The Ten Golden Rules on Living

the Good Life

What is good life? What is happiness? What is success? What is
pleasure? How should I treat other people? How should I cope with
unfortunate events? How can I get rid of unnecessary worry? How
should I handle liberty?
The answers to all these questions are condensed in a little book, The
Ten Golden ules by !anos "ourdoukoutas co#authored with "ichael
$oupios%
1. Examine life, engage life with vengeance; always search for
new pleasures and new destines to reach with your mind. This
rule isn&t new' It echoes the verses of ancient Greek philosophers and
(ost notably those of !lato through the voice of his hero, $ocrates'
)iving life is about e*a(ining life through reason, nature&s greatest gift
to hu(anity' The i(portance of reason in sensing and e*a(ining life is
evident in all phases of life+ fro( the infant who strains to e*plore its
new surroundings to the grandparent who actively reads and assesses
the headlines of the daily paper' eason lets hu(an beings participate
in life, to be hu(an is to think, appraise, and e*plore the world,
discovering new sources of (aterial and spiritual pleasure'
. !orry only a"out the things that are in your control, the
things that can "e in#uenced and changed "y your actions, not
a"out the things that are "eyond your capacity to direct or
alter. This rule su((ari,es several i(portant features of ancient $toic
wisdo( - features that re(ain powerfully suggestive for (odern
ti(es' "ost notably the belief in an ulti(ately rational order operating
in the universe re.ecting a benign providence that ensures proper
outco(es in life' Thinkers such as /pictetus did not si(ply prescribe
0faith1 as an abstract philosophical principle2 they ofered a concrete
strategy based on intellectual and spiritual discipline' The key to
resisting the hardship and discord that intrude upon every hu(an life,
is to cultivate a certain attitude toward adversity based on the critical
distinction between those things we are able to control versus those
which are beyond our capacity to (anage' The (isguided investor
(ay not be able to recover his fortune but he can resist the tendency
to engage in self#tor(ent' The victi(s of a natural disaster, a (a3or
illness or an accident (ay not be able to recover and live their lives
the way they used to, but they too can save the(selves the self#
tor(ent' In other words, while we cannot control all of the outco(es
we seek in life, we certainly can control our responses to these
outco(es and herein lies our potential for a life that is both happy and
ful4lled'
$. Treasure %riendship, the reciprocal attachment that &lls the
need for a'liation. %riendship cannot "e ac(uired in the
mar)et place, "ut must "e nurtured and treasured in relations
im"ued with trust and amity. 5ccording to Greek philosophy, one of
the de4ning characteristics of hu(anity that distinguishes it fro( other
for(s of e*istence is a deeply engrained social instinct, the need for
association and a6liation with others, a need for friendship' $ocrates,
!lato, and 5ristotle viewed the for(ation of society as a re.ection of
the profound need for hu(an a6liation rather than si(ply a
contractual arrange(ent between otherwise detached individuals'
Gods and ani(als do not have this kind of need but for hu(ans it is an
indispensable aspect of the life worth living because one cannot speak
of a co(pleted hu(an identity, or of true happiness, without the
associative bonds called 0friendship'1 7o a(ount of wealth, status, or
power can adequately co(pensate for a life devoid of genuine friends'
*. Experience True +leasure. ,void shallow and transient
pleasures. -eep your life simple. .ee) calming pleasures that
contri"ute to peace of mind. True pleasure is disciplined and
restrained. In its (any shapes and for(s, pleasure is what every
hu(an being is after' It is the chief good of life' 8et not all pleasures
are alike' $o(e pleasures are kinetic-shallow, and transient, fading
way as soon as the act that creates the pleasure ends' 9ften they are
succeeded by a feeling of e(ptiness and psychological pain and
sufering' 9ther pleasures are catastematic-deep, and prolonged, and
continue even after the act that creates the( ends2 and it is these
pleasures that secure the well#lived life' That&s the (essage of the
/picurean philosophers that have been (aligned and (isunderstood
for centuries, particularly in the (odern era where their theories of the
good life have been confused with doctrines advocating gross
hedonis('
/. 0aster 1ourself. Resist any external force that might delimit
thought and action; stop deceiving yourself, "elieving only
what is personally useful and convenient; complete li"erty
necessitates a struggle within, a "attle to su"due negative
psychological and spiritual forces that preclude a healthy
existence; self mastery re(uires ruthless cador. 9ne of the (ore
concrete ties between ancient and (odern ti(es is the idea that
personal freedo( is a highly desirable state and one of life&s great
