished up using the resources of South Africa, but for a range of reasons he sets out very carefully in his books, they avoid the resource curse, the classic economist's resource curse. And so certainly in terms of a popular writer, he was the one that I read and thought, “If I can do this as well as him, I will be very pleased.”I probably didn't read as much science fiction as most people would in high school, unless it was a literary author like Margaret Atwood or George Orwell. I just find bad writing rebarbative, and a lot of science fiction struggles with bad writing. So this is the problem, of course, that Douglas Adams famously identified. And one of the reasons why he wrote the Hitchhiker's books was to show that you could combine science fiction with good writing.In all good works of speculative fiction of the alt-history variant, there's an interesting jumping-off point. I would imagine you had a real “Eureka!” moment when you figured out what your jumping-off point would be to make this all plausible. Tell me about that.Well, yes. I did. Once I realized that points of departure hugely mattered, I then went and read people like Philip K. Dick's Man in the High Castle. The point of departure for him is the assassination of Roosevelt. I went and read SS-GB [by] Len Deighton, a great British spycraft writer but also a writer of speculative fiction. And in that case, Britain loses the Battle of Britain and Operation Sea Lion, the putative land invasion of the UK, is successful. And I really started to think about this and I'm going, "Okay, how are you going to do this point of departure? And how are you going to deal with certain economic issues?"I'm not an economist, but I used to practice in corporate finance so I've got the sort of numerical appreciation for economics. I can read an economics paper that's very math heavy because that's my skill based on working in corporate finance. And I knew, from corporate finance and from corporate law, that there are certain things that you just can't do, you can't achieve in terms of economic progress, unless you abolish slavery, basically. Very, very basic stuff like human labor power never loses its comparative advantage if you have just a market flooded with slaves. So you can have lots of good science technology, and an excellent legal system like the Romans did. And they reached that point economists talk about of takeoff, and it just never happens. Just, they miss. It doesn't quite happen.And in a number of civilizations, this has happened. It's happened with the Song dynasty in China. Steve Davies has written a lot about the Song dynasty, and they went through the same thing. They just get to that takeoff point and then just … fizzled out. And in China, it was to do with serfdom, basically. These are things that are very destructive to economic progress. So you have to come up with a society that decides that slavery is really shitty. And the only way to do that is for them to get hooked on the idea of using a substitute for human labor power. And that means I have to push technological innovation back to the middle republic.So what I've done for my point of departure is at the Siege of Syracuse [in 213-212 B.C.]. I have Archimedes surviving instead of being killed. He was actually doing mathematical doodles outside his classroom, according to the various records of Roman writers, and he was killed by some rampaging Roman soldier. And basically Marcellus, the general, had been told to capture Archimedes and all his students and all their kids. So you can see Operation Paperclip in the Roman mind. You can see the thinking: “Oh no, we want this fellow to be our DARPA guy.” That's just a brilliant leap. I love that.And that is the beginning of the point of departure. So you have the Romans hauling all these clever Greek scientists and their families off and taking them to Rome and basically doing a Roman version of DARPA. You know, Operation Paperclip, DARPA. You know, “Do all the science, and have complete freedom to do all the…” — because the Romans would've let them do it. I mean, this is the thing. The Romans are your classic “cashed up bogans,” as Australians call it. They had lots of money. They were willing to throw money at things like this and then really run with it.You really needed both. As you write at one point, you needed to create a kind of a “machine culture.” You sort of needed the science and innovation, but also the getting rid of slavery part of it. They really both work hand in hand.Yes. These two have to go together. I got commissioned to write a few articles in the British press, where I didn't get to mention the name of Kingdom of the Wicked or any of my novels or research for this, but where people were trying to argue that the British Empire made an enormous amount of money out of slavery. And then, as a subsidiary argument, trying to argue that that led to industrialization in the UK. … [So] I wrote a number of articles in the press just like going through why this was actually impossible. And I didn't use any fancy economic terminology or anything like that. There's just no point in it. But just explaining that, “No, no, no. This doesn't work like that. You might get individually wealthy people, like Crassus, who made a lot of his money from slavery.” (Although he also made a lot from insurance because he set up private fire brigades. That was one of the things that Crassus did: insurance premiums, because that's a Roman law invention, the concept of insurance.) And you get one of the Islamic leaders in Mali, King Musa. Same thing, slaves. And people try to argue that the entirety of their country's wealth depended on slavery. But what you get is you get individually very wealthy people, but you don't get any propagation of the wealth through the wider society, which is what industrialization produced in Britain and the Netherlands and then in Germany and then in America and elsewhere.So, yes, I had to work in the machine culture with the abolition of slavery. And the machines had to come first. If I did the abolition of slavery first, there was nothing there to feed it. One of the things that helped Britain was Somerset's case (and in Scotland, Knight and Wedderburn) saying, “The air of the air of England is too pure for a slave to breathe.” You know, that kind of thinking. But that was what I realized: It was the slavery issue. I couldn't solve the slavery issue unless I took the technological development back earlier than the period when the Roman Republic was flooded with slaves.The George Mason University economist Mark Koyama said if you had taken Adam Smith and brought him back to Rome, a lot of it would've seemed very recognizable, like a commercial, trading society. So I would assume that element was also pretty important in that world-building. You had something to work with there.Yes. I'd read some Stoic stuff because I did a classics degree, so of course that means you have to be able to read in Latin. But I'd never really taken that much of an interest in it. My interest tended to be in the literature: Virgil and Apuleius and the people who wrote novels. And then the interest in law, I always had an advantage, particularly as a Scots lawyer because Scotland is a mixed system, that I could read all the Roman sources that they were drawing on in the original. It made me a better practitioner. But my first introduction to thinking seriously about stoicism and how it relates to commerce and thinking that commerce can actually be a good and honorable thing to do is actually in Adam Smith. Not in The Wealth of Nations, but in Moral Sentiments, where Adam Smith actually goes through and quotes a lot of the Roman Stoic writers — Musonius Rufus and Epictetus and people like that — where they talk about how it's possible to have something that's quite base, which is being greedy and wanting to have a lot of money, but realizing that in order to get your lot of money or to do really well for yourself, you actually have to be quite a decent person and not a s**t.And there were certain things that the Romans had applied this thinking to, like the samian with that beautiful red ceramic that you see, and it's uniform all through the Roman Empire because they were manufacturing it on a factory basis. And when you come across the factories, they look like these long, narrow buildings with high, well-lit windows. And you're just sort of sitting there going, “My goodness, somebody dumped Manchester in Italy.” This kind of thing. And so my introduction to that kind of Stoic thinking was actually via Adam Smith. And then I went back and read the material in the original and realized where Adam Smith was getting those arguments from. And that's when I thought, “Ah, right. Okay, now I've got my abolitionists.”This is, in large part, a book about law. So you had to create a believable legal system that did not exist, unlike, perhaps, the commercial nature of Rome. So how did you begin to work this from the ground up?All the substantive law used in the book is Roman, written by actual Roman jurists. But to be fair, this is not hard to do. This is a proper legal system. There are only two great law-giving civilizations in human history. The Romans were one of them; the English were the other. And so what I had to do was take substantive Roman law, use my knowledge of practicing in a mixed system that did resemble the ancient Roman system — so I used Scotland, where I'd lived and worked — and then [put] elements back into it that existed in antiquity that still exists in, say, France but are very foreign, particularly to common lawyers.I had lawyer friends who read both novels because obviously it appeals. “You have a courtroom drama?” A courtroom drama appeals to lawyers. These are the kind of books, particularly if it's written by another lawyer. So you do things like get the laws of evidence right and stuff like that. I know there are lawyers who cannot watch The Wire, for example, because it gets the laws of evidence (in the US, in this case) wrong. And they just finish up throwing shoes at the television because they get really annoyed about getting it wrong.What I did was I took great care to get the laws of evidence right, and to make sure that I didn't use common law rules of evidence. For example, the Romans didn't have a rule against hearsay. So you'll notice that there's all this hearsay in the trial. But you'll also notice a mechanism. Pilate's very good at sorting out what's just gossip and what is likely to have substantive truth to it. So that's a classic borrowing from Roman law, because they didn't have the rule against hearsay. That's a common law rule. I also use corroboration a lot. Corroboration is very important in Roman law, and it's also very important in Scots law. And it's basically a two-witness rule.And I did things, once again, to show the sort of cultural differences between the two great legal systems. Cornelius, the Roman equivalent of the principal crown prosecutor. Cornelius is that character, and he's obsessed with getting a confession. Obsessed. And that is deeply Roman. The Roman lawyers going back to antiquity called a confession the “Queen of Proofs.” And of course, if confessions are just the most wonderful thing, then it's just so tempting to beat the snot out of the accused and get your bloody confession. Job done. The topic of the Industrial Revolution has been a frequent one in my writings and podcasts. And one big difference between our Industrial Revolution and the one you posit in the book is that there was a lot of competition in Europe. You had a lot of countries, and there was an incentive to permit disruptive innovation — where in the past, the proponents of the status quo had the advantage. But at some point countries realized, “Oh, both for commerce and military reasons, we need to become more technologically advanced. So we're going to allow inventors and entrepreneurs to come up with new ideas, even if it does alter that status quo.” But that's not the case with Rome. It was a powerful empire that I don't think really had any competitors, both in the real world and in your book.That and the chattel slavery is probably why it didn't finish up having an industrial revolution. And it's one of the reasons why I had to locate the innovation, it had to be in the military first, because the military was so intensely respected in Roman society. If you'd have got the Roman military leadership coming up with, say, gunpowder or explosives or that kind of thing, the response from everybody else would've been, “Good. We win. This is a good thing.” It had to come from the military, which is why you get that slightly Soviet look to it. There is a reason for that. The society is more prosperous because it's a free-market society. The Romans were a free-market society. All their laws were all sort of trade oriented, like English law. So that's one of those things where the two societies were just really similar. But in terms of technological innovation, I had to locate it in the army. It had to be the armed forces first.In your world, are there entrepreneurs? What does the business world look like?Well, I do try to show you people who are very commercially minded and very economically oriented. You've got the character of Pilate, the real historical figure, who is a traditional Tory lawyer, who has come up through all the traditional Toryism and his family's on the land and so on and so forth. So he's a Tory. But Linnaeus, who he went to law school with, who is the defense counsel for the Jesus character, Yeshua Ben Yusuf, is a Whig. And his mother was a freed slave, and his family are in business in commerce. They haven't bought the land.A lot of these books finished up on the cutting room floor, the world-building. And there is a piece that was published in a book called Shapers of Worlds: Volume II, which is a science-fiction anthology edited by a Canadian science-fiction author called Ed Willett. And one of the pieces that finished up on the cutting room floor and went into Shapers of Worlds is a description of Linnaeus's family background, which unfortunately was removed. You get Pilate's, but you don't get Linnaeus's. And Linnaeus's family background, his dad's the