I posted the following on Facebook on Tuesday, November 4. I’ve been going down rabbit holes finding things to learn and trying to look at things in different ways.
Since my brain aneurysms in 2011, I have been practicing things that help my brain get back toward working well. This includes exercises on speed, memory, attention, problem solving, flexibility, math and vocabulary. I’ve been doing meditation and yoga. I’ve been more involved in the music community.
Writing things down has been helpful, too. It’s sometimes challenging to get my thoughts in order. I made a list of “recovery reflections”. One of them is to always be willing to learn.
Lately, I’ve been reading Rob Natelson’s writings (https://i2i.org/ancient-rome-and-the-constitution/) about how ancient Rome influenced the framers of the constitution. Latin authors, such as Seneca and Tacitus, and Greek writers like Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Polybius, and Plutarch. That led me to Stoicism (https://dailystoic.com/what-is-stoicism-a-definition-3-stoic-exercises-to-get-you-started/) and Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus. There are a number of modern thinkers I enjoy, including Thomas Sowell (https://www.tsowell2.com/, https://www.hoover.org/news/fellow-profile-thomas-sowell).
I’ve noticed that people aren’t as inclined toward thoughtful discourse as much as they used to be. Communication seems to be a constant struggle these days. I think that the modern methods of communication are causing people to be more reactive and less attentive to details. Good communication seems like an art form to me. It is. Ask my friends who are writers. My brain sometimes takes longer to process information. This makes clear, concise writing more important to me.
So, I’m doing more thinking about thinking. I keep learning new things. Be observant and set a good example. Be honest, have integrity, and respect others.
