Traditional behaviour models are crumbling in our midst. Old morality is
taking the blame for current problems, although often through spurious
argumentation. Never mind. Ethical decay has reached such an extent that
many parents have given up all attempts to provide moral guidelines to
their offspring.
Rationality
is the basis of correct decisions
Where are we headed? Should we conclude that
principles are relative? That happiness is unattainable through
individual action? That success is more dependent on luck than on
personal effort? To answer these questions, we must point out the
connection between personal effectiveness and happiness.
Rationality
establishes the basis for making productive decisions and developing
valuable skills. Even in an unfavourable environment, individuals who
possess strong values and motivation grow more effective with each
passing day. Principles are not luxuries, but practical tools that
enable progress and achievement.
Logic and consistency are the
keys to quick learning and rapid implementation. A well-organized mind
absorbs information more effectively than a mind affected by anxiety.
Ethical certainty nourishes psychological stability and personal
productivity.
The key to sustained personal growth
Sustained personal growth relies on universal
ethical principles. Virtues such as openness, tolerance, and honesty
render individuals efficient and self-confident. Prosperity and
happiness result from consistent action in pursuit of sensible goals.
Nobody can predict the future accurately, but no matter how difficult
the situation becomes, rational individuals will do better than average.
There
is too much noise in the world and too many offers compete for our
attention. We cannot accept every proposal that promises to improve our
condition. Focusing our efforts on becoming more effective is a simple
way to increase our chances of leading a more satisfying life.
New
fashions that entertain your spirit for a while will distract you from
important matters. We all want to experience the fresh before it becomes
stale, but do you want to waste your days chasing the latest novelty?
Leading a chaotic life is self-destructing. Without focus and personal
effectiveness, there can be no real happiness.
Empty pursuits
cannot still the hunger for happiness
Overcharging our
agendas and accelerating our life is the equivalent of a sugar-coated
sedation. The pursuit of faster results makes no sense if those are
irrelevant to our long-term goals. Actions that contradict our plans and
ambitions rarely produce beneficial consequences.
Empty pursuits
cannot still human hunger for happiness. Leading a meaningful life
requires consistent ethical values, long-term plans, and effective
implementation. The link between personal effectiveness and happiness
cannot be denied.
The life of the Ancient Roman writer Titus
Livius (59 BC-17 AD) provides a good illustration of this point. When
Titus Livius turned thirty-five, he looked back at his life and realized
that he had not accomplished much. Like many Romans of good family, he
had enjoyed a solid education, read widely, done some travelling, and
also a little writing.
He had tried his hand intermittently at
everything and achieved pretty much nothing. Since his life lacked
purpose and ambition, Titus Livius felt ineffective and unhappy. He
asked himself if he should continue living in the same way. Was there
something that he could do to give meaning to his days?
Why hedonism and stoicism don't work
The
prevalent philosophies in Ancient Rome, stoicism and hedonism, did not
provide an answer to his questions. Hedonism encourages man to live for
the pleasures of the day and ignore long-term consequences. Stoicism
seldom provides other contentment than the quiet acceptance of
misfortune.
We do not know what made Titus Livius change his
ways, but we do know the results. Instead of continuing to pursue random
interests, he conceived a wide-ranging project that would take him
decades to accomplish. Instead of wasting time in abstract speculation,
he fixed himself an ambitious goal and figured out how to accomplish it.
By
the time he turned thirty-six, he had already formulated how he was
going to spend the rest of his life. He would write a History of Rome
unlike anything ever written before. He would speak not only of facts,
but also of heroes. He would recount not only events, but also the
values that had inspired them.
Titus Livius' plan comprised
researching hundreds of documents and writing 150 books, an enterprise
that nowadays would keep busy a complete university department. He did
most of the work himself and it took him four decades.
The importance of formulating lifetime goals
Apparently,
he was very happy devoting his time to such a demanding undertaking.
