How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself and in no instance bypass the discriminations of reason?
You have been given the principles that you ought to endorse, and you have endorsed them. What kind of teacher, then, are you still waiting for in order to refer your self-improvement to him?
You are no longer a boy, but a full-grown man. If you are careless and lazy now and keep putting things off and always deferring the day after which you will attend to yourself, you will not notice that you are making no progress, but you will live and die as someone quite ordinary.
From now on, then, resolve to live as a grown-up who is making progress, and make whatever you think best a law that you never set aside.
And whenever you encounter anything that is difficult or pleasurable, or highly or lowly regarded,
remember that the contest is now: you are at the Olympic Games, you cannot wait any longer,
and that your progress is wrecked or preserved by a single day and a single event.
That is how Socrates fulfilled himself by attending to nothing except reason in everything he encountered. And you, although you are not yet a Socrates, should live as someone who at least wants to be a Socrates.
Tag: #TYST
Phaedrus Pt. 1 (Plato)
Socrates: How profoundly in earnest is the lover, because to tease him I lay a finger upon his love! And so, Phaedrus, you really imagine that I am going to improve upon the ingenuity of Lysias?
Phaedrus: Fair play.
Phaedrus is determined to extort a speech from Socrates, as Socrates has already extorted the speech of Lysias from himself.
There I have you as you had me, and you must just speak ‘as you best can.’ Do not let us exchange ‘tu quoque’ as in a farce, or compel me to say to you as you said to me, ‘I know Socrates as well as I know myself, and he was wanting to speak, but he gave himself airs.’ Rather I would have you consider that from this place we stir not until you have unbosomed yourself of the speech; for here are we all alone, and I am stronger, remember, and younger than you:—Wherefore perpend, and do not compel me to use violence.
Socrates: But, my sweet Phaedrus, how ridiculous it would be of me to compete with Lysias in an extempore speech! He is a master in his art and I am an untaught man.
Phaedrus: You see how matters stand; and therefore let there be no more pretences; for, indeed, I know the word that is irresistible.
Socrates: Then don’t say it.
Phaedrus: Yes, but I will; and my word shall be an oath. ‘I say, or rather swear’—but what god will be the witness of my oath?—‘By this plane–tree I swear, that unless you repeat the discourse here in the face of this very plane–tree, I will never tell you another; never let you have word of another!’
Socrates: Villain! I am conquered; the poor lover of discourse has no more to say.
Phaedrus: Then why are you still at your tricks?
Socrates: I am not going to play tricks now that you have taken the oath, for I cannot allow myself to be starved.
Phaedrus: Proceed.
Socrates: Shall I tell you what I will do?
Phaedrus: What?
Socrates: I will veil my face and gallop through the discourse as fast as I can, for if I see you I shall feel ashamed and not know what to say.
Phaedrus: Only go on and you may do anything else which you please.
Napoleon Hill
The mechanism of the mind is a profound system of organized power which can be released only by one means, and that is by strict self-discipline.
The mind that is properly disciplined and directed to definite ends is an irresistible power that recognizes no such reality as permanent defeat.
It organizes defeat and converts it into victory; makes stepping-stones of stumbling-blocks; hitches its wagon to a star and uses the forces of the universe to carry it within easy grasp of its every desire.
Napoleon Hill
One must remove himself from the range of influence of every person and every circumstance which has even a slight tendency to cause him to feel inferior or incapable of attaining the object of his purpose.
Positive egos do not grow in negative environments. On this point there can be no excuse for a compromise, and failure to observe it will prove fatal to the chances of success.
The line must be so clearly drawn between a man and those who exercise any form of negative influence over him that he closes the door tightly against every such person, no matter what previous ties of friendship or obligation or blood relationship may have existed between them.
Napoleon Hill
All riches, of whatsoever nature, begin as a state of mind; and let us remember that a state of mind is the one and only thing over which any person has complete, unchallenged right of control.
It is highly significant that the Creator provided man with control over nothing except the power to shape his own thoughts and the privilege of fitting them to any pattern of his choice.
Earl Nightingale
When we say about 5% achieve success, we have to define success, and here’s the definition.
Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.
If a man is working towards a predetermined goal and knows where he is going, that man is a success. If he’s not doing that, he’s a failure.
Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. Rollo May, the distinguished psychiatrist, wrote a wonderful book called Man’s Search for Himself, and in this book he says the opposite of courage in our society is not cowardness, it is conformity.
And there you have the trouble today. It’s conformity. People acting like every one else without knowing why, without knowing where they’re going.
Epictetus
If your body was turned over to just anyone, you would doubtless take exception. Why aren’t you ashamed that you have made your mind vulnerable to anyone who happens to criticize you, so that it automatically becomes confused and upset?
Epictetus
Whoever chafes at the conditions dealt by fate is unskilled in the art of life; whoever bears with them nobly and makes wise use of the results is a man who deserves to be considered good.
Heraclitus on Character
The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Think only on those things that are in line with your principles and can bear the light of day. The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you do is who you become.
Your integrity is your destiny – it is the light that guides your way.
Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle.
Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.
“Meditations” Book XII: Passage XXVII
To stir up a man to the contempt of death this among other things, is of good power and efficacy, that even they who esteemed pleasure to be happiness, and pain misery, did nevertheless many of them contemn death as much as any.
And can death be terrible to him, to whom that only seems good, which in the ordinary course of nature is seasonable?
To him, to whom, whether his actions be many or few, so they be all good, is all one; and who whether he behold the things of the world being always the same either for many years, or for few years only, is altogether indifferent?
O man! As a citizen thou hast lived, and conversed in this great city the world. Whether just for so many years, or no, what is it unto thee?
Thou hast lived (thou mayest be sure) as long as the laws and orders of the city required; which may be the common comfort of all.
Why then should it be grievous unto thee, if (not a tyrant, nor an unjust judge, but) the same nature that brought thee in, doth now send thee out of the world?
As if the praetor should fairly dismiss him from the stage, whom he had taken in to act a while.
Oh, but the play is not yet at an end, there are but three acts yet acted of it?
Thou hast well said: for in matter of life, three acts is the whole play.
Now to set a certain time to every man’s acting, belongs unto him only, who as first he was of thy composition, so is now the cause of thy dissolution.
As for thyself; thou hast to do with neither. Go thy ways then well pleased and contented: for so is He that dismisseth thee.