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that others take for granted.
we begin our journey into philosophy when we become aware of the ability to analyze our own minds.
ACCURATE SELF-ASSESSMENT
Most people resist the idea of a true self-estimate, probably because they fear it might mean downgrading some of their beliefs about who they are and what they’re capable of.
it is a great failing “to see yourself as more than you are.”
The second half of Goethe’s maxim is important too. He states that it is equally damaging to “value yourself at less than your true worth.” Is it not equally common to be surprised at how well we’re able to handle a previously feared scenario?
The way we’re able to rise to the occasion in a stressful situation or a life-changing opportunity.
Cultivate the ability to judge yourself accurately and honestly. Look inward to discern what you’re capable of and what it will take to unlock that potential.
(DIS)INTEGRATION
We’re all complicated people. We have multiple sides to ourselves—conflicting
We have a choice: to stand with the philosopher and focus strenuously on the inside, or to behave like a leader of a mob, becoming whatever the crowd needs at a given moment. If we do not focus on our internal integration—on self-awareness—we risk external disintegration.
AWARENESS IS FREEDOM
“The person is free who lives as they wish, neither compelled, nor hindered, nor limited—whose
It is sad to consider how much time many people spend in the course of a day doing things they
“have” to do—not necessary obligations like work or family, but the obligations we needlessly accept out of vanity or ignorance.
“No slavery is more disgraceful,” he quipped, “than one which is self-imposed.”
Take an inventory of your obligations from time to time.
CUTTING BACK ON THE COSTLY
“So, concerning the things we pursue, and for which we vigorously exert ourselves, we owe this consideration—either there is nothing useful in them, or most aren’t useful. Some of them are superfluous, while others aren’t worth that much. But we don’t discern this and see them as free, when they cost us dearly.”
Remember: even what we get for free has a cost, if only in what we pay to store it—in our garages and in our minds. As you walk past your possessions today, ask yourself: Do I need this? Is it superfluous? What’s this actually worth? What is it costing me? You might be surprised by the answers and how much we’ve been paying without even knowing it.
DON’T TELL YOURSELF STORIES
“In public avoid talking often and excessively about your accomplishments and dangers, for however much you enjoy recounting your dangers, it’s not so pleasant for others
Modern philosopher Nassim Taleb has warned of the “narrative fallacy”—the tendency to assemble unrelated events of the past into stories.
They lead to a sense of cohesion and certainty that isn’t real.
there is another reason not to tell stories about your past. It’s boring, annoying, and self-absorbed. It might make you feel good to dominate the conversation and make it all about you, but how do you think it is for everyone else?
Try your best not to create this fantasy bubble—live in what’s real. Listen and connect with people, don’t perform for them.
DON’T TRUST THE SENSES
Self-awareness is the ability to objectively evaluate the self.
way: because our senses are often wrong, our emotions overly alarmed, our projections overly optimistic, we’re better off not rushing into conclusions about anything.
DON’T UNINTENTIONALLY HAND OVER YOUR FREEDOM
“If a person gave away your body to some passerby, you’d be furious. Yet you hand over your mind to anyone who comes along, so they may abuse you, leaving it disturbed and troubled—have you no shame in that?”
We don’t let people touch us, push us around, control where we go. But when it comes to the mind, we’re less disciplined. We hand it over willingly to
social media, to television, to what other people are doing, thinking, or saying.
we can be thrown in jail or be tossed about by the weather. But the mind? That’s ours. We must protect it. Maintain control over your mind and perceptions, they’d say. It’s your most prized possession.
FIND THE RIGHT SCENE
you are never so tied to your former acquaintances and friends that you are pulled down to their level.
You must choose whether to be loved by these friends and remain the same person, or to become a better person at the cost of those friends
if you try to have it both ways you will neither make progress nor ke...
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Jim Rohn’s widely quoted line is: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
James Altucher advises young writers and entrepreneurs to find their “scene”—a group of peers who push them to be better.
Goethe’s maxims captures it better: “Tell me with whom you consort and I will tell you who you are.”
Are they making me better? Do they encourage me to push forward and hold me accountable? Or do
they drag me down to their level? Now, with this in mind, ask the most important question: Should I spend more or less time with these folks?
“If I know how you spend your time,” he said, “then I know what might become of you.”
FIND YOURSELF A CATO
“We can remove most sins if we have a witness standing by as we are about to go wrong.
Seneca tells us that we should each have our own Cato—a great and noble person we can allow into our minds and use to guide our actions, even when they’re not physically present.
LIVING WITHOUT RESTRICTION
anyone who can be restricted, coerced, or pushed into something against what they will is a slave.”
Take a look at some of the most powerful, rich, and famous people in the world.
