Socrates

I don’t just write about all of the types of narcissism and mental health and abuse topics. I have always absolutely adored reading about Greek philosophy, their philosophers, their amazing stories about their gods and people they created, etc.

Here is a tiny snippet from a chapter that I wrote about, Socrates and how I use some of his early philosophies to get through my life, currently.

The Give a F*ck Meter-

“ This man wanted to tell you a few things and then have you fuck off and decide for yourself. He did not force his teachings on anyone he taught, including a guy named Plato. Socrates was inspirational, a real motherfucking philosophical badass, but his mouth got him into a lot of trouble, like a lot of trouble. He had courageous beliefs, that he backed up with his virtue. But while he chose to dive deep into people’s psyche’s, he was not concerned with how he was viewed by his peers or the citizens of Athens. He was a pro at talking circles around anyone he intellectually sparred with. Socrates never documented a single thing he taught. Plato came along, though, and began writing everything that fell out of Socrates' noggin and his mouth. As he aged, the more hardheaded and political Socrates became. His legacy remains to be a martyr’s ending. His witty banter and deep insight had created a very knowledgeable man, politically. He wasn’t the wisest man to ever live, I supposed, but he was right up there, and even he knew when it was time to wrap things up. He was condemned to death at the age of 70, after speaking against the latest tyrannical regime being inflicted upon the people of Athens, by the Spartans. Could he have talked his way out of it? Definitely, but the guy just didn’t give a fuck. We could all learn something from Socrates. He was a master at morphing an argument into a discussion, using his knowledge and substance. By wedging his ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude into his eloquent speaking engagements, he became quite alluring and well sought out. He wanted large groups to hear him, but he questioned all in attendance, primarily in order to find out if those he was in front of were indeed knowledgeable and not there just to waste his time. He engaged all who listened and, 9 times out of 10, no one there had a clue what they were talking about, other than Socrates. He exhibited great self-control and had no time for random dialogues that disinterested him. Oh, and if you were just wanting to be a Socrates hangers on, he’d tell you to fuck off and get educated before you came back into his presence. Imagine being cast out of some massive coliseum by Socrates? Ugh! One thing I know and have done a lot of research on is that he discussed the soul (and self) and died telling about it. He was a man of deep principles. He defined not giving a fuck. But why did I take so much time to wedge him into this book? Because he wanted a person to truly know themself. He knew himself so well, and he died based on that principle. Whatever you do, don’t finish reading this book without being more in tune with who you are. I’m not instructing you to be like Socrates, not exactly anyway. I mean, the guy did allow himself to become a martyr when he could have easily gotten out of it, but there is something to be said for the incredible life he lived as a whole. He created what is considered to be our modern-day ethics guidelines, and he considered it his life’s duty to engage people in philosophical discussions about them. He recognized one’s own ignorance, but also acknowledged that virtue isn’t based on intelligence or status. I admire that. So often people are labeled by whether or not they have a degree of some sort. But as Socrates taught, intelligence isn’t based on status, and virtue doesn’t hinge on one’s status, either. Rather it is in spite of one’s status that he (or she) is virtuous. Where you find yourself currently is a contrived destination based on your methodology of eagerly acquiring knowledge in all avenues of life. (So, with that in mind, I’ve inspired myself to insert a chapter for you dedicated to some of history’s badasses… and an incredible little offshoot sidebar of the ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude and lifestyle.) First though, here’s some great scoop to help you dive into how to apply the lessons of these badasses into your everyday life… We are all different archetypes. In a nutshell, an archetype is a general modeling of personality types you are actually very familiar with in your modern-day life. There is the outlaw, the everyman, the innocent, magicians, sages, caregivers, explorers, rulers, lovers, heroes, creators, and jesters. Which one immediately calls to you? None of them give off obvious ‘don’t give a fuck’ vibes, but if I had to choose, it seems to me that the outlaw is probably a giant proponent of not giving a fuck, but that could be for all the wrong reasons. Then, we have the hero, who generally appeals to people of all types. Who doesn’t love a good hero not giving a fuck about danger or infamy coming his way via the outlaw?”

I go on to describe each archetype and who I feel drawn toward. As you read my book and learn more about yourself and the attitude of not giving a fuck you realize that it doesn’t convey hostility, it conveys a manner in which you live and find your happiest self.

Natalie Mosley Klenotic