#357 - Gandalf, Stoicism, and the Wisdom of the Grandfather

If we think of wisdom and stoicism as embodied in an elder figure, it’s often someone like a grandfather—calm, patient, slow to anger. Grandparents tend to be forgiving, knowing that life is long and that small mistakes aren’t the end of the world. They let things slide. They slip their grandchildren candy when the parents aren’t looking. They offer guidance without the intensity of immediate responsibility. But before you can become a grandfather, you must first be a father. Fathers (and p...