Self-Discipline of the Will

Staying silent to defeat the ego.

Photo by James Toose on Unsplash

Before I abandoned society, I was a real estate agent. It was a career that fed my ego to the point of excess. I don’t want to follow the same path as a writer.

Now we are in an isolation. Stores closed until the end of March. Stay home and self isolate. No argument from me.

What can I tell my future self?

• Be true.
• Don’t chase accolades.
• Defeat your ego.
• Speak less.
• Let things go.

May I share a great victory with you?

Every Friday morning, I meet with a ragged cluster of armchair philosophers like myself. We each try to bring an anecdote or a story to share that we have discovered the week before.

Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash

Last week I listened as one of my colleagues brought up a difficult topic. Both because I did not agree with it and because I knew that he knew, I would not agree with it.

I listened patiently. A half dozen rebuttals scrambled in my brain, each eager to jump out. All my…