factory owner. The factory making cloth. I was annoyed with my publisher when they said, “This piece has to go,” and I did one of those snotty, foot-stamping, awful things. And so I was delighted when this Canadian publisher came to me and said, “Oh, can we have a piece of your writing for a science-fiction anthology?” And I thought, “Oh good. I get to publish the Linnaeus's dad story in Shapers of Worlds.”And I actually based Linnaeus's dad — the angel as he's referred to, Angelus, in the Kingdom of the Wicked books, and his personality is brought out very strongly — I actually based him on John Rylands. Manchester's John Rylands, the man who gave his name to the Rylands Library in Manchester. He was meant to be the portrait of the entrepreneurial, Manchester industrialist. And to this day, authors always have regrets, you don't always get to win the argument with your publisher or your editor, I am sorry that that background, that world-building was taken out of Kingdom of the Wicked and finished up having to be published elsewhere in an anthology. Because it provided that entrepreneurial story that you're talking about: the factory owner who is the self-made man, who endows libraries and technical schools, and trains apprentices, and has that sort of innovative quality that is described so beautifully in Matt Ridley's book, How Innovation Works, which is full of people like that. And this book as well, I've just bought: I've just bought Arts and Minds, which is about the Royal Society of Arts. So this is one of those authorial regrets: that the entrepreneur character wasn't properly fleshed out in the two published books, Kingdom of the Wicked book one and book two. And you have to get Shapers of Worlds if you want to find out about Linnaeus's industrialist dad.Is this a world you'd want to live in?Not for me, no. I mean, I'm a classically trained lawyer. So classics first, then law. And I made it a society that works. You know, I don't write dystopias. I have a great deal of admiration for Margaret Atwood and George Orwell, who are the two greatest writers of dystopias, in my view, in contemporary, and not just contemporary fiction, probably going back over a couple of hundred years. Those two have really got it, when it comes to this vision of horror. You know, the boot stamping on the human face forever. I greatly admire their skill, but those are not the books I write. So the society I wrote about in Kingdom of the Wicked is a society that works.But one of the things I deliberately did with the Yeshua Ben Yusuf character and what were his early Christian followers, and the reason I've taken so much time to flesh them out as real characters and believable people [is] because the values that Christianity has given to the West were often absent in the Roman world. They just didn't think that way. They thought about things differently. Now some of those Christian values were pretty horrible. It's fairly clear that the Romans were right about homosexuality and abortion, and the Christians were wrong. That kind of thing. That's where they were more liberal. But, you will have noticed, I don't turn the book into Gattaca. I try to keep this in the background because obviously someone else has written Gattaca. It's an excellent film. It's very thought provoking. I didn't want to do that again. It's kept in the background, but it is obvious — you don't even really need to read between the lines — that this is a society that engages in eugenics. You notice that all the Roman families have three children or two children, and there's always a mix of sexes. You never have all boys or all girls. You know what they're doing. They're doing sex-selective abortions, like upper-class Indians and Chinese people do now. You've now dealt with the problem of not enough girls among those posh people, but they still want a mixture of the two. You notice that the Romans have got irritatingly perfect teeth and their health is all very good. And people mock Cyler, one of the characters, because his teeth haven't been fixed. He's got what in Britain get called NHS teeth. He hasn't got straightened teeth, because he genuinely comes from a really, really poor background. I have put that in there deliberately to foil those values off each other, to try to show what a world would look like where there are certain values that will just never come to the fore.And as you mentioned, industry: how those values also might influence which areas technology might focus on, which I think is a great point.I did that quite deliberately. There is a scene in the first book in Kingdom of the Wicked where Linnaeus — who's the Whig, the nice Whig, the lovely Whig who believes in civil rights and justice and starts sounding awfully Martin Luther King-ish at various points, and that kind of thing; he's the most likable form of progressive, Stoic Roman ideas — and when he encounters a child that the parents have kept alive, a disabled child, which in his society would just be put down at birth like Peter Singer, they have Peter Singer laws, he's horrified. And he doesn't even know if it's human.I actually wrote a piece about this couple of years ago for Law & Liberty, for Liberty Fund. I did find that people wanted to live in this sort of society. And I just sort of thought, “Hmm, there are a lot more people out there who clearly agree with things like eugenics, Peter Singer laws, a society that has absolutely no welfare state. None.” There are people who clearly find that kind of society attractive. And also the authoritarianism, the Soviet-style veneration of the military. A lot of people clearly quite like that. And clearly like that it's a very orderly society where there are lots of rules and everybody knows where they stand. But even when the state is really, really very powerful.I deliberately put a scene in there, for example, where Pilate's expectorating about compulsory vaccinations — because he's a Roman and he thinks compulsory vaccinations save lives and he doesn't give a s**t about your bodily integrity. I did try to leave lots of Easter eggs, to use a gaming expression, in there to make it clear that this is a society that's a bit Gattaca-ish. I did that for a reason.I don't know if there's a sequel in mind, but do you think that this world eventually sort of Christianizes? And if this is what the world looks like 2000 years ago, what would that world look like today?I haven't thought of the answer to the first one. I must admit. I don't really know the answer to that. But in the second one, I did discuss this in quite a bit of detail with my then partner. And she said, “I honestly think that with that sort of aggressiveness and militarism, they will finish up conquering the planet. And then it'll start looking like a not-nice version of Star Trek. It won't be the Federation. It will be much more likely to be Khan and the Klingons and they'll start looking really, really Klingon basically.” That was her comment at the time.Like a more militaristic version of Star Trek.Yeah. But sort of very militarized and not the Prime Directive or any of that. Obviously Star Trek is very much an American conception of Americans in space. My Romans in space would look much more like the Centauri out of Babylon 5 or the Klingons in Star Trek. They would be much more aggressive and they'd be a lot more ambiguous…I don't know how much of a Star Trek fan you are, but of course there's the mirror universe, which kind of looks like that. We have the evil Kirk and the evil Spock. There's still advance, but there's like a Praetorian Guard for the captain and…All of that. Yes. I hadn't really thought about the first question, but the second question I thought, “Yeah, if this persists into the future, imagining a hypothetical future, then I think you are going to be dealing with people who are really, really quite scary.”Apparently you're not working on a sequel to this book, but what are you working on? Another book?Yes. I'm actually being pursued at the moment by a British publisher, who I won't drop into it because otherwise, if I say the name, then I will never, never be forgiven. And then they will insist on me writing a book. I'm never going to be the world's most super productive novelist. I think that I may finish up in my life writing maybe another two. I look at Stephen King. That man writes a door stopper of a book every time he sits down to have a hot meal. Incredible. How does he do it? I'm not that person.Helen, thank you so much for coming on the podcast.Thank you very much for having me. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fasterplease.substack.com/subscribe
Today we reflect on some practical leadership and life advice from Seneca, the Roman Stoic philosopher born in 4 BC. Find out how to put your life up for review and develop a regular habit of reflecting. This is part of the bite-sized series of The Ben Morton Leadership Podcast. I've designed it to give you the practical tools, tactics and insights around a specific facet of leadership to help you on that journey. It's my gift to you and it's absolutely free. If you're getting value from it, please subscribe to the show and share the link with your friends and colleagues. You can also visit my website and sign up for my two-weekly, leadership-focussed newsletter here: https://www.ben-morton.com #LeadOn Links Mentioned: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daily-Stoic-Meditations-Perseverance-translations/dp/1781257655 (‘The Daily Stoic' by Ryan Holiday)
Timeless wisdom on death and dying from the celebrated Stoic philosopher Seneca "It takes an entire lifetime to learn how to die," wrote the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). He counseled readers to "study death always," and took his own advice, returning to the subject again and again in all his writings, yet he never treated it in a complete work. How to Die gathers in one volume, for the first time, Seneca's remarkable meditations on death and dying. Edited and translated by James S. Romm, How to Die reveals a provocative thinker and dazzling writer who speaks with a startling frankness about the need to accept death or even, under certain conditions, to seek it out. Seneca believed that life is only a journey toward death and that one must rehearse for death throughout life. Here, he tells us how to practice for death, how to die well, and how to understand the role of a good death in a good life. He stresses the universality of death, its importance as life's final rite of passage, and its ability to liberate us from pain, slavery, or political oppression. Featuring beautifully rendered new translations, How to Die also includes an enlightening introduction, notes, the original Latin texts, and an epilogue presenting Tacitus's description of Seneca's grim suicide.
William Irvine is professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, who not only teaches, thinks, and writes about philosophy, but who has adopted a philosophy for living, namely, the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. Tyler and William discussed how you can apply Stoic philosophies in your life, covering wisdom from Roman Stoic philosophers, tips on how you can embrace what you already have, how to expand your comfort zone and more. Highlights include: Living in the golden age of curiosity A brief history of Stoicism and why everything you know about Stoicism may be wrong Embracing what you already have, and understanding that you're wired to always want more Thinking of life in terms of games Wisdom from Seneca, Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus Embracing memento mori William's tips on how to expand your comfort zone like a Stoic The power of negative visualization Being conscious of immersing yourself in conversations Tyler's personal experience with Stoicism Stoic strategies for stressful situations Helicopter, snow plow, free range parenting William's 80/20 rule for conversations Connect with William: Website: https://www.williambirvine.com The following books were mentioned in the show: The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient by William Irvine A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William Irvine Curious by Ian Leslie Walden Pond by Henry David Thoreau On Anger by Lucius Annaeus Seneca Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Are you a real estate investor looking to elevate your income, freedom & lifestyle? If so, optimize your daily performance by downloading our free guide, Raising the Bar - 5 Steps to Elevate Your Habits, at elevatepod.com. In this guide, created by your host Tyler Chesser, you'll learn why you do what you do, how to easily institute cues in your environment to trigger desired behavior, directly applicable steps to create a fulfilling future and much more. Get your free copy at elevatepod.com and kick-start your new habits today. Your future self will thank you! This episode of Elevate is brought to you by CF Capital, a national real estate investment firm. CF Capital's mission is to provide property investment and asset management solutions to help investors like you maximize their returns by investing in high-value multifamily communities. If you are looking for risk-adjusted alternative investments in quality apartment communities, and are seeking tax optimized cash flow with appreciation upside without all the hassle of management, you might benefit from learning more about investing alongside our team. You're invited to reach out and learn how you can invest with us by visiting cfcapllc.com. We're also currently offering a free ebook called The Bottom Line - 10 Ways to Increase Cash Flow in an Apartment Complex. Whether you're a new or an experienced investor, we're confident you'll find massive value in this resource. Get your free copy today at cfcapllc.com. This episode is brought to you by the eQRP. eQRP's mission is to transform your financial future by providing a way to take control of your retirement money - money that's stranded in 401(k) or IRA accounts. Whether you want to invest in real estate or you're concerned about a financial crash, or perhaps you want to rollover your money - tax and penalty free - we have your solution. Text “ELEVATE” to 307.213.3475.
