Socrates in sneakers
A couple of weeks ago I read Socrates in sneakers by Elke Wiss. Here’s the main thing that sticked with me.
There is this passage about how to load a horse into a trailer. When reading it I immediately related the “Take the time it takes, so it takes less time” quote to my mornings, where I try to get myself and my family out of the door to go to work and school. On time. The harder I try, the more I’ll regret how unpleasing that morning turnes out. In the book the sentence is applied to good conversations. I think I really never looked at conversations that way, but slowing down, making time for a proper dialogue will bring you more than goal-oriented and hasty talks.
I liked reading about topics like genuine curiosity, judging, not knowing and radical doubt. The fable of the “Chinese farmer and his son”, that I knew from Sivers, makes an appearance in the book in the context of judging and a Socratic attitude. Great fable.
Happy I read this book. It pointed me in the direction of putting some Socrates in practice, deepening everything with an enlightened attitude.