An affect, which is a passive state, ceases to be a passive state, as soon as we form a clear and distinct idea thereof. — Spinoza, Ethics, pars V, prop. III The ultimate principle of human life is to be present in it—to act out of awareness. What this means and what the alternative would be is pointed at by the following table: activitypassivityawake, aware, mindfulasleep, unaware, mindlessdoing what you truly wantdoing what you happen to be wantingdriven by reasondriven by … [Read more...]
How to Misuse Facts
Facts can be useful because the truth helps us to navigate the world better than falsehood, but: A fact used to argue does not solve a problem. A fact used to be right does not help anybody. A fact used to offend will not promote the discussion. A fact used to distract will not reach intelligent ears. A fact used to rationalize diminishes one's character. A fact used to excuse weakness kills motivation. Communicating effectively with others and oneself requires more than … [Read more...]
What Is a Strong Will?
What constitutes a strong will depends on what time frame we consider: Stubbornness. In the short term, a strong-willed man does everything in his power to win the current fight, even at the cost of losing the battle, let alone the war. This is the person who resists the truth because he can never be wrong, who mistreats and diminishes others in petty displays of power, and who never changes course even when it's obvious that his plan is stupid.Goal fixation. In the medium term, a … [Read more...]
The Pleasure of Willpower and the Lie of Delayed Gratification
Last week I wrote about radically embracing life in the present moment. Today I want to emphasize that this is not the same as living for the moment without regard for long-term consequences. This might be hard for some to understand, because most people see self-discipline as the eschewal of current pleasures. With willpower, they assume, one sacrifices short-term pleasure for the sake of a bigger pleasure in the future. So they feed their dreams and hopes with the idea of delayed … [Read more...]
Forget Your Hope Lest You Forget Your Self
This very moment right here, right now is your life. Look at it. It's as good as it gets. There is nothing to wish for, nothing to hope for. Your desires are mere distractions. They distract you from the simple truth that this is reality. Reality won't get any better. It will either stay reality or be gone. There is no room for hope, no need for hope, for all is well. But perhaps you're suffering, sad, or frustrated? That's okay. Emotions are beside the point. The point is that this very … [Read more...]
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