#1969 Mêtis

In our last couple +1s (here and here), we’ve been exploring some inspiring wisdom from John Hale’s great book Lords of the Sea in which he tells us about the surprising role the ancient Athenian navy played in the birth of democracy AND in the creation of those ancient ruins and ancient philosophy we all so admire.

Today we’re going to continue our exploration of wisdom from his great book.

Let’s get straight to work.

Professor Hale tells us: “This distinctively Greek quality was virtually untranslatable into other languages. Indeed it ran contrary to the values in many nations, most notably the Persians. Mêtis embraced craft, cunning, skill, and intelligence, the power of invention and the subtlety of art. It was the weapon of the weak and the outnumbered. Athenians knew that no physical force was mightier than the mind. In the world of myth, Mêtis was the ancient goddess from whom Athena derived her own wisdom. Not brawn by mêtis was the special attribute of Athena’s favorite hero, Odysseus, whose stratagem of the Trojan Horse succeeded where ten years of direct assaults had failed.”

He continues by telling us: “Every educated Athenian knew the famous lines in Homer’s Iliad on the uses of mêtis.

To win the prize, keep mêtis well in mind.
By mêtis, not brute force, men fell great oaks.
By mêtis steersmen on the wine-dark sea
Steady their swift ships through the tearing gale.
By mêtis charioteer beats charioteer.”

Mêtis.

It’s one of the virtues the ancient Greeks admired most in their Heroes.

I asked ChatGPT for a quick look at the etymology, definition, and example of mêtis.

Here’s some of what I got: “The term mêtis comes from ancient Greek, meaning ‘cunning intelligence,’ ‘craft,’ or ‘wisdom.’ It is derived from the root med-, which relates to ‘planning,’ ‘thinking,’ or ‘counsel.’ This root also appears in related words like medomai (‘to be mindful of’) and medea (‘counsels’ or ‘plans’).”

Note: The root “med” is also where we get “medicine”—which, of course, is the craft of healing and mêtis describes the type of intelligence/wisdom needed to optimize our Energy!

I loved this distinction from ChatGPT as well: “In ancient Greek culture, metis refers to a type of practical, adaptable intelligence. It emphasizes craftiness, strategic thinking, and resourcefulness, often in uncertain or unpredictable situations. Unlike abstract wisdom (sophia), metis is applied and situational.”

Practical wisdom applied to complex challenges?!

I love it.

All of which begs the question…

How can YOU channel your inner Odysseus and apply a little more mêtis to YOUR biggest challenges?

Let’s get on that.

All day. Every day.

Especially…

TODAY.

P.S. When I read the line about the fact that the “Athenians knew that no physical force was mightier than the mind,” I thought of the work we’re blessed to do with our armed forces and the emphasis I always place when I give my talks on the ULTIMATE WAR that exists within our minds. (Check out this SOCOM brief on a recent talk for more.)

I also thought of Gandhi, who once said: “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

And and and...

Lest you think this obsession with military metaphors is a purely Western thing, know this: When I read the final line above (“By mêtis charioteer beats charioteer”) I thought of Gandhi’s Bible, the Bhagavad Gita.

As we’ve discussed many times, the Gita features a reluctant warrior named Arjuna going to battle with the aid of his god Krishna. Arjuna is the world’s greatest archer (kinda like an ancient special operations forces warrior like a SEAL or Ranger!) and his Heroic guide is... a charioteer!

P.P.S. As I chatted about the idea of mêtis with Emerson, I asked him if he could think of a time when he applied a little bit of the Trojan Horse like cunning in one of his games. He smiled and immediately said: “My sneaky checkmate?!” To which I said: “Exactly.”