“We Suffer more in imagination than in reality.”
For us busy and practical folks who live lives in the real world, there is one branch of philosophy created for all of us: Stoicism. As defined by DailyStoic.com, it's a philosophy designed to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuous and more wise–and as a result, better people, better parents and better professionals. It has been practiced by Kings, presidents, artists, writers and entrepreneurs.To this day, lessons from this philosophy help people from the mundane to the most complex of human challenges. In this episode, we find calm from quotes from the Roman Stoic philosopher, Seneca. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/find-your-daily-calm/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
What control do we have over the End of Empires? And how can we prepare for their inevitable fall? Professors A.A. Long and William B Irvine and cognitive behavior therapist, Donald Robertson discuss the role we as individuals can play during the decay of empires...and how we can mentally fortify ourselves for inevitable changes. This discussion took place LIVE on Sunday, August 22nd as part of Classical Wisdom's Symposium 2021: The End of Empires and the Fall of Nations. If you would like to watch all the recordings please go to: http://classicalwisdom.com/symposium or email us at info@classicalwisdom.com About our Panelists: Donald Robertson is a writer, trainer, psychotherapist, and an expert on the relationship between modern cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and classical Greek and Roman philosophy. He is also the founder of Modern Stoicism and the author of ‘How to Think Like a Roman Emperor'.William B. Irvine is professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He is the author of eight books that have been translated into more than twenty languages. Among them are A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (Oxford University Press, 2008) and most recently, The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient (W.W. Norton, 2018). He is currently at work on a book about thinking critically, but with an open mind, in the age of the internet.Anthony Arthur Long is a British and naturalised American classical scholar and Chancellor's Professor Emeritus of Classics and Irving Stone Professor of Literature Emeritus, and Affiliated Professor of Philosophy and Rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of many books, including Greek Models of Mind and Self, How to Be Free: An Ancient Guide to the Stoic Life, as well as most recently, Seneca: Fifty Letters of a Roman Stoic.
Paul Millerd is a Curious Human & Solopreneur, Writer, Host of the Reimagine Work Podcast, Teacher at Strategy U, Independent Consultant and Adviser (for companies like VIVO, Wrangler, Russel Reynolds Associates, Good Jobs Associates among many others), and a Career Coach for people who carve their own paths beyond the default path. In his past life, Paul worked for companies like General Electric, McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and studied at the University of Connecticut and MIT. Links: Find Paul: think-boundless.com - the home for the creative and curious rebels carving their own path Join our community: forms.gle/3gmq2WahzJZZ9Bny9 We were recently featured in the top 10 Utopia Podcasts in Feedspot! Check it out here: blog.feedspot.com/utopia_podcasts/ Instagram/Twitter: @utopiaisnow Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 4:00 - Why did Paul leave BCG & McKinsey to live a Pathless Path? 8:05 - What path should you take in life? 11:43 - Management Consulting & what made Paul leave it? 16:30 - Paul coaches Shashwat over his career dilemma 20:33 - What do work & career REALLY mean? 30:59 - The false dichotomy of Work-Life Balance 33:58 - Traditional vs Unconventional Lifepaths 39:20 - How to embrace your weirdness and follow your heart? 46:15 - What does Paul's life look like right now? 49:58 - Philosophy of Life: Work vs Leisure 54:57 - Future of Work 58:06 - Bridging the gap between Education & Work 01:05:44 - How to find your life path? 01:09:47 - Do we owe any responsibility to our economy to continue traditional work? 01:11:48 - Paul's views on Utopias Mentioned in this Episode: Alan Watts was a British writer, speaker & philosopher Roman Krznaric is an Australian public philosopher Venkatesh Rao is an Indian-American author and consultant Peter Albert David Singer AC is an Australian moral philosopher John Rawls was an American political philosopher in the liberal tradition Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece Socrates was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy Marcus Aurelius was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoic philosopher David J. Deming is an American Economist and Professor Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher Seneca, was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature Ryan Bourne is a British Economist and Author who works at Cato Institute Credits Art Work: The Road Not Taken - Michael Cook Music Credits: A Journey Through The Universe – Lesion X --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/utopia-is-now/message
We discuss some timeless wisdom from Roman Stoic (and Emperor!) Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism teaches us that our perception of the world is what determines how we feel, not the reality of the world itself. With that in mind, we cover ideas of striving vs. acceptance, active participation in life, a willing acceptance of 'fate', death, praise, goal setting, self-deception, values, truth, freedom, and the importance of working on one's character. This is one of Will's personal favourites. Hope you enjoy. Will & Luke 00:00 Introductions 4:00 About Marcus Aurelius and the book 5:00 Overview of Stoicism (perceiving things objectively, active participation and cooperation with the world, willing acceptance of fate) 14:15 Structure of the book and links to current self-help books 17:30 Striving vs Acceptance (focusing on the moment, aiming high) 24:40 Working on your character, telling the truth, and self deception. 'If it's not right, don't do it. If it's not true, don't say it' 31:55 Striving, goals, and death 41:00 Each moment being a chance to choose your reaction and action. Choose now. Cost of goals ahead of means. Don't loose values in attainment of goals (we can forget). 46:55 You can choose to within at any given moment to renew (and others opinions) 49:11 Luke's stand outs (Other's praise, Death, Truth + Nature, Popular beliefs, Freedom through redirecting to be free from an old way of thinking, Harm through inaction) 57:45 Final thoughts This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/j-lAMUOxKlk Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365 Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw== Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.
Good News: The humble dandelion is being used to create a greener manufacturing method for rubber tires in Germany, Link HERE. The Good Word: A sobering quote from the Roman Stoic philosopher, Seneca. Good To Know: A truly wonderful fact about the state of Maryland. Good News: Some genuinely heartwarming news about the effect of […]
Episode #57: Learning from Marcus Aurelius with Donald Robertson (replay)On today's show, I talk with Donald Robertson, the co-founder of Modern Stoicism and the author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. Robertson is an expert on both ancient Stoicism and the modern psychotherapy that evolved from Stoicism called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Robertson goes in-depth on the life of the Roman Stoic and Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the lessons we can learn from his life and philosophical practices.IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:What is StoicismWhy Stoicism is so popular todayWhat to do if your girlfriend or boyfriend dumps youHow to build resilienceThe Stoic view on the pursuit of wealthHow to deal with negative emotions like anger, envy and anxietyHow to calm your mind and emotionsHow to apply Stoic principles to achieve The Good LifeBOOKS AND RESOURCESDonald Robertson's How to Think Like a roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius byThe Good Life Episode #6: Guide to the Good Life with William IrvineCONNECT WITH DONALD ROBERTSONDonald's WebsiteDonald's Twitter AccountGET IN TOUCH WITH SEAN MURRAYSean's Twitter AccountSean's LinkedIn AccountEmail: seanm@realtimeperformance.comWebsite: www.seanpmurray.net"The Good Life" Newsletter: SubscribeRead the full transcript and show notes on: https://www.theinvestorspodcast.com/the-good-life/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Timeless advice on the art of living well (Penguin)On the Shortness of Life is a moral essay written by Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher. The philosopher brings up many Stoic principles on the nature of time, namely that people waste much of it in meaningless pursuits. According to the essay, nature gives people enough time to do what is really important and the individual must allot it properly. In general, time is best used by living in the present moment in pursuit of the intentional, purposeful life. (Wikipedia) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
When each person strives to outdo the other in devotion, the marriage is ideal and worthy of envy, for such a union is beautiful. “In marriage, there must be complete companionship and concern for each other on the part of both husband and wife, in health and in sickness and at all times, because they entered upon the marriage for this reason as well as to produce offspring. When such caring for one another is perfect, and the married couple provides it for one another, and each strives to outdo the other, then this is marriage as it ought to be and deserving of emulation, since it is a noble union. But when one partner looks to his own interests alone and neglects the other's, or (by God) the other is so minded that he lives in the same house, but keeps his mind on what is outside it, and does not wish to pull together with his partner or to cooperate, then inevitably the union is destroyed, and although they live together their common interests fare badly, and either they finally get divorced from one another or they continue on in an existence that is worse than loneliness.” Musonius Rufus And, for those who don't know... Gaius Musonius Rufus was a Roman Stoic philosopher during the reign of Nero. Rufus is considered the Roman Socrates and was the teacher of Epictetus. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/donavon-riley/support
Adam Lewis Walker is a Leadership & New Media Speaker and 2 x Best-selling Author. He hosts the top-ranked podcasts ‘The TalkXcelerator' and ‘Awaken Your Alpha' interviewing the world’s elite minds in over 400 episodes since early 2014. A former teacher and international pole-vaulter, Adam was attempting to reach the Olympics in 2008 when his career was cut short by a freak accident. Adam gave the TEDx talk Awaken Your Alpha, How to Rise Up and has been featured in The Huffington Post, ESPN, PodFest, Influencers Radio and many more. In 2018 “Awaken Your Alpha – Tales & Tactics To Thrive” also became an international bestseller on it's release. Listen & Subscribe on: iTunes / Stitcher / Podbean / Overcast / Spotify Contact Info Website: www.TalkXcelerator.com Website: www.AYAlpha.com Instagram: @AdamLewisWalker Podcast: TalkXcelerator: How To Get A TedX Talk Podcast: Awaken Your Alpha: Tales and Tactics To Thrive by Adam Lewis Walker Most Influential Person Seneca – Lucius Annaeus Seneca and also known simply as Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist. Effect on Emotions “Adversity happens to us all so for me, it's not a shock when it happens. I'm more aware now.” Thoughts on Breathing “I'm a big believer of move and breathe. I'd like to walk to the gym and practice my breathing with my steps.” Suggested Resources Book: The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday Book: Awaken Your Alpha: Tales and Tactics to Thrive by Adam Lewis Walker App: Pomodoro Apps like Focus Planner Focus Keeper Bullying Story “I was a very little guy in school. I was the smallest guy, by far. One guy would always come up to me and punch me in the arm. I did not punch back.” “They also force me to swear but I did not do it because it is uncool to not swear.” Free Gift Become more calm, focused, and happy by reading the top 12 books recommended on the Mindfulness Mode Podcast. This mini 14-page ebook entitled '12 Must-Read Mindfulness Books' outlines each of the top books recommended by guests on the show. Get your digital copy now at MindfulnessMode.com/top12books
One of the major exemplars of the philosophical movement known as Stoicism almost 2000 years ago, Epictetus, a former slave, had much to say about taking the right approach to life. Through his teachings, which culminated in the dictated works of his Discourses and Enchiridion, Epictetus expounded on what virtuous living meant and what it should look like - not through theory, but through actual examples drawn from real life and the psychological attitudes one can adopt to make for a more...
