Bias of Priene lived in the sixth century BCE and came to be considered one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece. Little is known of him and much less with any certainty. It seems though that opposite to the English meaning of his name he espoused a life of moderation and virtue.
When asked how men should live, Bias responded with the aphorism that men should live as if they are fated to live both a short time and a long time. He also said that "wisdom should be cherished as a means of traveling from youth to old age, for it is more lasting than any other possession."[1] Bias may have been one of the world's first simplicitists.
I'm fascinated by the idea of living one's life as if one will die either a short time from now or in a very long time but that one doesn't know which. This takes the advice of those who say "live for today" and of those who say "plan for the future" and blends them into something sensible and sustainable. Yes, live for today, but do so only in a way that can be adapted and maintained for a full lifetime. This requires a diligence for clearing away life's clutter -- the cruft and stuff that doesn't matter but that drains one's time and resources and prevents them from being spent on the things that do matter. This is the core of simplicitism.
[1] Will Durant, The Life of Greece, p. 141
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
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I have my "hit by a bus folder" in which I update information weekly so that if indeed I get hit by a bus people know what to do with my ongoing cases, does that work?
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