MENTAL CONDITIONING WITH PLATO FOR THE LIFE WIN

Mental conditioning and physical conditioning combine for the mind-body perfection of human beings.

That’s the ideal according to Coach Plato, who was quite a combo on his own.

The Athenian philosopher Plato (c.428-347 B.C.) is one of the most important figures of the Ancient Greek world and the entire history of Western thought.

An important figure in the entire history of Western thought is quite a load to carry around.

So is this:

The young Plato became a devoted follower of Socrates—indeed, he was one of the youths Socrates was condemned for allegedly corrupting. Plato’s recollections of Socrates’ lived-out philosophy and style of relentless questioning, the Socratic method, became the basis for his early dialogues. 

The idea that an influential figure in the canon of Western thought was taught by a renegade in his own time seems troubling, but get over it.

Why get over it?

Instead, why not dissect this historical notion with relentless questioning like Socrates would have done had he not been handed the mug of poisoned hemlock, had he not chugged the last drink at last call.

If he hadn’t downed the hemlock he would have died by being thrown off a cliff, or staked out to die from exposure.

He didn’t have to agree with his sentence, but all things considered, hemlock was the right choice.

Cheers To Socrates And Maybe Us

Socrates had the mental conditioning needed to raise his glass. The man of his times knew when his time was up.

Some of that is lost today, and has been lost for quite some time.

Accountability is the word. Do what you say, say what you did.

Today the door is open to more options, like lying, running away, blaming others.

Weak minded, but willful, citizens are not the riches of any community and it’s time for a drink.

But who deserves a full cup of hemlock, weak minded followers, or those who prey upon the weak minded?

Who needs a dose of relentless questioning?

As a former Army guy, I nominate three star general Mike Flynn. The guy ought to know better than to stand on the wrong side of history and exhort others to march with him.

To enlisted men and women, generals breath rarified air. We were used to seeing lieutenants and captains. A general would make us choke up.

A general who crosses the line and violates the chain of command he’s supposed the head needs a tune up.

So far a lifetime ban from twitter is as close to a cup of hemlock as we might get. Taking away the megaphone to stop the distasteful incessant messaging to those with no will for mental conditioning is supposed to fix things.

Is that enough? No twitter for you, no Facebook for you.

What The People Need For Better Mental Conditioning

As a civilized society we don’t execute wrong doers with anti-aircraft guns like North Korea.

We’re more civilized with lethal injections, electric chairs, gas chambers, firing squads, and hanging.

The state of Washington hung a bad man in 1993 and had to find a hangman who knew how to do it correctly.

As a father of young boys in 1993 I was personally relieved at the results.

We gain mental conditioning through experience and repetition.

I learned it in wrestling rooms in high school, college, and the Army.

It was the Army that drove home the importance of effective leadership in the higher ranks, and everyone is a higher rank than Private.

Being a parent requires a different mental conditioning, probably the most complicated and most rewarding.

What’s it take to be a good husband? Vigilance, along with mental toughness.

We have a strong line of Western thought from Socrates to Plato to Aristotle.

When disjointed voices coming from anti-science, anti-mask, anti-vaccine ‘leaders’ getting air time to convince their followers to do as they do, expect poor results.

The big man got covid and rushed to Walter Reed for treatment, and still ignored the virus. Fox News requires vaccines, but they still cast doubt.

Call it Trickle Down Stupidity, the only trickle down theory that works for everyone.

Go ahead and connect any three officials from the prior administration and see what they add up to.

Health Warning: hold your nose while you do it.