How Ancient Philosophy Will Improve Your Life

Ian Greer -

I recently read my philosophy notes from college and found some ideas that are useful in contemporary life.

  1. If you want to be happy and fulfilled, you have to work on yourself.
  2. Only you can work on yourself.
  3. Don’t get emotional about politics. It is as futile as a dog barking at the rain.
  4. You need to have others take care of your basic needs so that you can get your important work done.

How do we apply this to our lives?

  1. We need to develop ourselves in the areas of health, knowledge, relationships, and wealth. Start with health and knowledge. I go into more detail in this article.
  2. We cannot outsource our important work. We need to read books and go to the gym ourselves. Nobody else can do your squats for you.
  3. Most people think that politics is more important than it is. Imagine that you didn't know if our current president was a republican or a democrat. Would you be able to tell the difference in day-to-day life?
  4. Outsource your basic needs. Hire a cook or get a meal prep service. Get groceries delivered. Wear the same style of clothes every day. Utilize Amazon delivery so that you don't have to go to the store. This gives you more time to work on your career.

These ideas come from Plato, Artistotle, and the Stoics.