Is Stoicism Unrealistic?

Подписаться 26 тыс.

Просмотров 2,2 тыс.

50% 1

Is Stoicism unrealistic? As stoicism gains popularity as a philosophy for its self help and motivational influence, one might step back and question if its a realistic way to live.
In this video I argue that stoicism can be a realistic way to live if one considers the lives of the big three famous stoic philosophers, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus. It's not enough to simply reflect back on their writing (although that is something I include), but we should also consider these stoic principles in action. This is shown through the examination of their life struggles.
Looking at the lives of these philosophers, we find them overcoming extreme hardships that are hard to imagine in comparison to many of our lives in modern times. Seneca was forced to die in an excruciating way, Marcus Aurelius had to rule one of the largest empires in history, and Epictetus was born into slavery. Their perseverance might be linked to their stoic philosophy, therefore making it a realistic philosophy.
Music: Dream Girl by Beats By Con
Tags:
Stoic, Philosophy, Philosopher, Essay, Video Essay, Stoicism, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, Stoic Quotes, Is Stoicism Unrealistic, Enchiridion, Meditations, Discourses, Letters from a Stoic, How to, How to be a stoic, stoic books, stoic reading, stoicism philosophy, philosophize, motivation, motivational, self help, self improvement, self-help, self-improvement, acceptance

Опубликовано:

24 июл 2024

Ссылка:

Скачать:

Готовим ссылку...

Добавить в:

Мой плейлист

Посмотреть позже

Комментарии : 27

@Eternalised 3 года назад

Marvelous video. I like to think of stoicism as the domestication of one's emotions, rather than the elimination (Nassim Taleb). I hadn't thought about the mental issue aspect. It is something that already goes against the normal functioning of the brain (schizophrenia, etc) and so in that case i'd say stoicism could work against you (trying to control your emotions with constant voices and hallucinations sounds next to impossible, your brain would detonate). Although, OTH I remember the movie A Beautiful Mind, based on John Nash and his struggle with schizophrenia, and he ended up domesticating his emotions and making his apparitions part of his daily life, accepting them and living. I find that also particularly Stoic.

@PhilosophyToons 3 года назад

I've been meaning to watch A Beautiful Mind, I better check out now, thanks!

@TheSchoolofStoicism 3 года назад

"What man can you show me who places any value on his time, who reckons the worth of each day, who understands that he is dying daily? For we are mistaken when we look forward to death; the major portion of death has already passed. Whatever years lie behind us are in death’s hands." -Seneca

@christirichards 3 года назад

Hello from Reddit! 👋 I feel like mental health issues really fall under the category of “body” and aren’t necessarily something we have control of (Enchiridion). For example, in the case of depression, it’s not like it’s a matter of not wanting to be happy, wanting improve oneself, or having a willingly maligned perspective. (Thanks, I’m cured!) For some, it’s a matter of co-existing illness or hormonal/thyroid issues besides just changes in the brain. If you’re sleeping all day because of your depression or medication, it’s a side effect of the disorder. You can do your best to continue to take care of yourself, seek treatment, and still practice stoicism by influencing what you can control. Great video!! I really enjoyed the humor and the graphics. I subscribed and I am looking forward to checking out your other videos!

@PhilosophyToons 3 года назад

Thank you for your insight! I definitely agree, my anxiety results in bodily effects so I can see how your point makes sense.

@rabbitcreative 3 года назад

> I feel like mental health issues really fall under the category of “body”... *sirens approaching* Emergency! Emergency! Elementalistic language detected!

@shoplisting1466 4 месяца назад

Stoicism is very impactful on the way i manage my "mental illness" (i prefer the term madness for a bunch of irrelevant reasons). One of the biggest difficulties for me was not the symptoms themselves but the societal expectation that I hide them. Trying to filter out evidence of my differences in reality tunnel added so much stress. Accepting that i cannot control my perceptions and that a difference in brain function is an indifferent has given me back control in my life.

@unknowninfinium4353 3 года назад

Stoicism has similarities to mindfullness/Zen/Buddha teachings.

