WEBVTT 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:29.320 Good morning everybody. Welcome back. to food 00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:31.820 for thought thoughts if it were you my name is 00:00:31.820 --> 00:00:35.700 neogentrics now i know i've been gone for about 00:00:35.700 --> 00:00:37.799 a week and i had a lot of stuff i had to take 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:39.619 care of like i said i had tests quizzes things 00:00:39.619 --> 00:00:41.840 i had to get caught up uh but you know that's 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:44.140 life i am a college student after all and well 00:00:44.140 --> 00:00:48.479 gotta make ends meet so picking up where we left 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:53.020 off uh i originally was having episode uh sorry 00:00:53.020 --> 00:00:56.929 channels channels, chapters of my book that I 00:00:56.929 --> 00:01:00.030 already have pre -published. Like I said, it's 00:01:00.030 --> 00:01:01.609 not the best thing in the world. It was something 00:01:01.609 --> 00:01:05.890 I did a couple years back and I was posting a 00:01:05.890 --> 00:01:07.709 couple chapters here and there for you guys and 00:01:07.709 --> 00:01:13.409 I as a result of everything that I was doing. 00:01:13.530 --> 00:01:19.250 So I will in fact post the rest of the book if 00:01:19.250 --> 00:01:21.659 there's more people who want to hear it. The 00:01:21.659 --> 00:01:24.400 last episode that I released with the chapter 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.299 of the book, it wasn't that long, but I didn't 00:01:27.299 --> 00:01:30.640 get as much listeners on that one as I would 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:32.980 have hoped. So on the next one, I'll probably 00:01:32.980 --> 00:01:38.340 release a little bit more. But for now, we're 00:01:38.340 --> 00:01:41.219 going to go back to the previous thing I was 00:01:41.219 --> 00:01:45.500 talking about before. We talked about being healthy. 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:49.299 We talked about things you can eat, things you 00:01:49.299 --> 00:01:51.299 can drink, stuff of that nature, stuff that is 00:01:51.299 --> 00:01:53.599 actually good for you to make your life a lot 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:58.120 better. And one of the things that I had to mention, 00:01:58.340 --> 00:02:01.120 and I briefly went over it, was how living well 00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:04.000 and living ethnically plays a key role in being 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:16.310 healthy and keeping your body intact, okay? from 00:02:16.310 --> 00:02:17.949 their deathbeds and said that they wish they 00:02:17.949 --> 00:02:20.990 had spent more time in the office. Nobody says 00:02:20.990 --> 00:02:25.189 that, okay? Most people would probably sympathize 00:02:25.189 --> 00:02:28.430 with that point of view, however, but there are 00:02:28.430 --> 00:02:30.650 many other things that you might have already 00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:33.449 looked back on. If not, you know, regret exactly. 00:02:33.689 --> 00:02:35.610 At least with a vague feeling that you would 00:02:35.610 --> 00:02:38.789 prefer to be able to say that you had not done 00:02:38.789 --> 00:02:41.490 that or if you had a chance to do it over, you 00:02:41.490 --> 00:02:46.039 would do it better. Okay? So let me ask you this 00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:49.080 question. How can you avoid looking back at the 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:52.199 end of your life with too many regrets? This 00:02:52.199 --> 00:02:55.840 is an issue which humans have been addressing 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:01.020 for hundreds, if not thousands or so years, at 00:03:01.020 --> 00:03:04.879 least since the days of Aristotle. For those 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:07.259 who don't know, he was a Greek philosopher and 00:03:07.259 --> 00:03:11.719 a scientist who wrote a number of treaties on 00:03:11.719 --> 00:03:16.789 ethics. He's considered to be one of the greatest 00:03:16.789 --> 00:03:22.150 intellectuals of the Western history. What I'm 00:03:22.150 --> 00:03:24.150 trying to say is there are six ways of living. 00:03:24.870 --> 00:03:30.949 Keep these in mind. Aristotle suggested that 00:03:30.949 --> 00:03:35.509 there were six basic pursuits or ambitions that 00:03:35.509 --> 00:03:38.389 might shape individual lives. He explains these. 