WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Jesus, the Bible (The Gospels in the New Testament), The Book of Matthew, priorities, attention, regret, time, virtue, success, and building your best life.
In The Book of Matthew, Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” So according to Jesus, the wise man builds his house on rock, while the fool builds his house on sand. And as you’ll see, to me, this is clearly a metaphor for the smartest way to build your life. What does it mean to build your life on rock instead of sand, and how do we do that? That’s what I’m gonna explore in this essay.
Let’s start at the beginning: what does it mean to build your life on rock instead of sand? Building your life on rock means that you’re building your life on a strong foundation, and if you build your life on a strong foundation, you won’t fall apart when hard times inevitably come. You’re able to survive and thrive in any tragedy. All the effort that you put into building your life won’t have been wasted, because your work stands the test of time. You’ll have this constant feeling of moving forward, and you won’t be regretful of how you spent your time. But building your life on sand means that you’re building your life on a shaky foundation, and if you build your life on a shaky foundation, you will fall apart when hard times inevitable comes. When tragedy strikes, you’ll find that much of the effort that you put into building your life has been a waste of time. You’ll feel frozen, or as if you’re moving backwards, and you’ll be regretful. You’ll say to yourself, “why did I waste my time on those things which don’t matter now?” or, ”why did I think those things were so important?” A lot of your time will have been spent in vain, and you’ll find yourself having to rebuild your life once more. So how do we get it right from the start? How do we build our life on rock instead of sand?
The life we build depends on how we spend our attention. Our attention is our most valuable resource, and it’s limited. So how do we decide how to spend it? How we spend our attention is determined by our priorities.And all priorities fall into one of two categories: time-dependent priorities and timeless priorities. So what does it mean, then, to build a house on rock? It means building a life where your highest priority is a timeless one.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
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Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
Jesus - The Smartest Way to Build Your LifeFreedom in Thought2022-05-13 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Jesus, the Bible (The Gospels in the New Testament), The Book of Matthew, priorities, attention, regret, time, virtue, success, and building your best life.
In The Book of Matthew, Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” So according to Jesus, the wise man builds his house on rock, while the fool builds his house on sand. And as you’ll see, to me, this is clearly a metaphor for the smartest way to build your life. What does it mean to build your life on rock instead of sand, and how do we do that? That’s what I’m gonna explore in this essay.
Let’s start at the beginning: what does it mean to build your life on rock instead of sand? Building your life on rock means that you’re building your life on a strong foundation, and if you build your life on a strong foundation, you won’t fall apart when hard times inevitably come. You’re able to survive and thrive in any tragedy. All the effort that you put into building your life won’t have been wasted, because your work stands the test of time. You’ll have this constant feeling of moving forward, and you won’t be regretful of how you spent your time. But building your life on sand means that you’re building your life on a shaky foundation, and if you build your life on a shaky foundation, you will fall apart when hard times inevitable comes. When tragedy strikes, you’ll find that much of the effort that you put into building your life has been a waste of time. You’ll feel frozen, or as if you’re moving backwards, and you’ll be regretful. You’ll say to yourself, “why did I waste my time on those things which don’t matter now?” or, ”why did I think those things were so important?” A lot of your time will have been spent in vain, and you’ll find yourself having to rebuild your life once more. So how do we get it right from the start? How do we build our life on rock instead of sand?
The life we build depends on how we spend our attention. Our attention is our most valuable resource, and it’s limited. So how do we decide how to spend it? How we spend our attention is determined by our priorities.And all priorities fall into one of two categories: time-dependent priorities and timeless priorities. So what does it mean, then, to build a house on rock? It means building a life where your highest priority is a timeless one.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _
Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Book of Matthew (in the New Testament of The Bible).
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Getting Off Lifes Emotional RollercoasterFreedom in Thought2024-11-15 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
In this video, I explore how to become undefeatable through the practice of radical gratitude.NIETZSCHE: discomfort is the secret to happinessFreedom in Thought2024-08-29 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
In this video, I reflect on Friedrich Nietzsche’s views on happiness and power.
VIDEO CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Chasing Happiness 01:08 - Happiness is Overcoming Resistance (Increasing Power) 05:33 - Chasing PowerThe Biggest Mistake 20-29 Year Olds MakeFreedom in Thought2024-05-26 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
In this video, I reflect on the biggest mistake I (and most other 20-29 year olds) made while I was in my 20s. By avoiding this mistake, you will accomplish amazing things by the age of 30.
VIDEO CHAPTERS: 00:00 - A Bad Portfolio 02:12 - Compound Interest 04:42 - Purchasing Power 06:29 - The 5 Best Assets 09:16 - Daily Schedule 10:07 - A Good PortfolioFreedom in Thought Live StreamFreedom in Thought2024-04-07 | ...The Law of ProductivityFreedom in Thought2024-03-01 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
Subscribe to my free newsletter to get new essays (as well as potential access to exclusive essays) delivered directly to your inbox: freedominthought.com/subscribe
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ The world is busier than ever before, and productivity is in great demand. But most people pursue productivity in shallow and ultimately ineffective ways. In this video, I talk about the law of productivity, the essence of true productivity.
00:00 - The Increasing Demand for Productivity
01:18 - The Law of Productivity
01:57 - A Tale of Two Coffee Shops
04:37 - TakeawaysSeneca - Conquer Your Anger, Before it Consumes You | STOICISMFreedom in Thought2023-12-26 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk about why anger is evil, and how to overcome anger. And we will hear from wise people on this topic, such as Seneca, Socrates, Martin Luther King Jr, Edgar Allen Poe, Dostoevsky, Lao Tzu, Buddha, Heraclitus, Plato, Jesus and The Bible, and Confucius.
00:00 - Anger is Evil 03:37 - Part 1: The Death of Socrates (anger harms others) 09:49 - Part 2: Martin Luther King Jr & The Nonviolent Movement (producing justice without anger) 14:43 - Part 3: The Tell-Tale Heart (anger harms our own minds) 18:30 - Part 4: “Is that So?” (a zen story) 22:49 - Anger is Evil Continued 25:08 - How to Overcome Anger 25:56 - Step 1: Delay 26:32 - Step 2: Understand 26:57 - Step 3: Forgive 28:54 - Step 4: Heal 29:09 - Step 5: Educate 29:26 - Step 6: Listen 29:43 - Step 7: Negotiate 30:15 - Step 8: Refuse 30:40 - Step 9: Discover 31:10 - Step 10: Harden 32:00 - Conclusion: Pick A Side
Confucius. (2021). The Analects. Arcturus Publishing Limited.
