*This video covers 10 themes of Stoicism. I created it for my students in 2013. *See Wisdom Traditions Playlist for similar videos. *Visit my website (lucidphilosophy.com) for more resources.
Yeah, tell that to the child being raped by her father. Or the individual caught in the crossfire in a war. Or anyone who has survived these or other atrocities at the hands of other alleged humans. This concept is by and for those who have not had to endure horrific experiences that simply, inevitably, bring on suffering that one has, and had, absolutely no control over. Ignorant and wildly simplistic.
@@jezannarainforest823 No, rape and PTSD is the inevitable pain everyone has to experience in life, in one measure or another. But whether you suffer from it is within your power to decide. “What really frightens and dismays us is not external events themselves, but the way in which we think about them. It is not things that disturb us, but our interpretation of their significance.” - Epictetus. The human spirit is not as fickle as you perceive. Surrendering to the notion that you will never get better because of your past is wrong. Or at least that's what I hope for anyway. For I have resolved myself to stay strong when these atrocities inevitably come. Stoicism is a philosophy of knowing, that sun always shines after the rain. (I just said some edgy cringe probably, excuse me for that) P.S. The original quote is actually a quote by Haruki Murakami.
@@eldragon4076 This is true. People think they Might have But have not. I though this at first but open Further though i have not Practiced Stoicism throughout my life, But certain Elements Of it.
I agree with you. I think a lot of us have various parts of it that we naturally utilize because it such a natural way of thinking. But it isn't until later in life, when you've begun to move away from stoicism and feel the emptiness that brings that you truly start practice it.
Nicely done. I love the sentence: Say to the everything you don’t control: “I can be happy and good with or without you”, “my happiness and good is based on what I can control”.
I consider stoicism the closest to my own discovered beliefs over time... my main philosophy is that every move is a gamble towards peace of mind... a skillful gambler wins and loses, an unskillful gambler just almost won.
Best video I've seen on the philosophy yet. Stoicism has been such a balm in my life. I've become so much more able to accept reality and not let things I can't control get the best of me.
Rise up Stoics! We unfortunately live in an era where words "harm" people. We need to spread our ideas that everyone can control their own thoughts, be virtuous and pursue excellence instead of seeking safe spaces and claiming to be victims.
A B :p Good luck erasing the Fear of Death that anybody with half a brain has. We know we are going to die and it scares the fucking shit out of us not to exist anymore in this form in this state of mind.
@@donvandamnjohnsonlongfella1239 why is death scary? yes it is unknown, but happiness is also unknown. why do we automatically believe something bad will happen after death? what if its a Null and nothing happens and we just are?
Cheryl Bacha lol a woman interested in stoicism? Can't be real. Women just dump their emotions onto their man, why would they want to control their emotions? I mean that would be great but it can't be real.
Great question. :) The most common criticism of stoicism is that it is too passive/resigned... and your point seems to go along with that. However, a stronger reading of stoicism encourages standing up for self without becoming angry... without losing one's mind. The 24 minute documentary called "Seneca on Happiness" explores your traffic scenario a bit. In short, there are stronger and weaker forms of stoicism... the stronger, I think, will not let us become obsequious passive pushovers
Very good introduction. A few thoughts. Stoicism is amazingly appealing but takes practice. The easiest frustration is to expect to be substantially better (particularly with reactivity) immediately. Additionally, it's easy to conflate stoicism with self help CBT like therapy. It's not a great comparison. Though there are numerous crossovers between CBT and Stoicism, the later is a philosophy based on living in harmony with the universe and playing your part in advancing the rightful order of the universe. Feeling better and being less under the sway of emotional turmoil is both necessary and valuable but is not the end and sole goal. Additionally, being virtuous despite consequence depends in knowing right from wrong. That requires education and critical reasoning. Of course, taking the virtuous path becomes harder when painful consequences for doing so become more pronounced. Trying to navigate a virtuous path that involves substantial un preferable reactions or pain is hard ...and it's even harder to do so without "losing ones mind" to emotion and anger. It's a path.....enjoy.
Thanks, Josh. I don't have them out yet. I am currently building a site called lucidphilosophy.com and will eventually improve the slides and then add them there. If you email me, I can send you some docs: lucidphilosophy@gmail.com
totally agree, it requires great effort and a diet free of stimulants (saccharine /depression, sodium/anger?) too much protein makes one hyper, too little anemic-lethargic? great effort! thanks!
+Michael B Thank you, Michael. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope to produce one on Epicurus soon, his philosophy is elegant/simple and also has much to offer .
I agree with Micheal B. Also the way you spoke about the subject was very objective and may even subliminally entices one to adapt stoicism, someone very impressionable of course.. Someone like me. : )
Ooh, this kind of philosophy seems similar to what I'm seeking for myself, albeit with a modern twist: a kind of _"evolutionary stoicism"_. The way I see it is that we've inherited behaviors over an evolutionary time scale, most of which was spent adapting to survive in the wilderness. Since we're no longer living in such environments, our inherited behaviors are not always useful and sometimes significant obstacles to our own goals. We tend to be afraid of foreign agents, we can feed on fears and superstitions, get angry to the point of doing things we regret, etc. So I've arrived at a similar conclusion to the stoic, albeit through a different method. We're fortunately capable of conditioning ourselves to not act on, or at least not encourage and further feed these kinds of behaviors when they impede our goals. And when we can learn how to do that, we're letting our consciously rationalized decision-making process, which is far more adapted to the kind of complex environment we live in, control more of our behaviors. This side tends to be far better at coming to level-headed judgements about how to best pursue our own goals. So I tend to see it as key to understanding our own biological machinery, how it wants to make decisions for us instead of our conscious reasoning capabilities, since the more we understand this machinery (this kind of conjoined twin making decisions for us), the better we can fight against it and take control of ourselves. If I insert nerdy sci-fi, the key as I see it is to become a little more impartial like Data, but not to the extent of losing our humanity and sense of individuality.
