Plutarch says Plato compared human life to a game at dice. He advises we ought to throw according to our requirements, and, having thrown, to make the best use of whatever turns up.
It is not in our power indeed to determine what the throw will be, but it is our part, if we are wise, to accept in a right spirit whatever fortune sends, and so contrive matters that we wish should do us most good, and what we do not wish should do us least harm.
I hope Harriod dives in here.
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You read my mind. I am he does
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‘We ought then to cultivate such a habit as this, like the man who threw a stone at his dog, and missed it, but hit his step—mother, and cried out, “Not so bad.”’
– Plutarch
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Having read this portion of the morals, I ask myself what new maxim have we come up with? Did the ancients do all the work?
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That sounds a bit like “we should accept our fate” Which I can agree to some extent. But if we all merely accept our fate, and do not at least try to better ourselves both materially and morally, what would that say of us?
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That we have given up.
Though that’s not what he is saying. He is saying whatever comes to us, we should be of good cheer
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Oh…well fuck that!
🙂
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Sounds like solid advice. Are we allowed to use loaded dice?
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Will you control the fall of the loaded dice?
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Sounds like Camus’ “Myth of Sisyphus”: We’re given a task in life, or a place in life that “fate” has chosen for us, and it’s our task to make the best of it by making it our own. Viktor Frankl, in “Man’s Search For Meaning”, has similar thoughts: Own your existence. It’s yours. You make your own happiness and find your own meaning. My meaning in life is to sell freewill to the idjits who truly believe “they” and their concept of who “they” are is free from their genetics, surroundings, and upbringing. I’m hoping to get rich doing this, but, so far, I’m still poor.
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I should look for Victor Frankl.
You will be rich my friend. We will have a franchise for frewill.
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