Wisdom Builder

Three Tidbit Stories

3 Truth Hammers.

3 random tidbit stories in about 3 minutes.

1.

3 Truth Hammers Story.

28 Feb 1533
20 Generations Ago (from 2020 CE)

Montaigne was one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance. In addition to furthering skepticism, he also extended stoicism. He also extended literary style by promoting the essay format and by breaking norms of his day. For example, talking about himself in his own writing.

My favorite translated Montaigne quotes: 

  • Obsession is the wellspring of genius and madness.
  • He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.
  • What do I know?
  • My art and profession is to live.

 


That 3 Truth Hammers Story, 

was first published on TST 4 years ago.

2.

3 Truth Hammers Story.

Emerged 13 mya, extinct 9 to 7 mya
Cultural Transmission

Likely an orangutan ancestor: As the branches of the ape family tree diverged, Dryopithecus emerged during the Miocene epoch, offering a glimpse into the early development of primate social structures. Living approximately 13 to 12 million years ago, this early ape flourished in the European forests, at a time slightly preceding or overlapping with the divergence of orangutans around 12 to 16 million years ago. This timeline positions Dryopithecus as an example of early apes developing complex social behaviors that may have included rudimentary forms of cultural transmission.

Inhabiting a world of dense forests and diverse ecosystems, Dryopithecus likely navigated a social landscape that required adaptive behaviors and communication skills, setting the stage for the evolution of more sophisticated social learning and cultural transmission. These early apes were not direct ancestors of modern orangutans but rather part of a broader group of Miocene apes that explored various adaptive strategies. The evolution of social learning in such environments underscores the beginnings of culture, where knowledge and behaviors started to be passed down through generations, shaping the social dynamics of future ape lineages.

 


That 3 Truth Hammers Story, 

was first published on TST 2 years ago.

3.

3 Truth Hammers FAQ.

No, not specifically. TST does not adopt entelechy as a core term. It respects Aristotle’s insight, but TST uses the simpler distinction between potential and actual. That gives us the useful part without carrying over Aristotle’s full teleology or later vitalist baggage.

In Aristotle, entelechy points to a thing’s fulfilled actuality. It is what something becomes when its potential has been fully realized according to its nature. An acorn has the potential to become an oak; the mature oak is closer to its fulfilled form. In this sense, entelechy is not merely potential, and it is not merely process. It is potential brought into completed actuality.

The reason TST does not specifically adopt entelechy is that it can imply a built-in final purpose or destiny. TST does not need that. A newborn baby has the potential to become an adult human, but not a tiger. Reality sets boundaries on what is possible. Within those boundaries, conditions, time, choices, and actions help determine what becomes actual. That is enough.

In TST, potential and actual do the work. Potential means what can become real within the constraints of reality. Actual means what has become real. This applies to human development, ideas, ethics, science, and even abstractions like infinity. Potential matters, but actuality is where reality pushes back.

 


That 3 Truth Hammers FAQ, 

was first published on TST 3 weeks ago.

The end. Refresh for another set.

Wisdom Builder
(c) 2025-2026 TouchstoneTruth.
Content and coding by Michael Alan Prestwood.
Scroll to Top