EPICTETUS -STOICISM
One of the philosophers that we discussed this week was Epictetus, a philosopher with deep roots in Stoicism. I had never heard of this philosophical movement before, but this group basically believes that the world is governed by reason (logos) and the only way to be happy is to be in accord with the laws of reason and in agreement with nature. I absolutely love this concept, THEORETICALLY.
Yes, I would love to not wail over a heartbreak, because there are more fish in the sea. Perhaps, I shouldn't be sad if a loved one dies, since I am simply, "giving him or her back to the giver," but the truth of the matter is, I don't think humans are naturally designed to think like that.
We are all filled with passion (pathos) and I feel that unless you have a mental wall up, those passions encourage us to be emotional, ambitious, dream-chasers, and go-getters. Although there is a certain amount of professionalism that we all maintain in the school/workplace, we still are encouraged by media to get the girl/boy, acquire success. and reproduce. We desire more and expect more. As Americans, we do not accept that we are who we are and that we have to stay stuck in any situation.
However, I do believe that our lives would be a lot easier, if we didn't live our lives so separately. Stoics believed in friendship and everyone working together as a whole for the greater good. There is a certain attachment to everything, but a detachment from emotions.
*I did not make the image above. I found it on this listed link and thought that it may be helpful.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/535506211912011291/
Stoicism seems like a great way to remove the pain and suffering that can result from this life but does not have a good answer for finding happiness. By removing the relationships from one's life there seems to be a large void that cannot be filled. Some of life's true beauties and joys come from relationships and the intense, intimate feelings that result. I think pain helps us appreciate joy and makes happiness much more enjoyable. I do not think that true happiness comes from the abscence of pain and happiness but instead comes from a balance of pain and joy. As Frankie Ballard says, "bad times make the good times better".
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jacob. Although removing the pain of a lost love or the death of a loved one would be ideal, removing all pain could be detrimental. To me, pain helps us grow stronger and teaches us how to cope. Not only that, but it teaches us to appreciate the little things in life and to not take people for granted. Not having a relationship for fear of pain and suffering is also not a good thing. There is something amazing about the intensity of love that people feel when they find "the one" (or think they have). I feel like with a balance of good and bad, happiness and sadness, we find that inner peace and true happiness.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that stoics wanted to remove all pain from life. I believe that their goal was to reduce the amount of time thinking about that pain so you do not have to suffer any longer. I find the stoics' concept pretty simple as Kierica says. Although, the pain does help us appreciate more of the good things in life like Jacob says, the stoics believe that you should not be too happy either which I disagree with. I find it useful to keep emotions in check, but also stay cheerful. It helps your environment in general, I wonder how many true stoics would have existed if they were around a happy person, because as the science has proven, happiness is contagious.
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