Lessons learned 

I recently rediscovered the first chapter of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, ‘Debts and lessons’. Marcus lists a number of character traits and attitudes he inherited from members of his family, acquaintances, teachers, friends. From his father, integrity and manliness, from Sextus, kindness, from Fronto, the ability to recognize the hypocrisy that power produces. 

Principles and guidance 

There are also principles and guidance. For example from Rusticus, to write treatises on abstract questions, or deliver moralizing little sermons. 

I can picture Marcus writing this to himself —remember the Meditations were a personal diary so weren’t meant to be read by others—to strengthen his character in times of doubt. 

The power of gratitude 

As I started doing it for myself I found these words of gratitude very powerful. I started with my associate, with whom I’ve been facilitating philosophical workshops for more than seven years now. She’s twelve years younger than me and when we started working together she had almost no work experience, so there has been this diffuse feeling that she owed me something more than I owed her. Yet I know this is not true—that’s why I started with her. 

Here’s a couple of things I’ve written down. 

Lessons learned from Marion 

1. To sincerely believe there is something to learn from every situation, even when you really don’t know what. Being confident that the lesson may come to you later if you don’t see it now. 
2. Being convinced that the success—at least a great part of it—of a workshop depends on the energy we, as facilitators, bring with us. Never forget to think about that before entering a room full of people. Even if you are tired and your thoughts are elsewhere, give all you can, you’ll sleep and think about those things afterwards. 
3. Patience. To believe that there is something good in everyone—literally everyone. 

When your patience is tried 

A few days after I had written down these words of gratitude, situations came about that tried me precisely on my patience, my confidence, my energy—and I found myself remembering these lessons. Thinking of the way someone else deals with life is a powerful way of strengthening our own dispositions. 

Role models as a substitute for a sage 

The Stoics were famous for having these words or phrases to remind themselves of the kind of person they wanted to be. As the Sage or wiseman does not really exist (or comes every 500 years), except as a figure of inspiration, being grateful is a way of searching for elements of wisdom in the people we know and using them as role models. 

We gain by being grateful 

Thinking about why we are grateful to one another isn’t a widespread exercise in the workplace. In France at least, if people have comments to make, it’s very often to say what is wrong, rather than saying what is right. It is as if we were losing something when admitting that we owe something to someone. It is rather the opposite: it is like becoming aware of the foundations that form and structure who we are. 

---

Flora Bernard co-founded the Paris-based philosophy agency, Thae, in 2013. Flora now works to help organisations give meaning to what they do.

 

 

---