"My brother ought not to have treated me thus." True: but he must see to that. However he may treat me, I must deal rightly by him. This is what lies with me, what none can hinder. - Epictetus Your expression of virtue need not be conditional. It can and must be absolute. Your thoughts, …
Tag: gregg hake
A Guide
"A guide, on finding a man who has lost his way, brings him back to the right path ﹣ he does not mock and jeer at him and then take himself off. You also must show the unlearned man the truth, and you will see that he will follow. But so long as you do …
That is my nature
“I was born to join in love, not hate - that is my nature.” - Sophocles It happens every day. You're walking merrily along the path of life and someone bends your ear about how terrible so-and-so is or how dreadful such-and-such is. If you are sympathetic to their plight, you may be inclined to …
The Pivotal Commandment
“If you try to cure evil with evil you will add more pain to your fate.” - Sophocles Many people who claim to be Christians either ignore or rationalize away the most central and simply described doctrine espoused by the man known as Jesus: "resist not evil." Of all the things He said, this is …
Radiant Glory
The Higher Pantheism by Alfred, Lord Tennyson The sun, the moon, the stars, the seas, the hills and the plains,﹣ Are not these, O Soul, the Vision of Him who reigns? Is not the Vision He, tho' He be not that which He seems? Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live …
Thoughtfulness
"Your ability to control your thoughts − treat it with respect. It's all that protects your mind from false perceptions − false to your nature, and that of all rational beings. It's what makes thoughtfulness possible, and affection for other people, and submission to the divine." − Marcus Aurelius I find it hard to ascribe to the …
A Great Player
"A lot of people, when a guy scores a lot of goals, think, 'He's a great player', because a goal is very important, but a great player is a player who can do everything on the field. He can do assists, encourage his colleagues, give them confidence to go forward. It is someone who, when …
Off the Ball
If you've ever played a team sport, you probably came to realize at a certain point that most playmaking occurs off, not on the ball. In any given sport you might be on the ball 10-25% of the time and off the ball the rest of the time, but it is important to remember that …
The Reasonableness of Dominion
It occurred to me at various points yesterday that every one of my friends effortlessly reaffirms my faith in humanity. Moreover, each one of my friends inspires me to return the favor, not out of demand, but by example. We are here not to use and abuse our fellows, to force them to submit to …
No Compulsion
The Prophet Muhammad said many wonderful things, but one of the more significant to my mind is the statement recorded in the Qur'an (2:256): "There is no compulsion in religion..." Were this truth recognized, children would no longer be raised in one faith or another. Instead, they would be taught to think, that is, to …
Gregory Hake 