Hi all,
Do you want to become more independent-minded?
In “How to Think for Yourself”, Paul Graham lays out the three characteristics of independent thinkers:
Fastidiousness about truth (i.e. very concerned/detailed about what they believe and they’re degree of confidence in that)
Resistance to being told what to think
Curiosity
You don’t need to be brash and bold to be independent-minded, though. As he writes:
“Some independent-minded people are openly subversive, and others are quietly curious. They all know the secret handshake though.”
Have a good Sunday!
—Brendan
“Good times, bad times
You know I've had my share
When my woman left home
For a brown eyed man
Well, I still don't seem to care”—“Good Times, Bad Times”, Led Zeppelin
Before there was the famous game show, the Wheel of Fortune (or Rota Fortunae) was a well-known metaphor and symbol for life’s good and bad times.
A medieval Wheel of Fortune stands vertically and has four different cycles:
1. Cycle 1: I Reign. This represents the peak of the good times.
2. Cycle 2: I Have Reigned. Things are beginning to fall apart.
3. Cycle 3: I Have No Kingdom. All is lost. This is rock bottom.
4. Cycle 4: I Shall Reign Again. Positive signs return. There is hope.
The message was that everyone was always at some precarious and temporary position on the Wheel. Lady Fortuna could infamously give it a spin at her whim, leading to sudden triumphs or tragedies as people rise or fall on the Wheel. No one’s position in life was guaranteed forever. Like Cesare Borgia, one day you could reign and the next you could have no kingdom. The circle of life.
Look around today and you can still see and feel the Wheel of Fortune spinning, making or breaking fortunes. Down goes a rancid politician, or a touchy actor, or an unethical crypto-lord. Up rises the next starlet or AI tech startup genius. March Madness generates just as many exciting examples of underdogs toppling the establishment. The Wheel keeps on spinning! But as we point and laugh at the mighty Purdue slinking off the court after losing a game they should’ve won, we can also forget that we skate on the same thin ice. Everyone is on the Wheel, and the upcoming week, month, or year could be one of celebration, disappointment or somewhere in between. “I Shall Reign Again”, thinks SVB’s ousted CEO Greg Becker.
Even if the Wheel of Fortune implies that life is a series of challenging ups and downs, that doesn’t mean those ups and downs can’t be managed. As we hold on to the Wheel, there are ways to inch closer to the center, where, as physics reminds us, you spin more slowly. Many people have thought about how to move closer to the center of the Wheel—how to feel more balanced and calm as life unfolds, often unfairly. In fact, it’s key to many philosophies and religions, from Nietzsche’s amor fati (love one’s fate) to the Buddha’s emphasis on non-attachment.
This week I’d like to share just a few of these ideas:
#1: Good or bad luck? Who knows.
“Whatever fate befalls you do not give way to great rejoicings or great lamentations; partly because all things are full of change, and your fortune may turn at any moment; partly because men are so apt to be deceived in their judgment as to what is good or bad for them.”
—Arthur Schopenhauer, (The Wisdom of Life and Counsels and Maxims)
In 2018, UVA became the first #1 seed to lose to a #16 seed in NCAA tournament history. The following year, they returned to win the championship. Was 2018’s outcome good or bad luck?
There is a famous Chinese parable about this called “The old man lost his horse”:
“Good luck and bad luck create each other // and it is difficult to foresee their change. // A righteous man lived near the border. // For no reason, his horse ran off into barbarian territory. // Everyone felt sorry for him // But his father spoke [to him]: // ‘Who knows if that won't bring you good luck?’ // Several months later // his horse came back with a group of [good, noble] barbarian horses. // Everyone congratulated him. // But his father spoke [to him]: // ‘Who knows if that won't bring you bad luck?’”
The story goes on to recount the ups and downs that follow. It’s amazing that the parable is over 2,000 years old. It’s a timeless reminder that people have been navigating the Wheel of Fortune for a very long time, often by maintaining a more neutral perspective to both good and bad fortune.
#2 Focus on what you can control:
“You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you.”
—Viktor Frankl
Staying centered isn’t just about perspective. Action matters too, and Frankl truly walked the walk. A Jewish psychiatrist from Vienna, he spent three years in concentration camps during the Holocaust while almost his entire family was killed.
His book, Man’s Search for Meaning, details his strategies for finding meaning in life, even at its bleakest points.
#3 Be kind:
“The luckier you are, the nicer you should be.”
In his article on luck and kindness, Housel argues being kind to others serves two purposes.
First, it motivates you to not just think about your own needs. It helps inoculate against the entitlement and narcissism that often precedes a fall from grace.
Second, it promotes the development of a social safety net. Strong relationships can get you through the toughest times, assuming you’ve already built and maintained them first. Being kind is a key first step.
Humans are resilient because we support each other. Kindness can be contagious, making life a little easier to bear for us all.
#4 Avoid attachments:
“The root of suffering is attachment.”
—Buddha
I quoted the Buddha here to set the stage, but I’m going to expound on this from the perspective of Christianity.
Christianity has always used the Wheel of Fortune itself as an instructional metaphor. Medieval thinkers also realized that as you move closer to the Wheel’s center, you move more slowly. At the absolute center, you don’t move at all. Christians put God at the center of the wheel in paintings and stained-glass windows to illustrate a life with God at the center of life is one that is more stable and balanced, less afflicted by the capricious nature of life.
It’s a warning against attachment to Earthly power, ambition, gold chalices, etc., all of which could be taken away so quickly, causing the very suffering that could be avoided through a more spiritual lifestyle.
Who or what do you put at the center of the Wheel to keep you centered—no matter what happens?
Thanks for reading! I appreciate when these thoughts lead to conversations with readers. Did you find anything interesting or surprising? Reply to me and let me know.
The Wheel of Fortune
This posting was extremely thought provoking for me on several levels. I’ve been following for only a short time but I really get a lot of value from your posts and the thoughts they prompt in my own journey. Thank you for sharing.