I

March   30th

REASON  IN  ALL THINGS

“Hurry  to  your    own ruling  reason, to  the reason  of  the Whole,  and to  your    neighbor’s. To  your

own mind    to  make    it  just;   to  the mind    of  the Whole   to  remember    your    place   in  it; and to  your

neighbor’s  mind    to  learn   whether it’s    ignorant    or  of  sound   knowledge—while recognizing it’s

like    yours.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS,   MEDITATIONS,    9.22

f our lives are not ruled by reason, what are they ruled by? Impulse? Whim? Mimicry? Unthinking
habit? As we examine our past behavior, it’s sad how often we find this to be the case—that we were
not acting consciously or deliberately but instead by forces we did not bother to evaluate. It also happens
that these are the instances that we’re mostly likely to regret.