Seneca the Stoic

Here are two tags for you from Mark Steyn’s After America, a very cleverly written book.

The Brokest Generation

The Gloomers

Nassim Nicholas Taleb reminds us of the Roman Stoic Seneca, who advised:

“The wise man withdraws from corrupt systems and lets them self-destruct.”

This is the thinking, realization of your humble servant here.

Or as Machiavelli put it, “Be mad with the many, but think with the few.”

For the record, Nero forced Seneca to commit suicide. Seneca did not follow his own advice to keep a low profile. He was an advisor to Nero, who was paranoid of smart folks, who just might out-think him. Bingo. Stalin was the same way.

Think Noah’s Ark – escape route – when the system comes falling down on itself.

God I love those old-timers like Seneca, minus the suicide part, of course.

Paul