Tag Archives: Stoicism

Bulletproof Happiness: What You Control

Posted on August 16, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

You can achieve bulletproof happiness. But you need to know something first: Bulletproof vests make you look fat. In other words, there are trade offs. And you need to know something else: Bulletproof vests don’t make you invulnerable. In other … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Society | Tagged Happiness, History, Serenity, Social Conflict, Social unrest, Stoicism, The Fourth Turning | Leave a comment

Some Comforting Thoughts

Posted on May 31, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

Life can be troubling, especially during periods of heated social conflict. Politicians and the media are no help. Most now devote themselves to fomenting hatred and division. Schools are no help. Most now devote themselves to replacing knowledge with superstition. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Life, Psychology | Tagged Adages, Courage, Optimism, Perseverance, Serenity, Stoicism, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Three Ways to Live

Posted on May 14, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

There are three basic ways to deal with any situation: Method 1: Complain about it and be unhappy. Method 2: Accept it and be happy. Method 3: Try to change it, and then apply Method 1 or 2 to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Psychology | Tagged Acceptance, Complaining, Happiness, Life, Making decisions, Practical wisdom, Self-confidence, Serenity, Solving problems, Stoicism, Wisdom | 4 Comments

Sliding Toward Infinity

Posted on April 26, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

When you’re a kid, you look forward to your birthdays. When you’re on the wrong side of 40, not so much. But here we are again. As the Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius said, our lives are circumscribed in space, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Life | Tagged Birthdays, Marcus Aurelius, Mathematics, Slide rules, Stoicism | 2 Comments

Don’t Wait: Be Happy Now

Posted on April 12, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

Empiricism is the idea that beliefs should be based on observable evidence. It’s one of the main reasons that our civilization has been successful. Empiricism has given us science, medicine, and technology. It’s given us choices and luxuries that people … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Philosophy, Psychology | Tagged Constructive attitude, Croesus, Empiricism, Happiness, Herodotus, Philosophy jokes, Positive attitude, Positive thinking, Solon, Stoic, Stoicism | Leave a comment

Understanding Control and Perspective

Posted on November 7, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

It helps a lot if we understand two principles: control and perspective. First, there are some things we can control and other things we can’t control. When we get upset, it’s often because we mistake one kind of thing for … Continue reading →