How to Be a Stoic (2016)
newyorker.com
How to Be a Stoic (2016)
1–10 of 70 posts
Re: How to Be a Stoic (2016)
#2Being stoic is overrated. Much prefer when we actually talk about ideas and don't just sit there mysteriously.
Re: How to Be a Stoic (2016)
#3(2016)
Re: How to Be a Stoic (2016)
#4Slavery has existed for all of humanity. Unfortunately it will never go away. Slavery is intensely misunderstood. One thing we could all do to improve awareness is to acknowledge that the concept of slavery is not a racial issue but a wealth issue. Only people with wealth owned slaves throughout history. It is a terrifying thought that nobody wants to realize.
Re: How to Be a Stoic (2016)
#5I don't understand this:
"Much of Epictetus’ advice is about not getting angry at slaves. At first, I thought I could skip those parts. But I soon realized that I had the same self-recriminatory and illogical thoughts in my interactions with small-business owners and service professionals. When a cabdriver lied about a route, or a shopkeeper shortchanged me, I felt that it was my fault, for speaking Turkish with an accent, or for being part of an élite. And, if I pretended not to notice these slights, wasn’t I proving that I really was a disengaged, privileged oppressor? Epictetus shook me from these thoughts with this simple exercise: “Starting with things of little value—a bit of spilled oil, a little stolen wine—repeat to yourself: ‘For such a small price, I buy tranquillity.’ ”
Does this mean ignore it still ‘For such a small price, I buy tranquillity'?
EDIT: OK, turns out this is a repost of an article from 2016 where the same point above was already discussed here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13730657
Re: How to Be a Stoic (2016)
#6A title of a Ryan Holiday book about stoicism has been a helpful mantra for me: The obstacle is the way.
Re: How to Be a Stoic (2016)
#7[deleted]
Re: How to Be a Stoic (2016)
#8Being stoic is overrated. Much prefer when we actually talk about ideas and don't just sit there mysteriously.
The article concerns philosophers who loved talking about ideas, not the colloquial usage of the word stoic.
Re: How to Be a Stoic (2016)
#9Being stoic is overrated. Much prefer when we actually talk about ideas and don't just sit there mysteriously.
That's not what stoicism is at all.
Re: How to Be a Stoic (2016)
#10Is it just me or is stoicism been heavily commercialised over the last few years, along with vipassana meditation.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with getting employees to live healthier and more resilient lives, but the skeptic in me thinks that there may be other motives.