Becoming Antifragile

Lessons from 'Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius. Aurelius was a Roman Emperor (161 AD - 180AD) and a Stoic philosopher. Meditation is a collection of personal writings during his time as Emperor. He acquired the title Philosopher King during his lifetime. - Support Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BecomingAntifragile Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/support - Buy: USA - https://amzn.to/3Rc778Z CA - https://amzn.to/3Kn0rBf - Social & Website: Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://becomingantifragile.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ijmakan.substack.com - Shownotes: 00:00 - Excerpt 02:15 - Marcus Aurelius and Meditations 03:45 - What is Stoicism and the Logos? 07:30 - Predetermined actions and moral responsibility 08:30 - Perception, action, and will 09:18 - Why you are more like a boxer than a fencer 13:05 - Begin each day with gratitude 16:35 - Contemplation on death and perfecting your character 22:40 - Remove selfish thoughts from your mind 28:25 - If you have to travel the world to find yourself, you’re a fool 30:00 - Treat others with real love without care for what others think 33:20 - The difference between sinning out of anger vs. out of pleasure 34:45 - Use your faculty of rationality to build conviction 39:16 - The obstacle is the Way 42:00 - Ambition vs. doing what is right always 45:22 - Challenges

Lessons from 'Bushido: The Soul of Japan' by Inazo Nitobe In this book, Nitobe breaks down the Bushido ethical system into 11 parts: justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, truthfulness, honor, duty of loyalty, samurai training, self-control, and seppuku. - Support Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BecomingAntifragile Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/support - Buy USA: https://amzn.to/3WU8IUA CA: https://amzn.to/3wTD3In - Shownotes 00:00 - Excerpt 02:40 - What is Bushido? 07:30 - The Shinto mirror & knowing yourself 09:00 - Don't be a collector of information or else you'll be a rotten vegetable 12:00 - Make knowing and acting one thing 14:30 - Always do what is right & practice true courage 18:25 - Mercy is not a weakness 22:40 - Be polite but speak the truth and keep your word 29:30 - Act honorably and be loyal without sacrificing your conscience 36:55 - Study philosophy and literature for the formation of character 40:00 - Remain composed even in adversity, finding peace 45:00 - Challenge & NEW Patreon

Lessons from 'The Wisdom of the Desert' compiled by Thomas Merton. Merton compiled 'The Wisdom of the Desert' from the Verba Seniorum or Sayings of the Elders. The Elders refer to the early Christian hermits who lived in solitude in the Egyptian desert. This book contains timeless aphorisms, advice, dialogues, and stories of the experiences of early Christian hermits. - Support Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BecomingAntifragile Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/support - Shop USA: https://amzn.to/3K2gT9Q CA: https://amzn.to/4bFnm69 - Social & Website Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://becomingantifragile.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ijmakan.substack.com - Show notes 00:00 - Reflections from spending time at a Benedictine Monastery & meeting B and C 09:05 - Excerpt from ‘The Wisdom of the Desert’, who is Thomas Merton 13:10 - The primacy of Love and abandoning the Ego 19:00 - Finding Ultimate Reality in the Silence 21:00 - Why you need to control your tongue and belly 22:40 - Humility is the path to wisdom 25:30 - Apply yourself to silence, and make your life a meditation 27:45 - Embracing death by laughing at it 29:50 - Don’t ask that your struggle be removed, but as for strength 32:15 - What is better, focusing on asceticism or interior life? 34:25 - “Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything” 36:20 - Those who speak, should do; and only those who do, should speak 39:50 - How to love properly 41:15 - Challenge

Lessons from 'The Bhagavad Gita' by Veda Vyasa. The Gita is an essential text within the Mahabharata. It is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and the warrior prince Arjuna, who is conflicted about fighting in the Kurukshetra war. The Gita explores themes of duty, discipline, righteousness, and the nature of reality. - Support Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BecomingAntifragile Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/support - Order USA: https://amzn.to/4dAXw5a CA: https://amzn.to/3WAi2Ne Social & Website Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://becomingantifragile.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ijmakan.substack.com

Lessons from 'A Pocket Mirror for Heroes' by Baltasar Gracián Baltasar Gracián (1601 - 1658) was a Spanish Jesuit, writer, and philosopher. Nietzsche, Voltaire, Schopenhauer, and more love his writings. Gracián's work continues to influence political and moral philosophy. - Support Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BecomingAntifragile Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/support - Social & Website: Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://becomingantifragile.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ijmakan.substack.com - 00:00 - excerpt 02:00 - Baltasar Gracian, the polymath 04:45 - We only understand the beauty of life at death 09:00 - To do philosophy well is to meditate on your mortality 11:35 - The only thing you own is your virtue, nothing else 18:00 - Why you need to cultivate contemplation in your life 27:15 - Practical effects of knowing yourself 33:35 - To know happiness you must know sadness 39:50 - Choose your friends and what you do with care 43:00 - Live a heroic life through excellence 45:05 - Challenge

