Head-dibs

Well, it's done. At least the first draft of one chapter is done. 35 pages later (includes all 79 works cited). This is actually happening . . . 

Whelp, in three days I will submit a draft of one chapter of my dissertation to my professor. To date, I am approximately 2/3 through writing this one chapter. With Christmas practice, concerts, work, and other end-of-semester activities, it's becoming a wild ride. The chapter being written is actually Chapter 2, which covers precedent research on my topic. In other words, I am merely telling the story of the research I've done so far. In short, I am suffering from information overload and not enough time in the day.  But it's getting done. The difficult part of all this is that, at this point, everything is a draft, so I'll be living in revision-land for the next couple of years. Each consecutive course adds another chapter into my dissertation, and so the revisions will just grow and grow! But that's part of the process. And I'm loving it. Here's something I'm watching listening to while writing. Please enjoy this! 

The first and greatest lesson is less about the literature review, the data or the formation of the project. One learns more about himself, about dealing with presuppositions, adjusting expectations and goals. One learns patience as one learns to think differently, theologically and philosophically. Another lesson in developing the review is the need to temper research. By this is meant that research has changed from using any and all available print resources found in a library (as in days-gone-by) to using the internet in addition to print resources. New material is published daily, weekly and one there runs the risk of information overload. This, in turn, brings constant revision to the outline and direction of the review. On one hand, the strongest section of the outline covers background material; on the other hand, the weakest section is found toward the end where the greatest consideration is given to the gaps in application, the area of greatest development. The review is poin...

“You see this goblet?” asks Achaan Chaa, the Thai meditation master. “For me, this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.” ____________ Epstein, Mark. 2013. Thoughts Without A Thinker: Psychotherapy From a Buddhist Perspective . Basic Books a Member of Perseus Books Group: New York.

"A good isn’t increased by the addition of time, but if one is wise for even a moment, they will be no less happy than the person who exercises virtue for all time and happily passes their life in it." —Chrysippus Quoted By Plutarch In Moralia: “Against The Stoics On Common Conceptions,” 1062 (LOEB, P.682) Perhaps wisdom and happiness are like winning a medal in the Olympics. It doesn’t matter whether you won a hundred years ago or ten minutes ago, or whether you won just once or in multiple events. It doesn’t matter whether someone beats your time or score down the road, and it doesn’t matter whether you never compete again. You’ll always be a medalist, and you’ll always know what it feels like. No one can take that away—and it would be impossible to feel more of that feeling. The Juilliard-trained actor Even Handler, who not only survived acute myeloid leukemia but also severe depression, has talked about his decision to take antidepressants, which he did for a deliber...

"Whosoever embraces necessity count as wise, skilled in divine matters."  --Euripedes, quoted by Epictetus, Enchiridion , 53

Task:   Identify the gaps identified by reviewing and analyzing the Annotated Bibliography. Additionally, a plan of action needs to be developed that highlights how these gaps in the literature will be addressed via additional research.   Outcome: The background material covers an introduction and considerations of the author of Meditations , as well as provides an overview Stoicism as practiced by him as well. The value for the Christian is suggested through a survey of Roman attitudes, historic practice of persecution and the observed balance of ethical living by Christians that benefited Roman society. This underscores the harmony of biblical ethics and philosophical ethics as practiced by the Stoics. Background material also includes observations regarding literary analysis of the text of Meditations stressing themes, longevity of the text and subsequent impact or legacy.  Gaps become evident when approaching the subject of leadership. There is ...

Here is actual footage of what identifying gaps in the literature have been like so far. The process has taken us through gathering resources, annotating and organizing but there are too many questions, too many gaps, too many choices to make and right now, they all seem legitimate. But which is most important? It might be too early to say that any of them might be “that one question”, the Holy Grail of research. I must choose wisely. “A literature review should demonstrate that it represents the latest work done in the subject area” (Galvin and Galvin, P. 62). As one considers which part of the outline constitutes background material that builds the case for the topic, those gaps are more easily, more readily addressed. Some are simply identified and filled by this or that book from the shelf. Other gaps are filled by looking into unpublished work. Regardless, following the map of the outline toward the application of the topic, textbook instruction becomes more weighty and some areas...

