Today’s Stoic: Dr. D.T. Suzuki, a 20th century Japanese author who was largely responsible for popularizing Buddhism, Zen, and Shin in the West, was once approached at the end of a dinner party. “How is it, Dr. Suzuki,” the woman asked, “we spend the entire evening asking you questions and nothing is decided.” He looked at her and replied, “That’s why I love philosophy: no one wins.” While the Stoics, notably Cato the Elder, had a visceral disdain for sophistry and debate for debate’s sake, they would have agreed with this premise. Stoicism was not a parlor game, nor was it religious dogma with its absolutism and black and white rules. Stoicism is ultimately a philosophy for life, and life is complicated. It is also a philosophy that embraces the individual, and every individual life is different. That’s why the writings of Seneca don’t fit puzzle perfect with the writings of Marcus Aurelius, which themselves are not perfectly aligned with the teachings of Epictetus, despite the latter’s influence over the former. There is no “winner” or “best” among these equals, there is simply a wide breadth of overlapping wisdom designed for a multitude of situations. Our job is to avail ourselves of this information and put it to use where we can, however it makes sense for the situations in which we find ourselves. What we don’t have time for are pedantic debates about whether so-and-so was a true Stoic or in-fighting about whether this person or that person is continuing the Stoic legacy properly. There are no winners in philosophy, though there certainly are losers. The best person to be, of course, is a user of the philosophical knowledge we have available to us.

Today’s Stoic: Dr. D.T. Suzuki, a 20th century Japanese author who was largely responsible for popularizing Buddhism, Zen, and Shin in the West, was once approached at the end of a dinner party. “How is it, Dr. Suzuki,” the woman asked, “we spend the entire evening asking you questions and nothing is decided.” He looked at her and replied, “That’s why I love philosophy: no one wins.” While the Stoics, notably Cato the Elder, had a visceral disdain for sophistry and debate for debate’s sake, they would have agreed with this premise. Stoicism was not a parlor game, nor was it religious dogma with its absolutism and black and white rules. Stoicism is ultimately a philosophy for life, and life is complicated. It is also a philosophy that embraces the individual, and every individual life is different. That’s why the writings of Seneca don’t fit puzzle perfect with the writings of Marcus Aurelius, which themselves are not perfectly aligned with the teachings of Epictetus, despite the latter’s influence over the former. There is no “winner” or “best” among these equals, there is simply a wide breadth of overlapping wisdom designed for a multitude of situations. Our job is to avail ourselves of this information and put it to use where we can, however it makes sense for the situations in which we find ourselves. What we don’t have time for are pedantic debates about whether so-and-so was a true Stoic or in-fighting about whether this person or that person is continuing the Stoic legacy properly. There are no winners in philosophy, though there certainly are losers. The best person to be, of course, is a user of the philosophical knowledge we have available to us.
by Jm Moran

2022-07-13T15:45:42.000Z
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Mop-head update: SWAT sweeps WH, roundups remaining mop-heads, President poopy drawers arms himself with concealed carry water pistols, grabs extra pudding cups and retires to his secret undisclosed basement hideout for the rest of the night!

Mop-head update: SWAT sweeps WH, roundups remaining mop-heads, President poopy drawers arms himself with concealed carry water pistols, grabs extra pudding cups and retires to his secret undisclosed basement hideout for the rest of the night!
by Jm Moran

2022-07-11T20:34:35.000Z
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JUST IN: Secret service saves Biden while he was engaged in a heated argument with a “mop head” he discovered in a White House broom closet! Details at 6 …of the unprovoked mop-head attack to follow!

JUST IN: Secret service saves Biden while he was engaged in a heated argument with a “mop head” he discovered in a White House broom closet! Details at 6 …of the unprovoked mop-head attack to follow!
by Jm Moran

2022-07-11T19:28:08.000Z
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Remember in November…vote Democratic is a vote to continue turning America into Venezuela!

Remember in November…vote Democratic is a vote to continue turning America into Venezuela!
by Jm Moran

2022-07-08T00:08:25.000Z
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by Jm Moran

2022-07-04T13:45:58.000Z
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IT Acronym for today: PEBKAC (problem exists between keyboard and chair) Thank you, thankyou very much! May the 4th be with you!

IT Acronym for today: PEBKAC (problem exists between keyboard and chair) Thank you, thankyou very much! May the 4th be with you!
by Jm Moran

2022-07-02T12:57:40.000Z
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The Democrats have long believed that a browner America will also be a bluer America, but this cynical scheme is failing miserably. Not only are the Democrats suffering at the polls due to their awful open-borders policies; they’re also being abandoned in droves by independent-minded Hispanic Americans who refuse to be stereotyped.

The Democrats have long believed that a browner America will also be a bluer America, but this cynical scheme is failing miserably. Not only are the Democrats suffering at the polls due to their awful open-borders policies; they’re also being abandoned in droves by independent-minded Hispanic Americans who refuse to be stereotyped.
by Jm Moran

2022-07-02T10:49:14.000Z
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