One of my favorite podcasts is the Art of Manliness. For those about to tune out, thinking I’m going to go on some “Bro” tangent, hang on, this podcast is about all of the aspects that make for a well-rounded and productive man. I’ve listened to hundreds of episodes, and there are so many life lessons and philosophies that are not limited to men. In other words, it is the opposite of the immature bro “culture” that infects our world today.
The guests and topics cover the gamut from fitness, health, business, literature, and philosophy. One of the episodes, 1057, was a deep dive into the value and history of keeping a notebook. It introduced something I was not familiar with: a Commonplace Book.
The point of this notebook is not to be a diary or journal, but more a collection of things you find interesting or valuable. It could include ideas, poems, recipes, quotes, and more. Things you encounter in your daily life and say to yourself, “I like that, I want to remember it.”
There are tons of resources out there on how to keep and organize a Commonplace Book, but I try not to put that much thought into it. I don’t need another thing to analyze and wonder whether I am doing it “correctly.” Ideas on how to organize one go back as far as the Enlightenment philosopher John Locke in 1685. I don’t intend to get into any of that, but know that if you are curious about the idea, you have an almost endless supply of resources.
After listening to the podcast, I started keeping one near my desk specifically for quotes or ideas I see in articles or while I am reading. I also keep a Note on my phone so I can capture a quote when I hear or read it and then later transcribe it into my Commonplace Book.
Having them in one place, which I can pick up and review from time to time, is more valuable than scrolling through them on my phone. Not to mention that writing them out causes me to process them a second time, making them more beneficial than a highlighted line in a magazine or book.
I want to share some of the quotes I’ve collected recently, in the hope that they may inspire some of you to start a Commonplace Book for yourselves. The nice thing about the practice is that, unlike many trendy organizational techniques, this doesn’t require much rigor. It can be as detailed or vague as you like, because these collections are for you. It is the thoughts and items you find essential and want to hold onto. On the other hand, it could also include a grocery list for the week; it’s your book.
______________________________
“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.” – Gore Vidal
“Let go of who you are supposed to be, and just be who you are.” – Unknown
“The Renaissance man is at home wherever he goes.” – Matthew McConaughey
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” – Mark Twain
“Real pleasure can only be found in useful work – in the house well built, in the farm well tilled, in the books well kept, in the page well written, in the thought well expressed, in all the improved conditions of life all around us.” – Frederick Douglas
“Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The greatest threat to public virtue was American greed, which led speculators and war profiteers to circumvent the boycott or sell supplies to the army at monopoly prices.” – George Washington
On the politics of ancient Rome from Catos Letters – Division, strife, and civil war were caused by demagogues who encouraged factions and played them against one another to shore up their own absolute power.
“Remember when you used to leave a single CD in the player in the car for weeks on end? Just the same songs, over and over, never getting old? Why was that so satisfying?” – Sam Smith
“To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” – Seneca
“Coffee is always the beginning of something: a meeting, a break, a moment of sharing.” – sign at the Lavazza Coffee HQ/Museum
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain
“Eat food as medicine, or you will be forced to eat medicine as food.” – Steve Jobs
“You tie your shoes and walk out the door every morning, even as the process fights back, because you are vertical and breathing. The nature of the deal means that you don’t get to name the variables or pick the dates. You simply wake up each day and do it. Because you can. Because you get to.” – Sam Smith
______________________________
These quotes and ideas are just a few things I’ve encountered in the past year and have jotted down in my notebook. I will continue to add to it as I see things that strike a chord with me. Hopefully, this has sparked an interest in you, and if not, at least I hope it has brought some moment of reflection or entertainment.