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The Taoist path to happiness
It was not long ago that universal history used to be part of the curriculum in secondary schools. A solid understanding of the key historical periods, their ideas and leading figures was a precondition for graduation. Students were required to grasp the historical sequence that began with Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome,…
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The Taoist approach to happiness
Happy people do not waste their time telling the world how happy they are, and Taoists are not an exception. Neither Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu or Chuang-Tzu made any effort to gain adepts to their philosophy. They simply wrote down or dictated their insights, making them available. If you want to adopt their ideas, or some of…
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Schopenhauer: How to stop making the same mistakes twice
How do we stop making the same mistakes twice? I used to think that the answer was simple, that all it takes is to have more discipline and try harder. But that didn’t work. Then I came across Schopenhauer, and he said something that changed how I see things. He said that human beings cannot…
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Taoist parsimony in daily life
I was naturally inclined to parsimony long before I became acquainted with Taoism. The ideas of Lao-Tzu, Chuang-Tzu, and Yang-Tzu have only given me extra arguments to stick to a simple lifestyle; they have supplied philosophical justifications for a mentality that I had already adopted. The Tao Te Ching calls for parsimony in actions, processes,…
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Michel de Montaigne: Why problems make us wiser
Problems make us wiser even if most people actually hate them. That’s why the first sign of trouble sends them into panic. They see problems as interruptions to life, while in reality, problems are just the price we pay to be alive. The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne gained this insight more than 400 years…
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Taoism is not minimalism
When reading the ancient Taoist works, it is easy to conflate Lao-Tzu’s doctrines with minimalism. The same applies to the stories written by Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu. One gets a clear impression that happiness requires discarding the unnecessary, and focusing exclusively on the essentials. However, such an impression is false. Taoism does not call for renouncing…
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Aristotle: The most dangerous idea in modern culture
The most dangerous idea in modern culture would sound completely insane to Aristotle. I am talking about the idea that you can be anything you want. Aristotle regarded the idea of random potential as nonsense. Over 2,300 years ago, Aristotle asked a question that still divides people today: Does everything have a true nature? He…
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Schopenhauer: The biggest lie we tell ourselves every day
The biggest lie we tell ourselves every day is that we are thinking rationally, but in reality, we are not as logical as we think. Arthur Schopenhauer, one of history’s most crucial thinkers, argued that most of our decisions are not driven by logic. They are driven by something that he called “the Will”, an…
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Taoist accuracy in daily life
Most philosophical doctrines prove unrealistic, unworkable, or irrelevant when we apply them to tangible problems. I have no use for philosophical ideals that do not help me improve my life. The proof of fire for any philosophical ideas is whether they enable us to assess situations accurately and solve problems. If those ideas fail to…
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Taoist smoothness in daily life
Smoothness is a synonym for a Taoist lifestyle. It enables us to get things done with absolute minimum effort. Similarly, the Tao Te Ching shows us how to steer away from trouble, focus on the essentials, and enjoy our days to the maximum. Lao-Tzu’s teachings are meant for people who want to lead a smooth…
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Recent Posts
- The Taoist path to happiness
- The Taoist approach to happiness
- Schopenhauer: How to stop making the same mistakes twice
- Taoist parsimony in daily life
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