"It was for the best. Nature had to do it."  (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.9)

"Whom the rising sun hath seen high in pride,  him the setting sun hath seen laid low.  Let none be over-confident when fortune smiles;  let none despair of better things when fortune fails.  Clotho blends weal and woe, lets no lot stand,  keeps ever fate a-turning.  No one has found the gods so kind that he may promise to-morrow to himself.  God keeps all mortal things in swift whirl turning." (Seneca, Thyestes )

"Don't waste the rest of your time here worrying about other people--unless it affects the common good. It will keep you from doing anything useful. You'll be too preoccupied with what so-and-so is doing and why, and what they're saying and what they're thinking, and what they're up to and all the other things that throw you off and keep you from focusing on your own mind." (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 3.4)

Skeletons, spirits and haunts, Skeletons, spirits and haunts. It's a halloween sale: A nickel a pail For skeletons, spirits and haunts. Skeletons, spirits and haunts, More than most anyone wants. Will you pay for a shock, 'Cause we're quite overstocked On skeletons, spirits and haunts.

"Some things nature is indifferent to; if it privileged one over the other it would hardly have created both. And if we want to follow nature, to be of one mind with it, we need to share its indifference. To privilege pleasure over pain—life over death, fame over anonymity—is clearly blasphemous. Nature certainly doesn’t." (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations , 9.1d)

My professor, mentor, dissertation director and very good friend, Dr. Michael Langston, Brigadier General Deputy Commander South Carolina  State Guard Major themes identified in bibliographic sources show that this project is strong with background material necessary to explore Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, the centerpiece of this project. Bibliographic material also reveals a weakness in terms of sources that make application of the Emperor’s journal for Christian leaders, specifically. This is where the gaps may lie so this researcher will need the freedom to create a plan of one’s own, noting most importantly “but that plan must make sense to your readers.” (Turabian 2018, 67). As Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations lie at the heart of the project, major themes such as biography and literary analysis become obvious and, with help of the outline, the reader should be guided through the content. Other themes then become evident such as Stoic philosophy and Christian practi...

“ What, then, makes a person free from hindrance and self-determining? For wealth doesn’t, neither does high-office, state or kingdom—rather, something else must be found… in the case of living, it is the knowledge of how to live. ” —Epictetus, Discourses , 4.1.62-64 "You have two essential tasks in life: to be a good person and to pursue the occupation that you love. Everything else is a waste of energy and a squandering of your potential. How does one do that? OK, that’s a tougher question. But the philosophy we see from the Stoics makes it simple enough: say no to distractions, to destructive emotions, to outside pressure. Ask yourself: What is it that only I can do? What is the best use of my limited time on this planet? Try to do the right thing when the situation calls for it. Treat other people the way you would hope to be treated. And understand that every small choice and tiny matter is an opportunity to practice these larger principles. That’s it. That’s what goes into t...

They say you're not supposed to look back, but every once in a while the past creeps up unawares. Back in 2015 this pic (above) was snapped on the peak of Celo Knob (6,327 ft). We had just climbed out the valley and were on our way down that cloud-shrouded trail you see behind me, on the way to Mt. Mitchell (hidden). This last weekend, we were up in the mountains where I enjoyed this view (below) every time I looked out the window or stepped outside. Sometime after we were getting settled in, a neighbor nearby pointed across the valley, indicating the Celo Mountains. My eyes popped out of my head when I learned that the highest peak behind me, the one furthest in the distance, was Celo Knob. That entire spine of the mountain that runs off the right (in the picture) was traversed by me and two friends four years ago, summitting 8 peaks and ending on Mt. Mitchell.  Celo Knob, making clouds

"Things cannot touch the soul. They have no access to the soul. The cannot produce our judgments. They are outside of us. They themselves know nothing and by themselves they affirm nothing." (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4:3,10; 5:19; 6:52; 9:15, Hadot translation)

