I

June    21st

TAKE    A   WALK

“We should  take    wandering   outdoor walks,  so  that    the mind    might   be  nourished   and refreshed   by

the open    air and deep    breathing.”

—SENECA,    ON  TRANQUILITY OF  MIND,   17.8

n a notoriously loud city like Rome, it was impossible to get much peace and quiet. The noises of
wagons, the shouting of vendors, the hammering of a blacksmith—all filled the streets with piercing
violence (to say nothing of the putrid smells of a city with poor sewage and sanitation). So philosophers
went on a lot of walks—to get where they needed to go, to clear their heads, to get fresh air.
Throughout the ages, philosophers, writers, poets, and thinkers have found that walking offers an
additional benefit—time and space for better work. As Nietzsche would later say: “It is only ideas gained
from walking that have any worth.”
Today, make sure you take a walk. And in the future, when you get stressed or overwhelmed, take a
walk. When you have a tough problem to solve or a decision to make, take a walk. When you want to be
creative, take a walk. When you need to get some air, take a walk. When you have a phone call to make,
take a walk. When you need some exercise, take a long walk. When you have a meeting or a friend over,
take a walk together.
Nourish yourself and your mind and solve your problems along the way.