Dostoevsky, F. (2021). The Brothers Karamazov (R. Pevear & L. Volokhonsky, Trans.). Picador.Nietzsche - Destroy Your Laziness, Before It Destroys YouFreedom in Thought2023-10-27 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk about Friedrich Nietzsche, Adam Smith, laziness, slavishness, self-discipline, mastery, and joyful productivity.
FURTHER READING _ Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche Untimely Meditations by Friedrich Nietzsche The Wealth of Nations by Adam SmithMarcus Aurelius - Overcome Your Inner CowardFreedom in Thought2023-10-01 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
THOUGHTS NEWSLETTER. Each week, you’ll receive my newsletter Thoughts. In it, I take everything I’ve written that week and boil them all down into one sentence summaries: freedominthought.com/newsletter
Join our community subreddit where we discuss practical philosophy and ideas that inspire us and help us improve: reddit.com/r/freedominthought
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk about Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, fear, courage, and overcoming your inner coward.
During his reign as the emperor of Rome, Marcus Aurelius faced immense uncertainties that would strike fear into the hearts of most people, such as times of war, plague, internal conspiracies, the death of some of his children, and the death of his wife, and yet, he faced all of these problems with an unshakable courage.
And the secret to his unshakable courage lies within a collection of notes he wrote to himself roughly 2000 years ago, many of them written in the midst of war, with the gravity of imminent death on his mind. Today, this collection of notes is referred to as Meditations, and based on my readings of these notes, I've determined 5 principles that we can use, like Marcus, to overcome our inner cowards and become courageous. And along the way, you will hear many other stories and ideas that are not from Marcus, and they will help illuminate the emperor’s words in greater depth. So without further ado, let’s begin our journey through the 5 principles.
00:00 - Intro
01:20 - Principle 1: Look for solutions, not people to blame.
03:49 - Principle 2: Don’t second guess yourself.
05:55 - Principle 3: Find the beauty in your mistakes.
07:19 - Principle 4: Humble yourself.
09:06 - Principle 5: Do your best, and trust that things will work out the way they’re meant to.
FURTHER READING _ Meditations by Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius - How to Become Who You AreFreedom in Thought2023-09-05 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
THOUGHTS NEWSLETTER. Each week, you’ll receive my newsletter Thoughts. In it, I take everything I’ve written that week and boil them all down into one sentence summaries: freedominthought.com/newsletter
Join our community subreddit where we discuss practical philosophy and ideas that inspire us and help us improve: reddit.com/r/freedominthought
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk about Marcus Aurelius, authenticity, Meditations, Stoicism, philosophy, and how to become who you are.
In life, it’s really easy to give up your authenticity and become lost. And in his Meditations, Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good emperors of Rome, offers us several insights on how to rediscover our authenticity and become who we are. By following the next 5 principles, you can learn to strengthen the connection with your inner compass and become who you are.
00:00 - Intro 00:35 - Pay attention to what interests you. 01:31 - Don’t trade your potential for shallow pleasures. 02:47 - Remember that you will die. 03:38 - Develop your own thoughts and beliefs. 04:47 - Don’t trade self-respect for respect from others. 05:36 - Conclusion
FURTHER READING _ Meditations by Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius - How to Stop WorryingFreedom in Thought2023-08-22 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
THOUGHTS NEWSLETTER. Each week, you’ll receive my newsletter Thoughts. In it, I take everything I’ve written that week and boil them all down into one sentence summaries: freedominthought.com/newsletter
Join our community subreddit where we discuss practical philosophy and ideas that inspire us and help us improve: reddit.com/r/freedominthought
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk about Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Stoicism, philosophy, and how to stop worrying.
In his *Meditations*, Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good emperors of Rome, offers us several insights on how to keep calm and carry on with our lives. By following the next 5 principles, you can learn to stop worrying and stay calm in difficult times.
00:00 - Intro 00:26 - Focus on the present moment. 01:26 - Expect and prepare for the worst. 02:13 - Your honor is the only thing that truly matters. 03:22 - Don’t overvalue the opinion of others. 04:29 - Realize that everything is impermanent. 05:34 - Conclusion
FURTHER READING _ Meditations by Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius - How to Build Self-DisciplineFreedom in Thought2023-08-11 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
THOUGHTS NEWSLETTER. Each week, you’ll receive my newsletter Thoughts. In it, I take everything I’ve written that week and boil them all down into one sentence summaries: freedominthought.com/newsletter
Join our community subreddit where we discuss practical philosophy and ideas that inspire us and help us improve: reddit.com/r/freedominthought
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk about Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Stoicism, philosophy, and how to build self-discipline.
In order to live a happy life, you need to learn to have self-discipline. And in his Meditations, Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good emperors of Rome, offers us several insights on how to discipline our bodies, minds, and spirits. By following the next 5 principles, you can build up your self-discipline.
FURTHER READING _ Meditations by Marcus AureliusMiyamoto Musashi - How to Build Self-Discipline (#2)Freedom in Thought2023-08-04 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
THOUGHTS NEWSLETTER. Each week, you’ll receive my newsletter Thoughts. In it, I take everything I’ve written that week and boil them all down into one sentence summaries: freedominthought.com/newsletter
Join our community subreddit where we discuss practical philosophy and ideas that inspire us and help us improve: reddit.com/r/freedominthought
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk the theme of self-discipline in Miyamoto Musashi’s Dokkodo (The Way of Walking Alone). In this video, I go over principles 6 through 10 of his 21 principles for living a life of discipline
FURTHER READING _ Dokkodo by Miyamoto MusashiMiyamoto Musashi - How to Build Self-DisciplineFreedom in Thought2023-07-28 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
THOUGHTS NEWSLETTER. Each week, you’ll receive my newsletter Thoughts. In it, I take everything I’ve written that week and boil them all down into one sentence summaries: freedominthought.com/newsletter
Join our community subreddit where we discuss practical philosophy and ideas that inspire us and help us improve: reddit.com/r/freedominthought
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk the theme of self-discipline in Miyamoto Musashi’s Dokkodo (The Way of Walking Alone). In this video, I go over the first 5 of his 21 principles for living a life of discipline
FURTHER READING _ Dokkodo by Miyamoto MusashiHow to Build A Strong Mind | STOIC PHILOSOPHYFreedom in Thought2023-07-19 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
THOUGHTS NEWSLETTER. Each week, you’ll receive my newsletter Thoughts. In it, I take everything I’ve written that week and boil them all down into one sentence summaries: freedominthought.com/newsletter
Join our community subreddit where we discuss practical philosophy and ideas that inspire us and help us improve: reddit.com/r/freedominthought
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk about facing fear, becoming stronger, Seneca, Cato the Younger, Zeno of Citium, Plutarch, Letters from a Stoic, Stoicism, and philosophy.