Hi Matthew, thanks for the comment. Yes, I mean that. Also, depression can become so ingrained that one may need some chemical help, and then CBT, to improve. Matthew Dawe
know yourself (Aristotle)- Stoa helps to understand via ratio - and also helps to understand the irrational -emotional part of ourself (amygdala) - eg. I get angry automatically but can deal with it since I know that is an emotional reaction I cannot control, but then I can calm down by analysis afterwards and do not hurt others (or am able to forgive myself) - four main virtues: wisdom, justice, courage, temperance-enough
I think using this around my emotions would be amazing , as I was trained to be a people - pleasure and that has held me back because most of them were controllers .
omid reyhani im still looking for mine. No wait, I consider myself better than people who dont read books .I mean who have every opportunity...but just go to the trailer by the river to get fat/ play video games 24/7 at age 54 Albert Ellis REBT referred to in video.
In a sense, you could say we are madefrom this fiery logos, in that I and many others believe that we are made from stardust and other matter from outer space
I don't think emotion is something under your control, you can't choose how you feel about something, for example I can't stop myself from being sad when a loved one dies, or being angry when I'm wronged. It's your behavior in response to it that you have control over.
But is it not possible to change your thinking about what angers you and consequently diminish an anger response to that thing over time? For instance, I once became angry when someone interrupted me whilst speaking. But after years of realizing that people are generally uninterested in what I am saying (which is perfectly fine), or just simply excited about speaking their own viewpoint, I now have no flare of anger when interrupted. I asked myself "why OUGHT people not cut me short when I speak?" - to which I replied "their is no OUGHT, unless I bind upon them my values." But why ought they embrace my values? I think you see my point.
@Excalibur yes,i do agree,meditation can be of great help...one must inquire into the nature of emotion...Emotion arises out of memory ,upon encounter wid a sense object,person or situation .....it exhibits in the body as sensation and in the mind as thoughts....e.g when someone gets angry,dey get a burn like sensation in their chest area (coz or rise of blood pressure),shortness of breath etc....and in the mind anger expresses itself as thought,"how the hell did he/ she say dat?"....generally we r identified wid dese emotions and dey subconsciously grab us from behind...but their z a way out of dis....one can train a part of one's mind to be an impartial observer to ones thoughts and emotions....e.g suppose anger,or lust or any such emotion expresses itself,one must immediately become alert and investigate how the emotion exhibits itself in the body and mind,and be equanimous or indifferent to dese triggers,knowing dat dese emotional triggers are just a momentary impulse and reacting impulsively to on da basis of dese emotions may only land one in trouble....by dis method one gradually learns to train oneself to rationally respond rather than emotionally react...!!......also qigong and Yoga can help produce enough tranquility in our system to reduce impulsive reactions...
If I am wronged....ive done something to contribute to the ability of the other party to commit the wrong against me 99.99% of the time....and upon reflection it may not be a big deal anyway.
It's irritating that these ideas have to be searched out at all, even after thousands of years of the value of them being understood. Life is such confusing noise. I had a Christian upbringing but I had to fight against that in my mind and picked up a lot of useless prejudice towards it. Jesus said that you should do good things even if no one is watching, because God is watching. It sounds trite. But it's essentially this Stoic maxim mentioned here, that an emerald shines even if no one sees it. Inherent value. Why water it down and risk people throwing the baby out with the bath water? But I'm sick of anti-religious rants.
Its all about how you interpret and How it was interpreted.. Or meant... Finally You & only You is there to decide which is right and wrong by your level of intelligence . It's better to choose one. And i absolutely not with The Religious side. Because the things can't get in my Head .. I don't go with it.
Lesj Conj People don't hate God. They hate RELIGION! Organized religions is used to trick, deceive, corrupt, and control the minds of the weak in order to serve masters! There is no FREEDOM in ORGANIZED RELIGION!
Lesj Conj also Religious people are unwilling to see God outside of their chosen image of GOD, Heaven, Hell, Religious figures within the realm of their own Religion. RELIGIOUS people are blinded by their own perceptions of what they feel is GOD and what Message GOD has for people.
As a life-long Atheist who has never had a religious belief because my parents skipped childhood indoctrination, I have never felt that anyone is watching me. However, I must live with myself. Therefore, doing what is right is important, because I am watching. To the Agnostic, most people are Agnostic, regardless of whether they are Theist or Atheist. People who are Gnostic, or who claim divine knowledge, are typically bat-shit crazy. Agnostic is not Atheist-Light. So congrats on being an Atheist. Bashing of any kind is irritating. I grew up being told by Christians that I was evil, a sinner, a devil, a witch, and less-than-human. My initial reaction to this was to respond to them in the precise same fashion that they treated me. However, I realized that the Christian way of judging others and being superior to others was wrong. The only problem I encounter with this video is that I do not see anything resembling "perfect order" in the universe. I do not believe that the universe is a sentient being that cares about me or anyone else. Until I learn otherwise, of my own accord, I am alone in this life, as is everyone else. I was born alone, and will die alone. The rest of it seems to make sense. If one is tired of religion bashing, or anti-religion bashing, then they might want to take on the very topic of this video. Instead of being angry or "sick" of it, be entertained by it. Most people worship gods that are commercially-available for purchase. Some might have a more esoteric idea of a god. Then there are those, like me, who have no gods and see no need for them. Regardless of your path, keep it for so long as it works for you, and so long as it does not cause others harm.
