gotohealth's Blog

I spent the morning reading about Aristotle after getting the email from Arthur Brooks and his Art and Science of Happiness organization. It reminds me of the Stories at the Panama that we had yesterday. Erica was there to share her story of being able to label her "anxiety"; deal with it and use it to further a career in fashion design. 

 

The following is Brooks' take on how "learning how to face our fears" is something taught by Aristotle after studying with Plato as early as 340BC. My take is that Plato was very left brain thinking. which is the heart of Western philosopy. I think Aristotle added the bigger picture which in today's world is more Asian thinking with the benefits I learned from my Japanese heritage. These are the things my parents and grandparents taught me as I was growing up - not so literally, but subtlely to fit in and be a good member of our communty.

 

1. Name your fears and face them head on.

 

2. Know your appetites, from substances to behaviors, and control them; you might need to eliminate some things.

 

3. Be neither a cheapskate nor a spendthrift with your time and money.

 

4. Give as generously as you can to causes you like and people you love.

 

5. Focus more on transcendent things; disregard trivialities. Yes, this means social media.

 

6. True strength is a controlled temper. Weak people freak out.

 

7. Never lie, on any topic, to anyone. Especially to yourself.

 

8. Stop struggling for your fair share. Doing so looks weak and petty, because it is.

 

9. Forgive others, and forbear their weaknesses. Even if they don’t deserve it.

 

10. Define your morality; write down your rules; live up to them. Even in private where no one else knows.