00:03:39.250 --> 00:03:42.939 These are what they are. The first one is pleasure, 00:03:43.099 --> 00:03:47.240 always looking for the feel -good factor. Wealth 00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:52.120 and material things. Status, respect, and fame, 00:03:52.300 --> 00:03:55.939 or what's the other word for it? Influence. Next 00:03:55.939 --> 00:03:59.020 would be power and being able to persuade others 00:03:59.020 --> 00:04:03.879 of your point of view, or get your own way. Next 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:10.199 would be knowledge and a moral, virtuous, and 00:04:10.199 --> 00:04:15.259 ethic approach. Okay, now no life is going to 00:04:15.259 --> 00:04:17.420 be entirely shaped by any one of these things, 00:04:17.540 --> 00:04:20.120 but it is likely that most of us will see one 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:25.000 of these approach as our dominant tendency thing 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:28.360 to do. Okay, and as Aristotle suggested that 00:04:28.360 --> 00:04:32.019 each approach had some drawbacks which might 00:04:32.019 --> 00:04:34.240 stop those following them from reaching. In their 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:37.319 full potential, for example, he suggested that 00:04:37.319 --> 00:04:39.699 seeking out only pleasure left no room for thinking 00:04:39.699 --> 00:04:42.379 or reasoning. Or common sense, for that matter. 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:46.139 And those who chose to pursue status might find 00:04:46.139 --> 00:04:48.759 that they were left high and dry when their followers 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:50.680 deserted them, for whatever God -given reason. 00:04:52.060 --> 00:04:56.720 Instead, he suggested that we should try to live 00:04:56.720 --> 00:04:59.720 and act thoughtfully. We should, as he proposed, 00:05:00.259 --> 00:05:03.750 how do I word this? Live in a way that enables 00:05:03.750 --> 00:05:06.410 us to explore and reflect on the ordinary happenings 00:05:06.410 --> 00:05:09.449 of life as well as the extraordinary. We should 00:05:09.449 --> 00:05:17.410 basically try to act out ordinary things in an 00:05:17.410 --> 00:05:31.319 extraordinary way. Okay? Okay. So with... That 00:05:31.319 --> 00:05:36.180 being said, if you could look back and say you 00:05:36.180 --> 00:05:40.480 lived a good life, that means that you've shown 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:42.860 courage. You weren't cowardice or impulsive or 00:05:42.860 --> 00:05:45.899 risk -taking, or extreme risk -taking for that 00:05:45.899 --> 00:05:51.120 matter. You had self -control. You weren't self 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:55.480 -indulgent or selfish, like majorly. You had 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:58.800 a generous... personality you were very generous 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:02.160 you didn't waste resources for no reason or opportunities 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:06.220 you had friendliness and politeness you weren't 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:11.720 rude flattering or any other unpleasant unpleasantness 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:15.079 towards others you were tactful with discretion 00:06:15.079 --> 00:06:20.740 truthfulness and integrity you had a good temper 00:06:20.740 --> 00:06:23.259 even in the face of provocation which often means 00:06:23.259 --> 00:06:25.810 a sense of humor Because if you can't laugh it 00:06:25.810 --> 00:06:27.389 off and you're constantly getting upset, what 00:06:27.389 --> 00:06:31.730 can you do? And fairness. You are a pretty fair 00:06:31.730 --> 00:06:35.170 and decent person. Now, these same virtues, same 00:06:35.170 --> 00:06:38.610 things that I told you about right here, Aristotle 00:06:38.610 --> 00:06:44.550 described also in his Ideal Life paper. While 00:06:44.550 --> 00:06:46.889 other people have suggested that compassion and 00:06:46.889 --> 00:06:49.509 gratitude should also be included, It's pretty 00:06:49.509 --> 00:06:51.610 much debatable and it's up to people of that 00:06:51.610 --> 00:06:58.949 current age, okay? The next would be considered 00:06:58.949 --> 00:07:03.209 signs of flourishing. Aristotle also suggested 00:07:03.209 --> 00:07:06.170 that there were signs that we could look for 00:07:06.170 --> 00:07:08.889 in our own and other lives to see whether we 00:07:08.889 --> 00:07:11.449 or they were flourishing as people. He thought 00:07:11.449 --> 00:07:14.209 that these signs and indeed the flourishing would 00:07:14.209 --> 00:07:16.629 mean that the person was growing as an individual 00:07:16.629 --> 00:07:19.459 and living a good life. Typically, of course. 