Hope only do not expect. That is a path that leads to contentment. Don't be happy but strive to be content. For happiness depends on happenstance and contentment relies on the judgment of results from one's actions.
I see some important similarities in the teachings of Don Juan Matus like the importance of the idea of one's death. When things become difficult or unclear "a warrior" focuses on the idea of death. This puts things into perspective and gives his acts much more power. I can attest to this power because I have used this technique in high-stress situations.
I don't believe emotions are truly under your control, they are prone to your nature and your environment, but I believe one can choose what to focus on with practice
When i was like 10 i could experience would get so close to ego death every day because i would build a lego car in my head and once i finished i would get scared and forget who i am and i would always try to remember who i was
I do have a chemical imbalance that I regulate with medicine, but I have also been working on my reactivity for a while. I didn't realize that it was called stoicism, but it fits. I like my life so much more now that I'm not freaking out about everything!
Aurora D just a thought, but have you considered your mind and actions cause the chemical imbalance instead of the imbalance causing certain feelings and behavior? The act of positively engaging in your environment and completing goals will improve your “chemical imbalance” and you will soon find less or no need for medications. 🌈. Best of luck to you!
1) Roll with the punches. 2) Man is born free but in a deterministic setting, understand Nature to know you limitations. 3) Don't panic! Relax, think. Just love the Moderation. 4) Duty is a bitch, Evil is it's own punishment. 5) Nothing is wither good or bad but that thinking make it so ! Have a practical perspective. 6) there is no afterlife, men are mortal, compassion and humility make life worth living in a cold and indifferent Nature. so, give to others the same rights you'd expect for yourself. and let the Law arbitrate conflicts: the social contract. 7) remember the big picture :see Ground hog Day !
Very nice explanation and I like the emerald quote. I would like to point out that Hamlet, the character, made that statement about the relativity of thought, so it does not mean Shakespeare believed that. And, in fact, at the time Hamlet says it, one can argue that he was sarcastic towards Rosencrantz and Guildestern, who were not his "friends" but spies for the king. So Hamlet was repudiating MORAL relativism, the idea that it's okay to play your friend for a fool if the reward is sufficient. Also, Epictetus wanted us to remember that everything dies, so we don't get too attached to anything in life, and, therefore, we will be able to grieve but then move on with life when anyone close to us dies or when we lose anything. A similar sentiment (albeit Christian) is expressed in Ben Jonson's elegy to his dead son. In the first stanza he tells himself, "Seven years tho' wert lent to me, and I thee pay, / Exacted by thy fate, on the just day." In the final lines of the poem he cautions himself, "For whose sake henceforth all his vows be such, / As what he loves may never like too much."
Yes, I agree that is the best state of mind, so to speak. Sometimes we need cognitive insights to get out of the cognitive maze to become present here and now.
Part of some mental illnesses is not being *able* to switch from the emotion to the cognitive. I understand that means you should file that under the "cannot control," but I think that should be emphasized. Mental illness has a close tie with this topic because we're talking about personal control and changing your beliefs/emotions.
You must know I was already ... in many Ways . - My Passion for Seneca . And Marc Aurelius . To equilibrate my Fragile Being . I will try again ... the Basic , the Essence . For now it has to be here - YT - once I ' m waiting to Glasses ... to read . BLESSINGS , your emerald wicce pearl lace moon
What Stoicism fails to address is that in the modern world individuals are under the control of others. (Others being outside forces). Freud wrote about this, in his, "Civilization and Its Discontents".
Also interested in practical uses of stoicism such as CBT, but what did you mean when mentioned a criticism of not being effective for chemical imbalance? Do you mean in cases of more so schizophrenia?, or also anxiety based disorders?
Thank you for sharing. I have a question for stoicism in regards to its use in today's world. How would a stoic deal with others who try to take advantage of her? For example, if Im on the highway during rush hour and someone cuts me off but being the stoic that I am, I don't get angry because after all, the only thing I've lost is a few minutes and time isn't something that has moral value (I don't think). Wouldn't this kind of action be a green light for other drivers to cut the stoic off?
hmm, interesting philosophy. i wonder though if repressed aggressions have to be let out before you can approach life like this or if they would get expressed by the joy of having control over one's emotions? I suspect it would be like splitting off a part of oneself instead if healing and integrating/evolving first. What d'you think?
Hello Paul i would like to thank you for putting this up and making it accessible to people such as myself! I have a question. Would the stoics be opposed to not doing something in the fear of failure or the outcome? I find it fascinating that you can be subject to these fears before the event has even occurred. More simply most would think 1 in dimensional terms and only recognize that physical or events that have occurred could affect someone and make them into a slave of their own emotions but the minds power goes above this reality and creates it before it has even occurred. So would they be opposed in not doing something in fear of the outcome?
