Philosophy
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He who frames the question… Perhaps you’ve heard the adage, “He who frames the question wins the debate.” Those who fear COVID or HANTA or any other disease- they’re not just getting the wrong answers; they’re asking the wrong questions. So we need a better framework to test the worthiness of our questions. During COVID,…
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Here we go again… Have you ever been mucking out the barn and thought to yourself, “I’ve shoveled this shi–stuff before”? I hope you’ve had that thought, because that’s where I find myself today as I’m writing this, and it might be hard for you to understand and empathize otherwise. I know I’m a month…
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Purpose: We have encountered some Christians who object to Logic Slap, calling it unkind. Such persons insist that preaching the gospel may never employ techniques like mockery or sarcasm; these are inherently evil. Our purpose herein is not to convince others to employ our methods, but to challenge an a priori commitment, demonstrating it is…
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In the thirtieth year of his reign, Emperor Liang sat upon the alabaster throne in the Hall of Balanced Scales. Two provincial governors had journeyed a thousand miles to lay their quarrel at his feet. Governor Wei of the fertile Riverlands entered first. His robes were silk, his retinue numerous, hearty, and gracious. Behind him…
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In the half-light of dawn, Viktor trudges through the frozen mud. His feet are raw with blisters from ragged shoes that do not fit, handed down from a former occupant with no more need. He shudders at the promise of the day’s forced labor. Victor has been a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camps for…
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In a trading village in the windy plains, Caius the blacksmith was a man of fire and iron. A handsome man with bright eyes, a charming smile, and strength born of a lifetime of physical labor, he was the envy of the village lads and ever the subject of interest for the young ladies that…
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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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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…