GTD is philosophy

[Tom.9]

The first time I read GTD in 2008.
Recently, I had the intuition, that it´s core is about habits.
The antic philosophers called good habits “virtue”.

Then I started to read the 2015 edition of GTD, beginning with the new chapters.
It was striking:
p. 299 “equanimity” recalls the greek idea of ataraxie (ἀταραξί&#945.
- which confirmed my impression that its linked to the Stoa, and thus about “virtue”.

p xxvi says:

No software, seminar, cool notebook, smartphone will give you more than twenty-four hours a day, simplify its content, or make this often tough choice for you.

Kant wrote in 1784 on “Enlightment”:

Es ist so bequem, unmündig zu sein. Habe ich ein Buch, das für mich Verstand hat, einen Seelsorger, der für mich Gewissen hat, einen Arzt, der für mich die Diät beurtheilt, etc., so brauche ich mich mich ja nicht selbst zu bemühen. Ich habe nicht nöthig zu denken, wenn ich nur bezahlen kann; andere werden das verdrießliche Geschäft schon für mich übernehmen.

- striking!

I´m going to re-read the book – curious, if there is more to find.

The question I´d like to ask David Allen is if this is mere coincidence or intentionally.

 

[Folke]

Don't you think it could be like this:

The world, and life, is as it is. It is there for anybody to see. Despite the diverseness of the various interpretations of how it all works, and about what is the best way to deal with it, it is still no wonder that among the billions of people that exist and have existed on this planet the are many, many more than just one single person who have made the same observations and drawn the same conclusions. It is rather the opposite that would be remarkable - if there were billions of alternative explanations that share no common ground.

 

[poomi]

I handle it similarly. Works well for me. ___________ imran

 

[Tom.9]

For a long time, I considered GTD under the perspective of psychology -
similar to the new Chapter 14, but also according to other books discussed in this forum [e.g. "The now habit"].

Reading GTD under the perspective of philosophy with "virtue" as central concept to me offers a complely new perspective. Hope this will encrease productivity or, in GTD terms, "mind like water".

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PS @Folke:

if there were billions of alternative explanations that share no common ground

In my opinion, exactly this is philosophy. Aristoteles disagrees with Plato, Hegel disagrees with Kant... and so forth.