I'm not Paul, but haven't you answered your own question? You already said such fear make one a slave of emotion. Epictetus would not want anyone to worry about anything, that's why he makes the distinction between what is under our control (he thinks our thoughts are) and what isn't under our control (external circumstances). So if we worry about what is going to happen and refrain from doing something because of that (and I mean something laudable, something good, something positive we grow by, not something dumb like crawling into a gorilla cage or risking our life in some other foolish way), then we aren't being Stoic. Epictetus cautions against fear of loss, even with that which we currently "possess," because one day we will have to return it; how much worse worrying about the loss of something we don't even yet have (success). That's what I think.
emotions are based on beliefs and most destructive emotions are based on false beliefs. most emotions are errors in judgement. we should avoid becoming the emotion. we should think about emotions before giving our assent to them *think about thinking that created the emotion* . doing so will give you control over the negative emotions. the only thing we can control in life is our soul and mind and the only way to protect it is to live the life of virtue and do the right thing even if it hurts, but we shouldn't complain. conforming our mind to reality takes time and effort, but it leads to virtue, recognition of duty and integrity. we are sculpting ourself and creating habits of thoughts and behavior that are realistic and therefore virtuous. :)
Just like everything, Stoicism also has it's cons. it's like equivalent exchange. Being not able to be motivated to the point of betting your life on it or any high stakes can bring happiness. But again, some people don't feel that satisfied after reaching their goals even through their hard work
I think I'll read these books for myself rather than just go with a CZcams video after all 2 different people can react differently to the same occurrence.
See Phillip's comment below. Also, see cognitive therapy. Understanding emotion sometimes frees us from it. For example, understanding my fear is caused by a false belief is therapeutic because I can correct my false belief ("conform mind to reality/logos") and fear often dissipates. A behaviorist may also use gradual habituation to help one reduce fear. However, I don't think I can be free from all emotions and don't want to. I can, however, try to make sure my emotions are based on true beliefs. I can also observe my emotions "from a distance" by buddhist mediation or some other form of meditation. Finally, I can alter my moods by turning off the tv and making the objects of my consciousness something beautiful, insipiring, etc. Hope that clarifies, Paul
jjsiegal A useful task that can help you better understand your emotions and acknowledge how you act and then acknowledge how you want to act. It's a process that parallels discovering your triggers and understanding negative thinking processes. They address these things in counseling. You write down in a journal your day. You analyze what happened how you felt and how you reacted. Then you can determine how you can act to better facilitate your desired outcomes. If you can focus yourself into the present so that emotional attachments to past events do not hinder your current actions or thoughts by always resetting your emotional clock to zero before you go to bed. A healthy diet, a good sleeping pattern, a strong disciplined routine, and the company of positive or emotionally mature individuals can help as well.
Pain is inevitable suffering is optional. - Haruki Murakami
Change is inevitable. Struggling is optional.
Yeah, tell that to the child being raped by her father. Or the individual caught in the crossfire in a war. Or anyone who has survived these or other atrocities at the hands of other alleged humans. This concept is by and for those who have not had to endure horrific experiences that simply, inevitably, bring on suffering that one has, and had, absolutely no control over. Ignorant and wildly simplistic.
@@jezannarainforest823 No, rape and PTSD is the inevitable pain everyone has to experience in life, in one measure or another. But whether you suffer from it is within your power to decide.
“What really frightens and dismays us is not external events themselves, but the way in which we think about them. It is not things that disturb us, but our interpretation of their significance.” - Epictetus.
The human spirit is not as fickle as you perceive. Surrendering to the notion that you will never get better because of your past is wrong.
Or at least that's what I hope for anyway. For I have resolved myself to stay strong when these atrocities inevitably come. Stoicism is a philosophy of knowing, that sun always shines after the rain. (I just said some edgy cringe probably, excuse me for that)
P.S. The original quote is actually a quote by Haruki Murakami.
Hakuna matata
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” This quote has been attributed to the Dalai Lama, Haruki Murakami, and M. Kathleen Casey.
Now that I look at it, I have always had a sense of stoicism my whole life.
Luis David tapia Yes, I’m sure you did.
Everyone believes they do
@@eldragon4076 This is true. People think they Might have But have not. I though this at first but open Further though i have not Practiced Stoicism throughout my life, But certain Elements Of it.
I agree with you. I think a lot of us have various parts of it that we naturally utilize because it such a natural way of thinking. But it isn't until later in life, when you've begun to move away from stoicism and feel the emptiness that brings that you truly start practice it.
I like stoicism, but there's like this one week every month where I just become unhinged for no reason
'No man can do me a real injury because no man can force me to misbehave myself.'-Aurelius. wisdom. sharing this
@@donvandamnjohnsonlongfella1239 You missed the point.
Nicely done. I love the sentence: Say to the everything you don’t control: “I can be happy and good with or without you”, “my happiness and good is based on what I can control”.
Nice.ronald strother
Milwaukee Ronald strother
I consider stoicism the closest to my own discovered beliefs over time... my main philosophy is that every move is a gamble towards peace of mind... a skillful gambler wins and loses, an unskillful gambler just almost won.
I just almost won.......nice outlook 😊
I mean stoicism just put a methodology behind nearly universal values that’s why it’s so practical and appealing
Dude, the Narrator of this video is Tina from Bob's Burgers.
+Stephen Henkel (But also, thanks for the video/information)
+Stephen Henkel hahahahahahahhhaha
Stephen Henkel qqqqq
i was wandering why this voice sounds so familiar
Tony Little AN
Best video I've seen on the philosophy yet. Stoicism has been such a balm in my life. I've become so much more able to accept reality and not let things I can't control get the best of me.
Thanks Shadow heart, happy you liked it. That theme is very powerful.
Rise up Stoics! We unfortunately live in an era where words "harm" people. We need to spread our ideas that everyone can control their own thoughts, be virtuous and pursue excellence instead of seeking safe spaces and claiming to be victims.
A B you took it where Nazis took it. Bleh
yeah, now you just sound like a religious hippocratic. Not stoicism at all
Martin Bartlebaugh
What are you talking about?
A B :p Good luck erasing the Fear of Death that anybody with half a brain has. We know we are going to die and it scares the fucking shit out of us not to exist anymore in this form in this state of mind.
