+1: #1130 Alchemizing Adversity

You're listening to Optimize with Bryan Johnson. More wisdom in less time.

Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optimize plus one. In our last plus one we all got issued our magic wand. It can alchemize any and all challenges into fuel for for our growth. Thank you Hermes and Epictetus. I mentioned the fact that Ward Farnsworth shared that passage in his great book, the Practicing Stoic. He shared it in a chapter on how Stoics deal with adversity in which he tells us, I quote, stoics avoid adversity in the ways that any one of sense would. But sometimes it comes regardless. And then the Stoic goal is to see the adversity rightly and not let one's peace of mind be destroyed by its arrival. Indeed, the aim of the Stoic is something to accept reversal without shock and to make it grist for the creation of greater things. Nobody wants hardship in any particular case, but it is a necessary element in the formation of worthy people and worthy achievements that in the long run we do want. Stoics seek the value in whatever happens. So as I read that passage and reflected on the fact that some adversity is necessary for our growth, I thought of some wisdom from Robert Emmons in his great book, thanks. He tells us, I quote, not only does the experience of tragedy give us an exceptional opportunity for growth, but some sort of suffering is also necessary for a person to achieve maximal psychological growth. In his study of self actualizers, the paragons of mental wellness, the famed humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow noted that the most important learning lessons were tragedies, deaths and trauma which forced change in the life outlook of the person and consequently in everything that he did. End quote. So facing any adversity, my beloved hero, let's wave Hermes wand, alchemize it into another opportunity to practice our philosophy as we give ourselves most fully to the world today.

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Hey guys, this is Brian with a quick little P.S. i'm really excited to let you know about an event we're working on. Plan is to make it the premier self optimizing event of 2020. We're calling it Optimize 2020. You the modern hero. Basic idea. Five days, 101 world class luminaries, 1 million people. You can learn more and get your tickets to the online and offline event at Optimize Me. 2020Again, that's Optimize Me 2020. Hope to see you there.