On Hypomnemata

Last updated on 2023-07-15

I've been writing hypomnemata since the start of 2021. I like to re-read a small section of a Stoic text—Meditations or The Discourses—and I write about the theme of that text. This re-centers me each morning—putting philosophy at the front of my mind. It ensures I never go a day without reading philosophy. At night, before bed, I write another paragraph about my day and where I strayed from my stated principles. There are times when I celebrate my wins, but in general, this time is reserved for figuring out what I need to improve on for the next day.

"What makes us terrible people is that no one looks back over his life…plans for the future depend on the past." (Letters on Ethics 83.2)

I modeled my hypomnemata after Marcus'. There were times when I thought was just copying his work, but after reading The Inner Citadel, I began to appreciate that Meditations is an artifact of philosophical practice (Hadot 1998, 243). I now see what was—in the beginning, my journaling—as a philosophical practice. It’s a half-step between learning theory and what Epictetus would consider living theory. It’s a contemplation step that’s necessary to make living the theory you learn more likely.

The Basic Plan

Prep yourself for the day ahead
- Reminders of theory you want to turn into muscle memory
- Notes to yourself phrased in such a way as to affect behavioral change
Reflect on the day
- Self-critique with an eye toward righting the ship
- Private celebration of a day well-lived

Going Forward

This system I’ve settled on has worked well for the past year and a half, but I’ll think about places it could be improved over the coming weeks. We like to systematize things—for increased efficiency or productivity—but I’m loath to impose any more structure on this process. I’m afraid that creating a list of questions to answer will produce similar responses day in and day out. I’ll keep to free-flowing thoughts and keep it short. A paragraph in the morning and a paragraph in the evening feels right. I used to do a full page over the course of a day, but it started to feel like work.