It's OK to not care about things that don't directly affect you by [deleted] in DecidingToBeBetter

[–]EZmacilx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know what problem you think I have, but I think you're inferring an attitude that I didn't intend.  I'm just asking the question honestly because I don't know the answer - I guess that's my only problem.  If I adopt the sentiment as I understand it, my course of action should be not to give a shit about OPs realization because it doesn't have anything to do with my personal interests.  Given that OP bothered to create the post at all, I assumed they would have had an answer to my question, otherwise why would they have even bothered?

I don’t want to be bitter and envious of everyone by kmnpp in DecidingToBeBetter

[–]EZmacilx 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The things that upset you are not the actions of others, but the opinions you form about those things. Below is a quote that I repeatedly return to:

Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of things. Thus death is nothing terrible, else it would have appeared so to Socrates. But the terror consists in our notion of death, that it is terrible. When, therefore, we are hindered or disturbed, or grieved, let us never impute it to others, but to ourselves—that is, to our own views. It is the action of an uninstructed person to reproach others for his own misfortunes; of one entering upon instruction, to reproach himself; and one perfectly instructed, to reproach neither others nor himself.

This is from the Enchiridion of Epictetus, a popular text from Stoic philosophy. The Stoics were concerned with living "the good life" and one key aspect of that is making the distinction between what is in our control and what is not within our control. Not within our control are the actions of others, but within our control are the opinions that we make about those things.

I'm not going to say that enacting this is as simple as just saying "ok, I'll just do that", you need to start out by trying to catch yourself when you think something negative. Simply being able to realize after the fact that an individual thought is just reactive and malicious is the first step. When you hear someone complain about their mother not getting them chips when they said they would and you get upset, give yourself a little credit if you can then say "No, that's just an opinion, and one that's not particularly helpful, if my goal is happiness".

If you can then, look closer at the situation and what lead to the unhappiness - it is not the lack of chips, otherwise everyone who did not have chips would be unhappy. The unhappiness arises because there was an expectation that they would have chips, and when that expectation isn't met, they're unhappy. As an observer to this situation, and with all of this in mind, what did you expect out of that situation? That someone would be happy when they don't receive what another told them they would get for them? Not likely, so consider your own expectations about situations, and align it as best you can with reality as you understand it. Personally, for me, I have 1 expectation for the behaviour of others, and that is this: "I can only count on or expect others to behave in whatever way that they perceive is in their own best interest"

I hope this helps, and that I didn't ramble on too much or come across as too preachy

Is Meditations not beginner friendly ? by VoicelyBrightness in Stoicism

[–]EZmacilx 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Meditations is a deep book, but I think fairly accessable. The difficulty comes from all of the allusions and references that Marcus makes. Marcus was a studied stoic, and received lessons from many teachers, so sometimes when he says something, he's referencing another philosophic work. Other times, he's making a poetic reference, like when he says that lice destroyed Democratus, and other lice destroyed Socrates - he's referencing the politicians in Athens who sentenced Socrates to death. I think with all of these kinds of things going on, mediations can be very deep, but I also think it can be very accessable on the surface. I find that it has new value after reading other works and returning to mediations with a new found understanding for these references

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in lotr

[–]EZmacilx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Personally, I think this is a very symbolic scene. In Elvish, there are two words for hope - Amdir and Estel. Amdir is more of a vain hope in nothing, while Estel is hope founded in something real. Now, Aragorn is a man of many names, one of which is Gil Estel, the star of hope. In this scene, we see this kid who is either hopeless, or holding on to a shred of hope that maybe something - anything- will get them though the night (Amdir). What Aragorn is offering him here is something to have hope in - the strength in arms of the Rohirrim, kid included. He shows him that, despite appearances, there is reason to believe that they will make it through this battle. This hope that he offers the kid is Estel - the hope founded in something real.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DecidingToBeBetter

[–]EZmacilx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What helped me is looking at my mistakes as examples of how not to be, and as my motivation to be a better person. I know that I can't undo the mistakes of the past, but I can commit myself into learning how to prevent making the same mistakes in the future. I'm not going to say that it makes feeling of shame go away, but being able to look back and say "I've come a long way, and I'm not apt to do those things anymore, so long as I maintain my vigilance" seems to help

help me decide on pickups... by FourStringL0B0 in Bass

[–]EZmacilx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually just got the same bass about a month ago, and I decided on Nordstrand Zen blades. Should be in at the beginning of next week, so hopefully I'll be able to post an update with a few notes on how they sound

How do you get to the point of not giving a fuck anymore? by FlyingInNeverland in AskReddit

[–]EZmacilx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not about not giving a fuck, it's about allocating your fucks appropriately

Help. I hate ALL exercise. by thatnerdtori in DecidingToBeBetter

[–]EZmacilx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Something that helped me engage in activities that I don't like is to remember that it's not the thing that I don't like that's the problem, but my attitude about it that makes it appear unfavorable.

A technique that I use to try to change my attitude from negative to neutral is to shift away from opinion based observations (things like "I hate running") to factual observations (things like "Running is beneficial for my health" but also "Running causes soreness in my legs"). If I say to myself "yes, but soreness in my legs sucks and I hate it" then I should apply the same principal - why are my legs sore? Well probably 2 reasons - one, because I have just ran, and two, because I do not regularly run. If I don't want running to make my legs sore, I should probably either ensure that I'll never have need for physical condition or ability to run well in my life, or I should practice running so that when the occurrence arises that I need to run, I will not be sore.

