The Consolations of Philosophy - post II

The great thing about this book is that if you want it the evidence is there to try and help you accept a failed life. I say failed but maybe a better word would be average. Learning that various philosophers faced the big questions and formulated various responses is surprisingly easy to digest and quite uplifting.

So for example Epicurus can help teach you that money and wealth are not the be all and end all and actual wealth comes from friendships, self-reliance and having the space to think.

Follow that up with a guide to dealing with frustration from Seneca and you have already got a collection of self-help modules that should help you control anger and frustration.

I particularly liked the line: We will cease to be angry once we cease to be so hopeful.

That in a nutshell is the problem the hope is still there. I’ll leave you with those thoughts until tomorrow…