One of the major exemplars of the philosophical movement known as Stoicism almost 2000 years ago, Epictetus, a former slave, had much to say about taking the right approach to life. Through his teachings, which culminated in the dictated works of his Discourses and Enchiridion, Epictetus expounded on what virtuous living meant and what it should look like - not through theory, but through actual examples drawn from real life and the psychological attitudes one can adopt to make for a more...
One of the major exemplars of the philosophical movement known as Stoicism almost 2000 years ago, Epictetus, a former slave, had much to say about taking the right approach to life. Through his teachings, which culminated in the dictated works of his Discourses and Enchiridion, Epictetus expounded on what virtuous living meant and what it should look like - not through theory, but through actual examples drawn from real life and the psychological attitudes one can adopt to make for a more...
One of the major exemplars of the philosophical movement known as Stoicism almost 2000 years ago, Epictetus, a former slave, had much to say about taking the right approach to life. Through his teachings, which culminated in the dictated works of his Discourses and Enchiridion, Epictetus expounded on what virtuous living meant and what it should look like - not through theory, but through actual examples drawn from real life and the psychological attitudes one can adopt to make for a more...
I want to dive into the Roman Stoic’s and in particular why the believed tranquillity or peace of mind should be an ultimate goal. First, we need an introduction into the Roman Stoics, second why the goal of tranquillity or peace of mind was deemed so important and finally, I think more importantly I want to share some of the techniques that the stoics practiced for peace of mind. Hopefully given the wild times that we are living in at the moment these tried and tested ancient techniques might be helpful to just one person out there.
Seneca, the Younger, a noted Roman Stoic philosopher, once said that there are more things likely to frighten us than there are to crush us, and that we suffer more often in imagination than in --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/harrietcammock/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/harrietcammock/support
Healthy Married Life | Finding Balance in our Busy World For Your Marriage
I usually like to give the background of a podcast to put the message in some form of context. There were two things that inspired this series. One of our listeners had mentioned that she was on her third and her new husband on his second marriage and they had wanted to make their marriage work. She mentioned that she would like to get her husband listening to the podcast, but was not sure how. This got us thinking on this subject, but we did not have the time to really dig into it at the time she asked it. Then, Andy Stanley's recent series, Ask It, brought up an interesting point when it came to seeking the counsel of others. One of the thrusts of his message was don't let your pride prevent you from listening to wise counsel. At the end of the message, Tim (from my men's group was sitting behind me) had commented that I probably see pride impacting people every day in my divorce practice, but oddly enough, I was not thinking about that. I was thinking about how I can apply the wisdom of the message to myself to make sure that I did not let pride bring me down. I was thinking about triggers to put in place to prevent pride from seeping in and blocking the wise counsel of others. Tim's comment, however, did bring back a flood of memories about former clients that have argued with me about the legal system and how their case is going to turn out, even though they have never been through a divorce themselves. Meanwhile, I, as a divorce lawyer, have been through thousands of divorces. They will often discount my advice because their emotions or their pride gets in the way. When pride gets in the way, they think that they had nothing to do with the demise of their marriage. So, we began to think, what would be good advice to those who wish to improve their lives and marriages by seeking the wise counsel of others. We started to think about the why's, when's, what's, and how's associated with seeking out the advice of others to help grow your marriage or deal with a difficult situation in your marriage. With those thoughts, this Four Part Series was born. Why four parts? Seeking the counsel of others can be as harmful as it is helpful. We did not want to pack a ton of information into a single hour and not explore each aspect deep enough. We also don't want people making the wrong decisions when it comes to seeking the advice of others. In my divorce practice, I have seen people clearly ignore problems, not seek the wise counsel of others, and then end up in my office. Then, there are others who have sought “counsel,” but the wrong kind. They either seek the counsel of a co-worker (and that “counsel” ultimately leads to an adulterous relationships), or they seek the counsel of people who are not in a good place to give wise counsel. In all these situations, the ultimate result is a divorce. Part 1 – Why should you seek out the wise advice of others? We are going to address this from two angles – the wisdom of the Ages and what modern science has shown us that actually supports the wisdom of the Ages. Wisdom of the Ages If you go back almost 3000 years ago, you will find King Solomon, who ruled over Israel from about 970 to 931 BC. He is widely considered one of, if not, the wisest man that ever lived. Kings from around the known world send emissaries with tremendous amounts of wealth to pay King Solomon for his wisdom. In many respects, he built an incredible amount of wealth from his wisdom. He wrote down some of his wisdom and shared it with us in Proverbs. Despite his incredible wisdom, he believed that seeking out the wise counsel of others was critical for the wise man. He wrote a number of passages in Proverbs on this very issue. Below is what he shared in Proverbs. Proverbs 12:15 – The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel. Proverbs 11:14 – Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory. Proverbs 13:10 – Through insolence comes nothing but strife, But wisdom is with those who receive counsel. Proverbs 19:20 – Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days. Proverbs 24:6 – For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory. Proverbs 27:9 – Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man's counsel is sweet to his friend. Proverbs 15:31-33 – He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof Will dwell among the wise. He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility. The irony of the above is that at one point in his life his Pride began to take over, and he stopped taking his own advice. His pride prevented him from seeking out the wise counsel of others, and the nation of Israel suffered as a result. While Israel arguable hit its height of glory during his reign, the end of his reign also began its downfall. Even if you are not a religious person, you will still find others throughout history giving the same advice. For example: “Search well and be wise, nor believe that self-willed pride will ever be better than good counsel.” Aeschylus – Greek playwright and deep religious thinker from before 500BC – “Consult your friend on all things, especially on those which respect yourself. His counsel may then be useful where your own self-love might impair your judgment.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca – 4 BC – AD 65. He was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. “There is as much difference between the counsel that a friend giveth, and that a man giveth himself, as there is between the counsel of a friend and of a flatterer. For there is no such flatterer as is a man's self.” Lord Francis Bacon – January 1561 – 9 April 1626, He was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, orator, essayist, and author. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. After his death, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution. I could go on with more examples from famous leaders in the past 300 years, but I think you get the point. Modern Science Flash-forward to today – Modern science has revealed many things that only support the wisdom of King Solomon some 3000 years ago. In a recent episode of the show “Brain Games,” they gave real life examples (through games) of how our bodies handle stressful situations through bio-chemical reactions. In stressful situations, our brain can cause the release of cortisol and adrenaline which shuts off learning and short term memory sections of the brain. Under many circumstances, our brain cannot distinguish between someone yelling at us and a lion roaring at us. The bodies' response to the stress of the situation is the same. As a result, the reasoning section of our brain can temporarily shut down. What this means is that if you are dealing with a stressful situation, you brain may be generating hormones that are limiting your ability to make a wise decision. I recently read an interesting article called “What is Neuro-Literacy and Why Should You Care?” published in Family Lawyer Magazine and written by Pauline H. Tesler. The subtitle to her article was New brain science, positive psychology and neuroeconomics can transform your work in conflict resolution. To summarize the lengthy article, she said that there is a growing body of evidence that carried potentially revolutionary implications for our day to day work as lawyers, depicting a brain that is driven not by reason, but by emotion. Again, I am sure that everyone reading this can reflect back on a time when they made a rash ‘emotional and impulsive' decision that they wish they had not. If they had decided to step back from the situation, they would have made a wiser choice. One last example comes from Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. During his course, we learned that scientists have been studying the brain's responses to certain purchases using an MRI. When people purchased items with a credit card, the pleasure centers of the brain actually registered. When people purchased items with cash, the pain centers of the brain actually registered in the thought process. What does this show us? Emotion influences our buying decisions possibly more than rational thought. What does all this mean? Ok, so some of you might be saying, “I understand that a bunch of dead, very wise men are telling me to seek wise counsel and modern science is telling me that my decisions are often controlled or influenced by ancient, bio-chemical responses, so what does that mean for me and my marriage. Are you saying that I should seek out wise counsel just because a bunch of wise, dead people told me to?” Not exactly. Let me summarize with leaving you three simple reasons why you should seek wise counsel to help build a healthy marriage: 1. Wise Counsel is not blinded by your Pride. Pride blinds us. All too often, pride can put us in a position that we are blinded by what is really happening around us. We tell ourselves that “I know what I am doing and I don't need anyone else to tell me something that I don't already know,” or “I am not doing anything wrong. This situation is all because my Wife will not (fill in blank). . . or my Husband refuses to (fill in blank) . . . “ Pride prevents you from self-examining your life and your marriage. Wise counsel can shine a light on that pride and open your eyes to potential problems you may be having in your relationship with your spouse. Your counsel will not be blinded by your pride. 2. Wise counsel does not get clouded by your emotions. a. Emotion clouds our thinking. b. Sorrow, depression, hate, anger will cloud your thinking. Those emotions can be caused by any number of things either in the marriage or outside the marriage, but they all will negatively impact your marriage. c. Wise counsel is like a Lighthouse in the fog of emotion that makes it difficult to think. 3. Wise counsel is not overcome by your stress a. Stress can prevent us from thinking or self-evaluating b. That stress can come from inside the relationship or outside the relationship. Let's say you are going through a rough time at work, and you bring that home to the children and your spouse. Your Wife points it out and you just ignore her or lash out at her. For whatever reason, you have a tough time accepting what is obvious to those around you. c. Wise counsel can help you cope with the stress so it does not impact your relationship with your spouse.
