🖼️ Monday Muse
The Monday Muse is a weekly collection of reminders, insights, and maxims on the art of living. The term “muse” has two meanings: (1) a state of deep thought; and (2) a source of inspiration. May the following (in a small way) be a source of contemplation, insight, and wisdom to live your highest good.
📌 Perennial Reminder(s)
The Jesuit priest and psychotherapist Anthony de Mello (1931—1987) on the art of unlearning:
Truth is never expressed in words. Truth is sighted suddenly as a result of a certain attitude. So you could be disagreeing with me and still sight the truth. But there has to be an attitude of openness and willingness to discover something new. … All I can do for you is help you unlearn. That’s what learning is all about where spirituality is concerned: unlearning, unlearning almost everything you’ve been taught. A willingness to unlearn, to listen.
The first step, as I said, was a readiness to admit that you don’t want to wake up... There are all kinds of resistances to that within you. The second step is a readiness to understand, to listen, to challenge your whole belief system. Not just your religious beliefs, your political beliefs, your social beliefs, your psychological beliefs, but all of them. […]
Source: Awareness (via Reading & the Good Life)
📜 Perennial Maxim(s)
The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121—180) on doing less:
Follow us: Instagram | Youtube
💡 Perennial Insight(s)
The American professor of philosophy Thomas Ward (author of the new book After Stoicism), on Boethius and pursuing the good:
The major theme about human action in the wisdom tradition of Western philosophy is that we always seek the good, even when we seek it badly. …
Perhaps the most important topic on which these founding fathers of philosophy were in agreement was the connection between human action and goodness. ‘Every action and pursuit is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason, the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim.’ (Aristotle) ‘Every soul pursues the good and does whatever it does for its sake.’ (Plato) Boethius (through Lady Philosophy) agrees: ‘It is the Good that men seek in their various pursuits.’ […]
Source: After Stoicism
—
Thank you for reading; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well,
J.W. Bertolotti
P.S. If you’re interested in becoming a member but cannot afford it, feel free to request a complimentary membership or use this discount link.