The point of stoicism isn't to make you more productive. It's not to make you richer. The Stoics believed that the purpose of the philosophy was to make you a better person. Stoicism isn't just about what it can do for you. It also asks a lot of you.
In one book, everybody can change. In 300 pages, every character that you've met has become a new character by the end. And so, what might you do in 30 days, let alone 30 years? This is incredible. You get a snapshot of your potential every time you read a novel.
Most of us think the key to a better relationship is finding the right partner. But Eli Finkel says the more important question is how to be the right partner — how to bring more of yourself to your relationship, and to cultivate the conditions that allow love to flourish.
Most people think the key to a good relationship is finding the right person. But research suggests that what matters more is being the right person — that the skills and habits we bring to our relationships matter enormously.
Most people think the key to a better relationship is finding the right partner. But research suggests the more important question is whether you are the right partner — whether you have developed the skills and habits that help relationships thrive.
You can also argue it's a real excuse to say, "I don't actually have to learn anything. I don't have to go to college. I don't have to learn to be a negotiator. I don't have to work my way up. I can just say that God favors me and therefore I can do it all without putting in any hard work, which is really antithetical to what America has stood for until pretty recently."
Young men are falling behind because they aren't low on testosterone. They're falling behind because they're low on purpose, education, work, and relationships.
When we think about making changes in our lives, we typically focus on behaviors. But often, the more powerful lever is the mental map we're using to navigate the world. If the map is wrong, no amount of effort will get us to our destination.
Rather than urging students to 'follow their passion,' Horowitz argues that people should focus on developing their strengths and making meaningful contributions to the world.
Rather than urging students to "follow their passion," Horowitz argues that people should focus on developing their strengths and making meaningful contributions to the world.
You are never going to be Superman unless you suddenly find a lot of money from somewhere. You are never going to be Batman. But, there's always that chance, isn't there, that you could one day be Captain America.
If your choices are beautiful, then you will be beautiful. We are the product of our choices. Beauty can't be separated from the process, from the regiment that creates it.
I think the best thing you can do for someone is tell them the truth. And most people don't do that. They tell people what they want to hear. And I think that's actually a disservice to people, because you're robbing them of the opportunity to actually improve.
If your muscles are a result of steroids or neglecting your other responsibilities in life. If your physique is a result of starving yourself or actively harming yourself. If you are selfish and fragile and superficial, then you are ugly even if it manifests itself in some kind of temporary physical attractiveness.