On today's show, I talk with Donald Robertson, the co-founder of Modern Stoicism and the author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. Robertson is an expert on both ancient Stoicism and the modern psychotherapy that evolved from Stoicism called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Robertson goes in-depth on the life of the Roman Stoic and Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the lessons we can learn from his life and philosophical practices.IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:What is StoicismWhy Stoicism is so popular todayWhat to do if your girlfriend or boyfriend dumps youHow to build resilienceThe Stoic view on the pursuit of wealthHow to deal with negative emotions like anger, envy and anxietyHow to calm your mind and emotionsHow to apply Stoic principles to achieve The Good LifeHELP US OUT!Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!BOOKS AND RESOURCESDonald Robertson's How to Think Like a roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius byThe Good Life Episode #6: Guide to the Good Life with William IrvineCapital One.This is Banking Reimagined.CONNECT WITH DONALD ROBERTSONDonald's WebsiteDonald's Twitter AccountGET IN TOUCH WITH SEAN MURRAYSean's Twitter AccountSean's LinkedIn AccountEmail: Sean@TheInvestorsPodcast.comWebsite: RealTime Performance, Inc.Weekly Newsletter: RealTime Performance NewsletterRead the full transcript and show notes on: https://www.theinvestorspodcast.com/the-good-life/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Be A Leader is a series that looks into the lives of historic, popular and even famous leaders from all walks of life. In episode seven, Roshan Thiran examines the life of Lucius Annaeus Seneca; simply known as Seneca, a Roman Stoic philosopher. Find what why he killed himself, the values in which he stood for and the lessons we can learn from his life. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
Anthony Long (Classics Department, UC Berkeley) presents a new edition of Epictetus’s celebrated guide to the Stoic philosophy of life. Born a slave, the Roman Stoic philosopher Epictetus (c. 55–135 AD) taught that mental freedom is supreme, since it can liberate one anywhere, even in a prison. How to Be Free (Princeton, 2018) features new translations alongside the original Greek, an introduction that sets Epictetus in context and describes the importance of Stoic freedom today, and a glossary of key words and concepts. Long is joined by Timothy Hampton (Comparative Literature and French; Townsend Center director).
In his essay “On Anger” (De Ira), the Roman Stoic thinker Seneca argues that anger is the most destructive passion, and offers a timeless guide to avoiding and managing this dangerous emotion. In this podcast, Raj Persaud talks to the editor and translator of Seneca’s work, James Romm, about the relevance of this philosophy, which has arguably never been more relevant than it is today.
Hey guys! Sorry I haven't released an episode in the past two days, I have been as sick as a dog. However now I am feeling much better. But you're not here for that, today to quote is from Seneca. If you do not already know, Seneca he lived around 4 BC – AD 65. (His full name is: Lucius Annaeus Seneca, you may also know him as Seneca the Younger) He was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and all around renaissance man. He has some awesome plays and amazing letters. We will be hearing more from him I promise. As per usual, if you want to say hi to the voice behind the One Take Stoic you can find me at:Thrivingonfat.com or follow me (not like a stalker, unless that's your thing
Today is another Seneca quote, it's about living for today. Plan for tomorrow, yes, but not at the expense for the day we have. If you do not already know, Seneca he lived around 4 BC – AD 65. (His full name is: Lucius Annaeus Seneca, you may also know him as Seneca the Younger) He was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and all around renaissance man. He has some awesome plays and amazing letters. We will be hearing more from him I promise. As per usual, if you want to say hi to the voice behind the One Take Stoic you can find me at: Thrivingonfat.com or follow me (not like a stalker, unless that's your thing
Today we have a Seneca quote for you! He is my second favorite Stoic, let's not tell Epictetus. This Seneca quote is so true! Learning doesn't only happen in school, it happens in life, where you can fail and grow. I hope you enjoy my talk about it, tell me what you think about the episode. If you do not already know, Seneca he lived around 4 BC – AD 65. (His full name is: Lucius Annaeus Seneca, you may also know him as Seneca the Younger) He was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and all around renaissance man. He has some awesome plays and amazing letters. We will be hearing more from him I promise. As per usual, if you want to say hi to the voice behind the One Take Stoic you can find me at: Thrivingonfat.com or follow me (not like a stalker, unless that's your thing
Welcome to another episode of the podcast and happy Saturday! Today we have a Seneca quote for you! He is my second favorite Stoic, but we wont tell Epictetus that. This Seneca quote sparks a disscussion about greatness, the the rough path getting there. I hope you enjoy my talk about it, tell me what you think about the episode. If you do not already know, Seneca he lived around 4 BC – AD 65. (His full name is: Lucius Annaeus Seneca, you may also know him as Seneca the Younger) He was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and all around renaissance man. He has some awesome plays and amazing letters. we will be hearing more from him I promise. As per usual, if you want to say hi to the voice behind the One Take Stoic you can find me at: Thrivingonfat.com or follow me (not like a stalker) on Instagram and Twitter @thrivingonfat. Notice a theme? Anywho, I'll talk at you tomorrow! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/onetakestoic/support
Good morning all! Today it's a quote from everyone's favorite statesman Seneca. We are talking about the difficulty it life, because we all deal with difficulties. The thing to remember is that you're not alone. All you have do is confide in someone and share your burden, as long as they are willing to help you carry it. If you do not already know, Seneca he lived around 4 BC – AD 65. (His full name is: Lucius Annaeus Seneca, you may also know him as Seneca the Younger) He was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and all around renaissance man. He has some awesome plays and amazing letters. we will be hearing more from him I promise. As per usual, if you want to say hi to the voice behind the One Take Stoic you can find me at: Thrivingonfat.com or follow me (not like a stalker) on Instagram and Twitter @thrivingonfat. Notice a theme? Anywho, I'll talk at you tomorrow! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/onetakestoic/support
Today's quote comes from Seneca he lived around 4 BC – AD 65. (His full name is: Lucius Annaeus Seneca, you may also know him as Seneca the Younger) He was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and all around renaissance man. He has some awesome plays and amazing letters. we will be hearing more from him I promise. As per usual, if you want to say hi to the voice behind the One Take Stoic you can find me at: Thrivingonfat.com or follow me (not like a stalker) on Instagram and Twitter @thrivingonfat. Notice a theme? Anywho, I'll talk at you tomorrow! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/onetakestoic/support
Today's quote comes from a different stoic, I know I know. Not Marcus Aurelius, gasp!!! But for realz, this on is from Seneca he lives around 4 BC – AD 65. (His full name is: Lucius Annaeus Seneca, you may also know him as Seneca the Younger) He was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and all around renaissance man. He has some awesome plays and amazing letters. we will be hearing more from him I promise. As per usual, if you want to say hi to the voice behind the One Take Stoic you can find me at:Thrivingonfat.com or follow me (not like a stalker) on Instagram and Twitter @thrivingonfat. Notice a theme? Anywho, I'll talk at you tomorrow! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/onetakestoic/support
Cass Midgley and Dr. Bob Pondillo bring you a very special episode. This is Bob's last show as co-host. Bob chose the theme of today's episode: death--the most awkward subject and conversation there is. Bob and Cass discuss the Seneca book for about an hour and a half then a 4 minute clip by Caleb Wilde's Tedtalk followed by a 30 minute reading of an article by Eric Puchner, then Bob and I interview Anne-Marie Zanzal, a Hospice worker with end of life experience, and end with a 6 minute playing of your voice mail farewells to Bob. For Bob's last episode, he wanted to talk about death and I think it's appropo. For weeks prior to the taping of this episode he'd been reading a book titled, "How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life." It's the ponderings of the 1st century philosopher, Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm. "It takes an entire lifetime to learn how to die," wrote the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). He counseled readers to "study death always," and took his own advice, returning to the subject again and again in all his writings. Seneca believed that life is only a journey toward death and that one must rehearse for death throughout life. In his writings, he tells us how to practice for death, how to die well, and how to understand the role of a good death in a good life. He stresses the universality of death, its importance as life's final rite of passage, and its ability to liberate us from pain, slavery, or political oppression. Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death “The irony of the human condition is that the deepest need is to be free of the anxiety of death and annihilation; but it is life itself which awakens it, and so we must shrink from being fully alive.” Seneca admonishes us to study how to die. 6th generation mortician, Caleb Wilde infers that we are death amateurs, and Ernest Becker says we kick and scratch to subdue the notion that we're ever going to die. Perhaps the greatest application of the adage, "say yes to what is" applies to this--the great leveler, that which we all have in common, and that is our impending, unavoidable death. We taped this conversation on May 26th, 2018. We interview people you don’t know, about a subject no one wants to talk about. We hope to encourage people in the process of deconstructing their faith and help curb the loneliness that accompanies it. We think the world is a better place when more people live by sight, not by faith. Please subscribe to our podcast, and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Also, we offer these podcasts freely. And your support truly makes a difference. You can support us monetarily in two easy ways: you can pledge a monthly donation through Patreon. that’s www.patreon.com/eapodcast, or leave a lump-sum donation through PayPal at our website, www.everyonesagnostic.com. Credits:"Towering Mountain of Ignorance" intro by Hank Green https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3v3S82TuxU The music behind it is "Never Know" by Jack JohnsonThe segue music is "Moonlight on the River" by Mac DemarcoThanks for listening, and be a yes-sayer to what is. Caleb Wilde's Tedtalk on Death Emily Levine's Tedtalk on Death Eric Puchner's article about Caleb Wilde
The great Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca once said “If you don’t know to which port you are sailing, no wind is favourable”. Imagine a boat in the middle of the sea representing your journey through life. What are your key values? Are you clear where you want your life to go? Spend a few moments defining key values. Happiness? Good relationships? Meaning and purpose? Achievement? Being the best version of you? Jot them down. The next step is to steer your boat in the direction of those values, today. What one specific thing can you do today that you weren’t already planning to do to move one step closer. Perhaps gardening, reading a book, meeting a friend, exercising, making a healthy and tasty meal for you and others? For the rest of the day you might like to imagine Seneca as a wise sage on your shoulder, advising you to be mindful of where your boat is heading and to what you can to move in the right direction See you soon, have a great day.
