I really like this entry from The Daily Stoic since it nicely describes my approach for most of my life and the past few years in particular. If I find some useful information, I’ll add it to my knowledge base regardless of the source. I’m happy to learn from just about anybody who has knowledge or wisdom to share even if they’re not one of my usual sources of information. This has allowed me to learn a lot of stuff about a wide range of subjects and understand a variety of different perspectives, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I’ll never be ashamed to quote a bad writer with a good saying.”
-Seneca, On Tranquility of Mind, 11.8
One of the striking things about Seneca’s letters and essays is how often he quotes the philosopher Epicurus. Why is that strange? Because Stoicism and Epicureanism are supposed to be diametrically opposed philosophies! (In reality the differences while significant tend to be overblown.)
But this is true to form for Seneca. He was looking for wisdom, period. It didn’t matter where it came from. This is something that a lot of fundamentalists – in religion, philosophy, anything – seem to miss. Who cares whether some bit of wisdom is from a Stoic, who cares whether it perfectly jibes with Stoicism? What matters is whether it makes your life better, whether it makes you better.
What wisdom or help would you be able to find today if you stopped caring about affiliations and reputations? How much more could you see if you just focused on merit?