In 3rd century B.C, a man who went by the name of Pythagoras of Samos founded a religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Within this movement, Samos wrote a type of guide on ways to live virtuously, morally, and with a disciplined mind. All for the purpose of spiritual maturity and living in harmony with the universe.

Over time, this book became a type of foundation for those looking to uphold a moral and ethical character. Even the Stoics were known to reference their teachings to him on multiple occasions and talk about how living by these ‘rules’ was the path to greatness.

In total, there are 71 lines that pinpoint different areas, but since we have to keep this within three minutes, I only plan on sharing some of the most known ones:

7. Avoid as much as possible hating your friend for a slight fault.

11. Do nothing evil, neither in the presence of others, nor privately; but above all things respect yourself.

25. Do not let any man either by his words, or by his deeds, ever seduce you.

40. Never allow sleep to close your eyelids, after you went to bed, until you have examine all your actions of the day by your reason. In what have I done wrong? What have I done? What have I omitted that I ought to have done?

53. So that you shall not hope that you ought not to hope; and nothing in this world shall be hidden from you.

And these are some of the most clear verses. Some of them definitely have the 3rd century speech to it, but the fact of the matter is that a lot of the verses are still applicable today. One of my favorite ones being the 40th line on replaying your day before you go to sleep.

Seneca talks about this a lot, but the idea is that everyday before you go to bed, revisit everything that happened in your minds eye and try your best to look at it from an outsiders perspective. What did you do wrong? What did you waste time doing? What do you wish you did? Doing this type of daily self-counsel won’t only make you more self-aware, but will make you ready for tomorrow.

A lot of what I talk about in these newsletters doesn’t just revolve around Stoicism, but ideas and religions that go back way farther than Stoicism has even been around. And the fact that it’s still being taught in philosophical courses and serves as a foundation for a lot of religions, in my opinion, means something.

So give it a try. Don’t let other people dictate how you live you life when you’re just as capable of being your own critic. And truly, that’s all you’ll ever need.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m still reading Surprised By Joy by C.S. Lewis. A type of autobiography highlighting Lewis’ journey from being one of the world’s most renowned atheist to that of a devoted Christian.

Quote Of The Week - “Be not afraid of growling slowly; be afraid only of standing still.” — Chinese Proverb