The great Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote,
"If you want a man to keep his head when the crisis comes you must give him some training before it comes."
If you want to remain calm and fearless when a crisis comes, you have to prepare for it in advance. And the best way to prepare for a crisis is by facing it before you have to. In this video, we’ll go over four Stoic tests that can help you face your fears today and build strength for the crisis’ of tomorrow.
00:00 - Intro 00:40 - The Pleasure Test 02:02 - The Minimalist Test 03:10 - The Nonconformity Test 05:08 - The Solitude Test
FURTHER READING _ Letters from a Stoic by Seneca Parallel Lives by PlutarchMarcus Aurelius - How to Stay Calm in Uncertain TimesFreedom in Thought2023-07-08 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
THOUGHTS NEWSLETTER. Each week, you’ll receive my newsletter Thoughts. In it, I take everything I’ve written that week and boil them all down into one sentence summaries: freedominthought.com/newsletter
Join our community subreddit where we discuss practical philosophy and ideas that inspire us and help us improve: reddit.com/r/freedominthought
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk about Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Stoicism, philosophy, and staying calm in uncertain times.
When life feels out of control, it’s important to know how to stay calm, and in his *Meditations*, Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good emperors of Rome, offers us several insights on how to do this. By practicing the following five virtues, you’ll be able to embrace uncertainty and stay calm in most situations.
FURTHER READING _ Meditations by Marcus AureliusCarl Jung - How to Find Your PurposeFreedom in Thought2023-06-23 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
THOUGHTS NEWSLETTER. Each week, you’ll receive my newsletter Thoughts. In it, I take everything I’ve written that week and boil them all down into one sentence summaries: freedominthought.com/newsletter
Join our community subreddit where we discuss practical philosophy and ideas that inspire us and help us improve: reddit.com/r/freedominthought
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, we talk about Carl Jung, The Red Book, and finding your purpose in life.
FURTHER READING _ The Red Book by Carl JungYoure Not Nice, Youre Just Secretly SelfishFreedom in Thought2023-05-07 | In this video, we learn the meaning of true kindness and niceness, selfishness, transactional mindsets, service mindsets, and overcoming feelings of not being appreciated, resentment, and misery.
THOUGHTS NEWSLETTER. Each week, you’ll receive my newsletter Thoughts. In it, I take everything I’ve written that week and boil them all down into one sentence summaries: freedominthought.com/newsletter
Join our community subreddit where we discuss practical philosophy and ideas that inspire us and help us improve: reddit.com/r/freedominthoughtBecome Antifragile: turn stress into growthFreedom in Thought2023-03-31 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
Get Nassim Taleb’s book “Antifragile” here: geni.us/hVRUl
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about becoming antifragile.
Becoming anti-fragile, a term coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, is the best way to grow and thrive under stressful circumstances. It’s the quality that allows us to turn stress into growth. And in this video, we’re going to learn the three qualities that make a person anti-fragile, two practices to help achieve those qualities, and the difference between being anti-fragile, robust, and fragile.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ Antifragile by Nassim Taleb Incerto by Nassim Taleb
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.How to Not Become A Man-Child (or Woman-Child)Freedom in Thought2022-11-10 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _
In this video, I talk about the rise of the man-child or, as Jungians might say, the ‘puer aeternus’.
We live in an era of adult-children: everybody wants freedom, but nobody wants responsibility. But, the truth is, you can't have freedom without taking personal responsibility for your own needs. Wanna live on your own? You have to be responsible for cooking, cleaning, and managing the house. Want a car? You have to make sure you fill it with gas, maintain it, drive safely to avoid damaging it, and follow the rules to avoid getting your license suspended. Wanna start a business where you can do what you want, whenever you want? Well, you have to manage your own schedule, make sure its profitable, keep your clients happy, hire employees, make sure your employees are paid and taken care of, so on and so forth. Every freedom comes packaged with a certain amount of responsibility.
But what happens if you get freedom without responsibility? Is that possible? When someone else gives you freedom and takes responsibility for your needs—such as some parents might do—you can have freedom without responsibility. But honestly, you don't want it. Because freedom without responsibility will hinder your growth and turn you into a man-child.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Why You Keep Failing At Self-DisciplineFreedom in Thought2022-11-03 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about self-discipline.
There's a widely-held belief that self-discipline means being able to do something when you don't actually want to do it. People who believe this think that self-discipline means going to the gym, reading books, or eating chicken and broccoli when you don't actually want to. For them, self-discipline means ignoring your authentic-self in favour of your ideal-self. But this view of self-discipline is completely deluded.
Forcing yourself to do things you don't want to do is not self-discipline. It's slavery, and every slave eventually becomes resentful, revengeful, and regretful. Sacrificing your authenticity for society’s ideal will make you miserable, not happy. And no matter how long you force it, you will always eventually fail in the long-run. And that’s a good thing too, because who wants to live their whole life as a slave?
If you force yourself to do things you don't want to do, if you follow society's ideal, your ideal-self will repress your authentic-self. You will become a slave in your own body, and your body will take its revenge.
But if you become a disciple of yourself, if you understand your own genuine feelings, desires, and nature, if you discover your own ideal, your ideal-self will work harmoniously with your authentic-self to promote growth.
