On Cicero -- Discussions at Tusculum (part 1 of who knows)

Oh my Dear Cicero,

How lovely it would be to meet and converse with you.

Your arguements are intelligent, thoughtful, and, idealistic.

And, in cases, built on hypothetical extremes and nonsense.

And I quote:

"For, heaven knows, unless we were talking merely to amuse ourselves and pass the time, our previous discussions ought to have convinced us by now that the wise man is free from all those disturbances of the soul which I describe as passions; his heart is full of tranquil calm for ever. And anyone who is self-controlled, unwavering, fearless, undistressed, the victim of no cravings or desires, must inevitably be happy."

It sounds good. Really. And considering you've been dead for 2000 years, its kind of difficult for me to argue with you directly.

Consider this, Cicero -- wisdom is a thing which increases over time and experiences, and the reflection on those, correct? And those experiences are the very things which disturb the soul. The passions and fears, distresses and extremes of living life and being fully engaged within it. So, as wisdom is something which can be increased, the only way to seek it out is to engage the very things which would disturb the peace.

You also mention that a wise and according to you, therefore, a happy man is impregnable to that which would disturb him.

How then, Cicero, is he who is a fortress allowing nothing and no one to touch his Self to then increase in his wisdom?

Wisdom is a personal 'posession' as it were. It may be aided by digesting the wisdom of others, but unless tested against ones own life and experience is merely knowledge. Nothing more.