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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Sebastian Purcell

REVEALED: Ten lessons the aztecs can teach us today - The Real Truth

Colossal head of Moon goddess Coyolxauhqui<br>UNSPECIFIED - MARCH 01: Colossal head of the Moon goddess Coyolxauhqui found in Tenochtitlan. Aztec civilisation, 14th-16th century. Mexico City, Museo Nacional De Antropología (Anthropology Museum) (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)
‘The Aztecs believed wisdom starts not with introspection but with habit, ritual, and environment.’ Photograph: DEA/Archivio J Lange/De Agostini/Getty Images

The ancient Aztecs aren’t usually grouped with today’s self-help gurus. But their philosophy, preserved in early post-conquest records, offers surprisingly sharp tools for modern life. Unlike stoicism or Buddhism, which emphasize internal reflection as the path to a better life, the Aztecs believed that you should start with your surroundings, your relationships, your body and speech. In their view, wisdom begins outside. Here are 10 lessons from their “outward path”, starting with those that clarify life goals.

1 You aren’t really after happiness, you just think you are

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