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TST PRACTICE

By Philosopher Michael Alan Prestwood

Wisdom Builder

Three Tidbit Stories

Ancient Humans.

3 random tidbit stories in about 3 minutes.

Idea 1.

A Ancient Humans Story.

Lived ~156 to 145 million years ago.
20 to 22 meters (65 to 72 feet).

Brontosaurus is the beloved old museum name that refused to die. It was a large diplodocid sauropod from the Late Jurassic of western North America, with the same general long-necked, long-tailed body plan people associate with the great sauropod halls of childhood. The modern case for bringing the name back is not based on nostalgia, but on anatomy: some researchers argue it was distinct enough from Apatosaurus in its skeleton to count as its own genus.

That said, Brontosaurus is still best understood as very close to Apatosaurus, not as some wildly different beast. Think of it less as “the fake dinosaur” and more as “the dinosaur whose name got demoted, then later argued back into good standing.” That is why the name feels so emotionally familiar to people who grew up with it, while still carrying a bit of scientific controversy.

I wrote that Ancient Humans Story, 

and posted it to TST 7 months ago.

 

Idea 2.

A Ancient Humans Story.

1215
The Magna Carta in 1215 established the following principles:
  • everyone is subject to the law, even the King,
  • individuals have rights,
  • everyone has the right to justice,
  • and everyone has the right to a fair trial.
The Magna Carta recognized individual responsibility in all, including the King, and it established that the law “should” be applied to everyone equally. Although King John got the pope to void the Magna Carta only 10 weeks after signing it, it was reissued several times over the next century and became a seminal legal document when Sir Edward Coke used it extensively in the 17th century. (Sir Edward Coke was a mentor to Roger Williams.)

I wrote that Ancient Humans Story, 

and posted it to TST 7 years ago.

 

Idea 3.

A Ancient Humans Story.

Contemplate the future.

30 Philosophers, Chapter 13, Marcus Aurelius, Touchstone 34: Negative Visualization.

It is not external events, but our thoughts about them, that cause distress. Many of us don’t truly appreciate our family, friends, and possessions so visualizing their absence increases appreciation for them.

The point is not to dwell on loss, but to use it to better experience the life you have now. Imagine losing a friendship and you may be inspired to nurture it. Imagine a difficult event and you can prepare yourself for it. And by occasionally facing the impermanence of everything you value, you can become more resilient while learning to cherish the present.

Negative visualization finds a modern counterpart in “defensive pessimism,” a cognitive strategy in psychology. You start by casting your gaze ahead, pinpointing potential hiccups in your journey. You then explore those scenarios.

I wrote that Ancient Humans Story, 

and posted it to TST 2 years ago.

 

The end. Refresh for another set.

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