In late 1902, a young officer cadet began corresponding with poet Rainer Maria Rilke. ‘Letters to a Young Poet’ is a collection of Rilke’s letters to the young aspiring writer. In Letter No. 8, Rilke addresses the transformative nature of sadness.
The Philosopher King
Marcus Aurelius was once the most powerful man on earth- a Roman Emperor. ‘Meditations’ reveals ‘The Philosopher’; a king concerned with being a good man. Including quotes from Meditations.
A Tale of Temperance
In recent history, the virtue of temperance has been associated with strict asceticism. A joyless lifestyle, filled with self-deprivation and suppression. But temperance was never meant to be an extreme. When we look further back in time, we find its essence and purpose. Quotes from Aristotle, Aquinas, Seneca & more.
A Note to the Wounded
And to the wounded- there will be further battles, but we shouldn’t live in fear of returning to the trenches. Quotes from Aristotle, Keats, Lewis & Chapin.
What Does It Mean to Be Patient?
When overcome by a sense of urgency, we tend to bulldoze forward blindly. The mistakes we make in impatience are often grave. With quotes from Paulo Coelho, Saint Luke & Ovid.
Choosing to Take Responsibility
How about taking responsibility for it all? Every bit; whether you’re to blame or not. Quotes from Viktor Frankl, G. K. Chesterton and Terry Pratchett.
The Function of Fear
Fear offers us a very plain choice; be courageous or be a coward. A hero or a reprobate. With quotes from Michel de Montaigne, Seneca, George R.R. Martin & William Shakespeare.
C. S. Lewis and the Law of Nature
In his book ‘Mere Christianity’, C.S Lewis speaks about the ‘Law of Right and Wrong’ or the ‘Law of Nature’. “…human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it.”
A Policy of Appeasement
“Blessed is he, who has learned to bear what he cannot change, and to give up with dignity, what he cannot save.” We take on the responsibility of appeasing someone’s feelings, foolishly attempting to control something we can’t. Quotes from Schiller & Huxley.
One Moment for Gratitude
We rarely engage with gratitude, failing to see how much worse things could get. Henry Ward Beecher, G.K. Chesterton and Charles Dickens. Art by M. Raimondi