To be honest, I’m not sure a single dinner conversation would cut it. If I’m picking a philosopher, it’s because I’m trying to figure out the code I’ve been living by for the last 52 years.
Geez, I haven’t sat in a philosophy class since my first semester in college!
Luckily enough, I’ve actually hung onto my original philosophy textbook from that class I took 30 years ago. My God, has it really been that long?
If I had to attach myself to one philosophical movement today, I would say that I’m a Stoic. It’s interesting because there is a social media account I follow—Daily Stoic—and I’m constantly surprised at how much I prescribe to its ideas without even realizing it.
Unfortunately for me, we didn’t talk a lot about the Stoics when I took that Intro 101 class. Or, if we did, it was very early in the semester and I just wasn’t as good at taking notes as I would eventually become. But I referred back to my old textbook today, and even leaned into Google Gemini for some general information, and this is some of what I came up with:
The Mindset of a Modern Stoic
Despite the way the word is often used today, a Stoic isn’t some emotionless, robotic person. Stoics simply recognize what is within their control and attempt to let go of that which they cannot.
One of the great life lessons I’ve come to realize over the past few years is that there are really only two things we are in total control of in this world: how we treat people, and how we react to the way people treat us.
Even just looking at my blog entries from the last few weeks, I find myself constantly using words like grit, consistency, and audacity. I haven’t had a chance to read the actual book yet, but Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations has been on my reading bucket list for a long time. Essentially, Meditations was a private journal that Marcus wrote for himself as a daily reminder of how to live life with intention. If that doesn’t sound like the Roman Empire’s equivalent to a daily blog, then I don’t know what is.
Stoics also believed that true strength isn’t loud or aggressive. On the contrary, it’s quiet and disciplined. That sounds an awful lot like the Larry Cullen quote, “strong enough to be gentle”—one that’s been at the core of my personal belief system since childhood. Furthermore, Stoics draw a hard line around their own peace of mind, which mirrors my own policy of “Bugs and Boundaries”—identifying the things I will and absolutely will not put up with.
Choosing Myself Through Existentialism
Of course, it would probably be severely limiting to try to say that one single philosophical movement encompasses all of my core personal beliefs. In fact, my immediate reaction when I first saw this prompt today was that I prescribe heavily to certain aspects of Existentialism.
Existentialists believe that our purpose in life is to create our own sense of meaning. We simply exist first, and the meaning of life isn’t explicitly stated for us; it is entirely up to the individual to determine that on their own. “Option C”—my personal breakthrough idea of choosing myself—aligns perfectly with the existentialist movement. So does my notion of “the audacity of potential”—thinking about what’s possible, refusing to put predetermined limitations on myself, and simply having the attitude of, “why not?”
Learning to Flow with Daoism
When I was putting this post together, I actually had Gemini look over several of my blog entries from the last few months. One of the philosophical fits it suggested to me—admittedly one that I have virtually no understanding of—is Daoism.
According to the AI, Daoism places a great emphasis on Wu Wei—effortless action and aligned living. It’s the idea of flowing with time, rather than feeling like you’re constantly in a fistfight against it. Things take time. Progress takes time. This particular aspect of Eastern thought feels an awful lot like my category “The Art of Moving Slowly.”
I am well aware of the fact that the things I want to happen in life aren’t going to happen overnight. They take time. In fact, I often find myself working quietly toward them without even realizing it, until one day I look up and realize I’ve already achieved them. It’s a concept I mentioned in another post today that I call “accidental momentum.”
Confronting My Blind Spots
But as I mentioned, I know virtually nothing about Eastern philosophy. In fact, this is one of those things where, growing up and being educated entirely in the West, I feel like I was a bit deprived.
I specifically remember when I was taking my teaching certification test for history years ago. I came across a multiple-choice question that dealt with one of the dynasties of feudal Japan. I remember staring at it and realizing I didn’t know the first thing about it. I absolutely hated that feeling. Having a minor in history, you would think you’d have enough context clues to at least make an educated guess about feudal Japan, but there I was, completely blank.
In his classic text, Philosophy: History and Problems, Samuel Enoch Stumpf (1994) notes that while we can’t control external events, we always retain the power to control our inner response to them. Confronting that blind spot on the test forced me to look at my own canvas.
I was born a white, middle-class male living in the United States at the tail end of the 20th century. The universe dealt me a pretty good hand to start with. But I’ve always realized that not only does the rest of the world not necessarily think and act like me, but even people right here in America don’t think, act, or believe the way I do. It occurred to me a long time ago that I had to be open to other ideas, other philosophies, and other interpretations of life.
I think I’ve based most of my life on that very approach.
I am certain that I’m not covering all the bases of my personal philosophy here, but I think these three schools of thought—Stoicism, Existentialism, and a sudden curiosity for Daoism—give a pretty good indication of exactly where I’m at at this particular moment in my life.
A Quick Note on This Week’s Podcast:
There will be no regularly scheduled episode dropping this Wednesday. Instead, I am holding the next episode back until Sunday, May 31st, so it can launch side-by-side with a massive milestone: the 1,000th consecutive day of Rebuilding Rob.
No glitz. Just the work. And on Sunday, we cross the four-digit finish line together. Stay tuned.
Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Whether I’m closing in on 1,000 consecutive days of blogging or reflecting on the decade of work that brought me here, the mission remains the same: No glitz. Just the work. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint and the ‘Tricorder’ perspective behind the rebuild.
Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like 👍, comment and subscribe below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media and check out my recent posts!
- Strong Enough to be Gentle: My Modern Philosophy
- Fortune Favors the 4th Down
- Rolling the Hard Six: Leadership and Adulthood In the Pale Moonlight
- A Shift in Reality: All of This Has Happened Before
- Re-Evaluating Barbie: The Pink-Plated Existential Crisis
AI art created by Google Gemini
The article “Strong Enough to be Gentle: My Modern Philosophy” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.
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