The Times of Michael’s Bestowal (1332.1) 121:0.1 ACTING under the supervision of a commission of twelve members of the United Brotherhood of Urantia Midwayers, conjointly sponsored by the presiding head of our order and the Melchizedek of record, I am the secondary midwayer of onetime attachment to the Apostle Andrew, and I am authorized to place on record the narrative of the life transactions of Jesus of Nazareth as they were observed by my order of earth creatures, and as they were subsequently partially recorded by the human subject of my temporal guardianship. Knowing how his Master so scrupulously avoided leaving written records behind him, Andrew steadfastly refused to multiply copies of his written narrative. A similar attitude on the part of the other apostles of Jesus greatly delayed the writing of the Gospels. 1. The Occident of the First Century After Christ (1332.2) 121:1.1 Jesus did not come to this world during an age of spiritual decadence; at the time of his birth Urantia was experiencing such a revival of spiritual thinking and religious living as it had not known in all its previous post-Adamic history nor has experienced in any era since. When Michael incarnated on Urantia, the world presented the most favorable condition for the Creator Son’s bestowal that had ever previously prevailed or has since obtained. In the centuries just prior to these times Greek culture and the Greek language had spread over Occident and near Orient, and the Jews, being a Levantine race, in nature part Occidental and part Oriental, were eminently fitted to utilize such cultural and linguistic settings for the effective spread of a new religion to both East and West. These most favorable circumstances were further enhanced by the tolerant political rule of the Mediterranean world by the Romans. (1332.3) 121:1.2 This entire combination of world influences is well illustrated by the activities of Paul, who, being in religious culture a Hebrew of the Hebrews, proclaimed the gospel of a Jewish Messiah in the Greek tongue, while he himself was a Roman citizen. (1332.4) 121:1.3 Nothing like the civilization of the times of Jesus has been seen in the Occident before or since those days. European civilization was unified and co-ordinated under an extraordinary threefold influence: (1332.5) 121:1.4 1. The Roman political and social systems. (1332.6) 121:1.5 2. The Grecian language and culture — and philosophy to a certain extent. (1332.7) 121:1.6 3. The rapidly spreading influence of Jewish religious and moral teachings. (1332.8) 121:1.7 When Jesus was born, the entire Mediterranean world was a unified empire. Good roads, for the first time in the world’s history, interconnected many major centers. The seas were cleared of pirates, and a great era of trade and travel was rapidly advancing. Europe did not again enjoy another such period of travel and trade until the nineteenth century after Christ. (1333.1) 121:1.8 Notwithstanding the internal peace and superficial prosperity of the Greco-Roman world, a majority of the inhabitants of the empire languished in squalor and poverty. The small upper class was rich; a miserable and impoverished lower class embraced the rank and file of humanity. There was no happy and prosperous middle class in those days; it had just begun to make its appearance in Roman society. (1333.2) 121:1.9 The first struggles between the expanding Roman and Parthian states had been concluded in the then recent past, leaving Syria in the hands of the Romans. In the times of Jesus, Palestine and Syria were enjoying a period of prosperity, relative peace, and extensive commercial intercourse with the lands to both the East and the West. 2. The Jewish People (1333.3) 121:2.1 The Jews were a part of the older Semitic race, which also included the Babylonians, the Phoenicians, and the more recent enemies of Rome, the Carthaginians. During the fore part of the first century after Christ, the Jews were the most influential group of the Semitic peoples, and they happened to occupy a peculiarly strategic geographic position in the world as it was at that time ruled and organized for trade. (1333.4) 121:2.2 Many of the great highways joining the nations of antiquity passed through Palestine, which thus became the meeting place, or crossroads, of three continents. The travel, trade, and armies of Babylonia, Assyria, Egypt, Syria, Greece, Parthia, and Rome successively swept over Palestine. From time immemorial, many caravan routes from the Orient passed through some part of this region to the few good seaports of the eastern end of the Mediterranean, whence ships carried their cargoes to all the maritime Occident. And more than half of this caravan traffic passed through or near the little town of Nazareth in Galilee. (1333.5) 121:2.3 Although Palestine was the home of Jewish religious culture and the birthplace of Christianity, the Jews were abroad in the world, dwelling in many nations and trading in every province of the Roman and Parthian states. (1333.6) 121:2.4 Greece provided a language and a culture, Rome built the roads and unified an empire, but the dispersion of the Jews, with their more than two hundred synagogues and well-organized religious communities scattered hither and yon throughout the Roman world, provided the cultural centers in which the new gospel of the kingdom of heaven found initial reception, and from which it subsequently spread to the uttermost parts of the world. (1333.7) 121:2.5 Each Jewish synagogue tolerated a fringe of gentile believers, “devout” or “God-fearing” men, and it was among this fringe of proselytes that Paul made the bulk of his early converts to Christianity. Even the temple at Jerusalem possessed its ornate court of the gentiles. There was very close connection between the culture, commerce, and worship of Jerusalem and Antioch. In Antioch Paul’s disciples were first called “Christians.” (1333.8) 121:2.6 The centralization of the Jewish temple worship at Jerusalem constituted alike the secret of the survival of their monotheism and the promise of the nurture and sending forth to the world of a new and enlarged concept of that one God of all nations and Father of all mortals. The temple service at Jerusalem represented the survival of a religious cultural concept in the face of the downfall of a succession of gentile national overlords and racial persecutors. (1334.1) 121:2.7 The Jewish people of this time, although under Roman suzerainty, enjoyed a considerable degree of self-government and, remembering the then only recent heroic exploits of deliverance executed by Judas Maccabee and his immediate successors, were vibrant with the expectation of the immediate appearance of a still greater deliverer, the long-expected Messiah. (1334.2) 121:2.8 The secret of the survival of Palestine, the kingdom of the Jews, as a semi-independent state was wrapped up in the foreign policy of the Roman government, which desired to maintain control of the Palestinian highway of travel between Syria and Egypt as well as the western terminals of the caravan routes between the Orient and the Occident. Rome did not wish any power to arise in the Levant which might curb her future expansion in these regions. The policy of intrigue which had for its object the pitting of Seleucid Syria and Ptolemaic Egypt against each other necessitated fostering Palestine as a separate and independent state. Roman policy, the degeneration of Egypt, and the progressive weakening of the Seleucids before the rising power of Parthia, explain why it was that for several generations a small and unpowerful group of Jews was able to maintain its independence against both Seleucidae to the north and Ptolemies to the south. This fortuitous liberty and independence of the political rule of surrounding and more powerful peoples the Jews attributed to the fact that they were the “chosen people,” to the direct interposition of Yahweh. Such an attitude of racial superiority made it all the harder for them to endure Roman suzerainty when it finally fell upon their land. But even in that sad hour the Jews refused to learn that their world mission was spiritual, not political. (1334.3) 121:2.9 The Jews were unusually apprehensive and suspicious during the times of Jesus because they were then ruled by an outsider, Herod the Idumean, who had seized the overlordship of Judea by cleverly ingratiating himself with the Roman rulers. And though Herod professed loyalty to the Hebrew ceremonial observances, he proceeded to build temples for many strange gods. (1334.4) 121:2.10 The friendly relations of Herod with the Roman rulers made the world safe for Jewish travel and thus opened the way for increased Jewish penetration even of distant portions of the Roman Empire and of foreign treaty nations with the new gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Herod’s reign also contributed much toward the further blending of Hebrew and Hellenistic philosophies. (1334.5) 121:2.11 Herod built the harbor of Caesarea, which further aided in making Palestine the crossroads of the civilized world. He died in 4 B.C., and his son Herod Antipas governed Galilee and Perea during Jesus’ youth and ministry to A.D. 39. Antipas, like his father, was a great builder. He rebuilt many of the cities of Galilee, including the important trade center of Sepphoris. (1334.6) 121:2.12 The Galileans were not regarded with full favor by the Jerusalem religious leaders and rabbinical teachers. Galilee was more gentile than Jewish when Jesus was born. 3. Among the Gentiles (1334.7) 121:3.1 Although the social and economic condition of the Roman state was not of the highest order, the widespread domestic peace and prosperity was propitious for the bestowal of Michael. In the first century after Christ the society of the Mediterranean world consisted of five well-defined strata: (1335.1) 121:3.2 1. The aristocracy. The upper classes with money and official power, the privileged and ruling groups. (1335.2) 121:3.3 2. The business groups. The merchant princes and the bankers, the traders — the big importers and exporters — the international merchants. (1335.3) 121:3.4 3. The small middle class. Although this group was indeed small, it was very influential and provided the moral backbone of the early Christian church, which encouraged these groups to continue in their various crafts and trades. Among the Jews many of the Pharisees belonged to this class of tradesmen. (1335.4) 121:3.5 4. The free proletariat. This group had little or no social standing. Though proud of their freedom, they were placed at great disadvantage because they were forced to compete with slave labor. The upper classes regarded them disdainfully, allowing that they were useless except for “breeding purposes.” (1335.5) 121:3.6 5. The slaves. Half the population of the Roman state were slaves; many were superior individuals and quickly made their way up among the free proletariat and even among the tradesmen. The majority were either mediocre or very inferior. (1335.6) 121:3.7 Slavery, even of superior peoples, was a feature of Roman military conquest. The power of the master over his slave was unqualified. The early Christian church was largely composed of the lower classes and these slaves. (1335.7) 121:3.8 Superior slaves often received wages and by saving their earnings were able to purchase their freedom. Many such emancipated slaves rose to high positions in state, church, and the business world. And it was just such possibilities that made the early Christian church so tolerant of this modified form of slavery. (1335.8) 121:3.9 There was no widespread social problem in the Roman Empire in the first century after Christ. The major portion of the populace regarded themselves as belonging in that group into which they chanced to be born. There was always the open door through which talented and able individuals could ascend from the lower to the higher strata of Roman society, but the people were generally content with their social rank. They were not class conscious, neither did they look upon these class distinctions as being unjust or wrong. Christianity was in no sense an economic movement having for its purpose the amelioration of the miseries of the depressed classes. (1335.9) 121:3.10 Although woman enjoyed more freedom throughout the Roman Empire than in her restricted position in Palestine, the family devotion and natural affection of the Jews far transcended that of the gentile world. 