The significance of building an annotated bibliography as part of the research process is seen in the researcher becoming familiar with the content for all that’s been accounted for in more than 60 collected sources. Decisions need to be made and questions begin to surface along with making a record of emerging patterns in the collected data. One example of this is seen in how this writer is being forced to consider what constitutes historical background and what elements of history are relevant to a present-day topic with its application. In other words, why does an ancient document like Meditations hold the interest of the modern reader and what is one to do with it? “As you get deeper into your project, you may experience moments when everything seems to run together into a hopeless muddle. That usually happens when you accumulate notes faster than you can sort them. Such moments can be stressful, but they can also be a sign that you are on the verge of a new insight or discov...

" . . . the straightforward and good person should be like a smelly goat--you know when they are in the room with you."  (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations  11.15)

“Yes, getting your wish would have been so nice. But isn’t that exactly why pleasure trips us up? Instead, see if these things might be even nicer—a great soul, freedom, honesty, kindness, saintliness. For there is nothing so pleasing as wisdom itself when you consider how sure-footed and effortless the works of understanding and knowledge are.”   (MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 5.9)

https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Citadel-Meditations-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0674007077

Research can be much like navigating fun-house maze: there's a surprise around every corner. This was a fun discovery (annotated): Ainslie, Scott. 2001. "Emperor Marcus Aurelius and The History of Opiate Addiction." Proceedings of the 10th Annual History of Medicine Days . WA Whitelaw: 21-25. http://www.magicgatebg.com/Books/History%20of%20Medicine%20Days.pdf#page=33 The presenter of this case, inspired by the 1961 article “The Opium Addiction of Marcus Aurelius” by T.W. Africa, suggests that the personal writings of Marcus Aurelius are nothing more than the rantings of a drug addict. Ainslie writes, “In an attempt to determine the likelihood and the severity of opium dependency, it is convenient for us to compare statements within ‘Meditations’ to pieces written by more recent addicts.” (23) The writer admits to making an “attempt to gather circumstantial evidence surrounding the proposed vice” (21) with the view to uncouple “Meditations” from Stoic philosophy and sugg...

10 or 12 years ago I was enraptured with John Steinbeck's "East of Eden." While I am sure the name "Marcus Aurelius" came to my attention in much earlier study, I can say without a doubt that it was Steinbeck's multiple references to "Meditations" that locked the good Emperor into my brain.  While researching for my dissertation, I was amazed (read: "downright thrilled") to find a scholarly article discussing the influence of both the Bible and "Meditations" on Steinbeck's book, "East of Eden." Not only has one's personal affinity for Steinbeck sweetened, but the article demonstrates how deeply integrated "Meditations" is into the plot. The source material is as follows (might require an academic log-in):  Brannon, Brian. 2009. “A Tiny Volume Bound in Leather: The Influence of Marcus Aurelius on East of Eden.” Steinbeck Review. Vol. 6, no. 2: 23-27. " . . . read carefully, and not to b...

While working on my 60+ bibliographical annotations, this book is getting much attention.

The significance of identifying scholarly journals as original sources of data is first understood by noting the distinction between scholarly books and journals. The contents of a book are static while journals are fluid. In other words, the book represents an attempt to be a comprehensive treatise on a subject while academic journals record current professional activity, conversation. The academic journal is the meeting place of minds, a formal interchange of ideas, and the documentation of the current study, statistics, and debate. “Journals are scholarly or professional periodicals available primarily in academic libraries and by subscription. . . . Journals are not the same as magazines, which are usually intended for a more general readership.” (Turabian, 254) In other words, subscriptions and a specialized audience are other distinctions that elevate the scholarly journal over a book. Discovering the vast array of academic societies represented by journals is as rewarding as dis...