So here’s the secret to self-discipline. Self-discipline is not about forcing yourself to meet society's ideal, but rather becoming a student of yourself. It's about discovering your own ideal and allowing your authentic-self to flourish.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Myth of Normal by Dr. Gabor Mate
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.How to Think Clearly | The Philosophy of Marcus AureliusFreedom in Thought2022-10-27 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about how to think clearly.
The better you get at thinking, the better you get at solving problems. And good thinking begins with clarity.
And if you want to think clearly and improve your ability to solve your own problems, organize your thoughts. Reduce their ambiguity and make them clear by turning them into simple if-then statements. Clear logic leads to clear thoughts. Clear thoughts lead to clear and intentional action. Clear and intentional action leads to clear feedback. Clear feedback leads to an improved understanding of the world. And a clearer understanding of the world leads to a better ability to solve problems.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Epicurus - Master Your Desires, Find HappinessFreedom in Thought2022-10-13 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Epicurus, desires—such as necessary desires (necessary & natural, vain desires (unnecessary and unnatural), and luxury desires (natural but unnecessary)—happiness, self-mastery, and self-control.
When most people think of the perfect life, they imagine a life filled with fine-dining, infinite romantic partners, fame, status, wealth, and luxury. They imagine a life of infinite power—being able to fulfill any desire they wish. But if power was all you needed to be happy, that means every wealthy business owner, a-list celebrity, and gangster would be happy. But that’s clearly not the case. No examples are needed. In any one of these categories, you can find someone whose life is full of stress, pain, and sorrow. Worldly power is not the path to happiness.
So what is? Power over yourself. According to the Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, the key to happiness lies in mastering your own desires. When you desire the right things, happiness is the natural byproduct. So what are the right things?
According to Epicurus, the person who desires only what is necessary will live the happiest life. The person who wants only what is necessary is like the person who just wants a cup of water to satisfy their thirst. Their desire is easy to satisfy and brings long-lasting satisfaction. The person who wants luxury is like the person who also wants flavouring in their water so that it’ll taste good. It takes more work to satisfy this desire, and the pleasure it brings is short-lived. Also, this person becomes more fragile, because they’re less likely to be able to drink just plain water now, and having plain water, as opposed to flavoured water, will now come with a certain amount of pain. But the person who has vain desires is like the person who has a hole in their cup. No matter how much water is poured inside it, it will never fill up. Their desire will never be satisfied.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ Lives of the Eminent Philosopher by Diogenes Laertes The Philosophy of Epicurus (Dover Thrift Edition)
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.You Dont Need Meaning To Be Happy | The Philosophy of Albert CamusFreedom in Thought2022-10-06 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus, absurdism, philosophy, meaning, and happiness.
According to Albert Camus, if you search for meaning in this world, you’ll find nothing. Maybe someone close to you passes away, or your spouse has an affair, or you unexpectedly lose a limb in a car crash, and you find yourself asking, “why me, why now, and why this way?” And in return, the world gives you no reply. All of these events—all of these effects—have a cause. The world is a place of causes and effects after all. But there’s no reason, not one we can determine at least, behind these causes and effects. You’ll never find a clear “why” behind any tragedy. For Camus, the world is absurd. It’s just there and it couldn’t care less about us. The stars don’t shine with a purpose, the galaxies don’t move with a plan in mind, nor do the planets circle for any other reason besides the laws of physics. Camus calls this experience The Absurd: a feeling born from the contradiction between our desire to find meaning in this world and a silent world that has none to give.
And for many people, the feeling of absurdity is unbearable. They can’t imagine being happy without a meaning in life, so they find a way to escape The Absurd. And the most common form of escape is through the forced adoption of meaning. Whether it’s through a religion, philosophy, or politics, people find something to believe in and make that the meaning for their own lives. But for Camus, this makes no sense. The world has no meaning, so it’s absurd to derive one.
We don’t need a meaning to be happy in life, and in fact, a meaning often just gets in the way of happiness and freedom. It limits your action and dulls your mind. The discovery of meaning isn’t as important as the search for meaning. By continuing to search, you revolt against the gods. You turn your punishment into your reward, and by doing so, you overcome it. You become free to search for meaning wherever you like and experience the fullness of life, and by doing so, you become alive. The search is enough, or as Camus put it, “the struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Live Simply, Find Happiness | The Philosophy of DiogenesFreedom in Thought2022-09-29 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Diogenes, minimalism, living simply, simplicity, luxury, material culture (materialism), and happiness.
So many people today pursue millions of dollars, sports cars, mansions, and designer clothing because they think that’ll make them happy. They can’t imagine being happy without luxury—without the newest phone, game consoles, or some other piece of technology. They think that if they could get that designer purse or those fresh shoes, then they’d finally be happy.
But really, it’s our need for luxury that stands in the way of our happiness. Only by ridding ourselves of the desire for luxuries, by being content with a simple life, can we find happiness. And the life of Diogenes, an ancient Greek philosopher, is a testament to this truth.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ Lives of the Eminent Philosopher by Diogenes Laertes
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Stop Giving People Control Over Your Life | The Philosophy of Aleksandr SolzhenitsynFreedom in Thought2022-09-22 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago, responsibility, the dichotomy of control, external and internal locus of control, and taking control of your life.
Your locus of control is simply the belief about where control over your life comes from.
Do you ever feel like you’re not in control of your life? Like you’re just a pawn in a game that’s being played by someone else? That if it weren’t for a bad decision that someone else made, you would be happier, wealthier, and better off? If so, you’re not alone. A lot of people feel this way. You have what we can call an external locus of control. A person with an external locus of control believes that their life is largely out of their control and that they are simply at the mercy of other people, luck, or fate. And if you have this type of mindset, I have some bad news for you: this mindset will make you weak.
If you want strength, you have to shift your locus of control. People with an internal locus of control believe that they are in control of their lives. They believe that they can make things happen.
If you take on an external locus of control, you give up responsibility for the outcomes of your own life and become a victim. And as a victim, you become powerless to change your own fate. But if you take on an internal locus of control, you take responsibility for the outcomes of your life and become a creative agent. And as a creative agent, you become empowered to control your own destiny.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Make Others Respect You | The Philosophy of Niccolo MachiavelliFreedom in Thought2022-09-15 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli, fear, hatred, and respect. I go over Machiavelli’s key principles for being a great leader.