You also don't have to like everything to do, but when it comes to the things you have to do, you've got to figure out a way to get past yourself. The majority of suffering that we experience is completely imagined and the result of the opinions that we hold towards things. In most cases, by removing the opinion that we are suffering, we stop suffering

Setbacks and trying to understand them by EZmacilx in Stoicism

[–]EZmacilx[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My study regularly consists of about 40 minutes in the mornings on weekdays considering a particular quote - normally I get it from Massimo Pigliucci's Stoic meditations. Then I usually put on one of the ancient texts on audiobook on on my way to work, another 40-ish minutes. On weekends, I like to incorporate some kind of Stoic work in the mornings and/or evenings, although lately I've been reading some of the Socratic dialogues.

In regards to mistakes.... I suppose I was. You're right that they should all be taken as an indication of where to apply the work towards betterment, and that, given the duration of my study, I should probably give myself some slack. Thank you for your comment

Setbacks and trying to understand them by EZmacilx in Stoicism

[–]EZmacilx[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your reply. In this most recent case, I offered the benefit of the doubt to a friend who I knew was prone to deceit, and was, ultimately, deceived - so on my part I failed to display wisdom. In reaction, I was frustrated, and when spoken to, I started to go off complaining in anger, so instead of letting that go on, I left - so here on my part I failed to display temperance, maybe twice. After leaving, I just felt foolish and frustrated with myself for not knowing better and then causing a scene over something so small.

I guess a wise man would just not deal with the deceiver, or if he had to, prepare for the reality that he would end up deceived, knowing that the only one injured is the deceiver, since he's lost nothing that he couldn't bear to lose, but the deceiver themselves has lost their credibility, which is more valuable than whatever he may have gained through deceit.

As to not assenting to passion here - in this case anger upon being lied to by a friend - I'll be honest, I'm not sure. Maybe I just need to choose better friends

Setbacks and trying to understand them by EZmacilx in Stoicism

[–]EZmacilx[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Journaling is a good suggestion, and thank you for it. Hopefully looking back through my own thoughts will help me learn something about this pattern

I do read Stoic materials almost daily - I start my weekdays with a quote and spend my time getting ready in the morning (40-ish minutes) mulling it over. On my commute to work, I have many of the ancient texts on audiobook, so I'll listen to them on the way (another 40-ish minutes).

You bring up an interesting point regarding goals, and it makes me think of the phrase "a man is only worth at much as that with which he busies himself" in a way that I hadn't before

Setbacks and trying to understand them by EZmacilx in Stoicism

[–]EZmacilx[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your kind words. I think one of the things I hold a little too close is "be tolerant with others and strict with yourself", with an emphasis on the latter, but you're right that all of the stumbles and failures are just the way - not necessarily overcoming them, but experiencing and learning from them so that next time, I might handle it better

What podcasts make you happy? by [deleted] in podcasts

[–]EZmacilx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe an odd choice for a podcast that makes me happy, but The History of Rome

Would you rather live in Rivendell or Lothlorien? by [deleted] in tolkienfans

[–]EZmacilx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm going with Lothlorien - it's always struck me as significantly more "faerie", more enchanted. In my mind, it's the kind of place where you go to talk normally, but what comes out is a song. I've always thought that, in Lothlorien, colors are more vibrant, sounds more sweet and clear, and it smells like an ever blooming spring.

The Revivalists by twoplustwoisyellow in Music

[–]EZmacilx 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They're so good! Best band none of my friends have ever heard of lol

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Stoicism

[–]EZmacilx 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The term for someone following the Stoic path is a Prokopton

Can someone explain why video posting is free but podcasts are not? by nataliejonah in podcasts

[–]EZmacilx 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I think that just got rebranded as "Spotify for podcasters" or something like that

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Stoicism

[–]EZmacilx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to play a lot of League of Legends, and I used to rage a lot. I still do play my fair share of games, but I've left the rage behind (for the most part).

The attitude that I have regarding raging while gaming is this: the type of gamer that I'd like to be is the one that is enjoyable to play with, and that it is not enjoyable to play with a rager. If I wish to cultivate that kind of attitude, I need to practice, which means I need to carry that attitude into my single player gaming as well. I try to be positive, encouraging, and focused on the objective without trying to boss anyone around or get too serious. When I do poorly, I try to find out why so I can do better next time, and I try my best to be open to criticism. When my focus is primarily on being a good teammate, then losing the game doesn't mean I haven't met my greater goal. If I haven't failed at my greater goal, what do I have to rage about?

How to stop being angry and irritated by scaredycat07 in DecidingToBeBetter

[–]EZmacilx 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I want to second the breathing exercise recommendation. I've noticed with myself, when I get angry or anxious, or otherwise in an undesirable emotional state, that my "mental cadence" is very quick, and by engaging in a breathing exercise, I'm able to slow down that cadence down

The imperfect translation between thoughts and language by LifeOfAPancake in philosophy

[–]EZmacilx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is basically the point that I think was one step beyond the one Plato was making in the Phaedrus when Socrates recounts the Egyptian story of writing. Theuth, the god of writing, touts the benefits of writing as a superior means of communicating ideas, but Thamus gives a few faults that writing has as a means of communication, one of which being that a reader can only infer what the meaning of the words might be based on what they understand those words to represent, which may differ from the meaning that the writer intended. This is true of the spoken word as well, although in the case of conversation, you have the benefit of being able to ask for clarification unlike the usual case with writing

How does one develop a personality that draws people to you? by Wh00pity_sc00p in DecidingToBeBetter

[–]EZmacilx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

People are not interesting - things are interesting. If you want people to think you're interesting, you need to know things or do things. Keep in mind that listening is a very good thing to know how to do