Getting Away from the Daily Digital Noise: A List of Time-tested Classics

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FriendFeed, Twitter, email, Skype, Messenger, Blackberries and iPhones, blogs and e-zines.

It'southward all a fiddling flake overwhelming sometimes, correct? We've looked over again and once more at various means to escape the barrage of online content so we can get more than work done – but never so we can have a break and reconnect with other content. Maybe, the kind that comes under the category of "literature."

Let's face facts; at that place is some great content online, but there's more rubbish. At least when you pick up a book in a bookstore, you know information technology'south been through a rigorous editorial process and near of the rubbish has been weeded out. Evidently, the keyword here is 'nigh' – just the other day I was at one of those huge concatenation bookstores where I noticed they were still selling copies of Dianetics!

While nosotros are e'er in pursuit of the perfect way to manage and minimize our content intake, somewhat like the diet-crazed society of the second millennium, it's of import to realize that simply as with food, quality is more than important than quantity. If nosotros cut down on the noise only have no indicate, and so there's no point trying to brainstorm with.

And about like the blogs in your feed reader, the bestseller list in the bookstore is constantly changing. But what if we had a collection of classics that have stood the test of time to prove their worth that could keep the indicate loftier and the noise low? Here is one accept on what that listing might look like, bearing in mind that it would be difficult to agree on and create a list that could be considered consummate.

Homer's The Iliad & The Odyssey

Homer's works are sometimes considered introductory and prerequisite into the globe of classic literature, and since they're not calorie-free reading, you lot may as well start on a full tummy. An embodiment of the literature of aboriginal Hellenic republic, considered to exist the forefather of modern Western thought, these ballsy poems speak through heroes to deliver very different letters. The Iliad, the story of Achilles, is nigh forcefulness and fauna force. The Odyssey is about a hero who relies on his heed, despite his strength, to win his battles.

Plato, the Cracking Philosopher

Perhaps ane of the virtually oft referenced philosophers of all fourth dimension, Plato wrote important works that were often delivered through a dialogue in which a detail concept or issue was explored, in the style of his teacher Socrates. Plato's works are broad-ranging, discussing everything from whether virtues can be taught, to the nature of justice.

Aristotle

If y'all thought Plato had covered a varied listing of topics, his student, Aristotle probably went further – in one treatise exploring biology and in another, aesthetics or politics. Aristotle was trained in medicine earlier he became a pupil of philosophy, so it'due south understandable that where Plato put more importance in ideas, conceptualization, reason and intellect, Aristotle saw the world equally concrete reality, that can be dissected and researched. He was probably the grandad of modernistic scientific bureaucrats – if it tin't be labeled by science, it doesn't exist!

The Meditations – Marcus Aurelius

Moving on from the Greek era, Aurelius was a Roman Emperor who, in the inherent spare fourth dimension that come with positions of high office, was also a writer. Machiavelli chosen him the last of the V Skilful Emperors (theorizing that those who adopted the throne usually ran a good government, while those who inherited information technology ran a bad one). In his Meditations, written as a form of introspection for the sake of his own cocky-improvement, Aurelius promotes ideas such every bit that of homo liberty and that virtue is to live in accord with nature.

Perhaps well-nigh importantly is Aurelius' idea that what makes united states of america human is our mortality.

The Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer

Some of the near famous storytelling of the medieval era is that of Geoffrey Chaucer, non and then long ago revived in the movie A Knight'southward Tale (in which Chaucer is made a character). The movie is based on The Knight's Tale, the 2nd tale from The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stores written in poesy and prose. Some scholars contend that this is the work that marked the tipping bespeak when English overtook French every bit the Western world'southward primary literary language.

Machiavelli'southward The Prince

In our latte-sipping, iPhone-swinging world Machiavelli would've had one heck of a scented resume, wearing a multitude of hats – diplomat, philosopher, musician, poet and playwright, and a central figure in the Italian Renaissance. He is best known for his classic piece of work The Prince. Information technology explores Machiavelli'due south ideas on political theory, which place a high priority on maintaining stability above all else. A volume on politics, theory, and practicality that the clever can employ to many areas of their lives – including productivity.

The Bard, William Shakespeare

As soon equally I mentioned classic literature you saw this proper noun coming; Shakespeare is either synonymous with information technology, or he is it! Shakespeare wrote tragic honey stories in the masterpiece that has become a modern cliche for romance – Romeo and Juliet – and slapstick in works such as The Comedy of Errors. While he wasn't the icon he is today while he was yet live, Shakespeare remains relevant because it was written timelessly; at one level or another, his plays are about humanity and its nature.

Milton'southward Paradise Lost

John Milton was a civil servant for England in the 16th century on one hand, merely on another a writer of poet and prose. He condemned censorship, a problem then and now, in Areopagitica, but his well-nigh famous work is the epic Paradise Lost. In this book Milton romanticized the fallen angel and looked at the ancient story from a different perspective, the character Lucifer becoming a large influence on Byron's characterizations. For the modern reader who is looking for material that assists in the field of personal development, this book could provide some food for thought on the topics of individuality and freedom.

War and Peace past Tolstoy

Bemoaned for its length, which is epic in and of itself, War and Peace was written by Russian author and count Leo Tolstoy, and is considered ane of the greatest masterpieces of literature (similar everything else in this list). War and Peace has broad and sweeping themes of giant proportion including, of course, war and peace, equally well as other facts of life; crumbling, youth, and relationships. It is unique from many of the other Western classics presented since it came from a Russian count, and a totally different civilisation.

These are only a few classics that are office of a very long history of deserving titles, but these are some of the nearly well-respected in history – non to mention more enough to get yous started and go along yous busy for a long while.

And when you're washed, you can burn up that feed reader again!

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Source: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/getting-away-from-the-daily-digital-noise-a-list-of-time-tested-classics.html

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