The Art of Worldly Wisdom: 13

Very few people would claim Baltasar Gracian was simple.   Maxim 13 is a very complex tightly woven strategic sentiment.  This isn’t about philosophy per se, it is one of those sentiments that seems kind of Machiavellian or Sun-Tzu-ian.  In a different translation than the free one that I use for the purpose of this blog …

The Art of Worldly Wisdom: 12

It has been sometime since I visited the core purpose of this blog – the continued exploration of Baltasar Gracian’s The Art of Worldly Wisdom. As a person who strongly believes philosophy plays a vital role in understanding our world, I rely heavily on the concept of ‘the state of nature’. In many ways I …

The Art of Worldly Wisdom: 9

Is it possible to love a maxim?  It is quite possibly  a silly thing, but I do really like this maxim.  I am a patriot.  I am an American in the truest sense of the word since I worship at the Temple of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence.  Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Hamilton, …

The Art of Worldly Wisdom: 7

I won’t lie and say that I don’t struggle trying to interpret the seventh maxim. This maxim is the second one that feels manipulative and less than ethical in the modern sense of the word. I am not a person who is willing to sell myself short in order to gain advancement in life. I …