Such devotion to a single long-term purpose is essential to improve a
man's personal effectiveness and psychological well-being.
When
Titus Livius died, he was 77 years old. His only regret must have been
that he had not started his project earlier, since he only managed to
complete 142 books out of the 150 that he had initially planned.
Do
you have similar objectives and plans in your life? Have you
established long-term goals for yourself? Do you have a strategy that
consistently favours your personal growth? Are you becoming more
effective at what you do day after day?
For more information about rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living
[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]
[Image by Fede Ranghino under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]
Rationality is the way to happiness
by John Vespasian
In a world where philosophy is often reduced to catch-phrases and empty
theories, this is a passionate defence of logic and consistency as the
keys to happiness. Personal effectiveness, the basis of well-being and
success, results from rational goals, workable plans and relentless
action.
In the areas of career, health, relationships and investments,
this essay shows how to let go of wasteful propositions, pursue
compatible goals, cultivate perseverance and resilience, minimize
problems and maximize opportunities. Inspired by the teachings of
Aristotle, Maimonides, Erasmus, Montaigne, Epictetus and Spinoza, the
book encourages readers to embrace rationality and adopt a self-reliant,
entrepreneurial attitude.
Table of Contents
1. The untold key to success and happiness
Ten positive trends rarely reported by the media
The way to independent thinking
Trust only your own statistics
Achieving happiness through rationality
Wake up to a sharp vision of reality
Important lessons from history
In search of principles that make sense
2. Fundamental skills that everybody should master
Relentless initiative creates opportunities
An active mind looks for alternatives
Cultivate perseverance and resilience
Avoid waste and embrace frugality
Shun overcommitment and worry
3. The easy way to prosperity
Select a career where you can make a good living
Principles of accelerated learning
Using Ancient Mongol tactics to find employment
Discard the myth of career planning
Growth sectors in the 21st century
Those who can sell are always received well
4. Philosophical ideas to make the best of your life
Take the perspective of a lifetime
Focus on practical solutions
Self-confidence arises from preparedness
Pursue compatible goals
Concentrate your resources on essential tasks
5. Get out of losing situations
Immobility is the enemy of achievement
Train yourself to face nonsense calmly
Throw away unworkable plans
Read the writing on the wall
Take simple measures to protect yourself
You have more options than you think
6. Avoiding major mistakes
Preserve your independent thinking
Don't make the same mistake as Confucius
Entrepreneurship is the opposite of resignation
Abandon perfectionism right now
Waiting for the world to change is a waste of time
7. How to find love without making a mess of sex
Rational values are the basis of great relationships
Overcoming the main obstacle to meeting new people
The high cost of short-term romantic involvement
The entrepreneurial factor in love and friendship
What is the crucial success element in dating?
Break free from artificial social constraints
8. Saving and investing to secure your future
Take control of your financial life
Principles of rational investment
Techniques for reducing risk
How to develop self-confidence as an investor
Saving regularly brings peace of mind
The advantage of turbulent times
9. Principles of optimal health
The teachings of Maimonides
Living in accordance with nature
How psychology can improve your health
Modern theories about prolonging life
How some people live to become 100 years old
The low-cost approach to good nutrition
Effective methods for minimizing stress
Sleeping well by natural means
10. Seeking personal growth one day at a time
Embrace rational principles
The link between personal effectiveness and happiness
Become an entrepreneur in your everyday life
Do not be discouraged by your limited resources
Clear thinking gives you the ultimate advantage
It is on slow days when you make big breaks
11. Conclusion
The human need for logic and consistency
Achieving happiness in a chaotic world
Philosophy summarized in a single sentence
It takes a while, but it can be done
Rationality is the way to happiness
by John Vespasian
Penguins don't care how long it takes them to catch their daily fish
quota. Year after year, they go through the same routine, hardly
improving anything. Their survival is entirely based on the expectation
of zero change.
