About Phronimos
According to Aristotle, as recorded in the Nicomachean Ethics, the original definition of Phronimos is a wise resource — one that others could use to answer questions about how best to live life.
Phronimos aims to help each of us develop wisdom by proving ideas and providing information that will open our minds.
Phronimos seeks out resources for developing wisdom from the realms of psychology, philosophy, and culture. Curation at Phronimos is based on the Greek construct of Logos. The process of Logos extracts information from noise in order to generate ideas. As Gregory Bateson said, “Information is the difference that makes a difference.” Logos is an integration of knowing, understanding, and context.
Phronimos organizes content along the ancient Greek constructs of:
Phronimos curates wisdom-teachings in a non-linear manner so that our curiosity can fuel our approach to the information. Material is offered through an interlinked progression of essays and resources that have been selected to help fulfill our longing for self-actualization.
Phronimos attains to this humanistic aim through helping each of us strive for meaning, values, and purpose. The tools to create meaning include: knowing, thinking, and exploring. Values are fueled by hope and striving for the Good. Purpose calls us to transcend ourselves.
We gain perspective from meaning.
We are guided by values.
We are motivated by purpose.
Meaning, Values, and Purpose are in a process of continual co-creation.
About Sietze Vanderheide
The seeds for Phronimos were sown in my consciousness quite some time ago. In my early 20s, while sitting on a white sand beach in Southern California, I witnessed a mother imparting wisdom to her very young son. As he was about to set out on an adventure that involved crossing over the sandy expanse she admonished, “Just remember who you are and where you are going.” Wise words.
ABOUT ME
- What I am:
- Curious, Empathic, Knowledgeable, Thoughtful, Helpful
- What am I:
- Psychologist, Attorney, Mediator, Psychotherapist, Counselor
- What I do:
- Deduce the causes of the problems
- Explore the resources and limitations of the people involved
- Integrate a diversity of perspectives
- Develop options
- Support new action, change, and growth
WHAT IS MY STORY?
Curiosity and understanding things from multiple perspectives is what I relish. Both of these attributes where salient when, as a young child, I moved to the United States from the Netherlands with my parents, brother, and sister.
Curiosity and open-mindedness allowed me to become immersed in myriad pursuits, from exploring neuropsychological models of consciousness at UC Berkeley, in the 1970s, to participating in the humanistic experience at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, in the 1980s. Since the 1990s, my vocation as a psychologist has continued to fuel my curiosity, as well as providing a wide range of work environments, from community mental-health centers to brain-injury units in metropolitan hospitals, as a neuropsychologist. During this time, I also obtained a juris doctorate to deepen my understanding of the nature of external socio-cultural restrictions on people’s choices and actions.
My formative interest in consciousness led me to explore emotion and motivation, especially in their power to shape and determine experience. This academic interest found a fantastic home in my work with individuals, helping them see their world from new perspectives, opening doors to making conscious and mindful choices. I grew to respect and marvel at the force of human nature, a force that often aided in making profound positive life changes.
This work has resulted in my developing the concept of moral intelligence, an intelligence that shapes actions, feelings, and decision-making. I found that our moral intelligence is in a continual state change, reflecting the recursive action of our neurobiology and our sociocultural environment. My current focus is on bringing together psychology, culture, and philosophy with the aim of developing a model of practical wisdom for the twenty-first century. This project is unfolding under the banner of Phronimos.
Perhaps my most emulated, intellectual role model is Joseph Campbell, not singularly for the content of his studies; but rather the way he went about those studies. He was very non-traditional, and his pursuit of ideas knew no bounds. He encouraged us all with his admonition that if we follow our bliss, doors will open where we had not seen them. He offered us a useful tool for pursuing our bliss when he encouraged us to delve deeply into what we are passionate about. Following my bliss by deeply exploring my interests is the advice I have followed my entire life.
Contact or follow Sietze through:
Email: Sietze@sietzevanderheide.com
Web: Sietzevanderheide.com
Facebook Group: Phronimos
Twitter: @PhronimosDoc
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