@@donvandamnjohnsonlongfella1239 why is death scary? yes it is unknown, but happiness is also unknown. why do we automatically believe something bad will happen after death? what if its a Null and nothing happens and we just are?
Thank you for teaching me what my own professor couldn't. Great video❤️
Cheryl Bacha lol a woman interested in stoicism? Can't be real. Women just dump their emotions onto their man, why would they want to control their emotions? I mean that would be great but it can't be real.
The upbeat tone and entusiasm of the narrator is what drew me in.
Great question. :) The most common criticism of stoicism is that it is too passive/resigned... and your point seems to go along with that. However, a stronger reading of stoicism encourages standing up for self without becoming angry... without losing one's mind. The 24 minute documentary called "Seneca on Happiness" explores your traffic scenario a bit. In short, there are stronger and weaker forms of stoicism... the stronger, I think, will not let us become obsequious passive pushovers
Great breakdown on Stoicism. Very simple and clear, thank you!
Very good introduction. A few thoughts. Stoicism is amazingly appealing but takes practice. The easiest frustration is to expect to be substantially better (particularly with reactivity) immediately. Additionally, it's easy to conflate stoicism with self help CBT like therapy. It's not a great comparison. Though there are numerous crossovers between CBT and Stoicism, the later is a philosophy based on living in harmony with the universe and playing your part in advancing the rightful order of the universe. Feeling better and being less under the sway of emotional turmoil is both necessary and valuable but is not the end and sole goal. Additionally, being virtuous despite consequence depends in knowing right from wrong. That requires education and critical reasoning. Of course, taking the virtuous path becomes harder when painful consequences for doing so become more pronounced. Trying to navigate a virtuous path that involves substantial un preferable reactions or pain is hard ...and it's even harder to do so without "losing ones mind" to emotion and anger. It's a path.....enjoy.
Thanks for the excellent insights, Anthony.
Where can I download your powerpoint slides?
Thanks, Josh. I don't have them out yet. I am currently building a site called lucidphilosophy.com and will eventually improve the slides and then add them there. If you email me, I can send you some docs: lucidphilosophy@gmail.com
totally agree, it requires great effort and a diet free of stimulants (saccharine /depression, sodium/anger?)
too much protein makes one hyper, too little anemic-lethargic?
great effort! thanks!
Anthony Goldsmith CBT ripped off stoicism.
Anyone who makes a video combining Stoicism with Chris Farley reference is my kind of guy.
So nice to read a YT comments section filled with intelligent comments and no abuse! Great video - thanks
I had never heard of stoicism but but I've been incorporating parts of this into my life
There are many fancy videos on CZcams that cover Stoicism but this is one of the best I've seen. Thx for posting.
Love it !! You have a gift ( a stoic gift:) to calmly communicate the gist of the subject without unnecessary philosophizing!
+Michael B Thank you, Michael. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope to produce one on Epicurus soon, his philosophy is elegant/simple and also has much to offer .
I agree with Micheal B. Also the way you spoke about the subject was very objective and may even subliminally entices one to adapt stoicism, someone very impressionable of course.. Someone like me. : )
Ooh, this kind of philosophy seems similar to what I'm seeking for myself, albeit with a modern twist: a kind of _"evolutionary stoicism"_.
The way I see it is that we've inherited behaviors over an evolutionary time scale, most of which was spent adapting to survive in the wilderness. Since we're no longer living in such environments, our inherited behaviors are not always useful and sometimes significant obstacles to our own goals. We tend to be afraid of foreign agents, we can feed on fears and superstitions, get angry to the point of doing things we regret, etc.
So I've arrived at a similar conclusion to the stoic, albeit through a different method. We're fortunately capable of conditioning ourselves to not act on, or at least not encourage and further feed these kinds of behaviors when they impede our goals.
And when we can learn how to do that, we're letting our consciously rationalized decision-making process, which is far more adapted to the kind of complex environment we live in, control more of our behaviors. This side tends to be far better at coming to level-headed judgements about how to best pursue our own goals.
So I tend to see it as key to understanding our own biological machinery, how it wants to make decisions for us instead of our conscious reasoning capabilities, since the more we understand this machinery (this kind of conjoined twin making decisions for us), the better we can fight against it and take control of ourselves. If I insert nerdy sci-fi, the key as I see it is to become a little more impartial like Data, but not to the extent of losing our humanity and sense of individuality.
This might be the best video summary of stoicism in existence
Thanks.
Afshin Ahktar exactly. Sweet and simple. I learned alot
Hi Matthew, thanks for the comment. Yes, I mean that. Also, depression can become so ingrained that one may need some chemical help, and then CBT, to improve. Matthew Dawe
This is very calming and this will be a great aid to fall asleep.
Vid and comments completely magnificent. Thanks!
This is great....thanks for posting..
know yourself (Aristotle)- Stoa helps to understand via ratio - and also helps to understand the irrational -emotional part of ourself (amygdala) - eg. I get angry automatically but can deal with it since I know that is an emotional reaction I cannot control, but then I can calm down by analysis afterwards and do not hurt others (or am able to forgive myself) - four main virtues: wisdom, justice, courage, temperance-enough
I think using this around my emotions would be amazing , as I was trained to be a people - pleasure and that has held me back because most of them were controllers .
this is so awesome, unfortunate I didn't find it sooner!
thanks for putting this on here!
❤️ Grateful to have been brought here 💖 excellent channel, love your laugh too.
