Whatsoever doth happen in the world, doth happen justly, and so if thou dost well take heed, thou shalt find it. I say not only in right order by a series of inevitable consequences, but according to justice and as it were by way of equal distribution, according to the true worth of everything. Continue then to take notice of it, as thou hast begun, and whatsoever thou dost, do it not without this proviso, that it be a thing of that nature that a good man (as the word good is properly taken) may do it. This observe carefully in every action.
Tag: #stoicalphas
“Meditations” Book IV: Passage VII
Let opinion be taken away, and no man will think himself wronged. If no man shall think himself wronged, then is there no more any such thing as wrong. That which makes not man himself the worse, cannot make his life the worse, neither can it hurt him either inwardly or outwardly. It was expedient in nature that it should be so, and therefore necessary.
“Meditations” Book III: Passage IX
In the mind that is once truly disciplined and purged, thou canst not find anything, either foul or impure, or as it were festered: nothing that is either servile, or affected: no partial tie; no malicious averseness; nothing obnoxious; nothing concealed. The life of such an one, death can never surprise as imperfect; as of an actor, that should die before he had ended, or the play itself were at an end, a man might speak.
“Meditations” Book IV: Passage XIX
Whatsoever is expedient unto thee, O World, is expedient unto me; nothing can either be unseasonable unto me, or out of date, which unto thee is seasonable. Whatsoever thy seasons bear, shall ever by me be esteemed as happy fruit, and increase. O Nature! from thee are all things, in thee all things subsist, and to thee all tend. Could he say of Athens, thou lovely city of Cecrops; and shalt not thou say of the world, thou lovely city of God?
“Meditations” Book III: Passage XIV
As physicians and chirurgeons have always their instruments ready at hand for all sudden cures; so have thou always thy dogmata in a readiness for the knowledge of things, both divine and human: and whatsoever thou dost, even in the smallest things that thou dost, thou must ever remember that mutual relation, and connection that is between these two things divine, and things human. For without relation unto God, thou shalt never speed in any worldly actions; nor on the other side in any divine, without some respect had to things human.
Analyzing Lebron’s First Season in LA (21.95% complete)
18 games into the 2018-2019 season (21.95% to be exact) Lebron is flexing a PER that HASN’T BEEN SEEN SINCE HIS LAST YEAR IN MIAMI.
Let’s look at Lebron’s numbers since his last year in Miami (age 29 season).
After Lebron left Miami, his PER and efficiency as a player in Cleveland was decidedly not as good up until last season.
Last season (Lebron’s age 33 season) Lebron had a resurgence. Maybe he was mentally preparing himself for the departure from Cleveland for the second time?
Whatever the case, Lebron’s age 33 season was far better than his age 30-32 seasons with Cleveland, when we use PER as our primary measuring metric.
But this season is just as good as Lebron’s age 33 season so far and definitely has the potential to be even better.
Lebron is averaging a career high in 3PA’s at 5.9 per game and is shooting 39%.
Lebron is shooting the 3-ball the best he ever has in his career. If he keeps averaging a career high in attempts and shooting almost 40% from beyond the arc, his game has the potential to go up another notch still!
The question remains though, turning 34 in December, having played in the NBA since age 18, how much longer will Lebron remain at the top of his game?
At this point in time, no signs of slowing down.
stats above provided by: https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jamesle01.html
“Meditations” Book III: Passage VIII
But he that preferreth before all things his rational part and spirit, and the sacred mysteries of virtue which issueth from it, he shall never lament and exclaim, never sigh; he shall never want either solitude or company: and which is chiefest of all, he shall live without either desire or fear.
And as for life, whether for a long or short time he shall enjoy his soul thus compassed about with a body, he is altogether indifferent.
For if even now he were to depart, he is as ready for it, as for any other action, which may be performed with modesty and decency. For all his life long, this is his only care, that his mind may always be occupied in such intentions and objects, as are proper to a rational sociable creature.
“Meditations” Book VIII: Passage XXX
Contract thy whole life to the measure and proportion of one single action. And if in every particular action thou dost perform what is fitting to the utmost of thy power, let it suffice thee.
And who can hinder thee, but that thou mayest perform what is fitting? But there may be some outward let and impediment.
Not any, that can hinder thee, but that whatsoever thou dost, thou may do it, justly, temperately, and with the praise of God.
Yea, but there may be somewhat, whereby some operation or other of thine may be hindered.
And then, with that very thing that doth hinder, thou mayest be well pleased, and so by this gentle and equanimous conversion of thy mind unto that which may be, instead of that which at first thou didst intend, in the room of that former action there succeedeth another, which agrees as well with this contraction of thy life, that we now speak of.
“Meditations” Book VIII: Passage XLV
Nothing can happen unto thee, which is not incidental unto thee, as thou art a man.
As nothing can happen either to an ox, a vine, or to a stone, which is not incidental unto them; unto every one in his own kind.
If therefore nothing can happen unto anything, which is not both usual and natural; why art thou displeased?
Sure the common nature of all would not bring anything upon any, that were intolerable.
If therefore it be a thing external that causes thy grief, know, that it is not that properly that doth cause it, but thine own conceit and opinion concerning the thing: which thou mayest rid thyself of, when thou wilt.
But if it be somewhat that is amiss in thine own disposition, that doth grieve thee, mayest thou not rectify thy moral tenets and opinions.
But if it grieve thee, that thou doest not perform that which seemeth unto thee right and just, why doest not thou choose rather to perform it than to grieve?
But somewhat that is stronger than thyself doth hinder thee. Let it not grieve thee then, if it be not thy fault that the thing is not performed.
“Yea but it is a thing of that nature, as that thy life is not worth the while, except it may be performed.”
If it be so, upon condition that thou be kindly and lovingly disposed towards all men, thou mayest be gone.
For even then, as much as at any time, art though in a very good estate of performance, when thou doest die in charity with those, that are an obstacle unto thy performance.
“Meditations” Book XII: Passage XXIII
There is but one light of the sun, though it be intercepted by walls and mountains, and other thousand objects.
There is but one common substance of the whole world, though it be concluded and restrained into several different bodies, in numbers infinite.
There is but one common soul, though divided into innumerable particular essences and natures.
So is there but one common intellectual soul, though it seem to be divided.
And as for all other parts of those generals which we have mentioned, as either sensitive souls or subjects, these of themselves (as naturally irrational) have no common mutual reference one unto another, though many of them contain a mind, or reasonable faculty in them, whereby they are ruled and governed.
But of every reasonable mind, this the particular nature, that it hath reference to whatsoever is of her own kind, and desireth to be united: neither can this common affection, or mutual unity and correspondency, be here intercepted or divided, or confined to particulars as those other common things are.