The Dance of Ancient Wisdom

Unlock the secrets to a fulfilling life by merging ancient wisdom with modern innovation in this thought-provoking episode.

Dive into the concept of "phronesis" from Greek philosophy, which emphasizes applying wisdom through mindful actions. We also explore Clayton Christensen's groundbreaking theory of disruptive innovation and his insights on measuring life's success. Through personal anecdotes and philosophical musings, we uncover how these ideas can guide us in overcoming challenges like depression, anxiety, and relationship struggles.

Key Takeaways:
- Discover the six key concepts of phronesis for living wisely.
- Learn how setting goals can lead to unexpected yet rewarding opportunities.
- Understand the importance of self-agency and emerging paths over rigid plans.

Don't miss out—tune in now to transform your perspective on life's journey!

In this podcast, I want to combine a couple of ideas, an ancient Greek philosopher's word called phronesis, and then combining that with, some insight from a gentleman by the name of Clint Clayton Christensen. Now Clayton Christensen was an American academic, slash business consultant. And he developed a theory called disruptive innovation, and it kinda took the business world by storm. And some have actually said that's the most influential business idea of the 21st century. So I just got through reading his book, entitled, how will your life be measured?

Really, a good book. I would recommend it. Very insightful. It really gets you to think and ponder on some things. And it also applies to something the ancient Greek philosophers were wrestling with, and and this relates to your life and my life as we continue to move forward trying to find meaning, purpose, overcoming the challenges that we are dealing with, whether it be depression, anxiety, addiction, relationship issues.

And, so the word phromesis, let me introduce that word to you, and it's spelled p h r o n e s I s. And in a conversation that I was having with, an acquaintance of mine, he actually studied Greek for a year. He got a grant to study Greek, and, and so he really took a deep dive into the origin of words, meaning. And from his perspective, the word phronesis and this is and this is what, you know, the Greek philosophers, Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, the great Roman emperor. They were wrestling with this this idea, which means so the definition of phronesis is the application of wisdom, and the application of wisdom is this.

So think of this. It's doing the right thing to the right person for the right reason in the right way at the right time and in the right place. And if we could approach life mindfully, striving to stay grounded in the present moment, we can better deal with the issues at hand which need our attention. And if you apply these 6 key concepts, again, which are doing the right thing to the right person, right reason, right way, right time, right place, then that means we will be applying wisdom. What is the very best thing for me to be doing right now?

So if you've been following these podcasts, I'm a big believer in setting you you have to be able to define some type of purpose for your life, for the future, what you're a star that you're searching for. We've gotta have something to hang our hat on, and those who are struggling to find that are really struggling in life. They have a difficult time finding anything to look forward to. They're they're kinda caught in this trap of something that Martin Seligman refers to as learned helplessness. They've been beat up by life so much, so many struggles, so many slips, falls, failures, however they might perceive them.

But sometimes, it can become so difficult to deal with some of the challenges of life that people lose their hope and belief in their own native capacity to really overcome the challenges that they face. And so they get stuck and frozen. And the term learned helplessness came from an experiment that they did with dogs, and and I'm just gonna do the reader's digest of it. You you can Google learned helplessness and really dive into it. But the bottom line is they put they put a dog in a situation, in a box, where he couldn't get out and would give him a shock.

And then the researchers said, well, most certainly, when we open the door or lower the the level so the dog can jump out of this box into a safe thing, certainly, when we provide that opportunity, the doc is gonna do it to get away from it. But the stunning thing that the researchers found is that even when they provided a way for the dog to escape, the the shock, the uncomfortableness of what they're dealing with, the dog just sat there. It wouldn't move. And so that's where they came up with the term and the understanding, well, the dog has learned to be helpless. The dog has learned through past experience when it wasn't in an environment, when it couldn't get out, that no matter what it did, it wasn't gonna make a difference.

And so, anything in the future was was moot. It's like it I can't do anything. It's not gonna work. I'm just gonna fail again. It it doesn't matter.

I have no, validity of power, of strength. There's nothing that I can do that's gonna make a difference. What a horrible state to be in. It is completely a false idea as long as an intelligent human being is breathing and their heart is beating, if they can ignite that power with and find that power with inside themselves to to ignite that little flame again, to turn it into a raging, a little spark into a raging flame of hope, of belief. I'm gonna I'm gonna work towards a dream.

I'm gonna move forward to for things. So and this is where I wanna combine some things that Clayton Christensen said in in his experience in life. And in in the book, how will you measure life? He talks a lot about his own experiences in life. His main goal, his main dream was to become the editor of the Wall Street Journal.

That was his dream. So he set a goal. It's almost an impossible dream, but he goes, ah, that's what I wanna do. And so he set that goal and would would send them letters, letting them know Wall Street Journal know of his desire to work with them and so forth. But he got no response whatsoever.

And then, this is where he talks about this concept of emergence, emerging things. And he said, in the process of time, even though that specific thing didn't work out, it led to other opportunities which became, where where he was able to become an amazing manager. And that's what he, you know, and he said in his book, to become a manager is a worthwhile goal in life because management and helping other people is a great, great task in life. Anyway and so he found great joy in that and it led him to actually teaching at Harvard and and creating, you know, this this concept called disruptive innovation or disruptive innovation and and put this concept out to the business world, which made a tremendous impact. So he said that even though we set a specific goal, sometimes things are out of our control.