The first course in my doctoral program began by allowing us a discussion on "What is the significance of identifying books as original sources of data?" My contribution is as follows: Books are simply the concentrated efforts of authors and editors devoting attention to the development and discussion of one subject. Books will be the original source of data in this writer's particular research as articles and other sources were not developed or known until times more modern; therefore, this technicality already establishes the kind of material one must handle in research. This writer intends to make Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations”, the centerpiece of the project. The “book” is simply a piece of ancient literature from which one intends to develop an index of contents as well as extrapolate applicable principles for Christian leaders. "Meditations" itself is the original source of data; therefore, it is crucial that works that were written on the subject be corr...

"One way to read The Odyssey is that it’s a story of human perseverance. Odysseus is cunning and determined, he’s willing to do everything and anything to get back to Ithaca...and eventually, because of that, he finally does. That’s certainly the interpretation of Tennyson in his poem 'Ulysses ': 'We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.' But there is also a way to read The Odyssey as illustrating the exact opposite lesson. Because basically every delay and impediment on Odysseus’s long journey home is completely his fault. He says he wants to get back to Ithaca, and then proceeds to constantly undermine himself. It’s only towards the end when he finally stops and actually listens to the gods (most of whom favor him) that he quickly makes any real progress. In f...

"Want to" vs. "Have to"

"The founder of the universe, who assigned to us the laws of life, provided that we should live well, but not in luxury. Everything needed for our well-being is right before us, whereas what luxury requires is gathered by many miseries and anxieties. Let us use this gift of nature and count it among the greatest things." (Seneca, Moral Letters, 119.15b)

“Heraclitus would shed tears whenever he went out in public, Democritus laughed. One saw the whole as a parade of miseries, the other of follies. And so, we should take a lighter view of things and bear them with an easy spirit, for it is more human to laugh at life than to lament it.” (Seneca, On Tranquility of Mind, 15.2)

“Now that I’ve suffered shipwreck, I’m on a good journey . . . You’ve done well, Fortune, driving me thus to philosophy” (Zeno)

"I'll never be ashamed to quote a bad writer with a good saying."   (Seneca, On Tranquility of Mind, 11.8)

"Therefore, explain why a wise person shouldn’t get drunk—not with words, but by the facts of its ugliness and offensiveness. It’s most easy to prove that so-called pleasures when they go beyond proper measure, are but punishments." (Seneca, Moral Letters, 83.27) Is there a less effective technique to persuading people to do something than haranguing them? Is there anything that turns people off more than abstract notions? That’s why the Stoics don’t say, “Stop doing this, it’s a sin.” Instead they say, “Don’t do this because it will make you miserable.” They don’t say, “Pleasure isn’t pleasurable.” They say, “Endless pleasure becomes its own form of punishment.” Their methods of persuasion hew the line in The 48 Laws of Power: “Appeal to People’s Self-Interest Never to Their Mercy or Gratitude.” If you find yourself trying to persuade someone to change or do something differently, remember what an effective lever self-interest is. It’s not that this or that is bad, it’s ...

“It is essential for you to remember that the attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to its worth, for then you won’t tire and give up if you aren’t busying yourself with lesser things beyond what should be allowed.” (Marcus Aurelius)

“It’s ruinous for the soul to be anxious about the future and miserable in advance of misery, engulfed by anxiety that the things it desires might remain it’s own until the very end. For such a soul will never be at rest— by longing for things to come it will lose the ability to enjoy present things.” —  (Seneca, Moral Letters, 98.5)

Was out of gas by the end of this workout. Next time it's an even 300#.

"On a voyage, when the ship is anchored, if you go on shore to get water, you may gather a small shellfish or cuttlefish along the way as a side issue for yourself, but your thoughts must be directed at the ship and you must be constantly watchful if not the captain calls. And if he calls, leave all of it behind, so you won’t be thrown into the ship bound like cattle. It is the same in life: if instead of a small shellfish and cuttlefish, you are given a wife and child, there is nothing against that. But if the captain calls, rush towards the ship and leave all behind without looking back. And if you are old, don’t even go far from the ship, so you won’t default when you are called."  (Epictetus)

Beautiful

fascinating, captivating, magical, enchanting, entrancing, spellbinding, magnetic, irresistible, hypnotic gold

"Wherever a person can live there one can also live well; life is also in the demands of the court, there too one can live well." (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 5.16)

"Apply yourself to thinking through difficulties--hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made lighter for those who can apply the right pressure." (Seneca, On Tranquility Of Mind , 10.4b)

Not all things need to be said and sometimes we learn that lesson by saying stupid things. "The inexperienced and fearful talk to reassure themselves. The ability to listen, to deliberately keep out of a conversation and subsist without its validity is rare." (Ryan Holiday)

"Follow me down to the valley below You know Moonlight is bleeding from out of your soul . . . its time for you to go" For when I'm gone.

