Quintus Curtius

At the end of the movie "The Maltese Falcon," Sam Spade explains his personal code to Mary Astor. He tells her, "When your partner is killed, you're supposed to do something about it. It doesn't matter what you thought of him. You're supposed to do something about it..." When problems exist, you have to do something. Running away to live a life of narcissism and selfishness is not what men do. This applies to our personal lives, our work lives, and the problems that face our nation. If a problem exists, you have to deal with it. Because if you don't, no one else will.

This podcast is a reading of the text of the Declaration of Independence, one of the keystone documents of the American Revolution.

One of John Paul Jones's leadership principles was this: don't accept "half-confidences" from people. This means that if you are in charge, you have a right to expect people to give you a reasonable chance at doing the job. If you are being constantly questioned, undermined, micromanaged, and doubted, then your superiors or your people are not giving you their full confidence. You need to take steps to assert your control.

There are some who see themselves as twigs spinning endlessly in mighty rivers, or as tufts of grass being blown around by the winds. There are also some who see ambiguity in everything, and refuse to draw meaningful conclusions about events right in front of their noses. This view is not only crippling to morale, it is also destructive, because it leaves you open to suggestion and manipulation by hostile forces. Those who refuse to take charge of their own destinies, and who allow themselves to be crippled by resentments, inevitably allow their fates to be shaped by others.

This podcast is a reading of the short story "Silence: A Fable" by Edgar Allan Poe. Published in 1838, it is a very short, mysterious prose poem with evocative imagery and dark symbolism. After the reading, we discuss a possible interpretation of the tale.

Some guys look upon knowledge with a purely utilitarian view. They think that if something is not helping them that very instant, then it has no value. This view is shortsighted and terribly wrong. You never know what life has in store for you, and if you're presented with an opportunity to learn, you take it and soak it up. We use a recent incident to discuss this point further.

Most people never realize that good fortune can be suddenly and brutally replaced by bad fortune. What once seemed like heaven can quickly be transformed into a hell. The reverse is also true: a man can find himself in terrible straits, but can extricate himself through great efforts, and reach a kind of "heaven." This observation leads us to make five (5) important conclusions. We list and discuss them.

The military theorist Carl Von Clausewitz used the term "coup d'oeil" to describe a special, innate ability to grasp the military possibilities presented by a specific situation. We may broaden this idea to describe an instinctive talent in some field of endeavor. Each of us possesses a special skill that distinguishes us from others; too often, however, those talents languish, or remain undiscovered. It is our responsibility to try to discover where our own "coup d'oeil" lies.

In this podcast we discuss the importance of focusing on what matters, not on what does not matter. We illustrate this principle with a few anecdotes.

A young reader from Britain has a question about his relationship with his girlfriend. He wants something long-term, but has some nagging doubts as to whether his girlfriend is the right one. He's not certain how to proceed. I read his email, and offer my thoughts.

In this podcast we discuss Alexandre Moratto's 2021 film "Seven Prisoners." The movie describes the experience of a young man named Matheus, who is basically sold into a modern form of industrial serfdom in Sao Paolo. He tries to rebel at first, but quickly learns the futility of resistance. And being ambitious, he gradually begins a series of accommodations with his oppressors that strip him of his honor. What is the price of one's soul? What is the price of one's humanity? The loss of one's moral base happens slowly, gradually, and almost imperceptibly. A brilliant, morally profound film, and one that we should all reflect on.

When it comes to learning, were things better back in the 1980s and 1990s, or are they better now? How has the internet contributed to the "instant gratification" mentality? What are the parameters of the tension between the availability of resources, and the ease of gratifying our baser desires? We discuss.

Far too often, we base our opinions on what we absorb from others. But if you have done the homework, if you have done the heavy lifting, and if you know the material, you should have the confidence to form your own thoughts. People read your writings because they want to know what YOU think, not what some other nibbler thinks. A critical step in intellectual independence is having the courage to state your own opinion on some learned topic, once you have earned the rights to do so.

In this podcast I discuss my new translation of Cicero's "Tusculan Disputations." The work deals with five critical problems that face all of us: the fear of death, how to endure pain, how to alleviate mental distress, the various disorders of the mind, and why virtue is important for living a happy life. What questions could be more essential and fundamental than these?

A veteran of Afghanistan has a memoir he is trying to put together. He's asking for some tips on how to publish it. We offer some suggestions and comments.

In this podcast, we discuss a serious subject. A reader explains that his family has just lost a young child, and he is searching for advice on how to deal with this calamity. I offer some suggestions drawn from Plutarch's letter of consolation to his wife on the death of this two-year-old daughter, as well as anecdotes from other sources (e.g., the life of P.T. Barnum) and my own personal experiences. Fiat voluntas tua.

In this podcast we talk about the need for true, well-rounded fitness. Some think that getting bulked up in the gym makes them "fit" and ready to take on the world. While this may produce the appearance of fitness, it remains an illusion. Endurance-related activities promote mental toughness, the ability to withstand pain and deprivation, and a sharpening of the aggressive spirit. These are essential traits that will be needed for the struggles that lie ahead of you in life.

In this podcast we discuss Vladimir Alexandrov's book "The Black Russian," and what lessons we may conclude from it. Frederick Bruce Thomas was a black American businessman who made a fortune in czarist Russia in the early 1900s. His life is a fascinating one, and one that has much to teach us today.

In this podcast, I read some of the recent great tweets I've noticed from small accounts on Twitter. Small Twitter accounts are a refreshing break from the contrived foolery of the mainstream blue-check accounts. They are an underappreciated gold mine of honesty, passion, and tortured grapplings with truth. Let's give some credit where due, and hear what they have to say.

I've been exploring small Twitter accounts lately. And when I say "small," I generally mean accounts that have less than 50 followers. You'd be surprised how much gold can be found hidden away in these accounts: they tend to be raw, honest, and unconcerned with saying the "right" thing. In this podcast, I discuss how I started doing this, what I've learned, and how I go about it.