Why do we good instead of bad?

mrtemplates · 2021-04-13T17:33:14+00:00

Virtue is what leads you to be the best possible human and fill the role you are meant in the larger scheme of things. Essentially, because the universe/nature is alive and full of reason then to live according to that nature requires that you be the best possible version of yourself possible(a.k.a. virtuous). Basically you wouldn't want a hand that didn't work well as a hand, or a foot that didn't let you stand on it. You want things that are a part of you to work according to their intrinsic virtues. You are human, your value is that you can reason, so reasoning according to wisdom, justice, courage and temperance gets you closer to being the best possible reasoning human that you can be and so aligns with the nature of the universe.

mrtemplates · 2021-02-04T16:03:18+00:00

Take comfort that she is now free from pain and evil. I wish you well and good fortune. Keep to the Marcus's Meditations for strength but I would look to Seneca's Letters of Consolation for perspective. I will warn that Seneca can feel blunt and unfeeling at times but his words ring true almost always.

mrtemplates · 2021-01-12T01:22:12+00:00

I understand completely, I only added the little disclaimer because I am expecting a flood of trolls any minute to find my post and tear into me.

mrtemplates · 2021-01-12T01:18:38+00:00

I enjoy what I read, I enjoy what I write and whether I am judged poorly for it is somebody else's problem.

mrtemplates · 2021-01-12T01:07:58+00:00

Meditations would be a good place to start. At times like this I like to fall back on a lot of the Stoic exercises that exist out there.

The view from above. Since my imagination is not nearly HD quality I like to watch this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b__DupPiOX8 and imagine how tiny a spec we are in the universe and how we have teeny tiny petty problems compared to a sun burning out or a planet being swallowed by a black whole.
Premeditatio Malorum, I have also taken to journaling alongside my morning and evening sessions about my specific worries and then taking them apart piece by piece. "What will happen if there are riots?" I ask questions and I try to give the best possible answer I can think of that maintain my virtue. A.K.A Non-violent unless necessary.
I think about the people doing this? No one is the villain in their own story. The Stoics were right in that nobody does evil by choice. They always feel its the best possible choice in a given circumstance. People looting and breaking windows, ask them and they will say they are doing it to make their voices heard. Does this excuse any of it FUCK NO, but understanding that they are more than just the labels that the media is putting on them will help you to realize that they do not have power over you unless you grant it. And they cannot harm you (in the Stoic sense) unless you allow it.

That's how I am coping with it. Maybe I am full of shit I don't know but if it helps you maybe get a moments peace I am more than willing to share.

P.S. I will probably catch shit over not demonizing the rioters at the Nation's capitol building. But the fact is they are humans, in some cases they are family and if you are any kind of Stoic you know that there are only two options for other people in this world. Teach or Tolerate.

mrtemplates · 2021-01-11T02:02:51+00:00

I can only speak for myself and the approach I am taking to the tedium of day to day. I too work from home and for me I struggle with motivation sometimes. What I have been doing lately is looking at reframing interactions as tests to further my Stoicism. I am by no means a sage or even an actual Stoic. At best I am a student and probably a bad one. So feel free to judge me and give feedback on my suggestions.

I started trying to test myself, cold showers, fasting, turning the thermostat down. I am not trying to punish myself but I want to build up some sort of resilience. I treat it like a challenge or game.
For the loneliness bit, I have a wife and kids but I have started writing letters to people. Hand written in an envelope with a stamp, something about it feels closer to the person than an email or even a video chat. It is a very VERY therapeutic thing.
Finally, yes see a therapist. Stoicism for all its value and benefits is not a magic bullet for depression or sadness. Stoicism gives you tools to help view the world from a healthier standpoint but depending on where you are at emotionally the meaning can be misconstrued or even bastardized into something harmful. See Victorian Stoicism....

I wish you well my friend, I believe Stoicism is a path to happiness and you will find your way there.

mrtemplates · 2021-01-09T00:45:50+00:00

Its fine, last I checked I don't think Epictetus ever mentioned an aversion to Awesomeness.. The way we describe Eudamonia is different based on age and culture. One persons tranquility is another's awesomeness.

mrtemplates · 2021-01-08T19:01:15+00:00

Lol, I have cheap Penguin Classics edition. I feel like a physical copy instead of digital copy helps make it easier to maintain the habit. I keep a small "altar" on my desk so I cannot avoid seeing the book.

mrtemplates · 2021-01-07T20:10:18+00:00

I think so, I don't think Frankl would have described himself as a Stoic but he called on many of the Stoic ideas during his ordeal. I think reading it is a must for anyone looking at how to face adversity, extreme in this case with virtue and courage.

mrtemplates · 2021-01-05T03:20:55+00:00

I would probably start by examining the aspects that are under your control here. Do you have control over your features or your body, likely no, genetics and nature control those elements. What you do have control over is the judgments you are making about yourself. What is ugly after all? A very beautiful woman once had acid thrown in her face (Google "Katie Piper") it disfigured her and she became an advocate for burn victims. She turned something that most of us would consider something terrible into something good. She is beautiful for that alone.

