1. On Cyber Philosophy (Part 2)
We are more than the sum of our parts
Missed Part 1? I got you! Click me!
Marcus First, Emperor Second
While much of the works of the ancient Stoics are lost, there remain some important teachings that have survived. A collection of journals called The Meditations by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is one such work that has been compiled into books. To say that the The Meditations is a cornerstone of Stoic teachings isn’t entirely accurate, as Marcus saw himself as a student applying the teachings and not as a sage imparting mastered wisdom. The Mediations were written for himself as a map of his own moral journey; its survival from thousands of years ago gives us as readers direct insight into the life and mindset of a man that also happened to be emperor.
As we journey through the life of another, we journey through our own. Examining Marcus in The Meditations is one of a person who happened to be the leader of an empire: examining his life is not better or worse than examining the life of the next person we meet on the street.
“As we journey through the life of another, we journey through our own”
The Meditations isn’t the only popular Stoic writing, as there is another collection that inspired me to write things like...well, this article.
Inspiration through Discourse
Lucius Seneca the Younger, known commonly just as Seneca, was a Stoic philosopher in ancient Rome (~4 BC-65 AD for those of you that appreciate a historical anchor). Seneca wrote a series of letters to his friend Lucilius on moral issues. 124 of those letters have somehow survived into modern times and are known as The Seneca Letters. These letters are free to read online and have a wide range of topics, from "On Old Age" to "On the Faults of our Spirits'' to "On Instincts in Animals."
“Seneca wrote about whatever inspired him to be the most virtuous version of himself”
Seneca wrote about whatever inspired him to be the most virtuous version of himself, implying that he was able to find wisdom in all things. He took the lessons that he learned and shared them with his dear friend Lucilius hoping to impart ideas and wisdom to his friend. The letters are impersonal, and focus the transfer of knowledge from one person to another. That they might help make someone a version of themselves that they are in control over was the intent (note: this is my analysis).
Seneca inspires me. He didn't write for fame; he wrote because he felt a calling, a purpose to try to help others. He shared his deep personal lessons with Lucilius, not keeping them for himself to be lost upon his departure from the world. Seneca inspired me to start writing: nothing grand, just words on paper to see what comes out. One word, and then another. And then another.
“…nothing grand, just words on paper to see what comes out. One word, and then another. And then another”
As I was reading different types of books to fuel my transition from red team operator to manager to leader, like Seneca I started seeing philosophical applications of whatever I was reading to the real world and the Cyber world.
Virtue in the Immaterial Realm of Cyber
Cybersecurity is a world where I have lived for almost half of my adult life. I started seeing application of unintended philosophical lessons to not only myself but the nature of Cybersecurity:
The teams that make up a cyber unit, and…
…the they roles play individually and together
The specializations needed on a team, and…
…the unique talents needed to achieve the specialization
The pitfalls, hard times, and misconceptions about the field
and, the common repeated failures of not focusing on the true goals of a Cybersecurity program to protect that which needs protected.
“…the true goals of a Cybersecurity program (are) to protect that which needs protected”
The Seneca Letters inspired me to start writing about a topic I am calling Cyber Philosophy, using ancient wisdom to navigate old problems. Did you think I was going to say "using ancient wisdom to navigate new problems?" There are no new problems, only the same ones people have all been going through since the dawn of civilization.
We think our problems are unique, somehow different from everyone that came before us because they exist in this rapidly evolving world of Cyber. I promise you that our problems aren't unique. People have lived through the same anxiety, worry, frustrations, euphoria, and passions you have. We are not alone.
“We think our problems are unique, somehow different from everyone that came before us, because they exist in this rapidly evolving world of Cyber”
People before us have experienced excitement, letting the euphoria of victory consume them and drive them away from their true nature:
Hacking for the sake of hacking, focusing on the exploit and less on why the exploit is important
Successfully defending from an attack, forgetting that there was a gap that led to the attack vector in the first place
Focusing on, and achieving, a promotion not realizing that the cost would be their own well being
People before us have experienced despair, allowing baseless assumptions into their brain and locking themselves into inaction:
Unable to recover from being told “no”, retroactively invalidating every accomplishment that led you to this point, preventing you from seeing a path forward
Not building a solid peer support structure, allowing yourself to be isolated, alone, and vulnerable, harmful feelings which perpetuate the cycle
Fearing the discomfort of pain for growth: emotional, physical, mental, or spiritual
People have walked your path before: some made it through, some did not. Learn from both. Apply lessons to your life first, and then your profession.
Marcus first, emperor second.
Chris first, hacker second.
You first, what you do second.
The Examined Life
I am writing my own version of the Seneca Letters for people first, and Cyber second. I picked Cyber because it is what I do, and I feel the industry needs a little philosophy to help get back to its true nature. These letters are informal by design, meant to be read like a dear friend wrote them. Seneca focused only on getting the message out and less on the doctrine of writing: why disregard that ancient wisdom? The message and intention are all that matter. If I could figure out a way to convey this entire letter with pictures or gifs, I would. Words do not matter: the meaning behind the words do.
“Words do not matter: the meaning behind the words do”
Focus on the message, and start creating; what comes out the other end is wisdom that will help either yourself or others, but is always helpful somehow.
Wisdom can be found and applied anywhere, and I am applying the wisdom I have gained by writing it down. The intention behind my words is simple: virtue within yourself.
Farewell.
What’s Coming Next
A combined version of all parts of Letter 1: On Cyber Philosophy
Letter 2: On Shared Purpose (Multipart - this is a long one!)