• About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Our Leadership
    • ADF: A Druid Fellowship
    • Photos
  • Services
  • Calendar
  • Resources & Social Justice
  • Membership
  • Blogs
    • Prairie Tidings (Church Blog)
    • Rev. Badger's 2019 Stoic Blog
    • The Practical Bard (Rev. Missy's Blog)
    • Little Druid on the Prairie (Rev. Lauren's Blog)
  • Policies
  • Contact Us
  • About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Our Leadership
    • ADF: A Druid Fellowship
    • Photos
  • Services
  • Calendar
  • Resources & Social Justice
  • Membership
  • Blogs
    • Prairie Tidings (Church Blog)
    • Rev. Badger's 2019 Stoic Blog
    • The Practical Bard (Rev. Missy's Blog)
    • Little Druid on the Prairie (Rev. Lauren's Blog)
  • Policies
  • Contact Us
Mountain Ancestors Grove, ADF

A Year of Contemplation

You Don't Have to Stay on Top of Everything (Day 30)

1/30/2019

 
Picture

We must neither have trivial relationships, nor relationships with trivia. - Me ;) 

Imagine if the police went about arresting or fining citizens for not having watched the latest episode of Game of Thrones, or maybe for failing a field ”information” test by not being up to speed on the daily, hour-by-hour news. Imagine the existence of laws enforcing the obligation of knowing the most, local, intersectional, socially-appropriate current event. 

These come off as absurd, no? 

In an age of ultra-connectedness, where the world’s information rides around in our pockets, purses, and bags, being able to say “I don’t know” is one of the most important skills we can develop. 

Why? 

Because, at some point in our cultural development, it became a social and ethical “imperative” to be up to speed on all current events, every episode of the hip movies and television shows, as well as the most microscopic element of the news, and goings-on in every corner of the globe... 

(Here it comes… get ready…) 

… all to appear worldly and informed. 

To appear. To seem. To come across as… (See where this is going?) 

When it’s more important to APPEAR worldly and informed by MEDIA-ing (also, read as erudite hobbyist-scholasticism) than it is to BE worldly and informed because of DO-ing (also, read as getting dirty hands, bloody noses, and tear-stained faces), then it’s about ego. 

If you wish to improve, be content with appearing clueless or stupid in extraneous matters - don't wish to seem knowledgeable. And, if some regard you as important, distrust yourself."
​
​- Epictetus, Enchiridion, 13a

​How much would the quality of our sleep improve, or how mindful could we be if we weren’t swimming in our own righteous indignation around every breaking headline, or possible calamity (many of which in no way happen)?

Like in the silly examples at the beginning of this post, there’s no obligation to “stay on top of everything”, so why are we engaging in this exhaustive practice? 

I know why I did it for many years of my life: because, as the kid who was constantly told how stupid I was by my mom, I didn’t want to look stupid at the family gatherings. I became learned to protect my ego from her abuse… it didn’t work. It never works.

So… why are you doing it? 

*mindful pause… now, breathe… and breathe again…*

(See y’all tomorrow)

Comments are closed.

    About the Blog

    Awakening the desire to explore Stoicism, and how it relates to his existing beliefs, Rev. William committed to working through the text, The Daily Stoic, a year-long journey to awaken the Stoic mind. 
    How things are structured can be found in the first post. 

    About the Author

    Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Rev. William attended Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado where in 2007 he graduated with a degree in Religious Studies, minoring in Psychology. Currently residing in Longmont, CO, he is one of the Priests and founder of Mountain Ancestors Grove.  He spends his time playing mandolin (and some guitar), writing, engaging in LGBTQIA+ advocacy and education, community service, and sharing a larger vision of how a polytheist perspective can lead to greater human understanding, acceptance, and gods be good, peace. 

    Archives

    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.