[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":69},["ShallowReactive",2],{"stoicism-article-12/05":3},{"path":4,"stem":5,"title":6,"description":7,"meta":8,"body":23},"/stoicism/12/05","stoicism/12/05","The Benefits Of Sobering Thoughts","Meditation for December 5, 2021",{"quotes":9,"last_updated_at":15,"tags":16,"categories":19,"changeFreq":21,"backgroundImage":22},[10],{"quote":11},{"content":12,"author":13,"source":14},"Keep death and exile before your eyes each day, along with everything that seems terrible—by doing so, you'll never have a base thought nor will you have excessive desire.","Epictetus","Enchiridion, 21","2021-12-05T08:29:00",[17,18],"stoicism","mortality",[20,17],"meditation","never","/IMG_3635.jpg",{"type":24,"value":25,"toc":63},"minimark",[26,30,33,41,44,55,60],[27,28,29],"p",{},"Sobering thoughts.",[27,31,32],{},"We can take so many things for granted. Our jobs, our families, our freedoms, even our lives. Any of these can be\nsnatched away from us with not even a moments notice.",[27,34,35,36,40],{},"Interesting how often we hear US Americans mention ",[37,38,39],"em",{},"freedom",". The current political climate is tense and there is a\nstrong belief that our current President plans on torching the country because he lost. I have family and friends that\nagree with this President and his outlandish rhetoric. They are quick to blame the media, but don't hold the President\naccountable for chosen words.",[27,42,43],{},"Sinclair Lewis wrote an interesting novel \"It Can't Happen Hear\" in 1935. I have been listening to the book and while\nit is not a riveting thriller by any means, it is a sobering description of how events are currently running in the\nUnited States. Mr Lewis used events of that time to inject some truths into his fiction.",[27,45,46,47,50,51,54],{},"Examining history and our current political climate should be sobering. Mastering this knowledge prepares us for a\nlikely future outcome. This helps us avoid the surprise of ",[37,48,49],{},"\"why this can happen\""," while others argue ",[37,52,53],{},"\"it can't happen\nhear\"",".",[56,57,59],"h3",{"id":58},"conclusion","Conclusion",[27,61,62],{},"Death is not the only unexpected event we might encounter today. We would be well served to prepare for what we can\nprepare for. We should be willing to accept the unexpected as it is just change. While we can't control our destiny, we\ncan fight for what is virtuous and right and fair.",{"title":64,"searchDepth":65,"depth":65,"links":66},"",2,[67],{"id":58,"depth":68,"text":59},3,1793896159004]