Chapter 80
The Simple Life Paradox
80.1. In a little state with a small population, I would so order it, that, though there were individuals with the abilities of ten or a hundred men, there should be no employment of them; I would make the people, while looking on death as a grievous thing, yet not remove elsewhere (to avoid it). 2. Though they had boats and carriages, they should have no occasion to ride in them; though they had buff coats and sharp weapons, they should have no occasion to don or use them. 3. I would make the people return to the use…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Choice Overload
List three areas where you have too many options that stress you out rather than help you. For each area, identify what having fewer choices might look like and what you might gain by limiting your options. Think about decisions you revisit constantly or areas where you spend mental energy comparing alternatives.
Consider:
- •Notice the difference between choices that energize you versus those that drain you
- •Consider how much time you spend researching options versus enjoying what you already have
- •Think about whether your dissatisfaction comes from what you lack or from awareness of other possibilities
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you were happiest with very few options. What made that simplicity satisfying? How could you recreate that feeling in one area of your current life?
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