(독서)Daily Stoic-7월 24일 SOMEWHERE SOMEONE'S DYING

"Receive without pride, let go without attachment." -MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 8.33 ("자만하지 말고 받아들이고, 집착하지 말고 놓아버리십시오." - 마르쿠스 아우렐리우스, 명상록, 8.33)     In the midst of the breakdown of the Roman Republic, during the civil war between Pompey and Caesar, Pompey made the decision to give control of the military fleet to Cato. It was a massive honor and hugely powerful position. But then a few days later, responding to the protests of his jealous inner circle, Pompey reversed his decision and took the command away.   It could have been seen as an enormous public humiliation—to be given a promotion and then have it taken away. The record shows that Cato's reaction was basically nothing. He responded to the honor and the dishonor the same way: with indifference and acceptance. He certainly didn't let it affect his support for the cause. In fact, after the snub, he worked to rally the soldiers before battle with inspirational speeches-the very men who should...

"Nothing is noble if it's done unwillingly or under compulsion. Every noble deed is voluntary."-SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 66.16b ("억지로 하거나 강요받아 하는 일은 고귀하지 않다. 모든 고귀한 일은 자발적이어야 한다." - 세네카, 도덕서한, 66.16b)  You don't have to do the right thing. You always have the option to be selfish, rude, awful, shortsighted, pedantic, evil, or stupid. In fact, sometimes there are incentives to break bad. Certainly, not every criminal gets caught.   But how does this line of thinking usually work out for people? What's that life like?   You don't have to do the right thing, just as you don't have to do your duty. You get to. You want to. 올바른 일을 하지 않아도 됩니다. 당신은 언제든지 이기적이고, 무례하고, 끔찍하고, 근시안적이고, 형식적이고, ...

"Whenever you have trouble getting up in the morning, remind yourself that you've been made by nature for the purpose of working with others, whereas even unthinking animals share sleeping. And it's our own natural purpose that is more fitting and more satisfying."-MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 8.12 (“아침에 일어나기 힘들 때, 자신이 자연에 의해 다른 사람들과 함께 일하도록 만들어졌다는 것을 기억하십시오. 심지어 아무 생각 없이 잠을 자는 동물들조차도 그렇습니다. 그리고 그것이 우리의 자연스러운 목적이며 더 적합하고 만족스러운 것입니다.” - 마르쿠스 아우렐리우스, 명상록, 8.12) If a dog spends all day in bed-your bed, most likely-that's fine. It's just being a dog. It doesn't have anywhere to be, no other obligation other than being itself. According to the Stoics, we humans have a higher obligation-not to the gods but to each other. What gets us out of bed each morning-even when we fight it like Marcus did—is praxeis koinonikas apodidonai (to render works held in common). Civilization and country are great projects we build together and have been building together with our ancestors for millennia. We are made for cooperation (synergia) with each other.   So if you need an extra boost to get out of bed this morning, if you need something more than caffeine can offer, use this. People are depending on you. Your purpose is to help us render this great work together. And we're ...

"The unjust person acts against the gods. For insofar as the nature of the universe made rational creatures for the sake of each other, with an eye toward mutual benefit based on true value and never for harm, anyone breaking nature's will obviously acts against the oldest of gods."-MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 9.1.1 ("부정한 사람은 신들에 반하는 행동을 합니다. 우주의 본성은 이성적 존재들을 서로를 위해 만들었으며, 참된 가치를 바탕으로 한 상호 이익을 위해 만들었으며, 결코 해를 끼치기 위해 만든 것이 아니기 때문에, 본성을 어기는 자는 분명 가장 오래된 신들에 반하는 행동을 하는 것입니다." - 마르쿠스 아우렐리우스, 명상록, 9.1.1)   We say of the most heinous acts that they are crimes against nature. We consider certain things to be an affront against humanity, saying, "This violates everything we hold dear." However much we differ in religion, upbringing, politics, class, or gender, we can come together in agreement there.   Why? Because our sense of justice goes marrow deep. We don't like it when people cut in line; we don't like freeloaders; we pass laws that protect the defenseless; and we pay our taxes, agreeing, in part, to redistribute our wealth to those in need. At the same time, if we think we can get away with it, we might try to cheat or bend the rules. To paraphrase Bill Walsh, when left ...

"As Plato said, every soul is deprived of truth against its will. The same holds true for justice, self-control, goodwill to others, and every similar virtue. It's essential to constantly keep this in your mind, for it will make you more gentle to all."-MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.63 ("플라톤이 말했듯이, 모든 영혼은 자신도 모르게 진리를 빼앗기게 됩니다. 정의, 절제, 타인에 대한 선의와 같은 모든 유사한 미덕도 마찬가지입니다. 이를 마음속에 항상 간직하는 것이 중요합니다. 그러면 모든 사람에게 더욱 부드럽게 대할 수 있을 것입니다." - 마르쿠스 아우렐리우스, 《명상록》, 7.63)   As he wound his way up Via Dolorosa to the top of Calvary Hill, Jesus (or Christus as he would have been known to Seneca and other Roman contemporaries) had suffered immensely. He'd been beaten, flogged, stabbed, forced to bear his own cross, and was set to be crucified on it next to two common criminals. There he watched the soldiers roll dice to see who would get to keep his clothes, listened as the ...