You don’t need to solve your soul before setting your house in order. In fact, the outer path might just be the way to reach your inner peace
T
he ancient Aztecs aren’t usually grouped with today’s self-help gurus. But their philosophy, preserved in early post-conquest records, offers surprisingly sharp tools for modern life. Unlike stoicism or Buddhism, which emphasize internal reflection as the path to a better life, the Aztecs believed that you should start with your surroundings, your relationships, your body and speech. In their view, wisdom begins outside. Here are 10 lessons from their “outward path”, starting with those that clarify life goals.
The pursuit of happiness is written into the US Declaration of Independence. Aristotle wrote volumes about its role as the chief aim of our life more than 2,000 years before that. While it’s a staple notion in our culture, the Aztecs took a more realistic approach. “Happiness”, when it’s not some complicated idea that’s drifted from our ordinary meaning, is fleeting and tends to be followed by its opposite: pain or at least fatigue.
That means “happiness” isn’t a suitable goal in life, though it at first looks plausible. What you truly want is something richer, and they likened it to rootedness: being firmly grounded in your body, mind, society and nature. We make sacrifices for our friends and our children, after all, and we think our lives are better for it. That’s exactly the Aztec point.