00:07:20.060 --> 00:07:24.680 And the signs were the following. They are determined 00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:27.620 to lead the best life possible and to find the 00:07:27.620 --> 00:07:30.480 right way to do that, or whatever it was. You 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:33.620 will see, for example, that they put their resources 00:07:33.620 --> 00:07:36.319 and capital, whether personal, social, monetary, 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:40.740 towards helping them to live an ethical and virtuous 00:07:40.740 --> 00:07:43.139 life. Any rewards that come their way are also 00:07:43.139 --> 00:07:46.290 directed towards that good life as well. Next 00:07:46.290 --> 00:07:48.430 would be their choices, actions are fully human. 00:07:48.689 --> 00:07:52.829 This may be rather a philosophical point, but 00:07:52.829 --> 00:07:56.889 it is the idea that we as humans are above animals, 00:07:56.990 --> 00:07:59.129 and we have the capacity to reason and to choose 00:07:59.129 --> 00:08:01.629 to live within a moral and ethical framework. 00:08:03.910 --> 00:08:09.029 Maslow suggested that we had basic needs, such 00:08:09.029 --> 00:08:12.209 as a need for food and shelter, which must be 00:08:12.209 --> 00:08:14.470 met before we can think about anything else. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:17.980 Once we've satisfied these, then we can look 00:08:17.980 --> 00:08:20.379 for safety, security, and then love and belonging, 00:08:20.579 --> 00:08:23.139 so on and so forth. At the very top of the hierarchy 00:08:23.139 --> 00:08:26.120 is self -actualization, the need for personal 00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:29.600 growth and development. The general view accepted 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:32.600 by most academics is that the animals are not 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:34.980 capable of this, so this is what makes us human. 00:08:39.100 --> 00:08:41.460 Being able to make moral choices is also a human 00:08:41.460 --> 00:08:44.509 characteristic. Nobody expects a fox to understand 00:08:44.509 --> 00:08:46.529 that it's wrong to kill every chicken in a hen 00:08:46.529 --> 00:08:51.730 house. Okay? And if you do, God help you. Okay? 00:08:53.389 --> 00:08:57.370 They were particularly good at doing good things. 00:08:57.470 --> 00:09:00.129 That's the next point. In this context, good 00:09:00.129 --> 00:09:03.049 means particularly human, or the virtues outlined 00:09:03.049 --> 00:09:06.009 by Aristotle, as I mentioned earlier. He believed 00:09:06.009 --> 00:09:08.029 that people flourish when they live well, and 00:09:08.029 --> 00:09:13.220 this is ethical and moral. Makes sense. They 00:09:13.220 --> 00:09:16.620 are consistent. These people that you can rely 00:09:16.620 --> 00:09:19.220 upon to do what is right. They act consistently 00:09:19.220 --> 00:09:21.860 in the way that they should. They take pleasure 00:09:21.860 --> 00:09:24.159 in doing the right thing and seek to behave the 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:30.899 way just because. They enjoy living morally and 00:09:30.899 --> 00:09:34.279 ethically and value being able to be brave, self 00:09:34.279 --> 00:09:36.960 -controlled, generous, and so on. Like I mentioned 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:41.159 before, they don't do... So far, the external 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:43.659 rewards are recognition, but because living in 00:09:43.659 --> 00:09:45.559 this way is the right thing to do, it brings 00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:48.200 its own rewards. But you have to be able to see 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:50.960 it this way in order to actually accept it. They 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:53.860 act well and they think well. They explore how 00:09:53.860 --> 00:09:55.840 to behave well and also reflect on their own 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:58.240 behaviors and learning so that they can grow 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:02.639 and learn even more. This is how you know that 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:05.000 you're living well and you're doing what you're 