According to Machiavelli, if you wanna lead effectively and live in glory, you need to follow three principles:
Number one: the people must respect you. This means they fear you but don’t hate you.
Number two: fear means fear of punishment. You must be willing to be firm and quick in your punishments when someone violates your rules. If you over-reward and under-punish people, they will not fear you.
Number three: keep hatred at an arm’s length—because tyranny has a small shelf life and history has proven that time and time again. People hate you when they are over-punished or under-rewarded by your actions as a leader.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Become Who Youre Afraid To Be | The Philosophy of Carl JungFreedom in Thought2022-09-08 | Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/9tQ650KwXjg
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _
In this video, I talk about Carl Jung, The Shadow, individuation, and becoming who you’re afraid to be.
Most people are afraid to fully be themselves. They’re afraid to embrace the parts of themselves that might be regarded as unacceptable, because embracing these unacceptable parts makes them feel uncomfortable. So to escape this uncomfortableness, they divide themselves into two halves: conscious and unconscious. In the conscious-half, they construct an ideal image of themselves: an image formed out of the bits and pieces of their past that they deem as good and acceptable. And as result, in the unconscious-half, they repress the parts of themselves that they view as bad and unacceptable. In Jungian psychology, this repressed part of the personality is called /The Shadow/. And unless The Shadow is integrated into the personality, a person can never reach their fullest potential. Instead, one will always remain incomplete, fractured, and partial—living a life of regret rather than the full life that could have been.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Stop Hiding Who You Really Are | The Philosophy of Friedrich NietzscheFreedom in Thought2022-08-11 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Friedrich Nietzsche and why you should stop running from your problems.
Your growth in life depends on how you spend your energy, and the best way to spend your energy is on solving the right problems. But which problems are the right ones to solve? I can’t stress how important, how critical, this question is. How do you know which problems to work on?
The obvious answer is the ones that cost you a little bit of energy to solve but give you the most rewards. And so naturally, the worst way to spend your energy is on solving problems that cost you a lot of energy to solve but give you the least rewards. But this answer is naive, because it depends on calculating the cost and reward of any individual problem, and if you think about it deeply enough, due to the interconnected complexities of the world, you’ll realize that’s pretty much impossible to do.
Lucky for us, “The Problem of Problems” is actually much easier to solve than you might think. The best problems to solve are the ones that choose you, the ones that naturally capture your interest, the ones that spark your curiosity, keep you questioning, one’s that you’re afraid to confront, but deep down inside, you know you have to. And you know you have to because they’re the ones confronting you—in interesting or threatening ways. It’s been my experience in life that once a problem chooses you, it never lets go. It doesn’t go away on its own. It demands a response. And you really only have two ways of responding: voluntarily confront it, or defend yourself from it. And as Nietzsche said in Ecce Homo, in the long run, self-defence is one of the worst ways to spend your energy.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ Ecce Homo by Friedrich Nietzsche
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Nietzsche - How to Think ClearlyFreedom in Thought2022-08-04 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Friedrich Nietzsche, Ecce Homo, skepticism, certainty, uncertainty, doubt, learning, truth, knowledge, and freedom.
In Ancient Greece, at the Temple of Apollo, three maxims of critical importance were inscribed. And one of these three, the one I’m most interested in at the moment, read, “certainty brings ruin.” And in Ecce Homo, Nietzsche wrote, “It is not doubt, it is certainty which makes mad…But to feel in this way one must be profound, abyss, philosopher…We all fear truth…” Even Socrates said that all he knew was that he didn’t know. So it seems that the wise are united in at least one quality: they refuse to be certain.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ Ecce Homo by Friedrich Nietzsche
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Nietzsche - How to Become Who You AreFreedom in Thought2022-07-22 | Get 20% off an annual subscription to Shortform by visiting bit.ly/3bmSXwy
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Friedrich Nietzsche, Ecce Homo, fate, and greatness.
For Nietzsche, becoming who you are leads to greatness. And in Ecce Homo, he wrote, “[that] one becomes what one is presupposes that one does not have the remotest idea what one is.” The question of how you become what you are begins with the idea that you don’t know what you are in the first place. You’re something that has to be discovered, and by taking the journey towards self-discovery, you’re embarking on the journey of a lifetime, while also moving towards your own greatness.
But you’re probably wondering, “where do I discover myself?” No one know where you can find yourself except for you. There are no directions, no sign posts, and nobody to follow. You have to follow your instincts. Only you know which direction to take. There are things which naturally attract your attention, and they present you with questions you can’t help but think about or want answers to. Those questions will lead you towards yourself. Your instincts are the compass which will guide you on your journey.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Adobe. The software I use to make my videos: Epidemic Sound. Where I get my music: bit.ly/3FrStmh
FURTHER READING _ Ecce Homo by Friedrich Nietzsche
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Nietzsche - How to Achieve GreatnessFreedom in Thought2022-07-07 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Friedrich Nietzsche, Ecce Homo, fate, and greatness.
In Ecce Homo, Nietzsche wrote, “[my] formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be other than it is, not in the future, not in the past, not in all eternity. Not merely to endure that which happens of necessity, still less to dissemble it — all idealism is untruthfulness in the face of necessity — but to love it.” So according to Nietzsche, the way you become great is by loving your fate.
And what does it mean to become great? For Nietzsche, I think greatness means becoming nothing other than what you are. Greatness is the fulfilment of your destiny. It’s growing into your highest potential. It’s the acorn becoming the oak tree. See, the acorn contains the potential to become the mighty oak tree within it, but unless it learns to overcome itself, it will not achieve that greatness. And Nietzsche says the way to this greatness is amor fati.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ Ecce Homo by Friedrich Nietzsche
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Dostoevsky - Improve Yourself, Improve the WorldFreedom in Thought2022-06-24 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, judgment, and learning.
In The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky wrote, “Remember especially that you cannot be the judge of anyone. For there can be no judge of a criminal on earth until the judge knows that he, too, is a criminal, exactly the same as the one who stands before him, and that he is perhaps most guilty of all for the crime of the one standing before him. When he understands this, then he will be able to be a judge. However mad that may seem, it is true. For if I myself were righteous, perhaps there would be no criminal standing before me now. If you are able to take upon yourself the crime of the criminal who stands before you and whom you are judging in your heart, do so at once, and suffer for him yourself, and let him go without reproach.” And Dostoevsky’s character is saying something pretty powerful here: that by freeing your mind of judgment, you can create a better world.
