Author: D.S. Cook
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Elderglen’s pride was its nightly hymn. Every evening since the first stone was laid, they gathered in the square and sang the Truthsong, rooted deeply in the faith that bound them together. “We speak what is, we speak what’s real. Our voices joined, the truth we seal.” They sang of the blessings that kept them…
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The Proletariat Assembly Line On September 10, a young man sat on a chair in front of a crowd at Utah University, his voice amplified in passionate defense of his principles. As he had done so many times before, Charlie Kirk had come to discuss and debate… to hear the best arguments of those who…
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Arguments reveal more than truth, they reveal the character. Will I be arrogantly right, humbly wrong, or the inverse? Will I lose while winning, or win while losing? Here is my recent counsel to myself, offered up for your critique and possible benefit. On insignificant arguments:When certain you’re right, don’t let it show. At least…
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As a faithful follower of Christ and a devotee to His Church, I am sometimes questioned on my appreciation for the philosophy of Stoicism, and my addition of Stoic practice to my daily pursuit of goodness, justice, truth, mercy, and temperance. These questions are generally not reproaches, but genuine curiosity as to the fitness of…
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The Rich and The Poor It is easy for a man who has much to criticize the habits of one who has little, and easy for a poor man to criticize the wealthy for the usage of what he has. It is not common to hear the poor criticizing the poor, or the rich the…
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In a quiet valley nestled between rolling hills, two friends, Elias and Mara, dreamed of building homes to call their own. Both decided to craft sturdy brick houses, envisioning shelters that would stand proud and long. With enthusiasm, they laid their foundations and began stacking their first rows of bricks under the warm sun. That…
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In a village carved from the frozen jaws of a Slavic winter, where the wind howled like a hungry wolf, lived Katya, a girl with eyes like storm clouds and skilled fingers that could’ve danced with flax… if only she’d let them. Her family’s hut smelled of damp wool and expectation, the flax piled high…
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Three people watched Fight Club last night. Spoiler alert. My wife, the narrative purist, was not a huge fan. “What’s so great about it?” She said. “It’s just a story about a guy who goes crazy and destroys things.” My mom, the plot sleuth, had the alter-ego twist pegged earlier than anyone. “I suspected…
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The Stoic Dichotomy of Control When I first began to read the Stoic philosophers, I was struck by a bedrock idea that is preached by pretty much all of them. In a nutshell, the Stoics promoted a key principle known as the dichotomy of control, which basically says that we should stick to worrying about…
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“Every instrument, tool, vessel, if it does that for which it has been made, is well. Does the sun undertake to do the work of the rain? And how is it with respect to each of the stars? Are they not different and yet they work together to the same end?” These words from Marcus…
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An excellent mental exercise, rooted in Stoicism, is to start at the high level of the activities that make up the lion’s share of your daily efforts. Select one that you would rate as being highly important, write it down on a piece of paper, and then ask the question: “Why? Why do I do…
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“Well John Henry hammered in the mountain. He’d give a grunt and give a groan with every swing. The women folks from miles around heard him and come down, to watch him make the cold steel ring, Lord what a swinger! Just listen to the cold steel ring” – Johnny Cash “The Legend of John…
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Dying well: Stoic Heroes Who Mastered Calmness Sentenced to death for crimes of speech, Socrates met his end at the bottom of a cup of poison after being convicted of impiety against the gods by a jury of 500 Athenians. A revered teacher and philosopher even in his own time, he had stood alone and…
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Stop Losing Sleep Over Work Stress with Stoicism If you are like me, you have lost more than a few nights of sleep over your job. Negative interactions, a boss that may be impossible to please despite your best efforts, reviews you disagree with, ever moving goal-posts, and stress-build up can send your head spinning…
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Letting Go Like a Stoic Saint: Detachment Done Right I get questioned sometimes on why my blog is titled “Apostoic.” Well, here goes. Stoic and Christian values, though born from wildly different worldviews, share a surprising overlap when it comes to building an unshakeable character. Both Stoicism and Christianity emphasize cultivating an inner strength that…