4. Gentile Philosophy (1335.10) 121:4.1 The gentiles were, from a moral standpoint, somewhat inferior to the Jews, but there was present in the hearts of the nobler gentiles abundant soil of natural goodness and potential human affection in which it was possible for the seed of Christianity to sprout and bring forth an abundant harvest of moral character and spiritual achievement. The gentile world was then dominated by four great philosophies, all more or less derived from the earlier Platonism of the Greeks. These schools of philosophy were: (1335.11) 121:4.2 1. The Epicurean. This school of thought was dedicated to the pursuit of happiness. The better Epicureans were not given to sensual excesses. At least this doctrine helped to deliver the Romans from a more deadly form of fatalism; it taught that men could do something to improve their terrestrial status. It did effectually combat ignorant superstition. (1336.1) 121:4.3 2. The Stoic. Stoicism was the superior philosophy of the better classes. The Stoics believed that a controlling Reason-Fate dominated all nature. They taught that the soul of man was divine; that it was imprisoned in the evil body of physical nature. Man’s soul achieved liberty by living in harmony with nature, with God; thus virtue came to be its own reward. Stoicism ascended to a sublime morality, ideals never since transcended by any purely human system of philosophy. While the Stoics professed to be the “offspring of God,” they failed to know him and therefore failed to find him. Stoicism remained a philosophy; it never became a religion. Its followers sought to attune their minds to the harmony of the Universal Mind, but they failed to envisage themselves as the children of a loving Father. Paul leaned heavily toward Stoicism when he wrote, “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (1336.2) 121:4.4 3. The Cynic. Although the Cynics traced their philosophy to Diogenes of Athens, they derived much of their doctrine from the remnants of the teachings of Machiventa Melchizedek. Cynicism had formerly been more of a religion than a philosophy. At least the Cynics made their religio-philosophy democratic. In the fields and in the market places they continually preached their doctrine that “man could save himself if he would.” They preached simplicity and virtue and urged men to meet death fearlessly. These wandering Cynic preachers did much to prepare the spiritually hungry populace for the later Christian missionaries. Their plan of popular preaching was much after the pattern, and in accordance with the style, of Paul’s Epistles. (1336.3) 121:4.5 4. The Skeptic. Skepticism asserted that knowledge was fallacious, and that conviction and assurance were impossible. It was a purely negative attitude and never became widespread. (1336.4) 121:4.6 These philosophies were semireligious; they were often invigorating, ethical, and ennobling but were usually above the common people. With the possible exception of Cynicism, they were philosophies for the strong and the wise, not religions of salvation for even the poor and the weak. 5. The Gentile Religions (1336.5) 121:5.1 Throughout preceding ages religion had chiefly been an affair of the tribe or nation; it had not often been a matter of concern to the individual. Gods were tribal or national, not personal. Such religious systems afforded little satisfaction for the individual spiritual longings of the average person. (1336.6) 121:5.2 In the times of Jesus the religions of the Occident included: (1336.7) 121:5.3 1. The pagan cults. These were a combination of Hellenic and Latin mythology, patriotism, and tradition. (1336.8) 121:5.4 2. Emperor worship. This deification of man as the symbol of the state was very seriously resented by the Jews and the early Christians and led directly to the bitter persecutions of both churches by the Roman government. (1337.1) 121:5.5 3. Astrology. This pseudo science of Babylon developed into a religion throughout the Greco-Roman Empire. Even in the twentieth century man has not been fully delivered from this superstitious belief. (1337.2) 121:5.6 4. The mystery religions. Upon such a spiritually hungry world a flood of mystery cults had broken, new and strange religions from the Levant, which had enamored the common people and had promised them individual salvation. These religions rapidly became the accepted belief of the lower classes of the Greco-Roman world. And they did much to prepare the way for the rapid spread of the vastly superior Christian teachings, which presented a majestic concept of Deity, associated with an intriguing theology for the intelligent and a profound proffer of salvation for all, including the ignorant but spiritually hungry average man of those days. (1337.3) 121:5.7 The mystery religions spelled the end of national beliefs and resulted in the birth of the numerous personal cults. The mysteries were many but were all characterized by: (1337.4) 121:5.8 1. Some mythical legend, a mystery — whence their name. As a rule this mystery pertained to the story of some god’s life and death and return to life, as illustrated by the teachings of Mithraism, which, for a time, were contemporary with, and a competitor of, Paul’s rising cult of Christianity. (1337.5) 121:5.9 2. The mysteries were nonnational and interracial. They were personal and fraternal, giving rise to religious brotherhoods and numerous sectarian societies. (1337.6) 121:5.10 3. They were, in their services, characterized by elaborate ceremonies of initiation and impressive sacraments of worship. Their secret rites and rituals were sometimes gruesome and revolting. (1337.7) 121:5.11 4. But no matter what the nature of their ceremonies or the degree of their excesses, these mysteries invariably promised their devotees salvation, “deliverance from evil, survival after death, and enduring life in blissful realms beyond this world of sorrow and slavery.” (1337.8) 121:5.12 But do not make the mistake of confusing the teachings of Jesus with the mysteries. The popularity of the mysteries reveals man’s quest for survival, thus portraying a real hunger and thirst for personal religion and individual righteousness. Although the mysteries failed adequately to satisfy this longing, they did prepare the way for the subsequent appearance of Jesus, who truly brought to this world the bread of life and the water thereof. (1337.9) 121:5.13 Paul, in an effort to utilize the widespread adherence to the better types of the mystery religions, made certain adaptations of the teachings of Jesus so as to render them more acceptable to a larger number of prospective converts. But even Paul’s compromise of Jesus’ teachings (Christianity) was superior to the best in the mysteries in that: (1337.10) 121:5.14 1. Paul taught a moral redemption, an ethical salvation. Christianity pointed to a new life and proclaimed a new ideal. Paul forsook magic rites and ceremonial enchantments. (1337.11) 121:5.15 2. Christianity presented a religion which grappled with final solutions of the human problem, for it not only offered salvation from sorrow and even from death, but it also promised deliverance from sin followed by the endowment of a righteous character of eternal survival qualities. (1338.1) 121:5.16 3. The mysteries were built upon myths. Christianity, as Paul preached it, was founded upon a historic fact: the bestowal of Michael, the Son of God, upon mankind. (1338.2) 121:5.17 Morality among the gentiles was not necessarily related to either philosophy or religion. Outside of Palestine it not always occurred to people that a priest of religion was supposed to lead a moral life. Jewish religion and subsequently the teachings of Jesus and later the evolving Christianity of Paul were the first European religions to lay one hand upon morals and the other upon ethics, insisting that religionists pay some attention to both. (1338.3) 121:5.18 Into such a generation of men, dominated by such incomplete systems of philosophy and perplexed by such complex cults of religion, Jesus was born in Palestine. And to this same generation he subsequently gave his gospel of personal religion — sonship with God. 6. The Hebrew Religion (1338.4) 121:6.1 By the close of the first century before Christ the religious thought of Jerusalem had been tremendously influenced and somewhat modified by Greek cultural teachings and even by Greek philosophy. In the long contest between the views of the Eastern and Western schools of Hebrew thought, Jerusalem and the rest of the Occident and the Levant in general adopted the Western Jewish or modified Hellenistic viewpoint. (1338.5) 121:6.2 In the days of Jesus three languages prevailed in Palestine: The common people spoke some dialect of Aramaic; the priests and rabbis spoke Hebrew; the educated classes and the better strata of Jews in general spoke Greek. The early translation of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek at Alexandria was responsible in no small measure for the subsequent predominance of the Greek wing of Jewish culture and theology. And the writings of the Christian teachers were soon to appear in the same language. The renaissance of Judaism dates from the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. This was a vital influence which later determined the drift of Paul’s Christian cult toward the West instead of toward the East. (1338.6) 121:6.3 Though the Hellenized Jewish beliefs were very little influenced by the teachings of the Epicureans, they were very materially affected by the philosophy of Plato and the self-abnegation doctrines of the Stoics. The great inroad of Stoicism is exemplified by the Fourth Book of the Maccabees; the penetration of both Platonic philosophy and Stoic doctrines is exhibited in the Wisdom of Solomon. The Hellenized Jews brought to the Hebrew scriptures such an allegorical interpretation that they found no difficulty in conforming Hebrew theology with their revered Aristotelian philosophy. But this all led to disastrous confusion until these problems were taken in hand by Philo of Alexandria, who proceeded to harmonize and systemize Greek philosophy and Hebrew theology into a compact and fairly consistent system of religious belief and practice. And it was this later teaching of combined Greek philosophy and Hebrew theology that prevailed in Palestine when Jesus lived and taught, and which Paul utilized as the foundation on which to build his more advanced and enlightening cult of Christianity. (1338.7) 121:6.4 Philo was a great teacher; not since Moses had there lived a man who exerted such a profound influence on the ethical and religious thought of the Occidental world. In the matter of the combination of the better elements in contemporaneous systems of ethical and religious teachings, there have been seven outstanding human teachers: Sethard, Moses, Zoroaster, Lao-tse, Buddha, Philo, and Paul. (1339.1) 121:6.5 Many, but not all, of Philo’s inconsistencies resulting from an effort to combine Greek mystical philosophy and Roman Stoic doctrines with the legalistic theology of the Hebrews, Paul recognized and wisely eliminated from his pre-Christian basic theology. Philo led the way for Paul more fully to restore the concept of the Paradise Trinity, which had long been dormant in Jewish theology. In only one matter did Paul fail to keep pace with Philo or to transcend the teachings of this wealthy and educated Jew of Alexandria, and that was the doctrine of the atonement; Philo taught deliverance from the doctrine of forgiveness only by the shedding of blood. He also possibly glimpsed the reality and presence of the Thought Adjusters more clearly than did Paul. But Paul’s theory of original sin, the doctrines of hereditary guilt and innate evil and redemption therefrom, was partially Mithraic in origin, having little in common with Hebrew theology, Philo’s philosophy, or Jesus’ teachings. Some phases of Paul’s teachings regarding original sin and the atonement were original with himself. (1339.2) 121:6.6 The Gospel of John, the last of the narratives of Jesus’ earth life, was addressed to the Western peoples and presents its story much in the light of the viewpoint of the later Alexandrian Christians, who were also disciples of the teachings of Philo. (1339.3) 121:6.7 At about the time of Christ a strange reversion of feeling toward the Jews occurred in Alexandria, and from this former Jewish stronghold there went forth a virulent wave of persecution, extending even to Rome, from which many thousands were banished. But such a campaign of misrepresentation was short-lived; very soon the imperial government fully restored the curtailed liberties of the Jews throughout the empire. (1339.4) 121:6.8 Throughout the whole wide world, no matter where the Jews found themselves dispersed by commerce or oppression, all with one accord kept their hearts centered on the holy temple at Jerusalem. Jewish theology did survive as it was interpreted and practiced at Jerusalem, notwithstanding that it was several times saved from oblivion by the timely intervention of certain Babylonian teachers. (1339.5) 121:6.9 As many as two and one-half million of these dispersed Jews used to come to Jerusalem for the celebration of their national religious festivals. And no matter what the theologic or philosophic differences of the Eastern (Babylonian) and the Western (Hellenic) Jews, they were all agreed on Jerusalem as the center of their worship and in ever looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. 7. Jews and Gentiles (1339.6) 121:7.1 By the times of Jesus the Jews had arrived at a settled concept of their origin, history, and destiny. They had built up a rigid wall of separation between themselves and the gentile world; they looked upon all gentile ways with utter contempt. They worshiped the letter of the law and indulged a form of self-righteousness based upon the false pride of descent. They had formed preconceived notions regarding the promised Messiah, and most of these expectations envisaged a Messiah who would come as a part of their national and racial history. To the Hebrews of those days Jewish theology was irrevocably settled, forever fixed. (1339.7) 121:7.2 The teachings and practices of Jesus regarding tolerance and kindness ran counter to the long-standing attitude of the Jews toward other peoples whom they considered heathen. For generations the Jews had nourished an attitude toward the outside world which made it impossible for them to accept the Master’s teachings about the spiritual brotherhood of man. They were unwilling to share Yahweh on equal terms with the gentiles and were likewise unwilling to accept as the Son of God one who taught such new and strange doctrines. (1340.1) 121:7.3 The scribes, the Pharisees, and the priesthood held the Jews in a terrible bondage of ritualism and legalism, a bondage far more real than that of the Roman political rule. The Jews of Jesus’ time were not only held in subjugation to the law but were equally bound by the slavish demands of the traditions, which involved and invaded every domain of personal and social life. These minute regulations of conduct pursued and dominated every loyal Jew, and it is not strange that they promptly rejected one of their number who presumed to ignore their sacred traditions, and who dared to flout their long-honored regulations of social conduct. They could hardly regard with favor the teachings of one who did not hesitate to clash with dogmas which they regarded as having been ordained by Father Abraham himself. Moses had given them their law and they would not compromise.