Lessons from 'When Breathe Becomes Air' by Paul Kalanithi Paul Kalanithia was a neurosurgeon, writer, and a young father. He was completing his residency training in neurological surgery and a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience when he was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic lung cancer. He died in March 2015, 22 months after. 'When Breathe Becomes Air' is a memoir and Paul's story of battling lung cancer. It was posthumously published on January 12, 2016 - USA: https://amzn.to/3xWPaEL CA: https://amzn.to/49YuYPU - Social & Website Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://becomingantifragile.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ijmakan.substack.com - 00:00 - Excerpt 01:46 - We all have a terminal illness, so what then is our call? 03:34 - Who is Paul Kalanithi and why he didn’t want to become a doctor 06:30 - Seeking to answer life’s greatest questions, and learning to understand the “physiological-spiritual” man 09:00 - Surrounded by death becoming a better doctor 12:26 - Neurosurgery must be a calling—it can’t be a job 15:30 - Life is ephemeral. Ask if yourself if you’re ready for death, and then if what you’re doing is something externally or internally motivated 25:16 - “…the culmination of decades of striving, evaporated” What are you going to do with your life? 33:40 - Live each day at a time 38:00 - When you see past the illusion, the most important things become clear 40:20 - Challenge

Lessons from "Leisure: The Basis of Culture" by Josef Pieper. This book challenges our contemporary work-centric culture and the idea of “total work,” where every aspect of life is dominated by the ethos of work and productivity. Pieper argues that this shift has led to a loss of meaning and a neglect of the liberal arts, which traditionally has been a space for leisure and the cultivation of individual freedom. Josef Pieper was a professor of philosophy at University of Munster. He was schooled specifically in Greek philosophy and Thomas Aquinas, law and sociology. - Social & Website Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://becomingantifragile.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ijmakan.substack.com - 00:00 - Excerpt and background 04:30 - Our work-centric culture vs. leisure 07:10 - Individual freedom comes from leisure 13:30 - When work becomes a religion, leisure makes no sense 16:00 - Hyper-productive state is at odds with enlightenment 19:15 - Servile arts vs. liberal arts 24:30 - Leisure is only possible when you know yourself 33:00 - Crave out a time for leisure 38:00 - Virtues perfect you so that you can act effortlessly 40:10 - Challenge

Lessons from 'Out of Solitude' by Henri J.M. Nouwen. Henri Nouwen was a Professor of Religion and Theology at Yale University, the University of Notre Dame and Harvard Divinity. He left his academic post to join L’ Arche, a community that helps people with disability. - Support Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BecomingAntifragile Website: https://becomingantifragile.com/support - Out of Solitude: USA - https://amzn.to/3VXb2tC CA - https://amzn.to/445ig0I The Power of Silence by Robert Cardinal Sarah: USA - https://amzn.to/3vUzfGf CA - https://amzn.to/3W1EO0b Meditation by Marcus Aurelius USA - https://amzn.to/3UhKRN5 CA - https://amzn.to/3QoXJi7 - Social & Website Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://becomingantifragile.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ijmakan.substack.com - 00:00 - Excerpt from ‘Out of Solitude’ 05:00 - Fear of the other is the root of all our problems 06:16 - Who is Henri Nouwen? 10:31 - How solitude leads to care 12:00 - Find your lonely place 14:45 - Charity as gratitude vs. Charity for praise 16:40 - Sitting in silence 18:20 - The wise know themself that they don’t require affirmations from others 26:34 - Difference between Isolation and Solitude 31:00 - Darkness meditation 32:30 - Tao’s story of uselessness and why it’s ultimately the most useful 39:00 - What does it mean to be a good friend? 43:15 - To care means to live in the present 50:10 - Challenge

Lessons from the ‘Book of Ecclesiastes’ by Solomon Solomon was the King of Jerusalem and is traditionally considered to be the author of Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon embarks on a quest for meaning and wisdom. He explores the different aspects of human life but concludes that everything is vanity. And death is the great equalizer. - Social & Website Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://becomingantifragile.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ijmakan.substack.com

Lessons from ‘The Analects of Confucius’ by Confucius. He was born around 551 BC, in the ancient state of Lu. Confucius is recognized as one of the greatest philosopher teachers. His ideas have influenced Chinese cultural traditions and the world for over 2000 years. - USA - https://amzn.to/3PKhznn CA - https://amzn.to/3PDjeLl - Social & Website: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ijmakan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://becomingantifragile.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ijmakan.substack.com Show notes: 00:00 - Excerpt, background on Confucius & ancient China 06:10 - Confucius’ blueprint for life 12:40 - Your habits shape your character 14:50 - Demand much from yourself, less of others 17:50 - The importance of always learning 22:08 - How to express yourself honestly 25:20 - Practice what you preach, talk only when you’ve done it 27:40 - There’s something to learn from everyone 30:20 - Exploitive behaviors are what petty persons do 33:30 - Sharpen your tools, and don’t get distracted by shiny things 36:50 - Immerse yourself in the river of life 39:00 - You can face death at dusk if you’ve walked the way in day 40:30 - Challenge