One major virtue that you won't learn from penguins
From the 32 million estimated living penguins, none
gives a damn about productiveness. They don't save for the future and
often remain unaware of the existence of predators until it is too late
to do anything about it.
Contrary to what is portrayed in
cartoons and children books, penguins are neither creative nor funny.
This is proven by the fact that tourists going to the Stewart Islands in
New Zealand rarely devote more than a couple of hours to watch
penguins.
"I had never realized that penguins were so passive," Japanese
tourists frequently comment. "They just stand there for hours and do
nothing."
Practically without exception, tourists return home
with the conviction that being a penguin is not really that much fun.
Luckily, most humans come to a similar conclusion by the time we grow
up.
Squandering your days is not a satisfactory option
Hanging around, squandering our days, is not a viable option
for those who aspire to happiness. Only purposeful action and continued
achievement fulfil our psychological need to feel in control of our
future.
Irrespective of the field involved, personal initiative
is a major element of happiness. It matters little whether you choose to
devote yourself to growing your company, writing music, searching for
an effective treatment of cancer, or raising your kids to become great
human beings.
Human happiness requires a long-term purpose
Our rational nature takes pleasure in every achievement.
No matter how small our victories, we all love to tell our friends about
them.
- AT WORK: when you figure out a way to complete a task quicker than anyone expected.
- AT HOME: when you manage to fix an old appliance that was considered beyond repair.
- IN SPORTS: when you succeed at running faster and score additional points.
- AT INVESTING: when you see the value of your assets go up and feel your strategy vindicated.
- IN YOUR LIFESTYLE: when you achieve simplicity and eliminate waste.
- IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS: when you focus on honesty and creativity
- IN YOUR PHILOSOPHY: when you view life as a flow of actions that can be continuously improved.
Consider
that there is a good reason behind the passivity of penguins: although
they know how to catch fish, they don't realize that, one day, they are
going to die. However, none of us can hide behind that sort of
ignorance. Understanding the link between personal initiative and
happiness represents a major step towards a brighter life.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living
[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]
[Image by Glen Bowman under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]
The Philosophy of Builders
by John Vespasian
The factors that lead to prosperity and happiness have changed little
through the ages. From the lives of accomplished men and women, we can
extract the three principles that they have used to build a better
future: self-reliance, tolerance and entrepreneurship.
This book
presents how individuals can use these principles to overcome adversity
and improve their lives. Through the analysis of situations in the areas
of relationships, career, health and investments, it shows how to
overcome pessimism and discouragement, walk the path of least
resistance, simplify your life and reduce costs, and focus on real
opportunities.
The ideas are illustrated with examples from the lives of
Paracelsus, Jane Austen, Thomas of Aquinas, Gutenberg, Jules Verne and
many other historical figures, showing how they overcame obstacles and
built a better future for themselves.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Achieve basic stability
Never underestimate what one man alone can do
Establish the foundation of long-term achievement
Attack problems one by one
Do not allow vanity to paralyse you
Pay attention to danger signals
Build on existing strengths
Learn to view problems in perspective
Wait only the strictly necessary
2. Overcome pessimism and discouragement
Assess risks rationally, not emotionally
Quantify what you can expect
Passive acceptance is not the way to go
Dispute negative thinking patterns
Embrace a philosophy that leads to happiness
Avoid inconsistent decisions
Read inspiring authors
3. Walk the path of least resistance
Discard unworkable plans
Use realism to avoid waste
Look at what people are actually buying
Adopt a lifestyle that suits your temperament
Use long-term goals to determine your direction
Stay out of hopeless ventures
Avoid relativism and scepticism
Find an outlet for your talents
4. Take measures to prevent problems
Be prepared to face misfortune
Concentrate on crucial factors
Pay attention only to quality information
Identify potential threats
Look for simple prescriptions
Protect yourself effectively
Increase your resilience against adversity
5. Simplify your life and reduce your costs
Don't fall in the trap of short-term thinking
Enjoy the benefits of the immigrant mentality
When should you be willing to overpay?
