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7 Ancient Ideas That Will Improve Your Modern Life
Community Is Vital
Loneliness is not a problem in traditional societies. For 99% of human existence, we lived in small tribes. We were constantly surrounded by family and friends.
Research links loneliness to lower self-regulation, IQ drops and early death. Studies also indicate that face-to-face interactions decrease loneliness, while online interactions increase it.
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Community Is Vital
Loneliness is not a problem in traditional societies. For 99% of human existence, we lived in small tribes. We were constantly surrounded by family and friends.
Research links loneliness to lower self-regulation, IQ drops and early death. Studies also indicate that face-to-face interactions decrease loneliness, while online interactions increase it.
"Mens sana in corpore sano"
Having a healthy body is essential to having a sound mind. Exercising is a habit that’s been shown to lead people to create other, often unrelated, good habits. Exercising is also a proven way to improve the rate of learning.
"Know Thyself"
Knowing yourself allows you to seize opportunities and make better decisions as well as know what you and others should expect from you and how to counteract your personal flaws.
"What's the worst that could happen?"
Stoic philosophers emphasized imagining the worst that could happen before any major undertaking. It allows you to prepare yourself for it and even prevent it.
Far too many ambitious undertakings fail for preventable reasons. Far too many people don't have a backup plan because they refuse to consider something that might not go exactly as they wish.
Focus
Increase your focus by decreasing distraction and limiting options. The time to master something nowadays is the same it was for Renaissance apprentices (7 to 10 years), but it feels harder because of all the extra distractions we have.
Focus is a function, first and foremost, of limiting the number of options you give yourself for procrastinating.
A Family Legacy
Sharing the family story with children increases their self-esteem, sense of control over their lives and the feeling that their families are well-functioning. Knowing they belong to something bigger than themselves and the story of it motivates, gives purpose and guidance and facilitates rule learning.
Effects stories have on us
- They motivate us.
- They give life meaning.
- They relieve depression (and are more effective than medication.)
- They offer guidance for decision making.
- They increase learning in children.
The Golden Rule
The Golden Rule says to do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.
And research shows that being generous and reciprocal is linked with professional success in life.
SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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Key Ideas
Belongingness
Individuals often seem defined by their need to belong to a certain group: family, school, political party. This can be explained by the fact that it is seldom easier to defend a viewpoint o...
History repeats itself
One useful conclusion that people can draw throughout their life is that, all things considered, it is not easy to find a path that hasn't been walked on before.
Most likely, the ones before you have already tried what you are thinking about, so why not taking into account their reactions to the events when planning on taking up the same path?
Value more learning sources
Once you have decided on a certain path to follow for your professional life, you might also want to consider reading and learning a bit about any subject that can be connected, even in a small degree, to your field. This can be extremely useful and interesting.
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Key Ideas
“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficient..."
Seneca
Epictetus
“To accuse others for one’s own misfortunes is a sign of want of education. To accuse oneself shows that one’s education has begun. To accuse neither oneself nor others shows that one’s education is complete.”
Marcus Aurelius
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.”
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A practical philosophical school
Stoicism became popular in the Roman Empire. Slaves like Epictetus, rich people like Seneca or emperors like Marcus Aurelius found guidance for life in it.
Events don’t upset you
Beliefs about events do. Bad feelings are caused by irrational beliefs, so if you’re feeling negative emotions, focus on the belief you hold about what happens.
For stoics there is no good or bad, there’s only perception. And you control perception.
Control what you can
Ignore the rest. We worry about things that we have no control over. But worrying never fixed anything.
The stoics are saying that if you focus your energy on what you can change, you’re going to be a lot more productive and effective.
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