@marcusfranco8990 3 года назад

is Stoicism about controlling emotions or controlling your response to your emotions? is the idea of "controlling your emotions" really Stoic? i'll admit that "controlling your emotions" is the sort of vibe that i get from older texts like the Enchiridion and Meditations, at least from what i can remember. that being said-and this is purely off of what i've seen-i think most practicing Stoics nowadays recognize that "controlling your emotions" isn't a viable method of reaching tranquility, that you can't just make yourself not feel sad, angry, etc., and that focusing on controlling your response is the key here. when i first learned about Stoicism, i never thought it was about "controlling your emotions" but controlling your response to these emotions. i guess what it comes down to is that our modern understanding of Stoicism probably differs from the ancient understanding. without a doubt, mental illness will, to some extent, intrude on people's emotions and/or on people's response to their emotions. i would argue that it is still possible to be a Stoic, because it is out of your control that you have lost some control over your actions and your mind, and you will at least have *some* control which can still be conducted according to Stoic principles. this was a great video. thanks for the upload

@PhilosophyToons 3 года назад

I guess my question would be, isn't your response to your emotions an emotion itself? Thank you for your insightful comment!

@SineEyed 3 года назад

@@PhilosophyToons you could probably answer that question yourself by asking a follow-up question whereby a yes or no answer there gives a yes or no answer to the original question. Consider this: While the origins of our emotions may be complex and mysterious, a list of human emotions wouldn't actually be very long. Imagine you have that list in front of you, all there on one page; bearing your first question in mind, do you see something on that list which reasonably describes the subject of your inquiry?..

@derealratos6332 Год назад

Nice take. I agree, but i reckon, its because these stoic philosophers had no choice but to live and see the world that way due to their unfortunate and demanding circumstances, therefore I say that unless someone truly practises stoicism, then knowing the concepts and all the quotes is meaningless. Stoicism is taking responsibility for your life journey, and enjoying every moment because it could be your last, knowing death is your friend and not your enemy, because only through death can you really appreciate life.

@derealratos6332 Год назад

Jordan Peterson helped me with that definition. You should really look him up

@ddpp3492 3 года назад

Audio is way too loud. Good video.

@PhilosophyToons 3 года назад

I'll try and correct it for the next video. Thank you!

@SkateboardingIsFuns 3 года назад

Nice

@PhilosophyToons 3 года назад

Thanks friend

@Kisven 3 года назад

Mental health is difficult to talk on because of the way western culture has taken to this very catering way of dealing with those who have issues. Its one thing to tell someone to regulate their emotions and quote stoic teachings. Which typically gets an outraged response, its another to teach control of the second thought to train the first. Things like cognitive behavioral therapy has a more stoic approach than a lot of other types of therapy or chemical regulation. But thats where that line ends. I think stoicism has a limit to what it can do for those with hugely out of whack body chemistry. Is it helpful to those individuals? Probably. To the same degree as those without said issues? Probably not. The healthier the mind the more rational it can be.

@PhilosophyToons 3 года назад

I think its not just the mind that can effect the effectiveness of stoicism. Other circumstances in one's life probably also make it more/less helpful. Someone who has got it all may find stoicism less helpful than those who are struggling. Thank you for your comment!

@Kisven 3 года назад

@@PhilosophyToons hmm perhaps, there are those who would rather die than be poor, I think the benefits of it are more useful the more you stand to lose. Especially if its adopted while capable of doing the most good. Thats not to invalidate the quality of those who are not uber rich, just to put in perspective of how much good can be accomplished for the species as a whole by those who are.

@PhilosophyToons 3 года назад

@@Kisven Good point. It should also be mentioned that death and existential questions exist regardless of one's wealth so perhaps stoicism can help all in this regard (more with the death than the existential questions imo).

@Kisven 3 года назад

@@PhilosophyToons oh of course, I took to stoicism after going through a rather dark period of nihilism. It was the total meaninglessness of life that lead me to create meaning in the small. The grander scale does not even consider us. We are insignificant on a cosmic scale, so why worry about what comes after? Personally I think of all the practices someone can use from stoicism, the view from above is perhaps the most useful when it comes to those existentialist problems. Specifically the problems of meaning of life and death. Viewing the world as all these other lives moving around on a speck of wet dust in a sea of specks of dust and gas among an even larger sea of nothing with these little islands spaced impossibly far apart. With that in mind what does it matter on such a scale? It likely doesn't, so create meaning in the small scale we inhabit and let those larger questions come when we occupy the galaxy enmasse.