Antoninus Pius on some wu wei shit. Action by inaction.
from PugJesus@piefed.social to starwarsmemes@lemmy.world on 30 Jun 03:50
https://piefed.social/c/starwarsmemes/p/2175735/antoninus-pius-on-some-wu-wei-shit-action-by-inaction

#antoninus pius #governance #history #meme #roman empire #star wars #starwarsmemes

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PugJesus@piefed.social on 30 Jun 03:50 next collapse

Explanation: Antoninus Pius is one of the longer-reigning Emperors of the Roman Empire. Why does no one remember him? Because he did nothing.

Not literally nothing, but his reign contained little in the way of excitement. No great invasions or defenses, no fundamental reforms in yet another misguided attempt at adulation or military glory, no crisis that was allowed to blossom to such a stage. Just a quiet, diligent man who was noted to enjoy fishing in his down time, keeping a steady hand on the tiller of state. When his ~23 year reign was over, letting the gears of government turn with nothing more than addressing problems and clarifying legal issues as they arose, the Empire looked much as it had when he had inherited it - just with a bit more of everything - charitable organizations, completed infrastructure projects, legal protections, slave rights (but still slavery, because the past is a shitty place), money in the treasury…

Antoninus Pius did nothing, actively. By inaction, he chose the best possible course of action in his reign. o7

Wu wei is a Taoist concept Romans were unlikely to have been aware of.

DakRalter@thelemmy.club on 30 Jun 09:28 next collapse

Uninteresting times are the best times.

Semjeza@fedinsfw.app on 30 Jun 10:48 next collapse

While I indeed doubt that the Romans knew of WuWei, they and Imperial China were aware of each other.

The Han Dynasty even tried to establish a direct embassy and sent an expedition that goto around modern day Jordan-Syria-Turkey before giving up and going home.

PugJesus@piefed.social on 30 Jun 10:51 collapse

Yep! Funny enough, the only recorded Roman emissaries who made it to Han China claimed to be representatives of either Antoninus Pius, or his adoptive son (the dual issues of uncreative Roman naming conventions and translation issues makes it unclear).

shneancy@lemmy.world on 30 Jun 14:54 collapse

that’s what i hope the next president of Valve is like

Sexy-Animal-Fucker@thebrainbin.org on 30 Jun 04:58 collapse

I wish he was the manager at the petting zoo near me so security wouldn't keep throwing me out