Hello, world!
Today, I’d like to talk about a few things.
First thing’s first: I’m happy to be writing again. I had, once again, been in a bit of a funk, as people can sometimes be. I really needed to review my Stoic literature and to meditate, but I had been hesitant and very moody lately. However, this nice weather is definitely giving me pleasant feelings about the days ahead! I’m looking to plan a few events on meditation in the near future, probably in New Haven and Waterbury, CT. I’d like to see what the demand would be like for it first, of course, and then go from there. If you’re interested in taking some meditation classes from me, let me know via e-mail, facebook, or a comment on here. I’d like to do group sessions, but one-on-ones are fine, too.
I’d really like this to be the first “no b.s.” meditation school to exist in a long time. There won’t be any focus on advanced philosophical/theological concepts. It will be about centering yourself and living better in the present. In this way, it can be accessible to people of all ages, races, religions and backgrounds, which is key to the Stoic concept of cosmopolitanism and the goals of HSP itself.
Also, I’d really like to start connecting with people of all different backgrounds across the state and start working with them to create and promote some free programs in meditation, exercise, martial arts, and parkour. If anyone is interested, please let me know.
Next order of business – HSP will soon be running a small “documentary-ish” series on DIU TV online. They’ve been extremely supportive of me so far, and I’d like to take it a few steps further. I’ll be interviewing people that offer free services to all kinds of people, as well as martial artists, fellow stoics, and other people who show that the goals of this program are more than just a pipe dream of mine. If you offer a free service in CT, NY, or MA, and are interested in being interviewed and maybe demonstrating some skills you have, or showing off some of your greatest accomplishments, let me know.
Now for the meat of this post: promoting tranquility. To understand this, we need to talk about open-mindedness.
A lot of society is in what I would like to call an echo chamber. They surround themselves with people who are similar to them in thought, and succumb to what’s called confirmation bias. It’s the process by which many people sort out information to confirm what they already know and believe. Rather than accept evidence to the contrary, these people shut out outside influences. This makes it VERY hard to have any kind of real dialogue between different kinds of people.
A big problem with this is, also, the emotional quality to much of the information we come into contact with. Rather than a headline reading “Senator wants to raise taxes” or “Senator wants to lower taxes,” we see “Rogue senator screws over the elderly,” or “Socialist takes more money and hands it out to undeserving people.” Fact base reporting in the press and on the internet is disturbingly rare, nowadays, and the biases are very prevalent. The problem not only reflects on a poor state of the press and the community of journalists world wide, but because of the rampant consumption, it shows that people actually love this stuff. That, to me, is alarming.
In order to truly connect with other people, we have to hear them out, no matter how misguided we believe they are. The arts of diplomacy and peace are not of insults and cuss words, but built upon the foundation of listening with an open mind to new ideas.
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” – Epictetus
We also must be firmly aware of our own fallibility. Nobody’s perfect..and I mean that. It’s part of the reason I post of my shortcomings in here, regularly, and show how I find solutions. Being too stubborn with information is just as bad as being gullible, because it cuts a person off from the wider community of the world. No one’s right all the time..and yes, all of you Dr. Houses, I know it’s hard to operate on the assumption that you’re not right, but it’s also not impossible. I find it very calming to say, at least once a day, “I was wrong,” especially if I have some tension between myself and another person.
“If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: “He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned” – Epictetus
The quote above is one of my favorites shows of humor in the Stoic philosophy. In order to be truly open, I think people may have to develop a good sense of humor about themselves. Recognizing our shortcomings and being able to laugh at them and realize how ridiculous they are can keep our attitude positive towards changing, rather than negative towards staying the same way. In life, the only way to move is forward, and looking in the mirror all day, staring at one blemish on our faces or in our personalities will keep us standing in the same spot. Of course, I say this with serious experience of stagnation, especially in the past days. I have not been up to my own standards! Ha ha!
I hope this helps you all, and that you’re all having fun. Remember to contact me if you can help with anything.
Peace be with you all!
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