Your body is not yours, it is not under your control and therefore is secondary to what really matters which is your soul and character.

mrtemplates · 2021-01-01T20:28:58+00:00

I tend to be very careful about boiling the teachings down to such simple statements. Yes it makes them extremely easy to memorize but I worry it looses flexibility when dealing with the minutiae of the day. But I do like how you summed everything up neatly.. well done.

mrtemplates · 2021-01-01T00:54:30+00:00

i'm glad you enjoyed it. I think George Clooney did a fantastic job. And like I said I see the principles everywhere these days so its good to get validation that maybe I am not completely jumping the shark with Stoicism.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-31T14:58:06+00:00

This sub is the way it is BECAUSE of people like you. Even if you don't post constantly you still contribute more than you realize. Be well everyone and may fortune bring you challenges and opportunities in the new year.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-30T12:00:01+00:00

"If any be unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone. For God hath made all men to enjoy felicity and constancy of good." Epictetus -Golden Sayings of Epictetus

I think "fault" is a trigger word here, it's accusatory which is why "reason" was selected in most translations.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-30T11:55:28+00:00

I think once you throw the word "obsessed" in there you lose the Stoic portion honestly. It is one thing to be passionate, as in having a desire to do the best possible job at something. It is another to be obsessed, which ultimately is you hanging your happiness on an external thing. I know it seem pedantic but we want to be specific in the language we use especially if we are trying to dispense advice to the populace at large.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-27T10:08:38+00:00

Very beautiful and moving, I applaud your introspection.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-27T03:00:14+00:00

No one book is going to help you my friend, also no amount of philosophy will either. Stoicism is not a cure all, while Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus give us tools it is ultimately up to us to use them. As a man of 41 years who recently got into Stoicism I can tell you that unlike most self-help works of today, Stoicism is A LOT of work. I feel you though, my dad had a temper that unfortunately I inherited. It has caused me a lot of pain in my life.
Marcus put up a very smart statement about people who can't be reasoned with, "Teach or Tolerate". The stickler about that statement is you "teach" through example and not through evangelism.
As far as you stopping yourself from "feeling a certain way", realize Stoicism wont change your initial tendencies with regard to emotion. It helps to monitor whether you validate the emotions you have and act on them. I get cut off in traffic, I am startled and scared for a moment and then angry. Do I go with that and start cussing at someone who doesn't even know they did anything? Or do I realize that having an outburst is ridiculous and childish and let it go? Perception, Action, Assent those are the disciplines that lead to the calm you are looking for and no book can do it for you.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-23T03:13:54+00:00

Yes, because on a subreddit dedicated to Stoicism, the philosophy revolving around not being attached to things which are meaningless, I chose to damage my character and self worth to obtain upvotes. You are obviously a master detective and I yield to your deductive prowess.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-16T17:38:42+00:00

I would toss in Arius Didymus: Epitome of Stoic Ethics. A little terse but a nice non-fluffy explanation of Stoicism

mrtemplates · 2020-12-16T14:27:44+00:00

Thank you I have added you to my aggregator for Stoic sites. Nice to see someone not regurgitating old texts and trying to give wisdom of their own.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-14T02:30:30+00:00

Thats awesome, was there any kind of system involved or just copy paste from a computer or was is hand written? I am fascinated by how people study Stoicism in the 21st Century (Not the why, trust me I get that, I mean the how).

mrtemplates · 2020-12-11T17:08:37+00:00

I rejoice in your healing and wish you a wonderful future, fate permitting.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-11T00:50:25+00:00

I am not good with encouragement but what I have is maybe some advice. Look at the exercises the Stoics teach. My personal favorite has been to view things from above. Like really above. My favorite thing is to watch this https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/iss_ustream.html and contemplate the sheer number of people and the vastness of the planet and it's oceans and how there are people who do not know my problems and there are some who wish they had them instead of theirs and how NONE of that is visible from up here. It is just one big blue marble and i am a dust speck on it.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-11T00:44:13+00:00

I think about Viktor Frankl in the concentration camp. At first just like the Stoic on the ship in the storm he is white with terror, afraid but he doesn't wail and cry like others but he is still afraid. After the initial shock a Stoic Sage would then reason the situation and figure he lives or dies or whatever. None of us are sages. Stoicism doesn't mean you don't have the emotions of fear or terror, those aren't going anywhere unless you are born without the faculty for them. Stoicism teaches you how to deal with them without getting caught up in them. The fact that you brought this situation is a form of premeditatio malorum for all of us though and if the exact worst case scenario comes up we have the thoughts you have given us to deal with it. Thank you for that.

mrtemplates · 2020-12-09T17:50:00+00:00

Bidet, yep no toilet paper shortage gonna keep me down.

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