Thanks for the video. Clearly and stoically expressed :)
been through both vids, awesome content i'll definitely apply all this in my life
I killed my ego and I am free.
congratulations, wait. no congratulations. Well, you know what I mean. :)
bean A spork.
omid reyhani im still looking for mine. No wait, I consider myself better than people who dont read books .I mean who have every opportunity...but just go to the trailer by the river to get fat/ play video games 24/7 at age 54
Albert Ellis REBT referred to in video.
gda295 I consider myself better than people still living in the 80s.
gda295 book. book. book.
goddamn, that voice is calming af
Needs a little music in the background and BAM! perfection.
Thank you for this video. Be well
Lovely video. I really enjoyed it.
In a sense, you could say we are madefrom this fiery logos, in that I and many others believe that we are made from stardust and other matter from outer space
I don't think emotion is something under your control, you can't choose how you feel about something, for example I can't stop myself from being sad when a loved one dies, or being angry when I'm wronged. It's your behavior in response to it that you have control over.
Mohammad Ali Rashed that’s true Mohammad, but you’re kind of missing the point
But is it not possible to change your thinking about what angers you and consequently diminish an anger response to that thing over time? For instance, I once became angry when someone interrupted me whilst speaking. But after years of realizing that people are generally uninterested in what I am saying (which is perfectly fine), or just simply excited about speaking their own viewpoint, I now have no flare of anger when interrupted. I asked myself "why OUGHT people not cut me short when I speak?" - to which I replied "their is no OUGHT, unless I bind upon them my values." But why ought they embrace my values? I think you see my point.
@Excalibur yes,i do agree,meditation can be of great help...one must inquire into the nature of emotion...Emotion arises out of memory ,upon encounter wid a sense object,person or situation .....it exhibits in the body as sensation and in the mind as thoughts....e.g when someone gets angry,dey get a burn like sensation in their chest area (coz or rise of blood pressure),shortness of breath etc....and in the mind anger expresses itself as thought,"how the hell did he/ she say dat?"....generally we r identified wid dese emotions and dey subconsciously grab us from behind...but their z a way out of dis....one can train a part of one's mind to be an impartial observer to ones thoughts and emotions....e.g suppose anger,or lust or any such emotion expresses itself,one must immediately become alert and investigate how the emotion exhibits itself in the body and mind,and be equanimous or indifferent to dese triggers,knowing dat dese emotional triggers are just a momentary impulse and reacting impulsively to on da basis of dese emotions may only land one in trouble....by dis method one gradually learns to train oneself to rationally respond rather than emotionally react...!!......also qigong and Yoga can help produce enough tranquility in our system to reduce impulsive reactions...
I have learned how to control my feelings/emotions over both of those issues.
If I am wronged....ive done something to contribute to the ability of the other party to commit the wrong against me 99.99% of the time....and upon reflection it may not be a big deal anyway.
Thanks, I'm glad it was helpful. :) Enjoy your studies,
I'll have you know the great philosopher Chris Farley lived in a VAN down by the river.
(Please excuse misspellings)
Yes, haha.
great wisdom
Amazing presentation. 👌
It's irritating that these ideas have to be searched out at all, even after thousands of years of the value of them being understood. Life is such confusing noise. I had a Christian upbringing but I had to fight against that in my mind and picked up a lot of useless prejudice towards it. Jesus said that you should do good things even if no one is watching, because God is watching. It sounds trite. But it's essentially this Stoic maxim mentioned here, that an emerald shines even if no one sees it. Inherent value. Why water it down and risk people throwing the baby out with the bath water? But I'm sick of anti-religious rants.
good comment
Its all about how you interpret and How it was interpreted.. Or meant... Finally You & only You is there to decide which is right and wrong by your level of intelligence . It's better to choose one. And i absolutely not with The Religious side. Because the things can't get in my Head .. I don't go with it.
Lesj Conj People don't hate God. They hate RELIGION! Organized religions is used to trick, deceive, corrupt, and control the minds of the weak in order to serve masters! There is no FREEDOM in ORGANIZED RELIGION!
Lesj Conj also Religious people are unwilling to see God outside of their chosen image of GOD, Heaven, Hell, Religious figures within the realm of their own Religion. RELIGIOUS people are blinded by their own perceptions of what they feel is GOD and what Message GOD has for people.
As a life-long Atheist who has never had a religious belief because my parents skipped childhood indoctrination, I have never felt that anyone is watching me. However, I must live with myself. Therefore, doing what is right is important, because I am watching.
To the Agnostic, most people are Agnostic, regardless of whether they are Theist or Atheist. People who are Gnostic, or who claim divine knowledge, are typically bat-shit crazy. Agnostic is not Atheist-Light. So congrats on being an Atheist.
Bashing of any kind is irritating. I grew up being told by Christians that I was evil, a sinner, a devil, a witch, and less-than-human. My initial reaction to this was to respond to them in the precise same fashion that they treated me.
However, I realized that the Christian way of judging others and being superior to others was wrong.
The only problem I encounter with this video is that I do not see anything resembling "perfect order" in the universe. I do not believe that the universe is a sentient being that cares about me or anyone else. Until I learn otherwise, of my own accord, I am alone in this life, as is everyone else. I was born alone, and will die alone.
The rest of it seems to make sense.
If one is tired of religion bashing, or anti-religion bashing, then they might want to take on the very topic of this video. Instead of being angry or "sick" of it, be entertained by it.
Most people worship gods that are commercially-available for purchase. Some might have a more esoteric idea of a god. Then there are those, like me, who have no gods and see no need for them. Regardless of your path, keep it for so long as it works for you, and so long as it does not cause others harm.
Great summary!