Choose inexpensive alternatives
You can learn the basics quickly
Being healthier by consuming less
The solution to stress: simplification
6. Start new projects with minimum resources
Gather support as you go
The danger of getting stuck in abstractions
Avoid inaccessible markets
Do not be intimidated by other people's achievements
Most barriers are psychological
Small but regular steps often lead to success
7. Focus on real opportunities
Select a low-risk approach
You can profit from troubled times
How to identify promising ideas
Should you worry about the state of the economy?
Use low-cost marketing techniques
Redefine what is essential
Value creation begins with observation
8. Adopt productivity as a way of life
Do not assign excessive weight to mistakes
In case of doubt, opt for a logical explanation
Steady work is preferable to occasional jobs
Choose stories that promote achievement
A change of speed might be all you need
Work only on one major project at a time
Let go of linear expectations
Never entrust your future to chance
Keep flexible and alert
9. Take relentless action
Fill your days with worthy activities
Experiment to find out what works
Adopt effective routines
In crucial matters, do not leave anything untried
Continuous action breeds opportunities
Rewrite your personal history
Can you turn adversity into an asset?
Action is the best way to overcome obstacles
The Philosophy of Builders
by John Vespasian
Irregular verbs and plurals are the most difficult part to memorize when
you study foreign languages. For children learning their mother tongue,
atypical cases are also the most complicated. Asymmetrical
constructions are slowly assimilated by the human mind, which, at any
stage of development, automatically tries to find patterns in reality.
Many
causal connexions are far from self-evident
We
have created numbers, which are a sequential representation of
quantities. We love to understand complex phenomena and find solutions
to problems. Our brains seek to identify consequences through
observation and logic. Weather prediction comes from generalizing past
experience. Looking for order in chaos is natural to humans. It is our
way to grasp the world and make sense of it.
Nevertheless, as
soon as we begin to gather knowledge in any field, we realize that many
causal connexions are far from self-evident. The earth looks flat and it
is no wonder that it took hundreds of years to develop and spread the
understanding of planetary orbits. Science rests on the recognition that
causal connexions need to be, not only theorized, but proven.
Philosophy has been slow in
adopting a scientific approach
From
all disciplines, philosophy and economics have been the slowest to
adopt a scientific approach. Even nowadays, professionals in those
fields disagree on basic questions of methodology. Discussing what is
true makes little sense if we cannot even concur on the criteria to
assess the validity of a proposition.
As a result, defining
success and happiness has turned into a haphazard endeavour for most of
History. Determinism, which attributes those to chance, remains a
wide-spread philosophical error in many segments of the population. A
superficial examination of the human condition can lead to see life as a
series of misfortunes intertwined with lucky encounters. This
perception is as false as the belief that the earth is flat.
Scientists
know that observing reality with our eyes and drawing immediate
conclusions frequently leads to mistakes. A more accurate view of the
world is the result of understanding that a large number of effects can
only be perceived long-term. The impact of events is not necessarily
local. Actions without consequences to those who performed them can have
a devastating outcome for third parties.
Small steps taken regularly can go a
long way
Reality is more complex
than the eye can perceive and rational explanations more uncomfortable
than make-belief. This is why confusion reigns about the roots of
happiness and success. Determinism exaggerates the role played by
misfortunes and luck in human life. Believing that your destiny is
controlled by random events only leads to paralysis and nihilism.
Ambition
and purpose, relentlessly implemented on good and bad days, constitute
the bedrock of individual progress. Small steps taken regularly can go a
long way. Advancing a little every day in your chosen direction is what
makes great achievements possible. Big breaks, at first sight, seem to
have happened overnight, but the truth is that a river takes years to
build a gorge. The results are breathtakingly beautiful.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living
[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]
[Image by McPig under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]