Like, he can't force the Wall Street Journal to hire him, But, because he set that goal and went moving towards it, other things opened up, other opportunities where his life probably became even more influential than anything he could have done being an editor of the Wall Street Journal. But the fact is that he had to start somewhere. So that's the idea I want to to give with you to ponder as as you as a takeaway from this podcast. You gotta start. Gotta start today.

And another, concept that is very, very fascinating is the law of sunken costs. Sometimes, if we're Let me explain that really quickly. Sometimes, when we're doing something in life, whether you're in a, an unhealthy relationship, struggling with an addiction, trying certain things to get out of it, dealing with anxiety and depression and so forth. If you're committed to just doing things a certain way and not restarting in another path, there's this concept called sunken cost, meaning you've already invested, especially as it as it dealing with severely unhealthy relationships, abusive relationships, some will think, I've already put so much time and energy into this. I can't leave now.

That's the law of sunken cost, and it keeps it can keep you stuck in whatever your particular situation is. If it's a relationship or a business or an idea or if your business isn't working, for example, your career is not working, for example, and you say, but I put so much time and energy into it. Instead of just hitting the reset button and finding another path that might work for you, If you're open up to emerging things in your life, other opportunities, it's it's like I I was talking to a a young man yesterday who, started an MBA program, and then he dropped out because he just wasn't enjoying it just it just wasn't doing anything for him. He but then at the other, you know, his parents going, oh, no. But, you'll have an MBA.

This is really important to you. And so, so he's struggling with the concept of going back and finishing it, but there's absolutely no fire in his bosom for this thing. He says, yeah. I know I should do it, but I have no interest in doing it. So I said, yeah.

Take a look at that. Keep keep your mind open to other things that might emerge. If you're having and this is this has been my experience in life. And, if you're a religious person, I just don't believe God is going to tell someone what to do. Yeah.

And, I'm a believer in prayer. You can pray and ask, but this has been my experience. If you're asking for direction in a certain path and you're saying, heavenly father, what should I do? My experience has been the response from him is like, what do you wanna do? And if you go, well, I'm not sure what I wanna do, and he'll say, you have your agency.

You have to choose. And from your own experience, you will learn. You will learn what is working and what is not. And if you choose something, and then you go down that path, and then it becomes you will know clearly if it's not the right path fairly quickly. But you have to learn for yourself.

You have to choose for yourself. I just don't believe God is just gonna tell people what to do. That takes away your e your agency and your ability to learn for yourself and become strong inside of yourself. That as you set a goal or dream of something that you desire in a path that you desire, things will emerge and things will open up. I believe that's how God works.

From from my own experience and working so much with other people, if you're sitting around waiting to be told what to do and how to do things, it just doesn't work that way. The response is, what do you wanna do? Figure it out for yourself. You the power is in you. You're an agent unto yourself.

Do good things of your own free will and choice, and you will find your path along the way. So, be open to emerging things in your life. If things aren't working, pay attention to other opportunities or doors that might be open. Just like Clayton Christensen, he he didn't plan on teaching at Harvard. He didn't plan on on becoming a great manager guru.

He wanted to be, an influential editor for the Wall Street Journal, but perhaps there was another plan for him to become way more influential than he even thought. And I believe each of us, in our lives, have something here to do. And I love a concept by Bruce Lee, The, you know, the the famous martial artist guy, and I and I believe this. And it has to do with self esteem. It has to do with you finding your your chi source, your energy source, who you are, and realizing that there's nobody better than you.

Nobody better than you. And in saying that, you're not better than anyone else either. You just are are perfect the way you are as you're moving in a positive direction. So this is Bruce Lee's statement. I have absolute confidence not to be number 2, but I have enough sense to realize there's no such thing as being number 1.

The way for each one of us to make our mark in the world is to be ourselves, to love ourselves, to to honor that, to and I and I believe the concepts of honor, integrity, and character are the highest concepts of all. And what gets in the way is our ego. How many stories do we have to come across with movie stars, politicians, sports stars whose lives have completely crumbled because they get caught up in this ridiculous quest of I'm better than other people, or I have I need to have more money or a bigger contract. And and those people in congress who have done insider trading, What is what are what are people gonna do with 200, $300,000,000? Is are when they die, are they taking any of that with them?

And what price are they paying in the process? It doesn't matter. That stuff just doesn't doesn't matter so much, and people can get caught up into that. So look inside. Find, you know, not so much find yourself, you have to create yourself.

Back to a statement by George Bernard Shaw, life is not about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself. Making a decision on what it is you want to do and then being committed to that decision, commitment to it. It's like that famous, quote by, I can't remember the guy's name, Hillary, the one on commitment can probably Google it where it says, until one is committed, there is hesitancy, a chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness concerning all sorts of of of of of initiatives. But the moment one commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things begin to transpire and present themselves to you to help you in that journey, And that's the power of commitment.

And and, again, it's it's can be a little bit of a paradoxical concept because, again, I'm talking about emerging things that you commit to one thing, and I'm heading towards that thing. And and then still other things might emerge. But it can stay in in the guardrails of exactly what you want to do. See, even Clayton Christensen, because he didn't achieve exactly the thing he wanted, being editor of The Wall Street Journal, He still was in the was in the guardrails of of basically what he wanted to do and the impact that he wanted to make in the world. And at the time of writing the book, he did mention, well, I'm not a Wall Street I'm not the Wall Street Journal editor yet.

Still kinda hanging on to that dream. Maybe he could do that one day, but, unfortunately, he passed away. He was 67 years old, but, left a great legacy of information for us to for us to ponder. So, anyway, those are my thoughts. You have an amazing day, and, we'll talk to you later.