But how does a mind free of judgment lead to a better world? The key to creating a better world is correction: we have to be able to correct our mistakes. And the only way to correct our mistakes is through learning, and only a mind free of judgment is capable of endless learning.
But how do you free your mind from judgment? By dropping your desire for certainty.
So how do you drop the desire for certainty? It happens naturally when you see that certainty is impossible.
So if you see the lie behind certainty, you’ll drop your desire for it. You’ll be OK with living in uncertainty. And if you drop the desire for certainty, you’ll free yourself of judgment. And if you free yourself of judgment, if you stop letting others judge you, if you stop judging yourself and others, you’ll enter a space of endless learning. And through endless learning, you can correct your errors, and by correcting your errors, you can create a better world.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky: geni.us/Yktpy
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Dostoevsky - Be Careful of the Ideas You Plant in OthersFreedom in Thought2022-06-10 | Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/PY0e30skwMV
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, relationships, unification, division, ideas, responsibility, love, and power.
In Dostoevsky’s The Brother’s Karamazov, he warns us to be careful of the ideas we plant in others, because the ideas we plant in others can tilt them towards being a better person or a worse one, and whether people move towards a better or worse version of themselves has a profound impact on the world we all collectively live in.
And how do the ideas we plant in others impact the world we live in? Dostoevsky wrote, “all is like an ocean, all flows and connects; touch it in one place and it echoes at the other end of the world.” Everything is connected, and all life depends on other life. So the quality of the world we live in depends on the quality of our relationships, and the quality of our relationships depends on how we treat each other, and how we treat each other depends on what we believe, and what we believe is based on our experiences with each other, and our experiences with each other determine what kind of seeds we plant in one another. So the seeds we plant in each other play a critical role in determining the kind of world we will live in.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky: geni.us/Yktpy
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Dostoevsky - Dont Become A Slave to PleasureFreedom in Thought2022-06-03 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, comfort, pleasure, worldly people, monks, suffering, growth, and freedom.
In The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky compares two different types of people: Worldly People and Monks. Worldly People are slaves to pleasure, and because of that, they lose their freedom, meanwhile Monks give up the pursuit of pleasure, and because of that, they keep their freedom. And if that’s true, then why? That’s what I wanna explore in this essay.
If you have faith that there’s a reason and meaning for suffering, you’ll be able to endure it, even if you don’t know exactly what that reason is, and by being able to endure suffering, you will not be a slave to pleasure and comfort, an by not being a slave to pleasure and comfort, you’ll retain your freedom, and by retaining your freedom, you’ll be able to serve any idea you want, rather than the idea someone else wants you to serve. But if you believe suffering has no meaning, it makes no sense to endure it, and it makes perfect sense to escape from it through pleasure and comfort, but if you escape from it, when tragedy eventually strikes, when you lose the pleasure and comfort you built for yourself, you’ll end up surrendering your freedom to the first person who can offer you pleasure and comfort, and why wouldn’t you, if suffering has no meaning?
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky: geni.us/Yktpy
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Jesus - This One Mistake Will Ruin Your LifeFreedom in Thought2022-05-20 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Jesus, the Bible (The Gospels in the New Testament), The Book of Matthew, The Golden Rule, reciprocity, heaven, hell, relationships, love, and hypocrisy.
In The Book of Matthew, Jesus said, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets,” and this phrase is commonly known as The Golden Rule, and it’s probably one you heard in school as a kid: treat others the way you wanna be treated. And if this rule is understood in all its depth, I think you’ll find that it’s legitimately life-changing.
See, at the heart of The Golden Rule is the principle of equality. Whatever rule you think other people should live by, you should live by that rule too. And whatever rules you currently live by, you should allow others to live by those rules too. And why is equality important? When there’s equality, relationships are based on fair trade, and when relationships are based on fair trade, all parties mutually thrive. And tell me, isn’t that a good definition of heaven? The place where all things mutually thrive? So The Golden Rule can be thought of as the road to heaven—which is the best of all possible realities, the reality where everything thrives.
But clearly, we don’t live in the best of all possible realities. So we must constantly be breaking The Golden Rule, but why? Why don’t we naturally treat others they way we want to be treated? What prevents us from living out this rule? Well, we break The Golden Rule when we stop treating each other as equals, and we stop treating each other as equals when we make unfair trades. And what’s an unfair trade? “Thriving” at the expense of someone else, or allowing someone else to thrive at your expense. And what causes us to allow these unfair trades? Hypocrisy.
And so, how do we overcome hypocrisy? By believing that, in a healthy relationship, what we want is just as important as what the other person wants. And when there’s no hypocrisy, there’s fair trade, and when there’s fair trade, there’s equality, and when there’s equality, The Golden Rule is satisfied, and when The Golden Rule is satisfied, we move closer to heaven—the place where everyone thrives.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
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OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Book of Matthew (in the New Testament of The Bible).
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Jesus - The Most Powerful Rule You Can FollowFreedom in Thought2022-05-06 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Jesus, the Bible (The Gospels in the New Testament), The Book of Matthew, love, and the most important rule to follow (or commandment).
In The Book of Matthew, Matthew wrote, “Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’” So according to Jesus, these two commandments are the most important: love God, and love your neighbour as yourself. But what do these two commandments actually mean, and what do they look like when you really live them out?
Behind them both, is really just one rule, and I think it is the most important rule in Jesus’ teaching: approach the world with complete attention—attention with the intention of understanding, attention that leads to endless learning. Remain curious, and don’t judge, and don’t make conclusions. Be in a constant state of learning. When you do this, you approach the world from a place of love. And I think that’s the core of Jesus’ teaching: love.
Because when you approach the world with love, you become capable of endless learning, and when you become capable of endless learning, you become capable of discerning the relationship between your actions and their outcomes, and when you become capable of discerning the relationship between your actions and their outcomes, you can start to shape your life in the direction of your choice.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Book of Matthew (in the New Testament of The Bible).
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Nietzsche - Don’t Let Your Darkness Consume YouFreedom in Thought2022-03-25 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Friedrich Nietzsche, blame, and resentment.
