This week on Cliff’s notes, Dano and I discuss and reflect On a Life Well Spent and how we can combine both academic knowledge with our own experiences. One powerful way to do that is by traveling and seeing for ourselves that which we study.
Strangers on a plane, misquoting Lincoln, and more in this week’s episode.
As always, you can choose to watch the video, read the Cliff’s Notes (with Dano’s Addendum) and/or read the full summary of the wisdom of Cicero as he reflects on a life well spent.
Let us know what you think as we tackle this philosophical question head on.
Cliff’s Notes: On a Life Well Spent
1. The best armor of old age is a well spent life preceding it; a life employed in the pursuit of useful knowledge, in honorable actions, and the practice of virtue, to improve self everyday because that never leaves a man, and the conscience and remembrance of past good actions brings unspeakable comfort to the soul
2. Old age doesn’t creep up, it is always there, just like youth so don’t be surprised at its arrival
3. Downfall of greatest states has been relying on giddy, inexperienced men
4. Memory fails in old age only when it’s not being used (will always remember where buried the treasure)
5. How many people are known for their pleasure seeking, partying, compared to those that work hard their entire lives to accomplish something…those are the legends who survive the test of time
6. Want not of gold but the control of men who are commanded by such gold
7. A long life is relative
8. Death is okay because all minds are one to create and evolve society’s inventions and new discoveries
9. Death isn’t all that bad, some choose it in their prime to stand for something greater, something worth dying for
10. You can never see my mind but only know my actions which reflects my mind
Dano’s Addendum
- It’s about human connections, sharing a laugh, sharing the present moment
- It’s about curiosity, and having an open mind, about always learning, and doing things without knowing what’s going to happen
- Take wisdom from those in the past who’ve shared their wisdom and pair with your own experience, ensuring ample time to pause and reflect on this synthesis
…and that quote he was oh-so-close yet-so-far from:
Full Notes:
- The best armor of old age is a well spent life preceding it; a life employed in the pursuit of useful knowledge, in honorable actions and the practice of virtue, to improve self everyday because that never leaves a man, and the conscience and remembrance of past good actions brings unspeakable comfort to the soul
- Old age doesn’t creep up, it is always there, just like youth and other stages of life, so don’t be surprised of its arrival
- Old people are happy at being freed from their tyranny of youth’s passion
- People who complain of old age have a perverse temper and disposition that would render any state of life unhappy
- Senate -> Senes -> body of old men in life
- Attacks on old age:
- Can’t do business, body infirms, no pleasures
- Downfall of greatest states has been relying on giddy inexperienced men
- Pilot: doesn’t do manual labor, but is more important, requires not an agile body but agile mind; judgment, counsel, and authority
- All of which increases in age
- Memory fails in old age only when it’s not being used
- They will always remember where they buried their treasure
- Business: they head it and plan for their departure
- Work hard because they are felt compelled to do so by God
- If done right, age grants other things like respect and mentoring youth (so rely on your mind not your body to establish yourself, body deteriorates)
- For it is our business only to make the best use we can of the powers granted us by nature
- Rather die sooner than to make self old before truly am (keep self constantly employed)
- Rarely do you need more than normal strength except for ego purposes
- And which would you rather have, strength of body or mind
- Life has stages, if accept the seasons, will be content
- We must prepare for old age
- Moderate exercise
- Right diet that’s sustainable
- Must prepare our minds even more: recollect what is heard or said during the day at night
- Greatest gift of man is his reason, and pleasure is most capital and pernicious enemy
- For all voluptuousness is undoubtedly an enemy of reason and inconsistent with true virtue
- For those things that are done solely for their pleasure, there are other things worth doing that increases and prolongs pleasure
- In age, prefer talking and learning to eating and drinking
- Man finds self relieved and happy when done with journey through pleasure, like can finally relax into self
- There’s an inherent pleasure that comes with achieving something that takes a lot of work
- How many people are known for their pleasure seeking, partying, compared to those that work hard their entire lives to accomplish something…those are the legends who survive the test of time
- The world is beautiful in all its intricacies and reverting to such rustic labors entails such great pleasure
- Want not of gold but the control of men who are commanded by such gold
- Nothing more pleasurable than a feast and horde of great food stored by hard work
- This discussion all relies on youth laying a solid foundation for old age
- Death with old age
- Youth in its vigor is subject to many more casualties and exposed to much greater and more frequent dangers that may end life than old age
- Death has no standard date for people, young or old
- When old, you have no other wishes left but to live longer
- A long life is relative
- Prudence and skill are gained only by experience and without old, would have no wise governors
- People are like fruit, too young and it requires force/violence to pluck from tree, when old and matured, it fall naturally
- Let none cry at my funeral, for death crowns immortality to the person’s life
- Death isn’t all that bad, some choose it in their prime to stand for something greater (aka worth dying for)
- Death is okay because all minds are one to create and evolve society’s inventions and new discoveries
- And that is forever in motion
- You can never see my mind but only know my actions which reflects the mind
- And when you die, you can see what happens to the body, but can never know what happens to the mind
- Would a man go through such hardships and trouble to work as much as he does if he thought all his effort and progress would die with him?
- I shall quit life as I would an inn, not as a real home
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