“The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of past centuries.” — René Descartes
“What joy and comfort can it give to fully awakened people? Once you accept the truly desperate situation that man is in, you come to see not only that neurosis is normal, but that even psychotic failure represents only a little additional push in the routine stumbling along life’s way. If repression makes an untenable life liveable, self-knowledge can entirely destroy it for some people.”
"Once a human becomes aware of his existence, he must then define his essence through a series of choices that he makes throughout his life of which he is personally responsible. These choices are neither right nor wrong, they simply are, and a man is free to choose whatsoever he wishes. Any meaning or purpose that comes along the way is that which the individual assigns to his choices, and he is free to assign or not assign meaning to the limitless options available to him daily. The only thing that cannot be shirked is responsibility for the choices made, as it is the choice itself that is the essence of existing."
"Creation- that is the great redemption from suffering, and life's growing light. But that the creator may be, suffering is needed and much change. Indeed, there must be much bitter dying in your life, you creators. To be the child who is newly born, the creator must also want to be the mother who gives birth and the pangs of the birth-giver."
Cal and I discuss and reflect on the books we journeyed through in 2018 along with reading goals for 2019.
"for nature does not give a man virtue: the process of becoming a good man is an art."
Since reading Soren Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling, the philosophical school of existentialism has had a growing influence on my thinking. While my understanding of existentialism is far from adequate to speak on it broadly, I can humbly attempt to convince the casual reader why this masterpiece of Kierkegaard’s is worth a week of your time... Continue Reading →
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a book I keep coming back to ever since I first read it. This book contains the private reflections of fascinating emperor. Stoic philosophy is like black coffee for the soul or at least to me it is. There are a lot of myths that surround Marcus Aurelius but this book... Continue Reading →
Brains and Brawn 