The Daily Stoic

August  11th

NO  TIME    FOR THEORIES,   JUST    RESULTS

“When   the problem arose   for us  whether habit   or  theory  was better  for getting virtue—if   by

theory  is  meant   what    teaches us  correct conduct,    and by  habit   we  mean    being   accustomed  to  act

according   to  this    theory—Musonius thought habit   to  be  more    effective.”

—MUSONIUS   RUFUS,  LECTURES,   5.17.31–32, 5.19.1–2

As Hamlet says,

“There  are more    things  in  heaven  and earth,  Horatio,

Than    are dreamt  of  in  your    philosophy.”

There is no time to chop logic over whether our theories are correct. We’re dealing with the real
world here. What matters is how you’re going to deal with this situation right in front of you and whether
you’re going to be able to move past it and onto the next one. That’s not saying that anything goes—but we
can’t forget that although theories are clean and simple, situations rarely are.