Therefore, you need not call upon me for extracts and quotations; such thoughts as one may extract here and there in the works of other philosophers run through the whole body of our writings.
Hence we have no "show-window goods," nor do we deceive the purchaser in such a way that, if he enters our shop, he will find nothing except that which is displayed in the window. We allow the purchasers themselves to get their samples from anywhere they please.
Suppose we should desire to sort out each separate motto from the general stock; to whom shall we credit them? To Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus, Panaetius, or Posidonius? We Stoics are not subjects of a despot: each of us lays claim to his own freedom.
With them, on the other hand, whatever Hermarchus says, or Metrodorus, is ascribed to one source. In that brotherhood, everything that any man utters is spoken under the leadership and commanding authority of one alone.
We cannot, I maintain, no matter how we try, pick out anything from so great a multitude of things equally good:
“Only the poor man counts his flock.”
Wherever you direct your gaze, you will meet with something that might stand out from the rest, if the context in which you read it were not equally notable.
—from Seneca, Moral Letters 33
There may have been a time when Lucilius still needed the support of notable quotations, but Seneca now believes that he has grown beyond it. At some point, the training wheels need to come off the bicycle. Take it as a compliment!
I work at not focusing on a single thread, but rather admiring how it fits into the beauty of the entire tapestry. I once obsessed about collecting the choicest citations in a little notebook, and then later I painstakingly assembled a list of “great books” I felt I had to read, and now I am getting the hang of showing reverence for the true and the good in any form it happens to come to me.
My wife rolls her eyes at my distrust of advertising, and I try to explain that an appealing image is not itself a problem, while having nothing of substance standing behind it is most certainly a problem. It is sadly no different in the intellectual world, where what is called a philosophy often ends up being little more than a sort of brand loyalty, a comfort zone of associating with the right sorts of people.
In such a tribal ideology, the “-isms” are bought and sold based upon how much they make us feel self-satisfied, and how easily they can help us to direct our frustrations toward the “other”, our enemies who can be blamed for any of our own failures. I see it in the churches, I see it at the political rallies, and yes, I see it in the halls of academia, where a university is now little more than a product.
I inevitably get myself into trouble when I am caught up in the initial appearances, and I should hardly be surprised when there is nothing of value underneath the shiny veneer. If the salesman’s product is truly superior, why is he so worried about me examining the goods at the next shop? What is he hiding from me?
A few years ago, I was looking to buy a new stereo system, and being quite the snob about my music, I wasn’t sure if the model at this one place was really what I wanted. The owner surprised me when he nodded knowingly, and he explained how another store offered a line from a different manufacturer that might be more to my taste. He wrote down the address for me, and then even called ahead to ask what was available in stock.
Was it a trick? I can’t speak for his motives, but the fact that he was willing to present an option that might bring him absolutely no profit impressed me greatly. Just as a solid businessman can be respectful in letting his customers decide, so the genuine philosopher is never afraid to let his students think for themselves, making use of any tools they find most productive.
If the vehicle gets me from one place to another reliably, safely, and comfortably, it becomes irrelevant whether it was bought at Crazy Eddie’s Motor Emporium or at Honest Mike’s Cavalcade of Cars. Or am I more worried about giving in to the pretenses of fashion?
If they try to convince you by the authority or the respectability of the source, you are justified in feeling wary. If they are steering you toward only a single alternative, it is time for you to assert your own power of judgment. If they are stressing just the one aspect that gratifies instantly, it is time for you to walk away politely.
The shepherd looks out at his whole flock, and he does not constantly fixate on the individual sheep. So too the philosopher, whether Stoic or otherwise, does not allow himself to be distracted by the divisions between the many schools. There is something worthy to be found everywhere.
There may have been a time when Lucilius still needed the support of notable quotations, but Seneca now believes that he has grown beyond it. At some point, the training wheels need to come off the bicycle. Take it as a compliment!
I work at not focusing on a single thread, but rather admiring how it fits into the beauty of the entire tapestry. I once obsessed about collecting the choicest citations in a little notebook, and then later I painstakingly assembled a list of “great books” I felt I had to read, and now I am getting the hang of showing reverence for the true and the good in any form it happens to come to me.
My wife rolls her eyes at my distrust of advertising, and I try to explain that an appealing image is not itself a problem, while having nothing of substance standing behind it is most certainly a problem. It is sadly no different in the intellectual world, where what is called a philosophy often ends up being little more than a sort of brand loyalty, a comfort zone of associating with the right sorts of people.
In such a tribal ideology, the “-isms” are bought and sold based upon how much they make us feel self-satisfied, and how easily they can help us to direct our frustrations toward the “other”, our enemies who can be blamed for any of our own failures. I see it in the churches, I see it at the political rallies, and yes, I see it in the halls of academia, where a university is now little more than a product.
I inevitably get myself into trouble when I am caught up in the initial appearances, and I should hardly be surprised when there is nothing of value underneath the shiny veneer. If the salesman’s product is truly superior, why is he so worried about me examining the goods at the next shop? What is he hiding from me?
A few years ago, I was looking to buy a new stereo system, and being quite the snob about my music, I wasn’t sure if the model at this one place was really what I wanted. The owner surprised me when he nodded knowingly, and he explained how another store offered a line from a different manufacturer that might be more to my taste. He wrote down the address for me, and then even called ahead to ask what was available in stock.
Was it a trick? I can’t speak for his motives, but the fact that he was willing to present an option that might bring him absolutely no profit impressed me greatly. Just as a solid businessman can be respectful in letting his customers decide, so the genuine philosopher is never afraid to let his students think for themselves, making use of any tools they find most productive.
If the vehicle gets me from one place to another reliably, safely, and comfortably, it becomes irrelevant whether it was bought at Crazy Eddie’s Motor Emporium or at Honest Mike’s Cavalcade of Cars. Or am I more worried about giving in to the pretenses of fashion?
If they try to convince you by the authority or the respectability of the source, you are justified in feeling wary. If they are steering you toward only a single alternative, it is time for you to assert your own power of judgment. If they are stressing just the one aspect that gratifies instantly, it is time for you to walk away politely.
The shepherd looks out at his whole flock, and he does not constantly fixate on the individual sheep. So too the philosopher, whether Stoic or otherwise, does not allow himself to be distracted by the divisions between the many schools. There is something worthy to be found everywhere.
—Reflection written in 12/2012
IMAGE: Vincent Van Gogh, Shepherd with a Flock of Sheep (1884)
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