MM#88--Just Say No to Aristotle's Librarians

Welcome to the theory to action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time to help you take action immediately, and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now, here's your host, David Kaiser.

Hello, I am David and welcome back to another Mojo minute. In our last Mojo minute, we talked about habit fundamentals, or habit fundies as we're going to call them in the future. So be sure to check out our other Mojo minutes around those subject around the subject of creating habits, and some good ones to check out our mojo minute 18 where we talked about creating mini habits and also the importance of exercise and movement with mojo minute 44 were Dr. Joan varicose helps us to get our G habits on and Mojo minutes. 67 and 68 are good ones too. If you haven't had a chance to check them out, be sure to revisit them. And with all that said, you might be starting to think gosh, David, you talk a lot about habits. Well, yes, yes, I do. But habits are pretty important. Because after all habits are like a good, reliable car. It can drive you anywhere you want. As long as you know the right direction to point the car. And good habits can make you a saint over a lifetime. And bad habits can make you well. Not not a saint over a lifetime. In fact, they could end you they could end you up in a very bad place. 

Check out Dante's infernos Mojo minute for some possible examples of that type of place. Yikes. It's not a good place. But let's face it, if you have lived for some amount of time you understand human nature. And you understand some habits are quite hard to break and replace. And we know from the ancients well we know especially from Aristotle specifically, that we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit. So yes, our habits most especially our very good habits are very important. They are those for the most part automated systems and processes that we develop and we have in place. So let us pivot now to our nugget of wisdom and today's Mojo minute. In addition to habits and right living, did you know that Aristotle also spoke about the Olympic Games, we have the Olympic games coming up soon. And here's the actual quote for it is possible for the state to be present in a person without affecting any good result. Example, if he is asleep, or Quinn quiz session, and some other way, but not for the activity, he will necessarily act and act well. Just as at the Olympic Games, it is not the best looking or the strongest men present that are crowned with reefs. But the competitors because it is from them that the winners come. And so it is those who act that rightly when the honors and rewards in life. Unquote. 

Boy, that's a lot of good wisdom. And that comes from Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics book one chapter eight. How cool is that some great wisdom from perhaps the greatest philosopher ever. And if we review what Aristotle said for today's Mojo minute, we find that kernel of truth in what he says quote, it's not the best looking or the strongest men present that are crowned with Reese. But but my emphasis the competitors because it is from them that the winners come. Unquote. So in reviewing what we must come away with is that understanding that we might us to compete, we must compete in the Olympic games to win the prize. And we can translate that to we must compete in the game of life to win the prize. Now, you might ask, so you're saying there's no participation trophies, David?


Nether not, there is no participation trophy trophies. And you might further ask, there seems to be this connection with and around these three words, habit, virtue and action. Now, that, my friends, is a very good question, because in fact, there is a lot of connection around in through those three words. Because it's in fact that virtue requires action of some sort. And that's the connection. And that's the connection. That becomes possibly a habit over some span of time. Some folks say 30 days, 60 days, 90 days to cultivate a habit. But in today's module minute, let's remember, just like in the Olympic Games, as in life, you have to understand the theory. And yes, that's important. But that's, that's only half the battle. We can't live our lives with just the head knowledge. We can't be librarians knowing about these theories and never putting them into practice, we need to put theory into action, just like the name of this podcast reminds us, we need to put that virtue into action and compete in the game of life. 

So today, let us begin. Let us brush off just being Aristotle's librarians, and collecting all these great theories. But just like Aristotle challenged us, let us live that greatness with virtue and action. That possibly one of the greatest philosophers ever encouraged us to do. And here's to competing day in and day out, living virtue inaction, moment after moment after moment. And when we do that, when we do that every day, we will be living a flourishing life. And we might just win the gold medal of life.

Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this theory to action podcast. Be sure to check out our show page at T Mojo academy.com where we have everything we discussed in this podcast as well as other great resources. Until next time, keep getting your mojo on