Hope only do not expect. That is a path that leads to contentment. Don't be happy but strive to be content. For happiness depends on happenstance and contentment relies on the judgment of results from one's actions.
Thank u for this video!
Thanks for your effort 👌
I guess I have adapted this philosophy long ago!
Xycopixie I was also unknowingly raised with this philosophy. My parents saw emotional responses as a weakness that others could take advantage of.
I see some important similarities in the teachings of Don Juan Matus like the importance of the idea of one's death. When things become difficult or unclear "a warrior" focuses on the idea of death. This puts things into perspective and gives his acts much more power. I can attest to this power because I have used this technique in high-stress situations.
I cannot control my sleepiness listening to a monotonic voice,,, I'm taking a nap, c ya !!!!
But you can control your actions, for example making yourself a coffee to stay awake.
Are you kidding? He sounds like he just smoked some pot and now he's just chilling out while he teaches philosophy, how could that not be awesome!?
tools for the psyche and soma. thank you!
thanks for posting this
I don't believe emotions are truly under your control, they are prone to your nature and your environment, but I believe one can choose what to focus on with practice
When i was like 10 i could experience would get so close to ego death every day because i would build a lego car in my head and once i finished i would get scared and forget who i am and i would always try to remember who i was
Diamond Soul yeah but im sure ill have the same feeling about myself when im like 40
I do have a chemical imbalance that I regulate with medicine, but I have also been working on my reactivity for a while. I didn't realize that it was called stoicism, but it fits. I like my life so much more now that I'm not freaking out about everything!
Aurora D just a thought, but have you considered your mind and actions cause the chemical imbalance instead of the imbalance causing certain feelings and behavior? The act of positively engaging in your environment and completing goals will improve your “chemical imbalance” and you will soon find less or no need for medications. 🌈. Best of luck to you!
Good lecture with helpful slides.
6:40 Albert Ellis Rational emotion behavior therapy (REBT) 1950
I got to the point where I don’t worry about things I can’t change .it helps my anxiety depression .we waste so much time trying to control things.
1) Roll with the punches. 2) Man is born free but in a deterministic setting, understand Nature to know you limitations. 3) Don't panic! Relax, think. Just love the Moderation. 4) Duty is a bitch, Evil is it's own punishment. 5) Nothing is wither good or bad but that thinking make it so ! Have a practical perspective. 6) there is no afterlife, men are mortal, compassion and humility make life worth living in a cold and indifferent Nature. so, give to others the same rights you'd expect for yourself. and let the Law arbitrate conflicts: the social contract. 7) remember the big picture :see Ground hog Day !
:), nice.
The Stoic is Gratefully Indifferent to the Existential condition. The alternative is Nothingness.
Men begin as idealists, they become NIHILISTS
The nihilist then becomes a pragmatic positivist.
Thanks, I'll check it out. :)
Very nice explanation and I like the emerald quote. I would like to point out that Hamlet, the character, made that statement about the relativity of thought, so it does not mean Shakespeare believed that. And, in fact, at the time Hamlet says it, one can argue that he was sarcastic towards Rosencrantz and Guildestern, who were not his "friends" but spies for the king. So Hamlet was repudiating MORAL relativism, the idea that it's okay to play your friend for a fool if the reward is sufficient.
Also, Epictetus wanted us to remember that everything dies, so we don't get too attached to anything in life, and, therefore, we will be able to grieve but then move on with life when anyone close to us dies or when we lose anything. A similar sentiment (albeit Christian) is expressed in Ben Jonson's elegy to his dead son. In the first stanza he tells himself, "Seven years tho' wert lent to me, and I thee pay, / Exacted by thy fate, on the just day." In the final lines of the poem he cautions himself, "For whose sake henceforth all his vows be such, / As what he loves may never like too much."
I can't discover any mention of emeralds in Hamlet's conversation with R+G?
Thanks Man!
People always try to complicate things. The present is here, now. That's it
Yes, I agree that is the best state of mind, so to speak. Sometimes we need cognitive insights to get out of the cognitive maze to become present here and now.
Part of some mental illnesses is not being *able* to switch from the emotion to the cognitive.
I understand that means you should file that under the "cannot control," but I think that should be emphasized. Mental illness has a close tie with this topic because we're talking about personal control and changing your beliefs/emotions.
Thank you.
Awesome 😁
Thanks for these videos, l watching them, from Monterrey Mexico.
My name is Daniel Flores
Lol. Hi Daniel. What do you think of the video?
Thanks!
Thank you. :)
I feel so clean
Like this professor voice.
Your voice makes this easy to listen to.
You must know I was already ... in many Ways .
-
My Passion for Seneca . And Marc Aurelius .
To equilibrate my Fragile Being .
I will try again ... the Basic , the Essence .
For now it has to be here - YT - once I ' m waiting to Glasses ... to read .
BLESSINGS ,
your
emerald wicce pearl lace moon
What Stoicism fails to address is that in the modern world individuals are under the control of others. (Others being outside forces). Freud wrote about this, in his, "Civilization and Its Discontents".
No one can control you if you don't let them
That's literally how stoicism addresses it
How true!
Also interested in practical uses of stoicism such as CBT, but what did you mean when mentioned a criticism of not being effective for chemical imbalance? Do you mean in cases of more so schizophrenia?, or also anxiety based disorders?
Thank you for sharing. I have a question for stoicism in regards to its use in today's world. How would a stoic deal with others who try to take advantage of her? For example, if Im on the highway during rush hour and someone cuts me off but being the stoic that I am, I don't get angry because after all, the only thing I've lost is a few minutes and time isn't something that has moral value (I don't think). Wouldn't this kind of action be a green light for other drivers to cut the stoic off?
