“But I am well aware of the excuse which men, ever ingenious in devising mischief to themselves as well as others, offer in extenuation of their conduct in going to war. They allege that they are compelled to it, that they are dragged against their will to war. I answer them, deal fairly; pull off …
Tag: gregg hake
Keep in Mind
"When someone seems to have injured you: But how can I be sure? And in any case, keep in mind: That he's already been tried and convicted - by himself. (Like scratching your own eyes out.) That to expect a bad person not to harm others is like expecting fig trees not to secrete juice, …
A Holy Ambition
“Considering that we are born with this condition, that is, that we can become whatever we choose to become, we need to understand that we must take earnest care about this, so that it will never be said to our disadvantage that we were born to a privileged position but failed to realize it and …
The Summer of my Years
As I approach the summer of my years The hoary voice of winter howls my name. "What was and is, anon shall be at hand— 'Tis time ye relent; good cannot prevail! Men of stature greater than thee have tried And failed. Corrupted men shall forever Herd men less so, who trusting that their gods …
Stride of Goodness
"As you move forward in the logos, people will stand in your way. They can't keep you from doing what's healthy; don't let them stop you from putting up with them either. Take care on both counts. Not just sound judgments, solid actions - tolerance as well, for those who try to obstruct us or …
Reason
"To join ourselves not just to the air surrounding us, through breath, but to the reason that embraces all things, through thought. Reason is just as omnipresent, just as widely diffused in those who accept it as air in those who breathe. - Marcus Aurelius Man's thinking capacity is designed to allow him to accommodate …
Action by action
"You have to assemble your life yourself - action by action. And be satisfied if each one achieves its goal, as far as it can. No one can keep that from happening. -But there are external obstacles... Not to behaving with justice, self-control, and good sense. - Well, but perhaps to some more concrete action. …
The Dance of Life
“The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.” - Marcus Aurelius The retaliatory, quid pro quo, "eye for an eye" mindset is oddly and persistently common, despite its obvious shortcomings. It is the preferred approach of those who are ensnared in the toils of judgment. In it is the promise of …
Relatedness
"Keep reminding yourself of the way things are connected, of their relatedness. All things are implicated in one another and in sympathy with each other. This event is the consequence of some other one. Things push and pull on each other, and breathe together, and are one." - Marcus Aurelius Every time you come to …
Wisdom is Justice
"On the verge of dying and still weighed down, still turbulent, still convinced external things can harm you, still rude to other people, still not acknowledging the truth: that wisdom is justice." - Marcus Aurelius To those who hold a grudge against another or who judge any externality for that matter, know this: wisdom is justice. …
Gregory Hake 