Here they are, in no particular order. My favorite told-you-so, Arwen My favorite scawy monstow, Astrid My favorite newby getting his hair did, Carter. He's got this philosophical look about him. My favorite engineer and rocket scientist, "Jack" and Jacob. My favorite kid-in-the-middle Jude holding my favorite kissy-face, Cassie

"Watch the CBS broadcast of the moon landing, old school commercials and all" (ht: Boing Boing)

"Come sleep, O Sleep, the certain knot of peace." (Sir Philip Sydney, 1580s) .  Eight hours is eight hours, yet why does eight hours of sleep pass at a much different rate than eight hours of work or eight hours of play? How does the time seem to pass at such a different rate? We don't want to close our eyes, lest we miss a thing; yet, we would die without sleep. Our survival depends on it. At risk of sounding like a "stoner thought" (perhaps "shower thought" would be better said), isn't it interesting that over the course of our lives, such a significant portion is passed while we are unconscious? We close our eyes and wake up having traveled with the orbit of the planet through space. Today I learned that the Beatle's famous song, "Golden Slumbers" was an adaptation of a song found in a play by Thomas Dekker popular in the early 1600's: Golden slumbers kiss your eyes, Smiles awake you when you rise; Sleep, pretty wanto...

Ball's Pyramid, 12 mi southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean (approx. 400 miles off the coast of Australia). All-access banned in 1986 due to its treacherous approach, delicate ecosystem and fragile surface. Tristan De Cunha Tristan De Cunha, the most remote island in the world, approximately 1500 miles off the South African coast. Population: 250. Visitors are welcome but please are invited not to stay long. To best appreciate exactly the island's location, click here and scroll out. Edgar Allan Poe introduced me to the island via his novel, "The Narrative of Gordon A. Pym of Nantucket."  Tristan De Cunha

A few thoughts and a short reading from Walt Whitman, an early influence on my writing life. "I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air, Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same, I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, Hoping to cease not till death." (Song of Myself, 1, Walt Whitman, 1855)

One of my reads included a reference to the historical event that we now call The Irish Potato Famine, a ten year period in which hundreds of thousands of people died due to lack of food. Remember 1841-1851 (dates vary among historians). Potatoes were not native to but were brought from South America to Ireland by Spanish Explorers in the late 1500s. Farming potatoes was not the prime directive of the Armada, but the tuberous crop found its way to the Emerald Isle, nonetheless. Over the course of about 300 years, the Irish population enjoyed potatoes as the main food source. But why did the population of Ireland plummet 20% over that ten year period? How much of that decrease was due to starvation and how much was due to immigration? Out of ignorance and for want of learning, one wonders what people ate before the potato. Did they forget? Did the blight affect more than potatoes so nothing edible would grow? The environment can be harsh but one wonders what they forget. Ireland ...

"In your actions, don't procrastinate. In your conversation, don't confuse. In your thoughts, don't wander. In your soul, don't be passive or aggressive. In your life, don't be all about business." (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8.51)

1797 to 1828 was all he had. Franz Schubert died young. A student of Antonio Salieri, Schubert became obsessed with music at a young age. Days were long doing little but composing. When he started teaching piano, he was known to stop composing music only to discipline a student who interrupted him. A typical romantic-bohemian, borrowing money, living in other people's homes, he sold his music cheap and spent any earnings drinking and reciting poetry with friends who loved and performed his music ("Schubertians"). Schubert's Symphony No. 8 is known as his "Unvollendete" (Unfinished), as he started the piece in 1822 and only completed the first two movements. As a joke, young music students penned lyrics to the melody found in the cello and echoed by the violins after the first minute or so, "This is the symphony that Schubert wrote but didn't finish;  this is the symphony that Schubert wrote but didn't finish,  th' unfinished symphon...

