The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 7 October 19th - Good Habits Drive out Bad Habits "Since habit is such a powerful influence, and we're used to pursuing our impulses to gain and avoid outside our own choice, we should set a contrary habit against that, and where appearances are really slippery, use the counterforce of our training" -Epictetus, Discourses, 3.12.6 From authors notes; 'When a bad habit reveals itself, counteract it with a commitment to a contrary virtue. For instance, let's say you find yourself procrastinating today - don't dig in and fight it. Get up and take a walk to clear your head and reset instead' 'Good habits have the power to drive out bad habits. And habits are easy to pick up - as we all know.' I've recently been making a few habits a focal point in my life, particularly post sunset/pre bed. Eating before sun down, wearing blue blockers, taking flush niacin. Rather than give excuses why any of it could be forgone for a night, I tell say to myself 'not today, brain worms', as a little joke where I defy the little voice in my head telling me it's ok to not do these little things. Creating good habits that have a positive result further in the future is best of low time preference. Start something today, continue tomorrow, repeat all week, reap the rewards in time.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 6 October 18th - Frenemies "There's nothing worse than a wolf befriending sheep. Avoid false friendship at all costs. If you are good, straighforward, and well meaning it should show in your eyes and not escape notice" - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.15 Full author note; It's pretty obvious that one should keep away from the wicked and two-faced as much as possible - the jealous friend, the narcissistic parent, the untrustworthy partner. At first glance, Marcus Aurelius is reminding us to avoid false friends. But what if we turn it around? What if, instead, we ask about the times that we have been false to our friends? Ultimately that's what Stoicism is about - not judging other people's behavios, but judging our own. We've all been a frenemy at one point or another. We've been nice to their face - usually because there was something in it for us - but later, in different company, we said how we really felt. Or we've strung someone along, cared only when things were going well, or declined to help even though someone really needed us. This behaviour is beneath us - and worth remembering the next time we accuse someone else of being a bad friend. Over my life I've moved away from certain people, who were friends at some point, due to not wanting to be used for any kind of non reciprocated energy exchange of any sort, nor wanting to knowingly play one someones sensibilities for my own gain, for such petty gain at that too. I think its important that we all find people who's flow of giving and taking energy matches yours, and an honest communication for those times when needed.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 5 October 17th - The Benefit of Kindness "A benefit should be kept like a buried treasure, only to be dug up in necessity.... Nature bids us to do well by all.... Wherever there is a human being, we have an opportunity for kindness" -Seneca, On the Happy life 24.2-3 Except from notes '..and you can treat them well and be better off for it. The same is true with the second person you encounter, and the third. Of course, there is no guarantee that they will return the favor, but that's not our concern. As always, we are going to focus on what we control: in this case, the ability to choose to respond with kindness' I read years ago the difference between being 'nice', and being 'kind', was; kind is loving and honest, nice is pleasing and positive (though not always honest, and not always with loving intentions) I've always prefered to try to be kind, as opposed to nice, but it can be difficult being blunt with people who's feelings you might not want to offend. But being kind can absolutely be of mutual benefit. Anecdote - I spent nearly 2 hours speaking with a homeless guy, early/mid 50s, today. He spends time out front of the shopping center I frequent, and I'd had some passing conversations with him previously. Today I sat and really had a good conversation. At the end of it he told me, along the lines of, 'because of who I am, and my not wanting to go into shelters with people who are on drugs, I don't have a lot of friends... this morning I prayed that someone, likeminded, would talk with me" and I responded "And here I am". I don't just simply want to equate what I did with 'kindness', but how often is it that someone may strike up a conversation that isn't just shallow pleasantries. Be kind to someone today.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 4 October 16th - Spread the Word "Some people with exceptional minds quickly grasp virtue, or produce it within themselves. But other dim and lazy types, hindered by bad habits, must have their rusty souls constantly scrubbed down.... The weaker sorts will be helped and lifted from their bad opinions if we put them in the care of philosophy's principles." -Seneca - Moral Letters 95.36-37 Seneca believed that "Everyone deserves to benefit from "philosophy's principles", and that "behaviour is always a better example than a lecture" I think I'd like to put this into terms of Bitcoin, for myself and others. What bitcoin has taught me, by virtue of surrounding myself with others, is low time preference is preferable. To be able to delay instant gratification in order to enjoy something at a later date. Putting more effort into what I do, gaining the willpower to say no. It's helped my health (diet), and my cold storage (bitcoin) by not eating junk, not buying junk. Leading by example, showing restraint, thinking into the future. I hope in interactions and conversations with others, who don't already see the world this way, I can provide some idea or clarity in their minds of a less degenerate way of life, since we know such a life is rampant.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 3 October 15th - Give People the Benefit of the Doubt. "Everything turns on your assumptions about it, and that's on you. You can pluck out the hasty judgement at will, and like steering a ship around the point, you will find calm seas, fair weather and a safe port." -Marcus Aurelius - Meditations 12.22 This one has been adopted by many writers of "how to life" type books, one that comes to mind is Don Miguel Ruiz, who wrote 'The Four Agreements" and "The Fifth Agreement", both of which I enjoyed. An Excerpt from The Daily Stoic on this page; "Even a dog... distinguishes between being stumbled over and being kicked.' Initial reactions are rarely easily stifled, a yelp of pain from the dog, but the calm voice reassures them quickly, a person's reaction might be to assume malice, though not always the case. From "The Four Agreements"; "If we don’t make assumptions, we can focus our attention on the truth, not on what we think is the truth." Letting yourself be free from assumption can relieve an overthinker from her cell. Your energy is best used to understand, research, discover. Not to assume a situation/person.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living October 14th. Don't get Mad. Help. "Are you angry when someone's armpits stink or when their breath is bad? What would be the point? Having such a mouth and such armpits, there's going to be a smell emanating. You say, they must have sense, can't they tell how they are offending others? Well, you have sense too, congratulations! So, use your natural reason to awaken theirs, show them, call it out. If the person will listen, you will have cured them without useless anger. No drama nor unseemly show required." -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 5.28 Many, myself included, seem to want to feel the anger, as if we're warranted the emotional reaction due to someones unconscious annoyances. "We expect it to magically happen" - for them to realise their annoyances, how they're 'affecting' us, and to right their 'wrong'. If someone is chewing with their mouth open, jiggling their foot and shaking your seat, tapping along to music out of rhythm, just ask them to be aware of it, and to refrain. Sinples

