Book 1.3

 Book 1.3

 Starting chronologically, let’s take a look at some of the works written by Homer. In The Iliad, productivity is a modern theme in the conquest of Ilium (Troy). After Queen Helen’s abduction from the Greek city-state Sparta, the Achaeans (Greeks) initiated war with Troy. One of the key aspects of the war was communication, of which a lack thereof on the Trojan side resulted in 7 “Panic, Rout, and Strife whose fury never tires...”. Giving his fellow Grecians a pep talk of sorts, Agamemnon exclaimed 8“They that shun dishonor more often live than get killed, but they that fly save neither life nor name.” Courage, in this instance, is crucial to a Greek victory over the Trojans, and the morale boost provided by Agamemnon is instrumental to the Greeks in the tides of war. This is just one example of courage that can be implemented throughout daily life, entrepreneurship, and achieving lifelong goals. In addition, this tidbit of philosophy can greatly aid business owners, authors, and 21^st-century leaders in assuming risk in a productive manner. Without this ability, we would not have astoundingly successful companies like Google, Microsoft, or Tesla.

            Not only are some anecdotes on communication and courage presented in ancient Greek literature, but lessons on patience and humility are also provided. When considering showing his brawn against the mighty Hector of Troy, Menelaus is rightfully criticized for the sake of his own life by King Agamemnon.

9Menelaus, you are mad; a truce to this folly. Be patient in spite of passion, do not think of fighting a man so much stronger than yourself as Hector, son of Priam, who is feared by many another as well as you.

Introducing much of the fundamental principles of stoicism, Homer includes an excerpt on the importance of essentialism (i.e. removing all physical or emotional barriers that might be obstructing the path to achieving goals). 10“[A] man may buy both tripods and horses if he wants them, but when his life has once left him it can neither be bought nor harried back again.” Ancient Greek literature is, thus, strewn with, although somewhat obsolete, somewhat applicable maxims in the age of content, speed, and ever-evolving productivity.

Similar to Homer, Socrates, and Plato; Hsün Tzu and Mencius developed equally novel philosophies regarding other aspects of productivity. Because intelligence and education both play vital roles to productive living around the era of Chinese Confucianism, these concepts were very close to the hearts and minds of many Chinese philosophers in the two camps of Confucianism. One side, led by Mencius, believed that humans were inherently virtuous. In contrast, Hsün Tzu believed that humans were just the opposite: chaotic, resentful, and conniving.

Hsun Tzu believed 11“…that becoming virtuous meant altering human nature[.]” Similar to a scientist encoding DNA into genetically altered primates, virtuosity had the same degree of superficiality in natural, human qualities, at least in the eyes of Tzu. Tao, which in the case of the Confucians means 12“the path to perfection,” is an essential component to most Chinese philosophy. Theoretically, following this path results in societal stability, moral perfection, and wisdom and intelligence beyond mere understanding. 13“The gentlemen,” says Tzu referring to a person of flawless morality “is by birth no different from any other man; it is just that he is good at making use of things.” Thus, extraordinary men and women in this day and age do not simply work diligently; they work intelligently, taking advantage of the full capacity of their resources and intelligence in any given situation. That, my friends, is intelligence.

Peace out.