Thanks. :)
hmm, interesting philosophy. i wonder though if repressed aggressions have to be let out before you can approach life like this or if they would get expressed by the joy of having control over one's emotions? I suspect it would be like splitting off a part of oneself instead if healing and integrating/evolving first. What d'you think?
Tremendous
thank u for this summary i have sociology finals and this really helped 😊
rather than reading those long philosophy books without understanding a word
How did the finals go?
@@jordanunknown5128 omg this was years ago i graduated long ago but i remember i got a BA (85)
@@luqmanturaki ahha congratulations dude👍🏽
What's your opinion on Stoicism and the consumption of meat?
Pretty good
so, the t-shirt version would be ' in all things, Moderation.' Sure, I'll buy that.
Hello Paul i would like to thank you for putting this up and making it accessible to people such as myself!
I have a question. Would the stoics be opposed to not doing something in the fear of failure or the outcome? I find it fascinating that you can be subject to these fears before the event has even occurred. More simply most would think 1 in dimensional terms and only recognize that physical or events that have occurred could affect someone and make them into a slave of their own emotions but the minds power goes above this reality and creates it before it has even occurred.
So would they be opposed in not doing something in fear of the outcome?
I'm not Paul, but haven't you answered your own question? You already said such fear make one a slave of emotion. Epictetus would not want anyone to worry about anything, that's why he makes the distinction between what is under our control (he thinks our thoughts are) and what isn't under our control (external circumstances). So if we worry about what is going to happen and refrain from doing something because of that (and I mean something laudable, something good, something positive we grow by, not something dumb like crawling into a gorilla cage or risking our life in some other foolish way), then we aren't being Stoic. Epictetus cautions against fear of loss, even with that which we currently "possess," because one day we will have to return it; how much worse worrying about the loss of something we don't even yet have (success). That's what I think.
+Jan96106 wonderful thank you :)
thanks. :)
emotions are based on beliefs and most destructive emotions are based on false beliefs.
most emotions are errors in judgement. we should avoid becoming the emotion.
we should think about emotions before giving our assent to them
*think about thinking that created the emotion* . doing so will give you control over the negative emotions.
the only thing we can control in life is our soul and mind and the only way to protect it is to live the life of virtue and do the right thing even if it hurts, but we shouldn't complain.
conforming our mind to reality takes time and effort, but it leads to virtue, recognition of duty and integrity.
we are sculpting ourself and creating habits of thoughts and behavior that are realistic and therefore virtuous. :)
Just like everything, Stoicism also has it's cons. it's like equivalent exchange.
Being not able to be motivated to the point of betting your life on it or any high stakes can bring happiness. But again, some people don't feel that satisfied after reaching their goals even through their hard work
stoics still make goals and strive to reach them, but are ok with either outcome.
philomath369 But would their drive/ motivation be strong as the non-stoics?
of course, because the amount of drive is up to them, the outcome is not though.
I've always wanted Tina from Bob's Burgers explain stoicism to me
I do not see anything resembling "perfect order" in the universe. How does one delude themselves into seeing this?
A imperfect person cannot judge perfection, it's literally impossible which is why we are to accept it.
Would you say number 1 'under my control' is a sort of early form of self-agency awareness advocation? It sounds like pretty much the same thing.
Yes, interesting.
I don't turn on the sound. I heard described that a mature Pisces is stoic & esoteric. I believe this is true.
I think I'll read these books for myself rather than just go with a CZcams video after all 2 different people can react differently to the same occurrence.
Hmm, I see how this plays out.
Stay calm and look around.
Exellent and concise summary!
😂👌
How do you detach from your Emotions ?
This seems like a difficult task...anyone have any idea on how to do this?
See Phillip's comment below. Also, see cognitive therapy. Understanding emotion sometimes frees us from it. For example, understanding my fear is caused by a false belief is therapeutic because I can correct my false belief ("conform mind to reality/logos") and fear often dissipates. A behaviorist may also use gradual habituation to help one reduce fear. However, I don't think I can be free from all emotions and don't want to. I can, however, try to make sure my emotions are based on true beliefs. I can also observe my emotions "from a distance" by buddhist mediation or some other form of meditation. Finally, I can alter my moods by turning off the tv and making the objects of my consciousness something beautiful, insipiring, etc. Hope that clarifies, Paul
jjsiegal A useful task that can help you better understand your emotions and acknowledge how you act and then acknowledge how you want to act. It's a process that parallels discovering your triggers and understanding negative thinking processes. They address these things in counseling. You write down in a journal your day. You analyze what happened how you felt and how you reacted. Then you can determine how you can act to better facilitate your desired outcomes. If you can focus yourself into the present so that emotional attachments to past events do not hinder your current actions or thoughts by always resetting your emotional clock to zero before you go to bed. A healthy diet, a good sleeping pattern, a strong disciplined routine, and the company of positive or emotionally mature individuals can help as well.
The point is not to detach from emotions, but to recognize the emotion and the reason you feel the emotion, then let it go.
sounds like bhagvat Gita to me
Chris Farley said "VAN down by the river"
12:25 Serenity Prayer
Do you want to hear something crazy? I'm here by my own will and not the will of my teacher or paper. WOAH! Right?
All I can think about when I hear Enchiridion is Billy from Adventure Time
I recognize your voice from various homilies and sermons. You're a priest, am I right? At least you sound like one I've listened to a lot
reminds me of Taoism...
Philosophy, to me, is Aristotle, Stoicism, and Immanuel Kant, and everything else is just biting around the edges.