"Job well done" is a common way of saying "Good" - among some people, mainly in the south of England. And I think that connects with stoicism. The Good = do whatever is the job-at-hand, and do it as well as you can, even if - for reasons outside your control - the result is not always what you want. // So, that's another example of how the culture and language of ordinary people does often suggest that they have more of an insight into these ideas than some academics might think.
Nice vid, but i don't agree. I used to when I was a hardcore theist, but not anymore. It just seems like a blueprint on how to be Jesus, and in a world prepared to nail people to a cross, what's the point? Survival: keep coming back, it works. lol.
temporality with singular time periods as atoms in the ambiguity of life, which if accepted in turn grants gratefulness, grounding, and experimentation with and of life.
Another Ellis 'quote', actually the title of one of my favorite books by him, 'How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable about Anything: Yes Anything! ', seems like a rather good description of Epictetus' thrust.
Ellis turned me on to the Stoic way more than 40 years ago.
There is a great leveling of men (ie. equality) that is inherent in the philosophy of stoicism, that I believe, harkens back to the teachings of Socrates. Nice post : )
A quick suggestion might be to schedule a blogtv or stickam discussion every month, which would be open to group members only...I almost never go to blogtv or stickam, but they both seem to be places where it's possible to have live discussion and that would add a lot IMO.
it doesn't look like we will "defeat" death soon or ever... there are always fatal "accidents" like power outages in the data centers of transhuman brains in the vat...
but perhephs we could devise a collectivist indivudalism of digital minds melds... with the growing appeal of CGI entertainment consider a "druggy" appeal of thinking unabridged stream of thoughts at one another. modulo the big brother scenario of that kind of technology i'm sure it will be banned the same way LSD is, now.
I'm curious about where the virtuous balance is between this type of stoic individualism and the various forms of humanistic collectivism? I mean, how stoic ethics carry over into the political and collective sphere seems, at first glance, to be very loosely defined. Then again, maybe that's because I'm thinking too much like a Westerner about ethics. lol.
Wow, I assumed I'd feel counter to this..but right away the Serenity Prayer came to mind.".the wisdom to know the difference" etc. Stoicism still integrated in
Check out my Primer on Stoicism Vid. The stoics were before the mode separation of good vs evil, especially as both today are take as outside of the person. Monotheism was still struggling to take hold and it is, as you suggest, some later Christian appropriations that cast a heavy shadow of "monotheism" onto Epictetus
Interesting. My immediate thoughts are that stoicism can go two ways - one being a cultivation of a 'live and let live' attitude towards others, but it strikes me that it could also justify a kind of fatalistic apathy towards injustices and oppresive social hierachies.
I don't think Stoicism says not to care or act on behalf of others. I think it rather pragmatically sets realistic expectations. You should ask, what can be achieve? And once set on a goal, whether you achieve the goal is not in itself important. What is, is to judge your own role in it and discern what you can learn from it.
You might not succeed but say 'I did my best, but it was not meant to be' or you may succeed yet still say 'I could have done better' or 'I could have learned more'.
One thing I particularly like about stoicism is how it humbles everyone and reduces all free acting individuals to equal importance. It set the framework to recognize an oppressive social hierarchy as such because it could see that the oppressor had no virtue over the oppressed. Aristotle and Plato wrestled with the idea and sort of copped out and said that the oppressor was in fact doing a service to the oppressed but could not fully justify it.
"Job well done" is a common way of saying "Good" - among some people, mainly in the south of England. And I think that connects with stoicism. The Good = do whatever is the job-at-hand, and do it as well as you can, even if - for reasons outside your control - the result is not always what you want. // So, that's another example of how the culture and language of ordinary people does often suggest that they have more of an insight into these ideas than some academics might think.
mickmle1 7 months ago in playlist Stoicism
Nice vid, but i don't agree. I used to when I was a hardcore theist, but not anymore. It just seems like a blueprint on how to be Jesus, and in a world prepared to nail people to a cross, what's the point? Survival: keep coming back, it works. lol.
PawnBACM 11 months ago
haha that little smirk on your face at all times. Good for you man. Keep living the stoic way.
manmythlegend12 1 year ago
temporality with singular time periods as atoms in the ambiguity of life, which if accepted in turn grants gratefulness, grounding, and experimentation with and of life.
f1ghtclub2k3 2 years ago
Another Ellis 'quote', actually the title of one of my favorite books by him, 'How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable about Anything: Yes Anything! ', seems like a rather good description of Epictetus' thrust.
