For & Against Being a Stoic

Saturday 30 August 2023, 1:30 to 3:30 pm

Any replies to the organizer - thormay@yahoo.com

Venue: Zoom online

Recommended viewing for this topic: "Epictetus - How To Be A Stoic (Stoicism) - 12 practical exercises, as per the book How to be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci that uses Epictituse’s Enchiridion, which we can use in the modern world while mastering the four stoic virtues. So here are 10 important insights for being a stoic from Epictetus. 01. Examine your impressions 02. Remind yourself of the impermanence of things 03. The reverse clause 04. How can I use virtue here and now 05. Pause and take a deep breath 06. Other-ize 07. Speak little and well 08. Choose your company well 09. Respond to insults with humor 10. Don’t speak too much about yourself 11. Speak without judging 12."
Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH6dSe_dYgM [15 minutes]

Talking points:

1. Where would you place yourself on a 5 point scale between a) Just passively enduring life's trials .. and b) Raging against the machine ... ? Justify.

2. People tend to change over their lifetime. At what point do you think most folk give up on the idea that they can change the world, and accept making the best of what they think they can actually control?

3. Stoicism is pretty much a philosophy which puts responsibility on the individual rather than a philosophy which puts the group (family, workplace, country, culture etc) in control. Can you think of cultures where this might work best, and cultures where it might be somewhat opposed? What is your own position on this?

4. The culture of the Roman Empire was mostly one where gods had strong "human" personalities and philosophies like stoicism or epicurianism etc were similarly based on personality types. People tended to choose a favourite god or personality to boost their own preferences. This is in contrast to monotheistic religions (e.g. Christianity, Islam) or mass ideologies like communism or Confucianism which try to force individuals into a common mould. Which approach do you think works best. What is your own inclination?

5. One tenet of stoicism is to "remind yourself of the impermanence of things". In the long run of course, all things are impermanent. So should we just live for the day? Is it worth planning for a personal future (which might not happen), or even struggling for the future of your children, or a country? How much should we care?

6. Stoicism advises you to be reflective - pause before a comment or a decision, think over the events of your day etc. How well do you follow this advice? Is it just a waste of time sometimes? Is being reflective just a habit of certain personality types, or can it be learned?

7. Stoicism advises you to listen more than to talk, and only speak when you have something of value to say. This sounds good. Personally I could happily make a New Year resolution along those lines. Day to day however I often find it hard advice to follow. What is an argument in favour of just chattering for the sake of chattering sometimes?

8. Stoicism advises you to speak without judging others, and even not to talk about other people. This sounds good and is probably sound advice in a corporate workplace. Then I (Thor) remember my father who would roll home drunk with amazing stories and opinions about everyone he had met. He made life memorable, and left me with a taste for seeing the world as a crazy novel full of interesting characters. So what is your choice between virtuous silence and outrageous comment, or something in between?

9. Stoicism advises you to endure misfortune calmly, and accept what must be accepted. This is certainly good for personal mental health. It makes sense when misfortune is just personal and one-off. Does mere calm endurance make sense for those who live in countries which are falling apart and run by criminals and thieves. There are many such places. Who should then step beyond what seems like unbreakable oppression? Would you?

10. There is virtue (however you want to define it) and the mere appearance of virtue (e.g. greenwashing etc). There is also an unreasonable world out there, so that the road to hell is often paved with good intentions, while even evil decisions can sometimes lead to good outcomes. How can we navigate this tricky landscape? When should be put aside what seems like virtue for a pragmatic choice instead?

Extra reading & viewing

Philosophies for Life (1,666,970 views; 27 May 2019) "Epictetus - How To Be A Stoic (Stoicism) - 12 practical exercises, as per the book How to be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci that uses Epictituse’s Enchiridion, which we can use in the modern world while mastering the four stoic virtues." Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH6dSe_dYgM [15 minutes] [Quote: "So here are 10 important insights for being a stoic from Epictetus. 01. Examine your impressions 02. Remind yourself of the impermanence of thing 03. The reverse clause 04. How can I use virtue here and now 05. Pause and take a deep breath 06. Other-ize 07. Speak little and well 08. Choose your company well 09. Respond to insults with humor 10. Don’t speak too much about yourself 11. Speak without judging 12." ]

Philosophies for Life (25 Mar 2019) "Marcus Aurelius – How To Build Self Discipline (Stoicism)". Philosophies for Life @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njDLNt-1ugM

Yogesh Malik (n.d.) "The Problem With Stoicism" Medium @ https://medium.com/quotes-and-thoughts/the-problem-with-stoicism-dd5c720b0e1f

Julian Baggini (n.d.) "Why you shouldn’t be a Stoic". Julian Baggini blog @ https://www.julianbaggini.com/why-you-shouldnt-be-a-stoic/

Modern Stoicism (26 November 2014) "Frequently Voiced Objections to Stoicism Answered by Those who Practise It". Modern Stoicism website @
https://modernstoicism.com/frequently-voiced-objections-to-stoicism-answered-by-those-who-practise-it

Wikipedia (2023) Stoicism @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism

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For & Against Being a Stoic (c) Thor May 2023

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