I'm going to start daily posting an entry from The Daily Stoic - Meditation on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the art of Living. I hope to give myself a minute to contemplate, and hopefully have other peoples input. October 13th Revenge is a dish best not served. "The best way to avenge yourself is to not be like that." - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.6 "How much better to heal than seek revenge from injury. Vengeance wastes a lot of time and exposes you to many more injuries than the first that sparked it. Anger always outlasts hurt. Best to take the opposite course. Would anyone think it normal to return a kick to a mule or a bite to a dog?" - Seneca, On Anger 3.27.2 A small anecdote. A week or two ago I was doing a little work for a man we'll call M. M is a nice guy, but perhaps a little hot headed, definitely not afraid to speak his mind. He runs a restaurant and he mentioned that he had a guy who he employed 'fuck him over' by using days of sick leave as holiday, and called him from across the other side of the world to let him know he wouldn't be in. It seemed last minute, as he was expected back in a few days later. M sacked the guy. The guy then tried to get an unfair dismissal claim, and won, taking several thousand of M's business' money. M was pissed, and mentioned to me his plans to get into this guys head by sometime in the future 'knocking on his door and asking him how he is, how everything is going for him', with a look of semi derangement, and a big fake smile on his face. I said, without thinking "An eye for an eye", and he immediately responded something along the lines of "When someone comes and tries to fuck over a good family man, trying to provide for his family and community, it's not an eye for an eye". I would think that Marcus Aurelius and Seneca would think "Living the best life, and giving the most you have to offer to the people you love is revenge enough. Karma may respond to this guy in kind, and that's enough" I've never been someone to want to get back at anyone to this point. I let go of the hatred towards my ex-stepfather many years ago. His health was never good. I knew he suffered, and I didn't have to. Is what we're currently seeing in the world more of the same? Is everyone out for revenge? Is there any possibily of legitimate reconsciliation? Or is this it? Hatred, spite, vitriol, revenge, division? Or are the drivers pride, belief, honor?

#[0] Can anything be done about settings being remembered? When I reload the page, it reverts back to "real time". love you <3

I love how simple this explanation is, and I think I finally get it. I had someone explain schnorr blind sig signing for a nostr account recently, and didn't realise it was basically the same as Chaumian E-cash. We learnin' out here

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Happy to see so many people talking about and digging into @fedimint and Chaumian Mints generally. Chaumian mints are an old idea, but new to a l...