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How to Be a Stoic

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Re: How to Be a Stoic

#231

Post by hartator »

radicality wrote: post #230
hartator wrote: post #62

I can't recommend enough "A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy" by Irvine, William B. I am 2/3 into it, maybe one of the best philosophy book I've ever read.

I loved it too when I read it back in 2012 but applying the lessons learned from books always seems to be very short-lived for me. Anyone have any tips and thoughts on how to make sure that I actually execute on the things I like in books like 'A Guide to the Good Life'?

Negative visualization is the biggest thing I would say.

Re: How to Be a Stoic

#232

Post by sn9 »

qntty wrote: post #211
greggman wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried mindfulness? There's at least two books "Search Inside Yourself" and "The Mindfull Geek" that both approach it with science and no spritualism. They claim practice will make it easier to control things like anger

Mindfulness is almost by definition spiritual

Are you sure you and the comment you replied to are using the same definition of "spiritual"?

Re: How to Be a Stoic

#234

Post by desipenguin »

specialist wrote: post #195
mmmBacon wrote: post #153

I have embraced certain aspects of stoic philosophy in my life. In particular I've found The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius to be helpful and practical. I struggle with my temper and in the last few years my temper has affected my career growth. These stoic works have helped my get a better grip on things when dealing with especially difficult people. I'm not a person who reads self help books nor am I into cheesy or…

I too had an anger management problem. I didn't like who I was or how I behaved. I tried every thing, every book, every bit of advice. Most of it terrible. Failure. Part 1: I eventually found quality help, who then recommended I read this: When Anger Hurts http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/278196.When_Anger_Hurts TL;DR: Anger is a cascade: Expectations, disappointment, resentment, blame and then BOOM anger. The fix…

> The fix to anger is to eliminate your expectations.

As Buddha said "Expectations lead to disappointment"

Re: How to Be a Stoic

#235

Post by thisiscurio »

Havoc wrote: post #126
thisiscurio wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly what I believe the universe is. When people say the universe is uncaring, they equate that as bad; I reckon this is because we want control over our lives. True our agency over our lives is increasing as we progress as a society but it's unlikely that we will reach a point that our cumulative progress would give us control over everything. The universe doesn't care who you are the same way a benevolen…

>This is exactly what I believe the universe is. Yup - I've found the lion/zebra thing to be very useful in explaining something that isn't easy for most people to see. Especially those that grew up with religious notions of good vs evil. >the universe cares about you in an impersonal kind of way Personally I'd be very wary of using the word caring at all. It's just atoms & stuff flying about the place to me. I choos…

I agree on wariness regarding the usage of the word "caring".

My usage of "care" here is equal to "notice". To make it easier for myself, I imagine an anthropomorphic universe gallivanting around and notice one of its agents doing something that could possibly exert an effect (either null and non-null) and bless it with that effect after spinning the wheel of probability.

Re: How to Be a Stoic

#236

Post by thisiscurio »

corysama wrote: post #158
olavk wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then again we also do a lot of great thing and create and experience love and beauty. I have no idea how to quantify and weigh the good against the bad, so perhaps it comes down to temperament if you consider the human existence an overall negative or positive experience.

I find that people's outlook on humanity comes down to where they focus their attention. We're definitely a mixed bag of wonderful and terrible. But, the vast majority of people, the vast majority of time are boringly nice to everyone and everything. That boring niceness is as common, as important and as easy to forget as air. Also, the world has many very bad aspects and some of them are getting worse. But, on avera…

Great points. Despite my cynicism and strong bias towards the self-destruction of mankind, there would be always be moments when I thought "hey, I'm glad this guy/gal existed because the world is a better place because of them." Things do get better when you look at the world around you.

Re: How to Be a Stoic

#237

Post by thisiscurio »

tim333 wrote: post #40
thisiscurio wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly what I believe the universe is. When people say the universe is uncaring, they equate that as bad; I reckon this is because we want control over our lives. True our agency over our lives is increasing as we progress as a society but it's unlikely that we will reach a point that our cumulative progress would give us control over everything. The universe doesn't care who you are the same way a benevolen…

The "bleak, chaotic place with no intrinsic meaning" conflates two things unfairly. Consider a beautiful sunrise on a tropical beach. It's part of the universe and not bleak and chaotic yet you don't have to believe it has a meaning enjoy it. As an atheist, the survival of us and our ancestors for ~4bn years suggests the universe is not so bleak in parts.

Thought it might be bleak for those who are ill-equipped to deal with the modern types of chaos (eg anxiety and depression). Like someone else said, this could all be a matter of labeling the world as "good" or "bad"; the problem with these labels is that they are rarely self-examined partly because it takes a lot of epistemological thinking and self-awareness to reach that level of meta-cognition.

From your points on conflation, just to clarify, are you saying that meaning does not determine our feelings about the degree of bleakness? Maybe meaning is a multiplier of feelings depending on the direction you are interested in. For non-bleakness, meaningfulness would multiply the amount of enjoyment, and for bleakness, non-meaningfulness would multiply the amount of hatred. Those two assume that state of bleakness is naturally attached with intrinsic feelings.

I wish I've read more about this topic; it is ultra interesting.

Re: How to Be a Stoic

#238

Post by jazzdev »

hartator wrote: post #172
ishanr wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also read Happy by Derren Brown. It's brilliant in a very different way.

Funny & weird, I am also a big fan of Derren Brown shows, didn't know about his books. Going to buy it on Amazon right now.

Looks like the Derren Brown who wrote the 1964 book is not the same Derren Brown who is the 21st century magician.

Re: How to Be a Stoic

#239

Post by hartator »

jazzdev wrote: post #238
hartator wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funny & weird, I am also a big fan of Derren Brown shows, didn't know about his books. Going to buy it on Amazon right now.

Looks like the Derren Brown who wrote the 1964 book is not the same Derren Brown who is the 21st century magician.

I am actually not sure what to think. If you look at Amazon, it does say 1964, but list Derren Brown - the magician - as the author and even give his biography. The confusion grows even deeper as one of the reviewer is referring as Derren Brown - the magician - as the author as well.

[edit] Amazon US got the date wrong. Amazon UK is giving the publication date, 2016, right. Derren Brown - the magician and mentalist - is still also a stoic. :D

Re: How to Be a Stoic

#240

Post by Ziomislaw »

manmal wrote: post #2

One interesting thing I've noticed is that ancient Stoics have not rebuked the concept of god (or "the universe"), a higher power that determines all the things that are not in our control (as a Stoic you very much need to distinguish between things in and outside of your control). I have found it difficult to really, deeply, accept things as out of my control without resorting to some concept of god or "the universe…

Wouldn't they be executed or something for not believing in the 'right' god?
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