How Stoicism can help us • Hacker News Board

Re: How Stoicism can help us

#111

Post by codingslave » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 4:10 PM UTC

HNLurker2 wrote: post #107

0815test wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No surprise there - the "living like nature" part was the whole schtick of Nietzsche's philosophy. More like an Epicurean with a healthy dose of Cynicism than a Stoic, if we have to make that kind of basic comparison. He would probably conflate Stoicism with the (nowadays prevalent and in many ways successful) "English" approach to values, which he considered a reversal of the "true" values that's driven by resentmen…

>Though Nietzsche did also develop a highly refined statement of "living in accordance with unchangeable nature" through his idea of Amor fati. He looked down on any philosophical idea that uplifts your soul like stoicism, buddhism (deliberately making his work and ideas seem scary to them: happened to me when I first got into his ideas) etc

He discouraged philosophical frameworks because he believed that in the end they limit human life. A truly well lived life, according to Nietzsche, is one where the individual breaks free of indoctrination and dogma, and lives life as they want. In the truest sense. This is Nietzsche's goal for humanity, so he spends his time writing philosophy aimed at tearing down religion and systems of moral control. Nietzsche wants to free humanity...

Re: How Stoicism can help us

#112

Post by hydrox24 » Tue, Jun 04, 2019, 7:22 AM UTC

codingslave wrote: post #41

For anyone who wants an alternate view (by Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, Aphorism #9): "Do you want to live "according to nature"? O you noble Stoics, what a verbal swindle! Imagine a being like nature - extravagant without limit, indifferent without limit, without purposes and consideration, without pity and justice, simultaneously fruitful, desolate, and unknown - imagine this indifference itself as a power - ho…

I'm not sure that Nietzche got the Stoic philosophy quite right, but his words address a strain of thinking that absolutely does exist. One which considers the natural world an almost sacred good, a model or standard which humans fail to live up to, instead wallowing in our industrial creations.

One of the best meditations on this view of the world, which is neither unfair to it nor, ultimately, particularly kind, is Annie Dillard's "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek". It is non-fiction, but undoubtedly counts as literature, and won a Pulitzer prize in 1975. It meditates on precisely the fruitfulness, desolation, and transcendence in nature.

Re: How Stoicism can help us

#113

Post by ohaideredevs » Tue, Jun 04, 2019, 2:10 PM UTC

mark_l_watson wrote: post #27

ohaideredevs wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got nothing out of reading meditations after reading Aurelius' quotes. I feel like the whole back can be summarized "Focus on what you can control, don't stress over what you truly can't." Same with ALL of Buddhism.

I agree that the teachings from Stoicism and Buddhism seem simple but I have some difficulty consistently putting them into practice in my daily life. I read about one book a week and out the approximately 50 books a year I read, at least 3 or 4 of those are on Stoicism or Buddhism. (The remainder of my reading allowance is about equal parts of fiction and technology.) While I am a devoted student of technology and I…

I used to get a lot of "aha" moments from books - fiction, non-fiction, bigraphies, whatever. I almost never do anymore. I do feel like there is a point where books become passive entertainment with few exceptions. That's how I felt about Meditations by the time I read it - I knew every idea Aurelius presented. I don't read nearly as much as I used to.

Re: How Stoicism can help us

#114

Post by 0xADEADBEE » Thu, Jun 06, 2019, 8:30 AM UTC

tasuki wrote: post #109

0xADEADBEE wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tangentially related: it's a pity there aren't more websites like this one: [0] It's nice to compare different translations in-line. The last line of section 3 is an excellent example of how different translations can be: [1] Enchiridion is well worth a read (I gather Carter has the best translation but I've gleaned this from places like Reddit so pinch of salt!), and I also enjoyed Derren Brown's Happy [0] which dra…

Hey that's my website! Happy you like it :)

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