The Online Etymology Dictionary explains how the term "circadian" was "coined 1959 by German-born biologist Franz Halberg, from Latin circa "about" (alternative form of circum "round about;" see circum-) + diem , accusative singular of dies "day" (from PIE root *dyeu-"to shine"). The original use is in circadian rhythm." ( source ) Think of the circadian rhythm as a pre-installed, ready-made clock for every living creature, found in that part of the brain that controls pretty much everything we can't control: body temperature, fluids, hormone production, organ function. Interestingly, that part of the brain is connected to the eye, the sensor that detects light. Our chemistry changes when it gets dark or light, which means artificial light at night does not help the clock. Our circadian rhythm also changes with the seasons, which may explain why we "slow down" and are inclined to stay under the covers j...

It's an icon. An old woman dressed in black. Why has this painting captured our attention? We don't know the woman, but flash an image of it to a stranger on the street and find that just about anyone has a familiarity with her. Whistler's title for the painting is "Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Artist's Mother." While only a portion of the life-size painting is represented here, one can get an inkling of what captures our fascination. The canvas (representing the wall behind her) is rough but her aged features are softened with delicate layers of paint. Had we not been told we would not know she was cold, sick, could not stand for long and withstood the constant pain of bad teeth. The lace of her white bonnet is portrayed with transparent fragility. Her plain black dress is her statement of years of mourning after the death of her husband. Though we do not see them directly, her eyes are wide open with a kind of readiness. Whistler sa...

"The fact that America exists is the ultimate argument that Stoicism is not apathy and that philosophy is not mere theory. Because without Stoicism, it’s possible there would have been no revolution, no Constitution, no Bill of Rights and no Fourth of July. Thomas Jefferson kept a copy of Seneca on his nightstand. George Washington staged a reproduction of a play about Cato at Valley Forge in the winter of ‘77/’78 to inspire the troops (having first read the Stoics as a teenager). Patrick Henry cribbed lines from that same play which we now credit to him: “Give me Liberty or give me death!” John Adams, Ben Franklin—almost all the founders were well-versed in the works of the Stoics . It’s partly what gave them the courage to found a new nation against such incredible odds, and it’s partly what set up the principles that formed that nation and changed the world. At the core of the American experiment was liberty. At the core of Stoicism we have not only a love of freedom, but th...

"The task of a philosopher: we should bring our will into harmony with whatever happens so that nothing happens against our will and nothing that we wish for fails to happen." (Epictetus, Discourses, 2.14.7) Ryan Holiday says the difference between a "to do" list and a "get to" list is privilege. I would add that the difference also includes "flexibility." This is why I no longer keep a "to do" list, but an "if nothing prevents me" list--things I get to do. Flexibility comes into play by giving myself the freedom to tackle list-items when I am free to do so. 

Download the game free of charge through July 4. I'm not a gamer, but I am a huge fan of the artist behind the soundtrack.

"What assistance can we find in the fight against habit? Try the opposite!" (Epictetus, Discourses, 1.27.4)

" Epictetus the slave. Marcus Aurelius the emperor. Seneca the power broker and playwright. These three radically different men led radically different lives. But they seemed to have one habit in common: Journaling. In one form or another, each of them did it. It would be Epictetus who would admonish his students that philosophy was something they should “write down day by day,” that this writing was how they “should exercise themselves.” Seneca’s favorite time to journal was in the evenings. When darkness had fallen and his wife had gone asleep, he explained to a friend, “I examine my entire day and go back over what I’ve done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by.” Then he would go to bed, finding that “the sleep which follows this self-examination” was particularly sweet. And Marcus, he was the most prodigious of journalers, and we are lucky enough that his writings survive to us, appropriately titled, Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν, Ta eis heauton, or “to himself.”...