Odds & Ends: November 15, 2024

How to Think About the Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization by Mortimer Adler. I still remember stumbling upon this book in high school at my hometown public library. It’s what introduced me to the idea of the Great Books and set me down a path to study classics in college and to continue reading Aristotle and Kant throughout adulthood. The book is a collection of essays by Mortimer Adler that tackles hefty concepts like freedom, justice, and happiness with remarkable clarity. What I love about Adler’s approach is how he strips away academic jargon to reveal the practical core of philosophical ideas. He shows how wrestling with questions like “What is truth?” isn’t just intellectual gymnastics, but essential for navigating daily life.  It’s like having a wise professor walk you through life’s big questions without making you feel small for asking them.

How can busy people also keep fit and healthy? Here’s what the ancient Greeks and Romans did. If you think balancing health with a hectic schedule is a modern problem, flip through Roman physician Galen’s treatise “Hygiene.” He saw firsthand how Rome’s professional class sacrificed their well-being for work, from philosophers holed up writing books to fellow doctors working themselves sick. His solution? A flexible daily routine of one evening meal (intermittent fasting!) and some form of movement — even if that meant just wrestling at the local gym. Other ancient fitness hacks were surprisingly practical. Athenian businessman Ischomachus turned his commute into a workout by alternating running and walking to get to work. The key takeaway: health isn’t about following some rigid ideal, but finding sustainable habits that fit your life. 

Anonymous Ism Seasonal Crew Socks. I recently acquired a green corduroy suit. I feel like 1970s Robert Redford when I wear it. I came across these winter/holiday-themed socks (made by the oddly named company, Anonymous Ism) on Huckberry that I thought would go well with the suit. While most holiday clothing veers toward the tacky, these socks hit the Goldilocks zone between holiday kitsch and class. They’re also really dang cozy. Very hygge. 

30 Rock. We’ve been rewatching 30 Rock lately, and this 15-year-old comedy still holds up and remains truly laugh-out-loud funny. While other sitcoms from the 2010s have aged poorly, 30 Rock’s manic satire of corporate culture, media consolidation, and celebrity narcissism still seems relevant today in our streaming/tech/influencer age. But what really sets it apart is how the show’s creator, Tina Fey, managed to be both absurdist and sharp. Instead of relying on 2010’s era “cringe humor” where the punchline is just things being awkward (I’m looking at you, The Office), the quick, witty jokes in 30 Rock are actually jokes and come at you like a machine-gun barrage.

Quote of the Week

If a man is worth knowing at all, he is worth knowing well.

—Alexander Smith

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