Study, Habit, & Reflection
Wednesday Wisdoms for January 1, 2025
Welcome to Wednesday Wisdom, our 3x3 Newsletter where I distill worldly advice for better living with 3 quotes, 3 observations, and 3 questions.
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Study
🤨 Quote
“Moral talk has a power to attract toward itself. It is no sooner seen than it rouses the spectator to action, and yet it does not form his character by mere imitation, but by promoting the understanding of virtuous deeds it provides him with a dominating purpose.”
Plutarch
Source: Character
Observation 🧐
Moral talk is perhaps the first step in one’s character formation.
While we think of moral talk as being between people, it can and should also be done by studying those who came before us—the actions they took as well as the beliefs and reasons that carried those actions.
It is through character study that we begin to understand how to respond to situations we encounter.
Plutarch specifically wrote his moral lives as a way to investigate the individuals and compare them to others, to try and understand these people for who they were.
When we pursue study like this, when we study history, when we discuss the actions and motivations of heroes, we awaken something deeper within us. We’re moved from a passive observer to active participant because we ourselves now carry within us an intrinsic desire to live up to the ideals that have been presented and laid before us.
🤔 Question
Who is one individual from history you studied and what did you learn from their life? How can you apply that to your own?
Habit
🤨 Quote
“Build your character in a certain way, then your character becomes your destiny.”
Naval Ravikant
Source: The Almanac of Naval Ravikant
Observation 🧐
The term character is derived from the Greek word kharaktēr which meant stamp. It was believed that one’s character was built through the experiences they had in life and how they reacted to them.
Character is not something that we’re born with, rather, it is built by us over time, from each decision we make and whether we choose to pursue virtue in those decisions.
Aristotle believed character was built by habit, doing the right thing in the right situation time and time again, thus, imprinting the stamp of our character.
If we wish to flourish in life, and in turn live a life of virtue, then our goal should be to aim at the right response at the right moment, each and every time.
Like the archer who prepares to take their shot at the target, they are in full control until the arrow is released, at which point the archer no longer controls the outcome of whether the target is hit. Likewise, we control how we want to live our lives and respond to life’s circumstances. We will not control what comes our way, but we can control our response.
In so doing, if properly attuned to virtue, we will allow our character to form our destiny.
🤔 Question
What is one thing you do daily to improve your character?
Beneath the paywall this week we explore the wisdom of Christopher Ryan. Click below to support and get access.