Chapter 93
Quality Over Quantity in Life
1.While reading the letter in which you were lamenting the death of the philosopher Metronax[1] as if he might have, and indeed ought to have, lived longer, I missed the spirit of fairness which abounds in all your discussions concerning men and things, but is lacking when you approach one single subject,—as is indeed the case with us all. In other words, I have noticed many who deal fairly with their fellow-men, but none who deals fairly with the gods. We rail every day at Fate, saying “Why has A. been carried off in the very middle of his…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Audit Your Life by Weight, Not Length
Create two lists: things in your life you're measuring by duration (how long you've done them) versus things you should measure by impact or depth (what they've contributed). Include relationships, work projects, habits, and commitments. Then identify one area where you're staying too long out of habit rather than value.
Consider:
- •Consider whether you're staying in situations because of time invested rather than current value
- •Think about relationships or commitments you maintain simply because they've lasted a long time
- •Examine whether you're confusing endurance with accomplishment in any area of your life
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you chose to end something meaningful because it had run its course, or when you stayed too long in something that had lost its value. What did you learn about measuring life by depth versus duration?
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