"Remember that your ruling reason becomes unconquerable when it rallies and relies on itself, so that it won't do anything contrary to its own will, even if its position is irrational. How much more unconquerable if its judgments are careful and made rationally? Therefore, the mind freed from passions is an impenetrable fortress-a person has no more secure place of refuge for all time. -MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 8.48
("당신의 지배하는 이성이 스스로 결집하고 의지하게 되면, 자신의 의지에 반하는 어떤 것도 하지 않게 되어 무적이 됩니다. 설령 그 입장이 비합리적일지라도 말입니다. 그렇다면 판단이 신중하고 합리적으로 이루어진다면 얼마나 더 무적이 되겠습니까? 그러므로 마음이 감정에서 해방되면 그것은 난공불락의 요새가 됩니다. 사람에게 그보다 더 안전한 피난처는 영원히 없을 것입니다." - 마르쿠스 아우렐리우스, <명상록> 8.48)
Bruce Lee once made an interesting claim: "I fear not the man who who has practiced ten thousand kicks once," he said, "but I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times." When we repeat an action so often it becomes unconscious behavior, we can default to it without thinking.
Training in the martial arts or combat is a deeply thoughtful study of movement. We sometimes think of soldiers as automatons, but what they've actually built is a steady pattern of unconscious behaviors. Any of us can build these.
When Marcus says that a mind can get to a place where "it won't do anything contrary to its own will, even if its position is irrational," what he means is that proper training can change your default habits. Train yourself to give up anger, and you won't be angry at every ...