blessings' Today, freedo( tends to be associated, above all, with
political liberty' Therefore, freedo( is often perceived as a reward for
political struggle, (easured in ter(s of one&s ability to e*ercise
individual 0rights'1
The ancients argued long before $ig(und :reud and the advent of
(odern psychology that the acquisition of genuine freedo( involved a
dual battle' :irst, a battle without, against any e*ternal force that
(ight deli(it thought and action' $econd, a battle within, a struggle to
subdue psychological and spiritual forces that preclude a healthy self#
reliance' The ancient wisdo( clearly recogni,ed that hu(ankind has
an in4nite capacity for self#deception, to believe what is personally
useful and convenient at the e*pense of truth and reality, all with
catastrophic consequences' Individual investors often deceive
the(selves by holding on to shady stocks, believing what they want to
believe' They often end up bla(ing stock analysts and stockbrokers
when the truth of the (atter is they are the ones who eventually (ade
the decision to buy the( in the 4rst place' $tudents also deceive
the(selves believing that they can pass a course without studying,
and end up bla(ing their professors for their eventual failure' !atients
also deceive the(selves that they can be cured with convenient
0alternative (edicines,1 which do not involve the restrictive lifestyle of
conventional (ethods'
2. ,void Excess. Live life in harmony and "alance. ,void
excesses. Even good things, pursued or attained without
moderation, can "ecome a source of misery and su3ering. This
rule is echoed in the writings of ancient Greek thinkers who viewed
(oderation as nothing less than a solution to life&s riddle' The idea of
avoiding the (any opportunities for e*cess was a pri(e ingredient in a
life properly lived, as su((ari,ed in $olon&s prescription 07othing in
/*cess1 ;<
th
=entury >'='?' The Greeks fully grasped the high costs of
passionate e*cess' They correctly understood that when people violate
the li(its of a reasonable (ean, they pay penalties ranging fro(
countervailing frustrations to utter catastrophe' It is for this reason that
they pri,ed ideals such as (easure, balance, har(ony, and proportion
as (uch as they did, the para(eters within which productive living can
proceed' If, however, e*cess is allowed to destroy har(ony and
balance, then the life worth living beco(es i(possible to obtain'
4. 5e a Responsi"le 6uman 5eing. ,pproach yourself with
honesty and thoroughness; maintain a )ind of spiritual
hygiene; stop the "lame7shifting for your errors and
shortcomings. >e honest with yourself and be prepared to assu(e
responsibility and accept consequences' This rule co(es fro(
!ythagoras, the fa(ous (athe(atician and (ystic, and has special
relevance for all of us because of the co((on hu(an tendency to
re3ect responsibility for wrongdoing' @ery few individuals are willing to
hold the(selves accountable for the errors and (ishaps that inevitably
occur in life' Instead, they tend to foist these situations of on others
co(plaining of circu(stances 0beyond their control'1 There are, of
course, situations that occasionally sweep us along, against which we
have little or no recourse' >ut the far (ore typical tendency is to 4nd
ourselves in dile((as of our own creation - dile((as for which we
refuse to be held accountable' How (any ti(es does the average
person say so(ething like, 0It really wasn&t (y fault' If only Aohn or
"ary had acted diferently then I would not have responded as I did'1
=op#outs like these are the standard reaction for (ost people' They
re.ect an in4nite hu(an capacity for rationali,ation, 4nger#pointing,
and denial of responsibility' Bnfortunately, this penchant for e*cuses
and self#e*e(ption has negative consequences' !eople who feed
the(selves a steady diet of e*onerating 4ction are in danger of living
life in bad faith - (ore, they risk corrupting their very essence as a
hu(an being'
8. 9on:t 5e a +rosperous %ool. +rosperity "y itself, is not a
cure7all against an ill7led life, and may "e a source of
dangerous foolishness. 0oney is a necessary "ut not a
su'cient condition for the good life, for happiness and
wisdom. !rosperity has diferent (eanings to diferent people' :or
so(e, prosperity is about the accu(ulation of wealth in the for( of
(oney, real estate and equities' :or others, prosperity is about the
accu(ulation of power and the achieve(ent of status that co(es with
appoint(ent to business or govern(ent positions' In either case,
prosperity requires wisdo(% the rational use of one&s resources and in
the absence of such wisdo(, 5eschylus was correct to speak of
prosperous fools'
;. 9on:t 9o Evil to <thers. Evildoing is a dangerous ha"it, a
)ind of re#ex too (uic)ly resorted to and too easily =usti&ed
that has a lasting and damaging e3ect upon the (uest for the
good life. 6arming others claims two victims>the receiver of
the harm, and the victimi?er, the one who does harm.