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:07.659 supposed to, despite what the world throws at 00:10:07.659 --> 00:10:26.740 you. It certainly is true that the virtues discussed 00:10:26.740 --> 00:10:29.539 by Aristotle are very deep -rooted in the human 00:10:29.539 --> 00:10:32.259 psyche, and particularly characteristics like 00:10:32.259 --> 00:10:38.200 fairness. Aristotle suggested that if we can 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:40.820 live in this way, or at least strive to do these 00:10:40.820 --> 00:10:42.940 things and occasionally succeed, then we are 00:10:42.940 --> 00:10:45.740 likely to be happier. He suggested that even 00:10:45.740 --> 00:10:47.379 if things go wrong, it's still better to act 00:10:47.379 --> 00:10:49.600 ethically, and many people use this as a basis 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:53.779 for resilience. But overall, I mean, we will 00:10:53.779 --> 00:10:58.759 be happier if we at least try, you know. His 00:10:58.759 --> 00:11:03.360 view was that if all else was equal, he would 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:06.659 be happier having lived an ethical life than 00:11:06.659 --> 00:11:09.840 an unethical one. And he felt that applied to 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:12.419 most people. I mean, it is a very human characteristic. 00:11:13.100 --> 00:11:16.399 And that is the basis of his philosophy. So, 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:21.360 I mean, it doesn't really matter. In all honesty, 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:24.559 how you live, it matters what you do when you 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:30.100 live. And, you know, a lot of people don't ever 00:11:30.100 --> 00:11:33.220 stop to consider this. They think that because 00:11:33.220 --> 00:11:36.000 they're doing what they're doing, that it's right 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:40.399 and that's all there is. It's not as simple as 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:43.620 that, you know. There's different kinds of ethics, 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:46.000 different kinds of ethical and living morals 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:48.659 and behaviors that people have to consider and 00:11:48.659 --> 00:11:54.019 do. And I think Aristotle, and this is just my 00:11:54.019 --> 00:11:55.700 opinion, this is one of the few times you'll 00:11:55.700 --> 00:11:59.759 hear it, you know, has a good point on what he's 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:02.059 saying as far as, like, how people should act 00:12:02.059 --> 00:12:04.159 and the way they should do things. Don't get 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:11.659 me wrong, okay? Some of his stuff that he says, 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:13.460 some of the stuff that he's written, I kind of 00:12:13.460 --> 00:12:15.320 question myself. And I'm just kind of like, you 00:12:15.320 --> 00:12:17.399 know, why would you do that? Or why would you 00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:20.370 say such a thing? But then there's times like 00:12:20.370 --> 00:12:22.750 where people do something that's actually smart 00:12:22.750 --> 00:12:26.190 for once in their life and it makes sense. We 00:12:26.190 --> 00:12:28.470 all have stupid moments in our life. We all do 00:12:28.470 --> 00:12:30.570 dumb stuff at some point. If it wasn't for the 00:12:30.570 --> 00:12:32.830 sake of those dumb mistakes, we wouldn't have 00:12:32.830 --> 00:12:35.129 the rules and regulations, things that we have 00:12:35.129 --> 00:12:38.970 now in place to help keep us in check. Now, granted, 00:12:39.049 --> 00:12:40.870 there are still some people out there that are 00:12:40.870 --> 00:12:43.809 just straight up stupid and they will do the 00:12:43.809 --> 00:12:49.169 most outright, most outlandish. ignorant dumb 00:12:49.169 --> 00:12:52.409 thing that they can find which then sets a rule 00:12:52.409 --> 00:12:55.029 or a restriction for other people because someone 00:12:55.029 --> 00:12:59.570 else did it you know i mean why do you think 00:12:59.570 --> 00:13:01.870 we have signs that say don't dive into the into 00:13:01.870 --> 00:13:04.929 the shallow end of the pool obviously some idiot 00:13:04.929 --> 00:13:09.809 has done it before you know there's things like 00:13:09.809 --> 00:13:12.509 this simple things things we don't even think 00:13:12.509 --> 00:13:18.190 about you know that happen as a result of