TJL #73: Don't say, be (Daily productivity #48)

How stoic philosophy can make you more productive

Jan Meppe

Feb 05, 2021

Daily productivity #48

Don’t say what you want to be, be what you want to be.

Image result for ancient painting philosophy

Don’t call yourself a philosopher, be one.

Don’t call yourself a data scientist, be one.

Don’t call yourself an entrepreneur, be one.

Sheep don’t throw up the grass they eat to show their shepherds how much they ate. Instead, they produce milk and wool. Similarly, don’t just repeat back the things you learned. Instead, show what you’ve learned with your actions.

How you can use this to become more productive

I tend to indulge in a lot of productivity porn. What this results in is a lot of trickery of the mind where we feel good about ourselves but didn’t really produce that much output. Instead of repeating all these productivity lessons, show what you’ve learned by acting differently.

Original text

From Epictetus’ Enchiridion:

Never call yourself a philosopher, nor talk a great deal among the unlearned about theorems, but act conformably to them.
Thus, at an entertainment, don't talk how persons ought to eat, but eat as you ought. For remember that in this manner Socrates also universally avoided all ostentation. And when persons came to him and desired to be recommended by him to philosophers, he took and- recommended them, so well did he bear being overlooked.
So that if ever any talk should happen among the unlearned concerning philosophic theorems, be you, for the most part, silent. For there is great danger in immediately throwing out what you have not digested. And, if anyone tells you that you know nothing, and you are not nettled at it, then you may be sure that you have begun your business.
For sheep don't throw up the grass to show the shepherds how much they have eaten; but, inwardly digesting their food, they outwardly produce wool and milk. Thus, therefore, do you likewise not show theorems to the unlearned, but the actions produced by them after they have been digested.

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