Stoicism for Asperger's! The Autistic Philosophy!

NOTE: I have released a downloadable E - Book called "Greeks To Geeks: Practical Stoicism in the 21st Century". It costs USD$4.99/EU€3.65 and can be purchased from the following web address:

http://beardfirepublishing.com/Rohan.html

IMPORTANT: Stoicism owes a lot to Socrates, his thinking, his logic, his ethics. Plus Epictetus often uses Socrates as an example of Stoicism in action. It is widely believed that Socrates had Asperger's Syndrome.

And I can tell you that after reading Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius many times I think they may, based on their writings, have the condition as well!

So check them out, you might just find a couple of Aspie brothers who have found some very cool and effective ways of living well in this world while retaining your decency and dignity!

Check out Epictetus' "The Enchiridion":

http://classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html

And Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations":

http://classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.1.one.html

Category:

Education

Tags:

• rohan
• asperger
• aspergers
• syndrome
• autism
• spectrum
• stoicism
• AS
• NT
• marcus
• aurelius
• meditations
• epictetus
• enchiridion
• discourses
• socrates

[JNathanK2011]

I honestly think the the powers that be, through the medical establishment, put pathological labels on entire personality groups that threaten their power. Whether its certain types of schizophrenics or high functioning autistics, they want to box them in, and make them feel crazy. They blame the way they feel about the world on brain chemistry, when it is, indeed, the world that's hosed up.

[rohanmusic]

@JNathanK2011 I agree with you fully. In an ideal situation people would just be people, accepted and valued because of their differences rather than despite them, then we wouldn't need labels. Labels exist now as you say, as a means to tell which kind of drugs to prescribe, and with each new edition of the DSM they invent hundreds more labels to push more drugs based on faulty "sick brain model" theories. Continued in comment above.

[JNathanK2011]

@rohanmusic Its a really sick system. Thanks for the reply, and I greatly appreciate the vid. Most people are depressed, because there's a lot of real stuff to be depressed about. I think the real robots are the ones who think everything's perfectly fine, not I or you who see as defective units that must be debugged with chemical cocktails. I'm trying to just take a breather and embrace a more Buddhist worldview though, which i think shares a lot with stoicism.

[rohanmusic]

@JNathanK2011 Once again, totally agree with your sentiments. I'm always amazed at how many "broken" brains are suddenly cured of depression by a change in circumstance, a new relationship, a new career or a new way of thinking. Treat people with respect and dignity no matter their differences and you will see a lot less "psychosis" etc. Alas fairness, respect and dignity are hard to find in this world so it falls on us as individuals to find a way, be it Stoicism, Buddhism, Taoism etc.

[rohanmusic]

@JNathanK2011 Continued from previous comment. What I will say though is that labels can sometimes be empowering as well, I know that before I heard the word "Aspie" I felt quite alone with my experience, and often wondered why. When I found the Autistic/Asperger's world it really changed my life for the better as I could relate and connect to people having a similar experience. So labels can help, but ultimately you must go beyond the label and arrive at your unique, beautiful self.

[pja3356]

thank you rohan! honestly i tell u this often but i am so proud of u i feel like we r kindred spirits or as we say in the south, "u like my own kinfolk" :D and i know ur parents r so very proud and fortunate to have such a remarkable son...ok i'll stop the mush...

[Adkit2]

I recognize what you're saying in myself, especially since I changed once I found out about Nihilism. It seems to be pretty close to what "Stoicism" is although I don't know anything about that. It's just the whole "nothing is good or bad, it's all about opinions" thing.

Ever since I started thinking like that I stopped feeling bad about aspie things I did that were considered "wrong". They weren't wrong. Some people just had that opinion.

[TheStephenDobson]

Thankyou.

[felixtheratruns]

Thanks, you may have just helped me turn my life around. Although if my life does not turn around, I will not have desired the turning. I win no matter what.

[jjl666420666]

you know this is exactly what I am .. but i am not able to explain it in a concise way) my parents had always asked me when i was growing up why I keep dwelling in the past and it was something i could not exactly understand ..... and until i found a group of other people with aspergers i actually felt a kinship and listening to you it feels like you got the kind of personal understanding to which I was so looking for and yeah I will be looking into stoicism as this is a topic that I can relate

[Houseraider]

good vid. intrestring.

[rohanmusic]

@MoonLightFacade Yes, you could well be somewhere on the Autism Spectrum. Aspergers and Autism can seem very contradictory at times. I know Aspies who struggle with basic mathematics but excel at science and geology, and others who can write complete music arrangements and lyrics in minutes but cannot tie their shoe laces. I would suggest you take the AQ test (Autism Quotient) which can be found free online. Then maybe look into getting an official diagnosis. Also see the forum wrongplanet