Post by withinsilence on Jul 3, 2015 12:54:16 GMT
‘People are disturbed not by things but by their view of things.’
Any misfortune ‘that lies outside the sphere of choice’ should be considered an opportunity to strengthen our resolve, not an excuse to weaken it. This is one of the truly great mind-hacks ever devised, this willingness to convert adversity to opportunity, and it’s part of what Seneca was extolling when he wrote what he would say to one whose spirit has never been tempered or tested by hardship: ‘You are unfortunate in my judgment, for you have never been unfortunate. You have passed through life with no antagonist to face you; no one will know what you were capable of, not even you yourself.’ We do ourselves an immense favor when we consider adversity an opportunity to make this discovery – and, in the discovery, to enhance what we find there.
What the whole thing comes down to, distilled to its briefest essence, is making the choice that choice is really all we have, and that all else is not worth considering. ‘Who [...] is the invincible human being?’ Epictetus once asked, before answering the question himself: ‘One who can be disconcerted by nothing that lies outside the sphere of choice.’
Thus, life is not so much what you try to make it, but rather how you take it, because how you take it will generate what you make it. This is the great law of cause/effect in action.
Here is an example of an invincible human being in action, one who is in total control of himself and has chosen to convert adversity to neutrality through the application of indifference:
Group of kids are sitting on a porch. Stoic walks by.
Kid – ‘Hey man, yur a stupid asshole!’
Stoic – ‘Good for you.’
Keeps walking on by.
The truth is, indifference really is an immense power, selectively applied, and living in such a way is not only eminently possible, with a conscious adoption of certain attitudes, but facilitates a freer, more expansive, more adventurous mode of living. Joy and grief are still there, along with all the other emotions, but they are tempered – and, in their temperance, they are less tyrannical.
So what is a Stoic,
Someone who does not give a shit about the stupid things in this world that most people care so much about. Stoics do have emotions, but only for the things in this world that really matter. The invincible Stoic is unmoved by peoples immaturity, idiocy and ignorance, and as much as she/he is unmoved by adversity so are they unswayed by praise or flattery. They in the Taoist sense remain at the center of the circle.
Tao Te Ching Verse 29
Do you want to improve the world? I don't think it can be done. The world is sacred. It can't be improved. If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it. If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it. There is a time for being ahead, a time for being behind; a time for being in motion, a time for being at rest; a time for being vigorous, a time for being exhausted; a time for being safe, a time for being in danger. The Master sees things as they are, without trying to control them. She lets them go their own way, and resides at the center of the circle.
Any misfortune ‘that lies outside the sphere of choice’ should be considered an opportunity to strengthen our resolve, not an excuse to weaken it. This is one of the truly great mind-hacks ever devised, this willingness to convert adversity to opportunity, and it’s part of what Seneca was extolling when he wrote what he would say to one whose spirit has never been tempered or tested by hardship: ‘You are unfortunate in my judgment, for you have never been unfortunate. You have passed through life with no antagonist to face you; no one will know what you were capable of, not even you yourself.’ We do ourselves an immense favor when we consider adversity an opportunity to make this discovery – and, in the discovery, to enhance what we find there.
What the whole thing comes down to, distilled to its briefest essence, is making the choice that choice is really all we have, and that all else is not worth considering. ‘Who [...] is the invincible human being?’ Epictetus once asked, before answering the question himself: ‘One who can be disconcerted by nothing that lies outside the sphere of choice.’
Thus, life is not so much what you try to make it, but rather how you take it, because how you take it will generate what you make it. This is the great law of cause/effect in action.
Here is an example of an invincible human being in action, one who is in total control of himself and has chosen to convert adversity to neutrality through the application of indifference:
Group of kids are sitting on a porch. Stoic walks by.
Kid – ‘Hey man, yur a stupid asshole!’
Stoic – ‘Good for you.’
Keeps walking on by.
The truth is, indifference really is an immense power, selectively applied, and living in such a way is not only eminently possible, with a conscious adoption of certain attitudes, but facilitates a freer, more expansive, more adventurous mode of living. Joy and grief are still there, along with all the other emotions, but they are tempered – and, in their temperance, they are less tyrannical.
So what is a Stoic,
Someone who does not give a shit about the stupid things in this world that most people care so much about. Stoics do have emotions, but only for the things in this world that really matter. The invincible Stoic is unmoved by peoples immaturity, idiocy and ignorance, and as much as she/he is unmoved by adversity so are they unswayed by praise or flattery. They in the Taoist sense remain at the center of the circle.
Tao Te Ching Verse 29
Do you want to improve the world? I don't think it can be done. The world is sacred. It can't be improved. If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it. If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it. There is a time for being ahead, a time for being behind; a time for being in motion, a time for being at rest; a time for being vigorous, a time for being exhausted; a time for being safe, a time for being in danger. The Master sees things as they are, without trying to control them. She lets them go their own way, and resides at the center of the circle.