people 00:13:18.190 --> 00:13:21.029 just not you know living right not doing what 00:13:21.029 --> 00:13:23.450 they're supposed to do and they disregard other 00:13:23.450 --> 00:13:26.230 people around them and you know put them in a 00:13:26.230 --> 00:13:28.009 bad position and then when that person screws 00:13:28.009 --> 00:13:29.889 up they're quick to say this is all your fault 00:13:29.889 --> 00:13:34.070 when in reality it actually relates back to you 00:13:34.070 --> 00:13:38.169 because what that person's doing wouldn't have 00:13:38.169 --> 00:13:41.210 never affected you had you not been where you 00:13:41.210 --> 00:13:43.250 were doing god knows whatever it was you were 00:13:43.250 --> 00:13:46.649 doing in that area In some people's cases, traveling 00:13:46.649 --> 00:13:48.610 to another country simply because they wanted 00:13:48.610 --> 00:13:50.710 to, it's fine. But if you're traveling because 00:13:50.710 --> 00:13:52.470 there's someone over there you wanted to meet 00:13:52.470 --> 00:13:54.470 because of whatever, whatever, whatever reason, 00:13:54.570 --> 00:13:56.330 but you have a wife back home, but then something 00:13:56.330 --> 00:13:58.330 happens and you end up in trouble, and you want 00:13:58.330 --> 00:14:00.330 to quickly blame the person that caused it, well, 00:14:00.350 --> 00:14:03.730 think about this for a minute. Why the heck are 00:14:03.730 --> 00:14:05.070 you in that country when you're not supposed 00:14:05.070 --> 00:14:09.269 to be there? You know? These are just some thoughts 00:14:09.269 --> 00:14:12.509 to consider, like I said. This is food for thought. 00:14:12.529 --> 00:14:14.529 Thoughts if it were you. This is stuff that you 00:14:14.529 --> 00:14:17.129 have to think about for yourself. Consider what 00:14:17.129 --> 00:14:18.809 it would be like to be in the other person's 00:14:18.809 --> 00:14:22.409 shoes. Had what happened to them happened to 00:14:22.409 --> 00:14:30.730 you, what would you do? What would you do? Well, 00:14:30.909 --> 00:14:33.909 that's it for my 100th episode. I'm not going 00:14:33.909 --> 00:14:37.269 to keep it going any longer. Again, like I said, 00:14:37.330 --> 00:14:38.870 if you have any suggestions, things you would 00:14:38.870 --> 00:14:41.990 like to hear, see, or I'm sorry, not see, things 00:14:41.990 --> 00:14:43.309 you would like to hear me talk about, things 00:14:43.309 --> 00:14:45.429 you would like to hear me bring up and or discuss, 00:14:45.570 --> 00:14:48.389 or have someone else come on with me and discuss, 00:14:48.649 --> 00:14:50.590 please feel free to hit me up on my Facebook 00:14:50.590 --> 00:14:54.610 channel. It is facebook .com forward slash striker 00:14:54.610 --> 00:14:58.929 fusion on my Instagram at neogentrix or on my 00:14:58.929 --> 00:15:04.110 Patreon page or here on Anchor. under neogentrics 00:15:04.110 --> 00:15:07.950 food for thought and uh have a great rest of 00:15:07.950 --> 00:15:09.509 your day and don't forget to check out my buddies 00:15:09.509 --> 00:15:15.710 uh my buddies gloria tp5 and a few others i can't 00:15:15.710 --> 00:15:17.470 remember their names at the moment wow that's 00:15:17.470 --> 00:15:19.929 kind of sad uh check out their channels they 00:15:19.929 --> 00:15:21.370 got some really good interesting information 00:15:21.370 --> 00:15:24.330 on them and i guarantee you'll enjoy listening 00:15:24.330 --> 00:15:27.169 to them use them as a good example of how you 00:15:27.169 --> 00:15:29.629 should probably live your life and ways that 00:15:29.629 --> 00:15:34.909 even if life brings you down You know, you still 00:15:34.909 --> 00:15:37.309 manage to get back up on your own two feet and 00:15:37.309 --> 00:15:41.789 keep on going. You know, I know everyone's heard 00:15:41.789 --> 00:15:45.570 the phrase, try, try again. But to actually put 00:15:45.570 --> 00:15:48.169 it into effect and believe that it's actually 00:15:48.169 --> 00:15:53.009 going to happen. That someday, eventually it'll 00:15:53.009 --> 00:15:55.789 work within reason and common sense, of course. 00:15:56.570 --> 00:16:00.929 You know, you'll do just fine. And both me and 00:16:00.929 --> 00:16:04.330 Gloria TP5 are prime examples of this. We never 00:16:04.330 --> 00:16:07.750 gave up and here we are now. More successful 00:16:07.750 --> 00:16:09.850 than we were in the past. We're not millionaires, 00:16:09.850 --> 00:16:12.830 but here we are. We're making progress. We're 00:16:12.830 --> 00:16:14.570 moving forward and God has blessed us thoroughly. 00:16:14.710 --> 00:16:18.549 So enjoy the rest of your day and be blessed.