Head-dibs

"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.