greek philosophy

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

Is there, in all literature, an opening line with which more minds are stamped? A passage more famous and quotable than that with which Dickens' timeless classic begins?

I think not!

Set in those two great centers of learning and culture, London and Paris, before and during the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities follows the tribulations of Dr. Manette, his blue-eyed daughter, Lucie, and her dashing, strong-willed husband, the expatriate Charles Darnay. 

It is, according to every clear-thinking reader, one of Western literature's finest works of historical fiction. 

While we all know and repeat the book's opening line, I ask you, do you remember the somewhat lesser-known sentence with which it ends? 

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known". 

Precisely our goal!--A "far, far better rest" awaits you (not the rest of death), if you'll only listen to this episode with me! 

If you have a favorite book that you want read in a sleepy style, or if you're the author of an original work to which you'd like to draw more attention, drop me a line at pneuma.finneran@gmail.com. I will read it on this show. 

Be sure to subscribe to this channel and leave a five-star rating! 

Not even the most experienced traveler (to whom thousands of valuable “miles” and precious points have accrued!) is totally immune to the uneasiness and discomfort associated with flight. 

These feelings, sadly, are an inescapable part of our airborne journeys. 

In this episode, we’ll go through a mediation by which our stresses will be quieted, our equanimity restored, and our flight made much more peaceful and, perhaps, enjoyable. 

We’ll perform a simple breathing exercise, a gentle body scan, an act of thanksgiving and appreciation, and a few stretches with which to calibrate our bodies and minds. 

Don’t forget to follow, subscribe to, like, or share this episode with a friend! 

Visit my sister podcasts, Finneran’s Wake and Finneran’s Wake For Kids for more content. 

Thank you and Bon Voyage! 

"To live in accordance with nature". 

That, in its simplest form, is the central principle around which the entire philosophy of Stoicism revolves. 

To live in accordance with nature is to practice the four virtues (temperance, prudence, justice, and courage) for which we all have an inborn aptitude and reverence. It’s to elevate temperance, the virtue of moderation, self-control, self-possession, and self-governance, above the lower appetites by which we’re too easily overcome. 

In this episode, we’ll talk about the virtue of temperance as it pertains to (over) eating and how you might implement some of the lessons of the Stoics to address your issues with weight. 

I know…it’s a sensitive topic. I recoil at the mere thought of offending anyone’s feelings, but I think the content has the potential to do some good. 

Please follow, subscribe to, like, or share this episode with friends.

Visit my sister podcast and YouTube channel, Finneran’s Wake and Finneran’s Wake for Kids. 

In this episode, Paddy & The Yank discuss the ancient greek myth of Oedipus and The Oedipus complex a Freudian term that was named after a man that unknowingly killed his father and slept with his own mother.

Featuring original music from British singer-songwriter Sam Hockaday.

#sleep #bedtimestories #bedtime #relaxing #calming #soothing 

Get comfortable! 

Here's an excerpt from Thomas De Quincey's intoxicating work, "Confessions of an English Opium Eater". 

The title, I think, says it all. 

De Quincey's confessional joins a timeless genre to which such luminary names as St. Augustine and Jean-Jacques Rousseau contributed. In this excerpt, you'll learn how the esteemed British author got hooked on the soporific drug, against whose recreational or medicinal use he's not exactly explicit in warning us! 

Here on Pneuma, it should be said, we promote sobriety and wholesomeness, above all else. My reading of De Quincey is not an endorsement of his inebriated approach to life. 

Substitute my voice for your opiates and fall right asleep! 

If you have a book you want read in a sleepy style, or if you have an original work that you'd like me to read, drop me a line at pneuma.finneran@gmail.com. 

Be sure to subscribe to this channel, share it with friends, like this video, and leave a five-star rating! 

Thank you. 

“In the deep heart of man, care builds her nest,
Over secret woes she broodeth there,
Sleepless she rocks herself and scareth joy and rest”

Listen to this episode, and un-build care's brooding, scary nest. 

Quiet your cares, silence your worries, and enjoy a blissful night of sleep. 

Be sure to subscribe to this channel, leave a 5-star rating, and send me a flattering review in the morning! Sweet dreams.

The second episode of my "Sleep Story" series, with which I hope to facilitate your transition to sleep. 

In this episode, I read to you an excerpt from Benjamin Disraeli's "Sybil". 

In it, we meet the titular character, Sybil, as she meditates on the deep, unbridgeable chasm in English society--the gap between the landed and landless, the rich and poor, the conquerors and oppressed--just before encountering the sympathetic aristocrat, Charles Egremont. 

Listen as long as you can. Hopefully, by its end, you're sound asleep. Leave me a five-star rating in the morning! Sweet dreams.