Ever heard of the Roman Stoic philosopher, Musonius? No? Well, you’re in good company. Not many have. Save for your random philosophy geek, like me.
Musonius was a contemporary (-ish) of both Seneca and Epictetus. Though, unlike Seneca and Epictetus, Musonius is pretty much lost to history. An early casualty of poor PR, I suppose,
We know Musonius mostly through the writings of his student, Lucius. And through those writings the philosopher wrestled quite a bit with whether theory or practice was more effective for acquiring virtue.
Given that theory teaches what we ought to do, and practice is demonstrated by those who’ve been trained to act in accordance with said theory.
That is, they’ve done the more difficult work of actually putting theory into practice.
And make no mistake: this is where the rubber meets the road.
In my coaching practice, I attribute theory to an activity of the conscious mind, whereas practice is a result of successful unconscious programming. Or at least sustained movement toward that direction.
Mousonius says:
“Theory which teaches how one must act assists action and logically precedes the practice, for it is not possible for something good to be accomplished unless it is accomplished in accordance with theory. But as a matter of fact, practice is more important than theory because it more effectively leads humans to actions than theory does.’”
Or as I teach in my coaching practice: the conscious mind is the goal setter, and the unconscious mind is the goal-getter.
Mousonius goes on to say:
“...virtue is not just theoretical knowledge, it is also practical, like both medical and musical knowledge. The doctor and the musician must each not only learn the principles of his own skill but be trained to act according to those principles.
Likewise, the man who wants to be good must not only learn the lessons which pertain to virtue but train himself to follow them eagerly and rigorously…”
The long and short of it is this: can we become skilled at things such as virtue - or any philosophical practice or habit for that matter - through theory alone? Is mental and philosophical jujitsu enough to ingrain a habit or virtue?
Of course not. We have to actually “do the thing” in the messiness of the real world. We have to “chop wood, and carry water”. Theorizing is not enough. This is why I “task” my clients with actions that demonstrate movement toward their desired outcome. Tasks, by the way, that the client knows (consciously) ought to be done, but because of (unconscious) blocks, would never get around to doing on their own.
One of the pitfalls I see repeated in the psychedelic space is merely experiencing those otherworldly happenings, realizations, and downloads that occur in the outer realms without actually integrating the experience. Without integration, we are left with an otherworldly experience that fades as quickly as last night’s dream.
Which I suppose is fine if all you want is a mind-bending experience.
But if effective trauma resolution or addiction ending or new and novel insight into one’s life is desired, integration is a must. These teachings have to reach the unconscious mind in the way the unconscious mind can grasp them. Which is to say, by effective programming.
Or as Mousonius says, “...the person who claims to be studying philosophy must practice it even more diligently than the person who aspires to the art of medicine or some similar skill, inasmuch as philosophy is more important and harder to grasp than any other pursuit.”
One of Gandhi’s many profound statements was, “be the change you want to see in the world”. I would add that the only way to do that is to, *be the change you want to see in YOURSELF*.
Does that mean “fake it until ya make it”? Yeah, quite possibly. Habits, whether physical or in thought, take time to ingrain.
Not as long as traditionally understood, however. In my coaching practice, I expect 100% resolution of trauma, addictions, limiting beliefs, and a whole host of other “conditions” within a 48 hour extended session. And lesser conditions within a handful of hours.
And I do mean 100% resolution. I reject the “once an addict, always an addict” mentality. That idea is a limiting belief meant to keep an individual a lifelong prisoner of a substance, even in absentia of that substance. Like so many other conditions, it’s a prison produced by the individual’s own unconscious programming. And in my mind, that’s criminal.
Easier said than done, I know. Those deeply ingrained, unconscious programs can be tough to change. AND, with proper attention and effective coaching, they most certainly CAN be changed.
Knowledge (and theory) is not power, it is merely potential. Informed action is power.
This is why I calibrate my clients on behavior alone. Because behavior is the outward-facing result of unconscious programming. It’s never a conscious mind thing.
Is theory necessary? Absolutely.
But it’s ACTION that evokes change. Both internally and in the world.
Til next time —
Keith