* (1340.2) 121:7.4 By the time of the first century after Christ the spoken interpretation of the law by the recognized teachers, the scribes, had become a higher authority than the written law itself. And all this made it easier for certain religious leaders of the Jews to array the people against the acceptance of a new gospel. (1340.3) 121:7.5 These circumstances rendered it impossible for the Jews to fulfill their divine destiny as messengers of the new gospel of religious freedom and spiritual liberty. They could not break the fetters of tradition. Jeremiah had told of the “law to be written in men’s hearts,” Ezekiel had spoken of a “new spirit to live in man’s soul,” and the Psalmist had prayed that God would “create a clean heart within and renew a right spirit.” But when the Jewish religion of good works and slavery to law fell victim to the stagnation of traditionalistic inertia, the motion of religious evolution passed westward to the European peoples. (1340.4) 121:7.6 And so a different people were called upon to carry an advancing theology to the world, a system of teaching embodying the philosophy of the Greeks, the law of the Romans, the morality of the Hebrews, and the gospel of personality sanctity and spiritual liberty formulated by Paul and based on the teachings of Jesus. (1340.5) 121:7.7 Paul’s cult of Christianity exhibited its morality as a Jewish birthmark. The Jews viewed history as the providence of God — Yahweh at work. The Greeks brought to the new teaching clearer concepts of the eternal life. Paul’s doctrines were influenced in theology and philosophy not only by Jesus’ teachings but also by Plato and Philo. In ethics he was inspired not only by Christ but also by the Stoics. (1340.6) 121:7.8 The gospel of Jesus, as it was embodied in Paul’s cult of Antioch Christianity, became blended with the following teachings: (1340.7) 121:7.9 1. The philosophic reasoning of the Greek proselytes to Judaism, including some of their concepts of the eternal life. (1340.8) 121:7.10 2. The appealing teachings of the prevailing mystery cults, especially the Mithraic doctrines of redemption, atonement, and salvation by the sacrifice made by some god. (1340.9) 121:7.11 3. The sturdy morality of the established Jewish religion. (1341.1) 121:7.12 The Mediterranean Roman Empire, the Parthian kingdom, and the adjacent peoples of Jesus’ time all held crude and primitive ideas regarding the geography of the world, astronomy, health, and disease; and naturally they were amazed by the new and startling pronouncements of the carpenter of Nazareth. The ideas of spirit possession, good and bad, applied not merely to human beings, but every rock and tree was viewed by many as being spirit possessed. This was an enchanted age, and everybody believed in miracles as commonplace occurrences. 8. Previous Written Records (1341.2) 121:8.1 As far as possible, consistent with our mandate, we have endeavored to utilize and to some extent co-ordinate the existing records having to do with the life of Jesus on Urantia. Although we have enjoyed access to the lost record of the Apostle Andrew and have benefited from the collaboration of a vast host of celestial beings who were on earth during the times of Michael’s bestowal (notably his now Personalized Adjuster), it has been our purpose also to make use of the so-called Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. (1341.3) 121:8.2 These New Testament records had their origin in the following circumstances: (1341.4) 121:8.3 1. The Gospel by Mark. John Mark wrote the earliest (excepting the notes of Andrew), briefest, and most simple record of Jesus’ life. He presented the Master as a minister, as man among men. Although Mark was a lad lingering about many of the scenes which he depicts, his record is in reality the Gospel according to Simon Peter. He was early associated with Peter; later with Paul. Mark wrote this record at the instigation of Peter and on the earnest petition of the church at Rome. Knowing how consistently the Master refused to write out his teachings when on earth and in the flesh, Mark, like the apostles and other leading disciples, was hesitant to put them in writing. But Peter felt the church at Rome required the assistance of such a written narrative, and Mark consented to undertake its preparation. He made many notes before Peter died in A.D. 67, and in accordance with the outline approved by Peter and for the church at Rome, he began his writing soon after Peter’s death. The Gospel was completed near the end of A.D. 68. Mark wrote entirely from his own memory and Peter’s memory. The record has since been considerably changed, numerous passages having been taken out and some later matter added at the end to replace the latter one fifth of the original Gospel, which was lost from the first manuscript before it was ever copied. This record by Mark, in conjunction with Andrew’s and Matthew’s notes, was the written basis of all subsequent Gospel narratives which sought to portray the life and teachings of Jesus. (1341.5) 121:8.4 2. The Gospel of Matthew. The so-called Gospel according to Matthew is the record of the Master’s life which was written for the edification of Jewish Christians. The author of this record constantly seeks to show in Jesus’ life that much which he did was that “it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet.” Matthew’s Gospel portrays Jesus as a son of David, picturing him as showing great respect for the law and the prophets. (1341.6) 121:8.5 The Apostle Matthew did not write this Gospel. It was written by Isador, one of his disciples, who had as a help in his work not only Matthew’s personal remembrance of these events but also a certain record which the latter had made of the sayings of Jesus directly after the crucifixion. This record by Matthew was written in Aramaic; Isador wrote in Greek. There was no intent to deceive in accrediting the production to Matthew. It was the custom in those days for pupils thus to honor their teachers. (1342.1) 121:8.6 Matthew’s original record was edited and added to in A.D. 40 just before he left Jerusalem to engage in evangelistic preaching. It was a private record, the last copy having been destroyed in the burning of a Syrian monastery in A.D. 416. (1342.2) 121:8.7 Isador escaped from Jerusalem in A.D. 70 after the investment of the city by the armies of Titus, taking with him to Pella a copy of Matthew’s notes. In the year 71, while living at Pella, Isador wrote the Gospel according to Matthew. He also had with him the first four fifths of Mark’s narrative. (1342.3) 121:8.8 3. The Gospel by Luke. Luke, the physician of Antioch in Pisidia, was a gentile convert of Paul, and he wrote quite a different story of the Master’s life. He began to follow Paul and learn of the life and teachings of Jesus in A.D. 47. Luke preserves much of the “grace of the Lord Jesus Christ” in his record as he gathered up these facts from Paul and others. Luke presents the Master as “the friend of publicans and sinners.” He did not formulate his many notes into the Gospel until after Paul’s death. Luke wrote in the year 82 in Achaia. He planned three books dealing with the history of Christ and Christianity but died in A.D. 90 just before he finished the second of these works, the “Acts of the Apostles.” (1342.4) 121:8.9 As material for the compilation of his Gospel, Luke first depended upon the story of Jesus’ life as Paul had related it to him. Luke’s Gospel is, therefore, in some ways the Gospel according to Paul. But Luke had other sources of information. He not only interviewed scores of eyewitnesses to the numerous episodes of Jesus’ life which he records, but he also had with him a copy of Mark’s Gospel, that is, the first four fifths, Isador’s narrative, and a brief record made in the year A.D. 78 at Antioch by a believer named Cedes. Luke also had a mutilated and much-edited copy of some notes purported to have been made by the Apostle Andrew. (1342.5) 121:8.10 4. The Gospel of John. The Gospel according to John relates much of Jesus’ work in Judea and around Jerusalem which is not contained in the other records. This is the so-called Gospel according to John the son of Zebedee, and though John did not write it, he did inspire it. Since its first writing it has several times been edited to make it appear to have been written by John himself. When this record was made, John had the other Gospels, and he saw that much had been omitted; accordingly, in the year A.D. 101 he encouraged his associate, Nathan, a Greek Jew from Caesarea, to begin the writing. John supplied his material from memory and by reference to the three records already in existence. He had no written records of his own. The Epistle known as “First John” was written by John himself as a covering letter for the work which Nathan executed under his direction. (1342.6) 121:8.11 All these writers presented honest pictures of Jesus as they saw, remembered, or had learned of him, and as their concepts of these distant events were affected by their subsequent espousal of Paul’s theology of Christianity. And these records, imperfect as they are, have been sufficient to change the course of the history of Urantia for almost two thousand years. (1343.1) 121:8.12 [Acknowledgment: In carrying out my commission to restate the teachings and retell the doings of Jesus of Nazareth, I have drawn freely upon all sources of record and planetary information. My ruling motive has been to prepare a record which will not only be enlightening to the generation of men now living, but which may also be helpful to all future generations. From the vast store of information made available to me, I have chosen that which is best suited to the accomplishment of this purpose. As far as possible I have derived my information from purely human sources. Only when such sources failed, have I resorted to those records which are superhuman. When ideas and concepts of Jesus’ life and teachings have been acceptably expressed by a human mind, I invariably gave preference to such apparently human thought patterns. Although I have sought to adjust the verbal expression the better to conform to our concept of the real meaning and the true import of the Master’s life and teachings, as far as possible, I have adhered to the actual human concept and thought pattern in all my narratives. I well know that those concepts which have had origin in the human mind will prove more acceptable and helpful to all other human minds. When unable to find the necessary concepts in the human records or in human expressions, I have next resorted to the memory resources of my own order of earth creatures, the midwayers. And when that secondary source of information proved inadequate, I have unhesitatingly resorted to the superplanetary sources of information. (1343.2) 121:8.13 The memoranda which I have collected, and from which I have prepared this narrative of the life and teachings of Jesus — aside from the memory of the record of the Apostle Andrew — embrace thought gems and superior concepts of Jesus’ teachings assembled from more than two thousand human beings who have lived on earth from the days of Jesus down to the time of the inditing of these revelations, more correctly restatements. The revelatory permission has been utilized only when the human record and human concepts failed to supply an adequate thought pattern. My revelatory commission forbade me to resort to extrahuman sources of either information or expression until such a time as I could testify that I had failed in my efforts to find the required conceptual expression in purely human sources. (1343.3) 121:8.14 While I, with the collaboration of my eleven associate fellow midwayers and under the supervision of the Melchizedek of record, have portrayed this narrative in accordance with my concept of its effective arrangement and in response to my choice of immediate expression, nevertheless, the majority of the ideas and even some of the effective expressions which I have thus utilized had their origin in the minds of the men of many races who have lived on earth during the intervening generations, right on down to those who are still alive at the time of this undertaking. In many ways I have served more as a collector and editor than as an original narrator. I have unhesitatingly appropriated those ideas and concepts, preferably human, which would enable me to create the most effective portraiture of Jesus’ life, and which would qualify me to restate his matchless teachings in the most strikingly helpful and universally uplifting phraseology. In behalf of the Brotherhood of the United Midwayers of Urantia, I most gratefully acknowledge our indebtedness to all sources of record and concept which have been hereinafter utilized in the further elaboration of our restatement of Jesus’ life on earth.]
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