=onte(porary society is 4lled with (i*ed (essages when it co(es to
the treat(ent of our fellow hu(an beings' The (essage of the Audaeo#
=hristian religious heritage, for instance, is that doing evil to others is a
sin, e*tolling the virtues of (ercy, forgiveness, charity, love, and
paci4s(' 8et, as we all know, in practice these inspiring ideals tend to
be in very short supply' "odern society is a co(petitive, hard#bitten
environ(ent strongly inclined to advocate self#advantage at the
e*pense of the 0other'1 Bnder these conditions, it is not surprising that
people are often prepared to har( their fellow hu(an beings' These
activities are frequently 3usti4ed by invoking pre(ises such as
0payback,1 0leveling scores,1 or 0doing unto others, before they can do
unto you'1 I(plicit in all of these phrases is the notion that (alice
towards others can be 3usti4ed on either a reciprocal basis or as a pre#
e(ptive gesture in advance of anticipated in3ury' What is not
considered here are the efects these atte(pts to render evil have
upon the person engaging in such atte(pts' 9ur culture has naively
assu(ed that 0getting even1 is an acceptable response to wrongdoing
- that one bad#turn deserves another' What we fail to understand is
the psychological, e(otional, and spiritual i(pact victi(i,ing others
has upon the victi(i,er'
1@. -indness towards others tends to "e rewarded' -indness to
others is a good ha"it that supports and reinforces the (uest
for the good life. 6elping others "estows a sense of
satisfaction that has two "ene&ciaries>the "ene&ciary, the
receiver of the help, and the "enefactor, the one who provides
the help.
"any of the world&s great religions speak of an obligation to e*tend
kindness to others' >ut these deeds are often advocated as an
invest(ent toward future salvation - as the ad(ission ticket to
paradise' That&s not the case for the ancient Greeks, however, who saw
kindness through the lens of reason, e(phasi,ing the positive efects
acts of kindness have not 3ust on the receiver of kindness but to the
giver of kindness as well, not for the salvation of the soul in the
afterlife, but in this life' $i(ply put, kindness tends to return to those
who do kind deeds, as 5esop de(onstrated in his colourful fable of a
little (ouse cutting the net to free the big lion' 5esop lived in the <
th
century >'=' and acquired a great reputation in antiquity for the
instruction he ofered in his delightful tales' Cespite the passage of
(any centuries, 5esop&s counsels have stood the test of ti(e because
in truth, they are ti(eless observations on the hu(an condition2 as
relevant and (eaningful today as they were D,EFF years ago'

5oo) Review The Ten Golden

Rules
>y TessaGrace 5luna#>raithwaite
The Ten Golden Rules
,ncient !isdom from the Gree) +hilosophers on Living the
Good Life
by "' 5' $oupios, !hC and !anos "ourdoukoutas, !hC
This s(all but (ighty book truly shines a spotlight on the fact that the
ancient philosophers knew and lived the truth of which they spoke'
They reali,ed fully what was i(portant in creating an honest and well#
balanced life' 5 large part of the beauty and wisdo( conveyed in The
Ten Golden ules is that, as true as these rules were back in the days
of !lato, 5ristotle, $ocrates, and other ancient wisdo( keepers, they
continue to be 3ust as pertinent and i(portant today as well'
5s a (atter of fact, all of the principles presented in this book could
very well be the beginning of our salvation fro( the see(ingly
disingenuous lives being lived by the vast (a3ority of our country' In
the ever growing race for power and the al(ighty dollar, so(ehow we
have slipped away fro( the regal values the founding (others and
fathers so valiantly stood for as they birthed this nation' eading this
book and following its rich advice can lead us back to those values of
long ago and help us to live (ore connected, loving, and ful4lled lives'
These Ten Golden ules, as $oupios and "ourdoukoutas have so
