T

August  15th

THE SUPREME COURT   OF  YOUR    MIND

“This   can be  swiftly taught  in  very    few words:  virtue  is  the only    good;   there   is  no  certain good

without virtue; and virtue  resides in  our nobler  part,   which   is  the rational    one.    And what    can this

virtue  be? True    and steadfast   judgment.   For from    this    will    arise   every   mental  impulse,    and by  it

every   appearance  that    spurs   our impulses    will    be  rendered    clear.”

—SENECA,    MORAL   LETTERS,    71.32

hink about someone you know who has character of granite. Why are they so dependable,
trustworthy, excellent? Why do they have a sterling reputation?
You might see a pattern: consistency. They are honest not only when it’s convenient. They are not only
there for you when it counts. The qualities that make them admirable come through in every action (“arise
with every mental impulse”).
Why do we revere people like Theodore Roosevelt, for example? It isn’t because he was brave once,
or courageous once, or tough once. It’s because those qualities are shot through every one of the stories
about him. When he was young and weak, he became a boxer. When he was younger and frail, he went to
a gym in his home, every day, for hours on end. When he was shattered by the loss of his wife and mother
on the same day, he went to The Badlands and herded cattle. And on and on.
You become the sum of your actions, and as you do, what flows from that—your impulses—reflect the
actions you’ve taken. Choose wisely.