It is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows.
— Epictetus, Discourses
The legend goes that Zeno of Citium the founder of Stoic Philosophy had a terrible misfortune as a young merchant, when he suffered a shipwreck and his cargo of purple dye extracted from shellfish was lost forever. This dye was an expensive commodity in ancient times, and was used to stain the clothes of the wealthy, including Emperors.
Devastated and impoverished, Zeno sought guidance from the Delphic Oracle at the temple of Apollo, who told him to dye himself with the colour of dead men, as opposed to dead shellfish. This led Zeno to study the lives and teachings of philosophers like Socrates, Crates and Aristotle. Eventually becoming a well known philosopher himself.
Although Oracles often spoke in ambiguous terms, Zeno understood and acted upon the advice he received. It is possible that he had intended to read the classics all along and saw the oracle's words as confirmation.
Zeno “…consulted the Oracle to know what he should do to attain the best life, and that the god’s response was that he should take on the colour (complexion) of the dead. Whereupon, perceiving what this meant, he studied ancient authors.” (7.2)
— Diogenes Laërtius (Lives of Eminent Philosophers)
More on Zeno and his background here: My bio of Zeno of Citium
What is necessary
Stoicism teaches that what matters most in life is not how we appear on the outside, but how we cultivate our inner selves. This approach to self-therapy is how we become better people and make an impact on the world around us.
Socrates refers to sophia, meaning "wisdom," and arete, meaning "excellence of character." Two things that we should strive towards focusing on, and cultivate our minds with the teachings of wise philosophers, rather than chasing after external goods. It was the Oracle of Delphi who said that Socrates was the wisest man in Athens, and yet one of the wisest men in our longstanding western history is quoted saying; ‘The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.’
A far cry from an Oracle, I’m reminding you to do the same thing. Prevention is better than cure. Take the time out to learn from others, deceased or not - there’s lessons to living well all around us. The reason I’m competent enough to write these newsletters is because I’m standing on the shoulders of giants. Not just the Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophers, but modern writers and authors who’ve helped me get to grasp with modelling a life based on Stoicism.
There are few reasons I’ve continued to study and write about Ancient Philosophy throughout my twenties;
It’s enduring relevance: Ancient philosophical ideas have endured for centuries, and their relevance to modern life is a testament to their enduring wisdom.
The timeless questions: Ancient philosophers grappled with timeless questions about the nature of reality, the purpose of life, and the nature of knowledge. These questions are still relevant today and continue to challenge us to think deeply about the world around us.
Universal principles: It often deals with universal principles and values that are applicable to people of all cultures and backgrounds. The ideas of justice, fairness, and the pursuit of knowledge are just a few examples of universal principles that are still relevant today.
Historical context: Understanding this can also provide insight into the historical and cultural context in which these ideas developed.
Zeno studied for around a decade before starting his own school at the painted porch in the Agora in Athens. Self learning, and adopting new functional cognitive skills will take time. We don’t need to start our own study group, or classes, but we do need to understand the world around us and not lay dormant when there’s living to be done.
You have the ability to choose how to do this. That choice is important. Take on the colour of the dead, like Zeno did? Or seek wisdom from the living and those who you admire?
Remember this; It’s not just living but; living well that matters.
Doing the right thing in your circumstances matters.
In Stoicism they use a code of Wisdom, Justice, Courage and Moderation to live better and improve.
So it’s up to us to implement these Virtues into our daily lives over time.
Learn,
Practice,
Apply,
& Repeat.
Book to read - April 2023
While we are on the subject of learning; I wanted to give you my five recs for reading this April. I’m on my second read through of these titles; because of the personal value they’ve given me;
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
The Fourfold Remedy: Epicurus and the Art of Happiness by John Sellars
Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living by Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman