#stoic mindset

[nevergetstuck]

Mastery of emotions is mastery. You can control your reaction. Here's to you and your journey

[mindresetsessions]

A single line can change how you think — the full text goes much further.

Lectures - Musonius Rufus

[syndicalisttrash]

"Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what's left and live it properly."

-Marcus Aurelius

[johnny-ignition]

Philosophy Infodump!

The Uses (and Abuses) of Stoicism

Stoicism! That trendy little ancient Greco-Roman philosophy that all the white boys are turning to right now. It's deeply attractive for its approach to psychology and anxiety, but that's usually all people know about it. So today, as a white boy who's read some Stoicism - specifically Marcus Aurelius' Meditations - I would be all too happy to discuss the ways in which Stoic philosophy is useful, and the limits that it has.

The main thing that Stoicism is known for is, of course, it's psychology. But on this, it's argument is often misunderstood by the general public. Stoicism isn't about being completely still and emotionless. Rather, the goal of Stoicism is to allow one to take stock of emotions and their causes.

The greatest lesson of Stoicism is "memento mori", in English: "Remember that you will die". The Stoics would keep in mind that they, their loved ones, their possessions, their ancestry, record of their existence; In the end it all bites the dust. This is profoundly ahead of their time, and predates any scientific theory (such as heat death) about the inevitability of the end. To this end, Stoicism focuses on what ought to be done with that in mind.

So now we reach the part everyone's probably here for. Let's get this out of the way, Stoics did not encourage you to be emotionless. Rather, the goal was to instead make you aware that your mind is the only thing you really have control over. You don't control the world, the weather, the economy, the jackoffs you work with, the news cycle, death (in that you will die eventually), none of it; One need only consider this fact, and seek instead to live according to nature (the universe).

Now, don't get me wrong, accepting one's fate of annihilation is a pretty good thing to do. In fact, memento mori plays a pretty big role in my own philosophical worldview. But there's a couple objections that can - and should - be raised. The first is that Stoicism is engaged in a fallacy called "appeal to nature". If you've ever been around someone shilling supplements, you've heard this one: Everything natural is good, everything artificial is bad. Now to be fair, the Stoics do recognize that people are part of nature, but where they go next is especially egregious.

In his book, Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche points out that the Stoics do not actually view nature as it is really is. Rather, the Stoic view of nature is idealized as something which well and truly has our best interests at heart.

...while you pretend to read with rapture the canon of your law in Nature, you want something quite the contrary, you extraordinary stage-players and self-deluders! In your pride you wish to dictate your morals and ideals to Nature, to Nature herself, and to incorporate them therein; you insist that it shall be Nature "according to the Stoa," and would like everything to be made after your own image, as a vast, eternal glorification and generalism of Stoicism!

Speaking of the Stoics and self-delusion, another issue with this psychology is that it makes the assumption that the individual is well and truly weak & powerless on almost all fronts. The Stoics are correct when they point out that we do not control the weather, but is it not also true that we have some control over whether or not we get wet in the rain? We do not control that we will die, but is it not also true that we often have some ability to affect the finer details? We do not control social phenomena as individuals, but does it not also follow that we individuals can band together to affect society?

Ultimately, Stoicism can offer some good advice, but it must be read with caution. The Stoics offer us good mindfulness, but be wary of what weaknesses they may try to bundle with that; Enjoy your cocktail, but do not forget it has alcohol in it.

[kurooismyhuzz]

ᴍᴇᴅɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ 🎧ྀི♪⋆.✮

── ⟡ ˙🌱 ̟ 𝗂𝗇 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗄𝖺𝗂 𝗇𝗈𝖻𝗎𝗒𝗎𝗄𝗂 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁𝖾𝗌 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗂𝖼𝗂𝗌𝗆.

𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖽. 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗑𝗎𝖺𝗅 𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝖽 𝗎𝗌𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝗈𝖿, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗇 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗌 𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖺 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗍𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎.

𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗆𝖾𝖽𝗂𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌..𝖻𝗒 𝗆𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗎𝗌 𝖺𝗎𝗋𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗎𝗌. 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖻𝗈𝗒𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗍, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗉𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖿𝗎𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝖾𝖽𝗎𝖼𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽.

“𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗇𝗈𝗐.” 𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽, 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝗆 𝖺𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗂𝗇 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗅𝖺𝗉.

“..𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖽𝗎𝖽𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾, 𝗌𝗎𝗂𝖼𝗂𝖽𝖺𝗅?” 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝗌𝗄𝖾𝖽, 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗎𝗉 𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝗂𝗆. 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗆𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗎𝗌 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝗌𝗎𝗂𝖼𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝗉𝖺𝖼𝗍?

𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗅𝖾𝖽, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗆 𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗌𝗈 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁. 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗆𝖾𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗀𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗆 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗌𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖾𝖽.

“𝗂𝗍 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗆𝖾𝖺𝗇𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽𝗇’𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖻𝗂𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗋, 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖽𝗈𝗇’𝗍 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝗋𝖾 𝗀𝗈𝗇𝗇𝖺 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋..” 𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗎𝗆𝖻𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗄 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄, 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗍 𝗈𝗇 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖽𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝗍𝖺𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗉𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝗂𝗆.

“𝗁𝗆𝗆..𝗌𝗈 𝖽𝖾𝖾𝗉. 𝗂’𝗆 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺 𝗁𝗎𝗀𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗂𝖼 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗇𝗈𝗐.” 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗀𝗂𝗀𝗀𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗌 𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗒𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗁𝖺𝗂𝗋.

“𝗀𝗅𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗂’𝗆 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍.” 𝗅𝖺𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗁𝖾 𝗄𝗂𝗌𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗁𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗒𝖺𝗐𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀. “𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗅𝖾𝖾𝗉 𝗂 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄..𝗀’𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 (𝗒/𝗇)..” 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖾𝖼𝗁 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗉𝗎𝗇𝖼𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗒𝖺𝗐𝗇. “𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾..𝗒𝗈𝗎..”

𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗈𝗈𝗇, 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗂𝖿𝗎𝗅 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗇𝖺𝖻𝖾 𝗉𝗁𝗂𝗅𝗈𝗌𝗈𝗉𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖻𝗈𝗒𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗅 𝖺𝗌𝗅𝖾𝖾𝗉, 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗋𝗆𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗀𝗋𝗂𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝗅𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝖺 𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗄𝖾𝗁𝗈𝗅𝖽. 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗀𝗈𝗇𝗇𝖺 𝖻𝖾 𝖺 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍…

[stoicheadaurelius]

"He who cannot distinguish good from bad, and things which are neither good nor bad from both, can he possess the power of loving? To love, then, is only in the power of the wise.” © Epictetus, “Discourses

[everythingthemoontouches]

I’ve been finding a lot of stoic wisdom along the way lately …

[minotaurmerkaba]