Ellis turned me on to the Stoic way more than 40 years ago.
bikodish 2 years ago
Good stuff Bruce! Thanks.
Professoranton 2 years ago
Albert Ellis, greatly influenced by Epictetus, had a motto that I have on a poster on my wall, "I Will Not SHOULD On Myself Today!
bikodish 2 years ago
There is a great leveling of men (ie. equality) that is inherent in the philosophy of stoicism, that I believe, harkens back to the teachings of Socrates. Nice post : )
alchemistra 2 years ago
A quick suggestion might be to schedule a blogtv or stickam discussion every month, which would be open to group members only...I almost never go to blogtv or stickam, but they both seem to be places where it's possible to have live discussion and that would add a lot IMO.
2bsirius 2 years ago
it doesn't look like we will "defeat" death soon or ever... there are always fatal "accidents" like power outages in the data centers of transhuman brains in the vat...
but perhephs we could devise a collectivist indivudalism of digital minds melds... with the growing appeal of CGI entertainment consider a "druggy" appeal of thinking unabridged stream of thoughts at one another. modulo the big brother scenario of that kind of technology i'm sure it will be banned the same way LSD is, now.
jogayot 2 years ago
ignorance is bliss but beauty wins
cardellacole2 2 years ago
I'm curious about where the virtuous balance is between this type of stoic individualism and the various forms of humanistic collectivism? I mean, how stoic ethics carry over into the political and collective sphere seems, at first glance, to be very loosely defined. Then again, maybe that's because I'm thinking too much like a Westerner about ethics. lol.
rockybr420 2 years ago
it is harsh, but it sound so right... i love your channel.
iamtherepublic 2 years ago
Wow, I assumed I'd feel counter to this..but right away the Serenity Prayer came to mind.".the wisdom to know the difference" etc. Stoicism still integrated in
modern culture in a big way.
5jeanbittersweet 2 years ago
The copy I have throws chains on the reader
instantly, I suspect that is because of the
meddling of the church with his work.
Either that or his work suffers from the worst of
human flaws, casting the world into a mold of
good versus evil.
tyrbolo 2 years ago
Check out my Primer on Stoicism Vid. The stoics were before the mode separation of good vs evil, especially as both today are take as outside of the person. Monotheism was still struggling to take hold and it is, as you suggest, some later Christian appropriations that cast a heavy shadow of "monotheism" onto Epictetus
Professoranton 2 years ago
I suggest you read a little more carefully into
religions that are not Christian.
The conceptual balance good/evil dichotomy
predates any western conceptions. The ideas were highly alien imports into the greek-roman
thoughtstream.
The imposition of value judgements upon those who are haven't had a chance to do
any deeds for good or ill leads to a demeaned
and deformed humanity.
The Nazarenes method shows Marcus Aurelius = Commodus.
tyrbolo 2 years ago
true I guess we can not have one without the other
alteringenting 2 years ago
Interesting. My immediate thoughts are that stoicism can go two ways - one being a cultivation of a 'live and let live' attitude towards others, but it strikes me that it could also justify a kind of fatalistic apathy towards injustices and oppresive social hierachies.
yeahwotevaman 2 years ago
So true. But it is also holds roots of what become civil rights activism.
watch?v=UVgVrSPhVsc
Professoranton 2 years ago
I don't think Stoicism says not to care or act on behalf of others. I think it rather pragmatically sets realistic expectations. You should ask, what can be achieve? And once set on a goal, whether you achieve the goal is not in itself important. What is, is to judge your own role in it and discern what you can learn from it.
You might not succeed but say 'I did my best, but it was not meant to be' or you may succeed yet still say 'I could have done better' or 'I could have learned more'.
UnhappyTestTubeBaby 2 years ago
One thing I particularly like about stoicism is how it humbles everyone and reduces all free acting individuals to equal importance. It set the framework to recognize an oppressive social hierarchy as such because it could see that the oppressor had no virtue over the oppressed. Aristotle and Plato wrestled with the idea and sort of copped out and said that the oppressor was in fact doing a service to the oppressed but could not fully justify it.
UnhappyTestTubeBaby 2 years ago