The Power of Disciplined Thinking

In his timeless work The Conquest of Happiness, Bertrand Russell offers profound insights into how we can navigate life’s troubles and cultivate a sense of inner peace. One of his key ideas is that the wise person thinks about their troubles only when there is a purpose in doing so. This simple yet transformative principle has the power to enhance both our happiness and our efficiency. In a world that often feels overwhelming, this advice serves as a guide to living a more intentional and fulfilling life. I especially like this quote:

“The wise man thinks about his troubles only when there is some purpose in doing so; at other times he thinks about other things, or, if it is night, about nothing at all. I do not mean to suggest that at a great crisis, for example, when ruin is imminent, or when a man has reason to suspect that his wife is deceiving him, it is possible, except to a few exceptionally disciplined minds, to shut out the trouble at moments when nothing can be done about it. But it is quite possible to shut out the ordinary troubles of ordinary days, except while they have to be dealt with. It is amazing how much both happiness and efficiency can be increased by the cultivation of an orderly mind, which thinks about a matter adequately at the right time rather than inadequately at all times. When a difficult or worrying decision has to be reached, as soon as all the data are available, give the matter your best thought and make your decision; having made the decision, do not revise it unless some new fact comes to your knowledge. Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing is so futile.”

At the heart of Russell’s philosophy is the notion that we should not allow our minds to be consumed by worries at all times. Instead, we should reserve our mental energy for moments when we can actually address our problems. Cultivating an orderly mind for happiness and efficiency doesn’t mean ignoring difficulties or pretending they don’t exist. Rather, it means recognizing that dwelling on troubles when no action can be taken is not only unproductive but also detrimental to our well-being. By training ourselves to think about problems only when necessary, we free our minds to focus on the present moment and the things that bring us joy.

Russell acknowledges that there are exceptional circumstances—such as an impending crisis or a deeply personal betrayal—where it is nearly impossible to shut out troubling thoughts. In these moments, only those with extraordinary mental discipline can maintain their composure. However, for the majority of our everyday challenges, we have the capacity to control how much mental space we give them. The key is to develop what Russell calls an orderly mind, one that addresses issues deliberately and at the appropriate time, rather than allowing them to dominate our thoughts incessantly.

An orderly mind is not something we are born with; it is cultivated through practice and self-awareness. One way to develop this quality is by setting aside specific times to address our concerns. For example, if you’re facing a difficult decision, gather all the necessary information, dedicate a focused period to thinking it through, and then make your choice. Once the decision is made, resist the urge to revisit it unless new information arises. This approach not only reduces mental clutter but also prevents the exhaustion that comes from constant indecision.

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Chiaroscuro

Self-confidence may stagger when we face up to our flaws severely and frequently. If we follow this approach in our lives, our flaws and failures will become our main source of concerns, leading to stress. We may become very good at spotting defects… so good that we may spend most of our time detecting flaws, focused into the bad things rather than the good ones. Such obsessive attention to the wrong things (flaws, manipulating or using other people, hurting other people, lying, and generally, those facts or actions that we think bad) may become the center of our lives.

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Innovation: A Path to Personal Growth

Herman Melville said: “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation“. I totally agree. Let’s try. Let’s pursue innovation and originality. Most of time, our inner fears lie in failure… the fear to fail. In itself, fear is not that bad. It reminds us of dangers and the possibility of losses, and motivates us to think our actions carefully. But fear should be controlled. Fear should not paralyze us. I’ll try that idea in which I believe. I believe in myself, in my ideas, and thereby, I’ll pursue my goals, my projects. The process of trying is, already, our first reward. Let’s enjoy it.

At the core of innovation lies the courage to challenge the status quo, to question established norms, and to push the boundaries of what is deemed possible. It is a mindset that embraces experimentation, embraces risk-taking, and embraces the unknown, recognizing that true progress is often born out of stepping beyond the confines of familiarity. When individuals embrace innovation in their lives, they open themselves up to a world of endless possibilities, where creativity flourishes and new horizons beckon.

One of the greatest obstacles to innovation is the fear of failure. Our inner fears often manifest as doubts and hesitations, whispering cautionary tales of potential setbacks and disappointments. However, it is essential to understand that failure is not the end but rather a stepping stone on the path to success. Embracing failure as a natural part of the innovation process allows individuals to learn, adapt, and grow, gaining valuable insights that pave the way for future breakthroughs.

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Individualism, Attempts At Philosophying

When men are born, their habitat is already defined. Eventually, they will adapt to it, i.e., they acquire the required consistency that will help them to overcome the obstacles that life has. This way, mankind achieves such intrinsic nature that defines a concrete existence in time and space, further arriving to a propensity to act according to its own discretion, and not in concert with the community, becoming isolated and selfish in affections, interests, studies, and other dimensions. Finally, men become full of themselves, forfeiting any other purposes.

Individualism, Attempts At Philosophying

Thus, since the VIII century, individualism constituted a topic of controversy. Several centuries later, St. Thomas Aquinas says that the principle of individualization is, in sensible things, “matter”, while for Duns Scotus it’s only a philosophical form that he calls haecceitas, i.e., this, here, and that reduce to the ultimate essential reality of each individual, i.e., particularly distinguishable from one class, collection or series, indivisible, impossible to separate in parts without altering its character, without stopping being a mere being. Therefore, at least, the individual contains two principles: its nature and its individual entity, elements that exist only by a formal distinction, not by factual reality.

The individual is a real being, unlike its species, which is ideal. The problem that creates this concept derives from the relationship essence-existence, an understanding of the nature of the singular, and so further. With this value, the problem of individualism comprises the fields of sociology, psychology, and politics, invading existentialism.

Self-centered people creates a harmful environment, which typically leads to irreversible damage. Because society has been imbued with these people’s actions, it has been steadily adapting to such individualistic behavior, which in turn leads to societies being directed by monopolies and messianic pseudo-leaders. Often, development of such societies depends on unilateral theories, normally based on confrontation, created by the diversity of characters and conceptualizations.

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