Since the weekly letter is called the “Philo Letter.”
I felt it necessary to give insight into the inspiration as to why I started this to begin with.
Yes, it’s to provide systems for thinking that reduce mental chaos. 🫶
Philo is a two-word combination of “Philein-Sophia,” meaning a lover of Wisdom.
However, the inspiration for higher-order thinking comes from Socrates, who was introduced to me by my best friend, Derek Espinoza.
I’m not gonna speak of Socrates now, for what we know of him is transcribed from Plato, his greatest student, so let’s keep the focus on Plato.
But! what I will share about Socrates is that his teachings in The Last Days of Socrates forever changed the course of my life.
For those unfamiliar with Plato, Plato was a Greek philosopher who lived from 427 BC to 347 BC.
He was a student of Socrates and is considered one of Western philosophy's most influential philosophers.
If the world you know and live in (the western world) was a person.
The left foot would be Christ, and the right would be Plato in terms of influence.
In his famous work The Republic, Plato put forward the theory that there are three 'forms' of existence:
The physical world
The world of ideas
The world of the ideal
This theory has profoundly influenced Western thought and is still debated by philosophers today.
Plato believed the physical world is an imperfect copy of the world of ideas.
This means that our everyday experience is only a dim reflection of reality.
For Plato, the only way to understand reality is to access the world of ideas.
This can be done through contemplation and philosophy.
The world of the ideal is perfect and eternal and can only be accessed by those who have transcended the physical world.
This is what Plato believed would happen to humans after they died.
He argued that if we want to lead a good life, we should strive to access the world of the ideal.
But he also had a theory about the soul that is quite mind-bending.
Let’s take a look at his theory on the tripartite soul.
Plato’s Tripartite Soul
Plato divided the soul into three parts (don’t worry about pronunciation, lol, I had to google it when I first read about them).
I translated them for ease of digestion 😉
The epithymetikon → Appetite (The Monster)
The thymoeides → Passion (The Lion)
The logistikon → Reason (The Human)
The Appetitive Part (The Monster)
The appetitive part of the soul is responsible for our desires and appetites.
Derek and I call this The Monster.
This part of the soul includes hunger, thirst, and sexual desire.
The appetitive part of the soul can be controlled by either the rational or spirited parts; however, it's more likely to be controlled by the latter.
Whether we like it or not, our desires often hold us back from achieving our goals.
We can be so focused on what we want that we fail to see what we need to do to get there.
This can lead us to make bad decisions and take risks that we wouldn't otherwise take.
It can prevent us from taking action altogether.
Our desires can cloud our judgment and distort our view of reality.
This is why it's essential to be aware of them and consciously choose the ones we allow for guiding our actions.
We will likely stay the course and succeed when we are clear about our goals and are anchored in our values.
The Spirited Part (The Lion)
The spirited part of the soul is responsible for our emotions and will.
We call this The Lion.
This part of the soul is what drives us to pursue our goals and ambitions.
It also allows us to feel anger, fear, and love.
The spirited part of the soul typically strongly influences the appetitive part.
The Rational Part (The Human)
The soul's rational part is responsible for our thoughts and our ability to reason.
We call this The Human.
This part of the soul is what makes us human; it's what separates us from animals.
The soul's rational part is in control when we're making logical decisions and engaging in critical thinking.
Diving Deeper into The Monster (Desires)
I want to dive deeper here because it’s essential and easy to discard.
It’s hard to face these truths about ourselves.
Many of us have an insatiable desire for money, pleasure, success, and status.
So much so that it’s destroying not only our minds but our heart, soul, and culture.
It’s good to have big aspirations, but when we are out of alignment and unable to see the signals. It can lead to immense mental suffering.
Every 40 seconds, someone dies from suicide. According to statistics, work stress, such as long hours and job strain, is a leading cause of suicide among Americans. Suicide has become a global health crisis and the 10th leading cause of death in the United States–a rate that has risen 30% since 1999
Many of us live quiet lives of desperation.
So much of this pain is caused by the fact that we have found ourselves in a dystopian world designed to keep us impulsive, emotionally stunted, and distracted.
Many of us struggle to gain control of our appetites for food, sex, money, and entertainment.
Our passions and emotions are either shut down or explosive.
Worst of all, we end up feeling lost, uncertain, and without purpose.
While this might seem grim, and it is, there is hope!
Derek and I connected with six people this past week 1:1 as a public service.
All confirmed the necessity for a space to share the pressure of expectations and the request for tools, resources, & community to support one another.
These desires are holding many of us back from living the life of purpose we’re all designed to live.
Please, if you or a loved one is at capacity and want to learn how to mitigate the stress and tame these unwarranted desires, join us on October 27th @ 11 am at no cost. (last week’s letter link was broken 😭)
How to Avoid Business Owner Burnout.
Much of this unalignment or desire for success leads to burnout.
Regardless if you own a business or are an aspiring business owner.
Matt, Derek, and I did a workshop on Business Burnout a few weeks ago.
We’ve been working diligently on a community ecosystem for entrepreneurs.
People of passion who aspire to build a business, a personal brand, and a community to build with.
So many “programs” lack community. Community is the infrastructure for sustainability.
Matt Gottesman is brilliant when it comes to creative writing and creativity. The way he channels and tranmutes his conversations with God into writing is something I aspire to achieve.
Derek Espinoza is 28 years old, a father of 2 daughters (and another one in the oven 👶), and graduated Summa Cum Laude from ASU, majoring in Psychology. If anyone knows pressure and how to handle it, it is him.
As for myself, my name is Nadeem Al-Hasan. I'm 32 years old, and I've scaled multiple businesses to 7 & 8 figures. I was 25 when my first business hit a million dollars in gross revenue. And I was 31 when it hit a million per month. I built these businesses using systems and processes. These systems & processes were not only for business but for the mind and heart. I know what it takes to grow a business as a solopreneur, a 5-person team, and a 50-person team.
The fundamentals are the same.
This is what has inspired us to come together.
And we look forward to making it available to you too.
Conclusion
Plato's tripartite theory of the soul is an interesting way to look at human nature. It can help us to understand ourselves better. When we turn inwards and focus on strengthening our relationship with the self, our external relationships can begin to prosper. Once we can tame our desires, train our passions, and align with reason. We can be fit for the service of others. Before we build externally, we must build internally.
Here are some questions to reflect on:
Are you more inclined towards reason or emotion?
Do you let your desires control you, or do you have restraint
What motivates you?
Final Thoughts
As a drop of water, it's hard to imagine myself as anything other than tiny and insignificant.
And yet, I am part of the ocean, which is unimaginably vast.
Though I am separate from the ocean, in a sense, I am also one with it.
We share the same substance, after all. And when I evaporate into the air, I become part of the clouds, and eventually, I will fall back to earth as rain or snow.
So in a way, I am always connected to the ocean even when I seem to be far away from it.
That's because there is no separation; we're all just different expressions of the same infinite consciousness.
It would mean the world to me if you would send this to someone you feel could use a lift of inspiration. This is my service to the world.
**See below - For UpcomingWorkshop & Past Letters**
3 Parts of the Soul