In On the Genealogy of Morals, Nietzsche compares the feeling of resentment to a toxin or an illness, because he believes that resentment is anti-life and anti-growth. This is a sentiment I agree with, and it’s an idea I wanna explore for myself. Why do we become resentful, what happens when we become resentful, and how do we prevent ourselves from becoming resentful?
So rejected entitlement leads to frustration, and accumulated frustration leads to resentment. And so the belief behind resentment, if I’m going to put it simply, is this: “you shouldn’t be in my way”. Resentment builds when I believe you’re preventing me from receiving what I’m entitled to. The resentful eye is always looking for someone to blame.
So how do we prevent ourselves from becoming resentful? In order to defuse all resentment in the mind, this idea has to be true: there’s a place in this world, and a way to that place, for everyone which can’t be denied by anyone except for themselves. In other words, it’s not possible for anyone to truly get in your way. That’s the idea that would have to be true for resentment to never build up in the mind.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ On the Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich Nietzsche: geni.us/wG45
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Nietzsche - Beware of People Playing the VictimFreedom in Thought2022-03-18 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Friedrich Nietzsche, playing the victim, guilt, obligation, pity, disgust, and shame.
But before we can understand what it means to play the victim, we need to understand what it means to be a victim. For this essay, we can define a victim as someone who is taken advantage of by another person. And we can call the act of taking advantage of someone a crime. And typically, what we want for all victims is justice. And justice, as discussed by Nietzsche, can be thought of as giving back to the victim what was lost when the crime was committed. In other words, you can think of justice as the repaying of debts: the criminal must repay the debt they acquired by taking advantage of the victim. I’m not saying this is what justice means, but this is a way many people understand justice, and this definition is important in the context of this video.
So what does it mean to play the victim? What separates a genuine victim from someone playing the victim? A genuine victim was actually taken advantage of, but someone playing the victim wasn’t. And how do you determine whether someone was actually taken advantage of? It comes down to consent. Someone is taken advantage of when their presence is used in a way they didn’t agree to. And so a true victim did not give consent or was not in a position to give consent, such as in the case of a child or someone who was severely intoxicated. But someone who plays the victim gives legitimate consent and then claims they didn’t. Or they claim /you/ consented to things which you didn’t consent to or were not in a position to consent to. I’ll explore what both cases look like a little later on.
So why would someone play the victim? To put it simply, they play victim so someone will save them from their problems. They’re looking for a rescuer. And how do they get people to save them?
Someone who plays the victim has two main weapons: obligation and guilt, and pity and disgust.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ On the Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich Nietzsche: geni.us/wG45
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Nietzsche - Overcome Shame, Become Who You AreFreedom in Thought2022-03-04 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about Friedrich Nietzsche, becoming who you are, freedom, and shame.
So why is shame bad? Because it prevents us from becoming who we are. But keep in mind, I’m talking about toxic shame: shame that arises out of the idea that who I am is not who I should be. There is, perhaps, a healthy form of shame that arises from the idea that who I am is not who I want to be, but that’s a different topic for a different video.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _
Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Joyous Science by Friedrich Nietzsche: geni.us/UUWiK
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Buddha - Avoid Fools, Make Wise FriendsFreedom in Thought2022-02-18 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about friendship.
In The Dhammapada, Buddha says, “If, as you travel, you meet none better than yourself, or equal, you should steadfastly travel alone. There’s no companionship with fools.”
If someone doesn’t take a natural interest in your worldview, in how you see the world, especially when it contradicts with their own, it’s unlikely the friendship will work. If they don’t take an interest in understanding you, what can they learn from or teach you? They won’t learn from you, because they don’t have a genuine interest in exploring your knowledge. But if they don’t explore your knowledge, they won’t understand your point of view. And if they don’t understand your point of view, how will they correct it? So they won’t even be able to teach you. The relationship won’t really be fruitful for either party. So, as Buddha said, it’s better to go alone than seek companionship in a false friend.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Dhammapada by Buddha: geni.us/xQQG
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Buddha - Be Aware, Become FreeFreedom in Thought2022-02-11 | Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/o29i30s9btY
WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): freedominthought.com/newsletter
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about awareness and its connection to learning and “Nirvana”.
If you haven’t already solved a problem, thought will never give you the answer. And when you know that you don’t know, thought stops, and awareness begins. And it’s only when you become aware that you become free of the past, and it’s only when you become free of the past that you become available to the present, and it’s only when you become available to the present that you become capable of knowing what you don’t know, and maybe, someone who’s capable of knowing what they don’t know is close to Nirvana—maybe, maybe not.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Dhammapada by Buddha: geni.us/xQQG
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Buddha - Your Thoughts Determine Your FutureFreedom in Thought2022-02-04 | Visit brilliant.org/freedominthought to get started learning STEM for free, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about how your thoughts determine your future and how to improve your thinking.
So right attention leads to right experience, and right experience leads to right memory, and right memory leads to right thought, and right thought leads to right action, and right action leads to joy. And what is right attention? An attention that voluntarily explores the world with courage. An attention that leaves its comfort zone, that follows its genuine interests into the unknown and discovers something new and transformative. An attention still capable of learning and growth. It’s attention uncontaminated by fear.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ The Dhammapada by Buddha: geni.us/xQQG
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Orwell - Don’t Let Them Control Your ThoughtsFreedom in Thought2022-01-07 | Click here to sign up for free and the first 200 people to sign up get 20% off an annual subscription: brilliant.org/freedominthought
ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about 1984, George Orwell, totalitarianism, authoritarians, indoctrination, taking responsibility for your mind, and becoming unmediated.
In 1984, George Orwell wrote, “the two aims of the Party are to conquer the whole surface of the earth and to extinguish once and for all the possibility of independent thought.” In the novel, the authoritarian party is interested in having absolute power over the thoughts of others. Why do they wanna control your thoughts? And how do they do that? That’s what I’m interested in exploring, and as always, I’m gonna explore this idea through a dialogue.
OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.
OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: bit.ly/3mu7VGM
OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): bit.ly/3bmSXwy
FURTHER READING _ 1984 by George Orwell: geni.us/iaUfg
NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.Protect Yourself From Emotional BlackmailFreedom in Thought2021-12-17 | Go to brilliant.org/freedominthought and grab a gift subscription to help your loved ones spark a life long love of learning.
