The World According to Zach
For the final day of my intro to philosophy class last semester, my first semester back in the classroom after more than ten years, I created a Google Slides presentation called “The World According to Zach.” My goal was to share some practical takeaways from various philosophers we covered in the course, along with some of my own nuggets of wisdom and a few pieces of advice from other influences in my life.
Here are a PDF and the original Google Slides version of “The World According to Zach”:
And here are the contents of the slide in list form for easy perusal:
The World According to Zach: Practical and Philosophical Advice from Me (and a Few Others) to You!
Plato: Don’t live in a cave of ignorance.
Aristotle: Cultivate virtues (good habits). Squash your vices.
Marcus Aurelius: Focus on the things you can control. Let go of the things you can’t.
Thomas Aquinas: Contemplate the origin of the cosmos.
Descartes: Light a candle, turn down the lights, and surprise yourself with what you can accomplish with the power of your own mind.
David Hume: Be skeptical.
Kant: Be aware of the ways in which you are constructing your own reality.
Nietzsche: Be an individual. Don’t be like the herd. You are the artistic creator of your own life story.
Foucault: Be aware of the hidden power relationships surrounding you. (Machiavelli: And use them to your advantage.)
Wittgenstein: Learn to play the language games you are already in—and create new ones!
Heidegger: Throw yourself into a project you care about with all your Being.
Camus: Contemplate suicide.
Sartre: Remember your power to choose.
Kant: Keep your objectivity.
John Stuart Mill: Focus on the greater good.
Lyotard: Be skeptical of grand metanarratives—and don’t be taken in by them!
Baudrillard: Expose the artificial in the things you take for granted as reality.
Find the weak points and inconsistencies in your own worldview, and try to reconcile them.
Think about human nature and the purpose of government.
Thoreau: Seek out transcendent experiences every day.
Chalmers: Be amazed that you have a mind at all. Don’t be a zombie.
Clayton: Consider the emerging universe unfolding around you.
On Free Will and Determinism: Be aware of the external factors guiding your actions. But don’t be constrained by them. No excuses!
Learn some technology skills: web design, coding, programming, multimedia creation, etc.
Create something new.
Write poetry. Even bad poetry.
Invest 10 percent of your earnings in the stock market to retire as a millionaire.
Advice from Zach’s Grandfather (Roger Forssell): Always have a plan.
More Advice from Zach’s Grandfather: Use the turbochargers to get off the ground.
Even More Advice from Zach’s Grandfather: Don’t burn the candle at both ends.
Improve your writing.
Don’t take the world around you for granted. The world doesn’t have to be the way it is today.
Create and leave a legacy for yourself, and for future generations.
Feed the birds. It’s good for them and good for your soul.
Don’t live somebody else’s life.
Honor the past but look to the future.
Look up to the stars and dream, but don’t fall into a well.
Don’t let history forget the people who have meant the most to you.
Every academic discipline is incomplete, with more to learn, create, and discover.
Be a generalist. Don’t over-specialize.
Forgive but don’t forget.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Experts LOVE to help and are waiting to hear from you.
Break the rules. Ignore standards you don’t agree with.
Don’t settle for mere knowledge. Seek wisdom.
Tenacity and focus matter more than skill. But keep improving your skill.
Be a lifelong student. But pass down what you have learned. Teach and mentor others.
Have strong ideals but don’t be an idealist. Bring your ideas into reality.
Be kind. The world needs it.
Don’t be a pushover.
Don’t be a doormat.
Sun Tzu: Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.
Be comfortable with being alone.
Be comfortable being with others.
John Rhys-Davies: Make others feel comfortable. Say, “Good morning!”
Read to learn something new.
Be a romantic. (Trust me on this one.)
Take your life into your own hands once in a while.
Hike up the tallest mountains. Literally.
Learn Latin and Greek.
Read Homer to understand human nature.
L.M. Montgomery: Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it (yet).
Don’t settle for second best.
Change. Don’t get stuck in your ways.
Doctors and bartenders both get the same two customers: the living and the dying.
Take a train. Go on a journey. Find yourself.
Follow through. Meet your commitments. Do what you say you are going to do.
Surpass your teachers and do even more amazing things in life than they have done.