adeptly co(piled, are the cul(ination of actions we would take when
we practice the original golden rule as we have always known it%
Co unto others as you would have done unto yourself'
In order to do this, we (ust 4rst begin by e*a(ining our own lives' 5ny
inward 3ourney to the soul begins within our own psyche, dissecting
and looking into our patterns and behaviors, disse(inating how we
treat ourselves, and that will show us how we treat others'
5ptly, then, the 4rst of the Ten Golden ules, according to $oupios and
"ourdoukoutas, is /*a(ine )ife' It is the space in which we 4nd out
where we can stretch and beco(e (ore authentic and real with
ourselves and others' 5ny path we begin to walk upon necessarily
bears this inward searching before we can proceed any further to
better ourselves'
The ne*t of the Ten Golden ules is to worry only about the things we
can control, because worrying about things that are out of our control
is foolish and produces stress, which can lead to illness and pain'
The third rule is to create, nurture and protect true friendship' 5ristotle
says it best2 0:riendship is a relationship in which two people co(e to
share the sa(e soul'1
5fter that we learn to e*perience true pleasure' 7ot the super4cial
pleasures that leave us feeling e(pty and alone, but rather the
pleasures that are pure, long#lasting, and bring inner peace and
war(th to our aching souls'
Then co(es (astering our $elves2 an inner process whereby we are
ruthlessly honest with ourselves about ourselves, our choices, our
values, and the way we live our lives' When we know our weaknesses
as well as our strengths, we can begin choosing to create our lives
(ore purposefully and authentically'
5voiding e*cess is the art of learning how to live in balance within the
structure of our daily routines, habits, and actions' This is the
opportunity to e*a(ine the parts of our lives where we live to e*cess
or co(pletely deny ourselves of what we need' It is the place where we
navigate between e*tre(es such as, overeating and starving
ourselves, having the (ost e*pensive car, house, or other bling thing
and denying ourselves even the (ost basic of necessities' )iving life in
this balance and (oderation brings an inner peace as we begin to live
a si(ple and unco(plicated life that is truly worth living' The rest of
the ten golden rules you can unearth for yourself'
$oupios and "ourdaukoutas have done an e*cellent 3ob co(piling the
wisdo( of the ancient ones on how to treat ourselves and others' It is a
wonderful little book that can be read over and over again, 3ust to
re(ind us, lest we forget'
I (ust ad(it there are a couple of downfalls to this book, but I warn
you not to throw the baby out with the bathwater on this one' If you
choose to overlook this book because of these (inor .aws, you will
(iss out on so(e basic wisdo( that, with a little practice, can (ake
life (uch (ore ful4lling and sweet'
These authors have over 4fty#4ve years of teaching between the two of
the(, $oupios holds eight graduate degrees, including four doctorates2
and he recently published a study on the cultural history of 5ncient
Greece called The $ong of Hellas' "ourdoukoutas has traveled
e*tensively throughout the world lecturing on business strategy and
leadership, has published several books, including >usiness $trategy in
a $e(iglobal /cono(y, and he received the /(erald )iterati =lub&s
Highly =o((ended 5ward for /*cellence'
$o perhaps we can forgive the( for lapsing, at ti(es, into language
that is clinical and dry' !erhaps, too, we can give the( the bene4t of
the doubt when they use e*a(ples of people&s lives that are outdated
and, frankly, trite' These are not .owery, poetic (en, but rather they
are scienti4c in their approach to the 5ncient Greeks, though they do
(anage to get their point across' Cespite this, I think this book is well
worth reading in order to return to the ancient wisdo( so long ago
written by the Greek philosophers'