#44 - The Path to True Goodness

By Armaan Athwal

Today's Overview:

• Balance action with reflection to ensure your actions are thoughtfully grounded

• Break the cycle of inaction

• Quote of the day

Balancing Action with Reflection

Marcus Aurelius, a man who spent his entire life immersed in philosophy, knew what it meant to be a good man. When he wrote, "Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one," it was the culmination of decades of reflection and practice.

For him, arguing may have indeed been a waste of time—he had already done the hard work of defining what goodness meant to him. But what about the rest of us?

Most people aren’t lifelong students of philosophy. For many, the journey to becoming a good person is filled with uncertainties, questions, and evolving beliefs. That’s why while it’s essential to emphasize action—because stoicism should never be a purely academic pursuit—it’s equally important to continuously analyze and refine your belief system.

As you take action, also engage in the process of questioning and strengthening the beliefs that guide those actions. If something feels wrong, argue it out, but remain open to change if a better way is revealed.

This dual approach ensures that your actions are not just impulsive reactions but are grounded in thoughtful reflection. It’s about finding the right balance between doing and thinking, between immediate action and long-term philosophical inquiry.

Marcus’s advice is a reminder not to get stuck in endless debates, but it’s also an encouragement to refine your understanding of what it means to be good as you go along.

In today’s world, where "good" can mean vastly different things to different people, it’s easy to get caught up in defining, refining, and debating the concept. We see endless versions of goodness—cultural, religious, personal—and it’s tempting to weigh them all before deciding how to act. But Marcus’s point transcends this intellectual exercise. It’s about cutting through the noise and moving from thought to action.

So while Marcus’s advice is powerful, it’s not about ignoring reflection or analysis. It’s about recognizing when it’s time to stop talking and start doing. But as you act, keep searching, keep questioning, and keep refining your understanding of what it means to be good.

Define Your Own Goodness and Live It

It's easy to fall into the habit of imagining all the things you'll do to get your life in order "someday." You think about the bad habits you’ll break and the good habits you’ll start, but often, that’s where it ends. You get stuck in a loop of "I should," never actually moving forward to "I will."

The key takeaway from Marcus’s wisdom is this: you don’t need to worry about the countless versions of what others consider to be good. What matters most is the version you have created for yourself. Once you’ve defined your own sense of goodness—based on your values, principles, and beliefs—the next step is to live up to it with integrity.

This isn’t about being inflexible or ignoring the perspectives of others; it’s about having a clear sense of your own moral compass and acting on it. When you have a solid understanding of what "good" means to you, it eliminates the need for endless debate. You stop questioning and start doing. The energy that would have been spent on arguing or refining definitions is now channeled into living out those values in real time.

But here’s the thing: true "good" will reveal itself to anyone sincerely searching to become better. Even if you’re on the wrong path, the willingness to form better habits will eventually lead you toward becoming a better person.

The key is to stay honest with yourself, to question your actions and the rationalizations behind them. Over time, those rationalizations become harder to accept, pushing you closer to true goodness.

Quote of the Day

“And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.” - John Steinbeck

Recognizing that you don't have to be perfect frees you to take action and live out your own definition of goodness.