ABOUT _ I recently came across the term emotional blackmail, in a book of the same name by Dr. Susan Forward, and I think it’s a very powerful concept. And unfortunately, it’s a reality that a lot of people deal with. So I’m gonna explore the concept in my own words. What is emotional blackmail? And why does it happen?
FURTHER READING — Emotional Blackmail by Dr. Susan Forward: geni.us/hs9P
NOTES — (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you. Eg - any Amazon or Shortform links.Make Time Your Friend, Not Your EnemyFreedom in Thought2021-12-10 | Go to brilliant.org/freedominthought and grab a gift subscription to help your loved ones spark a life long love of learning.
ABOUT _ In this video, I talk about the Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, time, sincerity, power, love, and learning.
Time closes the gap between the way things are and the way they should be. Time reaps every seed you sow. If you water trees all day, eventually you’ll have a lot of fruit. In this case, you’ve made Time your friend. If you chop trees down all day, eventually you’ll starve yourself of oxygen. And so in this case, you’ve made Time your enemy. A wise person understands the Effects of Time on their actions and so befriends Time.
When you act sincerely, you do what you genuinely want to do. When you do what you genuinely want to do, you put your own knowledge to the test. When you put your own knowledge to the test, you may come across a contradiction. This means you failed the test, or in other words, something is wrong with your understanding. And by resolving this contradiction, you learn.
There are two ways through life: The Way of Power and The Way of Love. The person who follows The Way of Love remains open to learning, understands the Effects of Time on their actions, and makes time their friend. The person who follows The Way of Power, on the other hand, closes them-self off from learning, doesn’t understand the Effects of Time on their actions, and makes time their enemy.
FURTHER READING — A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: geni.us/7oyfR
NOTES — (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you. Eg - any Amazon or Shortform links.Buddha - Drop Your Pride, Overcome AngerFreedom in Thought2021-11-19 | Click here to sign up for free and the first 200 people to sign up get 20% off an annual subscription: brilliant.org/freedominthought
ABOUT _ In this video, I talk about the Buddha, Buddhism, flourishing, justice, anger, and how to overcome it.
In The Dhammapada, Buddha says that a wise man is beyond anger and that anger leads to sorrow, and I explored this idea more deeply through a dialogue. I was interested in the complete elimination of anger from the mind, and here’s where I’ve arrived.
The root of anger is pride. Pride is the belief that the world “should” be a certain way. Pride is believing that people “should” conform to my expectations of them. So when I’m prideful, I constantly think, you shouldn’t do that. And this thought leads to anger, anger leads to alienation, and alienation leads to sorrow. But when you drop pride, you drop your expectations of the world, and when you drop your expectations of the world, you see the world as it is, and when you see the world as it is, your understanding of it improves, and it’s only through understanding that we can move towards true justice—the mutual flourishing of all things.
FURTHER READING — The Dhammapada by Buddha: geni.us/xQQG
NOTES — (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you. Eg - any Amazon links.Buddha - Conquer Fear, Become FreeFreedom in Thought2021-11-12 | The next 1,000 visitors to visit bit.ly/3bmSXwy will receive unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription.
ABOUT _ In this video, I talk about the Buddha, Buddhism, freedom, fear, and how to conquer it.
In The Dhammapada, the Buddha says that a wise person is beyond fear and, as a result, is truly free, and I explored this idea more deeply through a dialogue. I was interested in the complete elimination of fear from the mind, and here’s where I’ve arrived.
Fear is a barrier that prevents the mind from learning, and the source of fear is our desire to protect ourselves from pain. But we can’t protect ourselves from pain. Our protection lies in the hands of Fate. Fate trades by a contract, and it’s possible to learn this contract and lessen the amount of pain we receive in life. But to completely eliminate fear from the mind, two things have to be true: when Fate does give us pain, it’s necessary and bearable. And only when fear vanishes are we able to be free, uncontrolled by anyone. But as long as fear exists in the mind, there’s always a tyrant trying to control us.
FURTHER READING — The Dhammapada by Buddha: geni.us/xQQG
NOTES — (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you. Eg - any Amazon links.Lao Tzu - Be Like WaterFreedom in Thought2021-10-23 | Click here to sign up for free and the first 200 people to sign up get 20% off an annual subscription: brilliant.org/freedominthought
ABOUT _ In this video, I talk about Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Taoism, and the concept of “being like water”.
In Taoism, this “best man” is referred to as a Sage, and by taking on the qualities of water, the Sage comes close to the Tao. I said that water could be described in many ways, but I think it has one, chief characteristic: it’s formless. And because it’s formless, water is adaptable. It can become whatever it needs to suit the situation, in cold turning to ice, in heat to vapour. So the water-like sage must be formless too, but what does it mean to be formless?
A formless mind is capable of endless, expansive growth. A child is a great example of formlessness. Its mind is still fresh, unjaded, and unconditioned by the world. Nothing but potential lies in front of it, and it does nothing but learn all day. But as many children grow older, their minds tend to calcify, they become more rigid, and they stop learning. But the water-like sage retains a mind that is formless, unbounded, and constantly learning, lacking rigidity and capable of responding to any situation. So what causes rigidity in the mind?
FURTHER READING — Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu: geni.us/8Aupz
NOTES — (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.
(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you. Eg - any Amazon links.Lao Tzu - Do Nothing, Achieve EverythingFreedom in Thought2021-10-15 | Sign up to Morning Brew for free today: bit.ly/mbfreedominthought
ABOUT _ In this video, I talk about Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Taoism, and Wu Wei.
Wu Wei is literally translated as “not-doing”, “non-action”, or “inaction”. So when taken at face value, this seems to suggest that you can accomplish everything by doing nothing. That doesn’t make much sense obviously. So Wu Wei is often translated more loosely as “effortless action” or “unforced action”, but I prefer the term “sincere action”. Everything, in my opinion, is achieved through sincere action.
Right action comes from right understanding. Right understanding comes from learning. Learning comes from involvement in the world. Involvement comes from sincere action and feedback. And to act sincerely is to live without wei or, in other words, to live Wu Wei. And to live Wu Wei, is to allow the winds and currents to take you, and so by “doing nothing”, you accomplish everything.