As always, you can find the transcript and a gallery of the art work used here: academyofideas.com/2018/06/epictetus-stoicism-wisdom-of-the-slave-philosopher/
Glad you're touching on stoicism. I've really been deeply practicing this in my life. It really has worked well for me more than any other philosophy out there.
I bought Marcus Aurelius (the stoic emperor-philosopher) notes called "Meditations", read through it and marked all passages, paragraphs and sentences that felt significant to me personally, in the margin. They were quite a few. I sometimes pick it up and read the marked passages (doesn't take long) and these nuggets feel sort of like vitamins for my soul. It helps me cope when I am struggling with life.
I only recently get to know about Stoicism. I've known Buddhism and I've tried practicing it on my daily life and I'm quite surprised how similar Stoicism is to Buddhism.
Johannes Karlsson ... I have an android app called "the daily Stoic" which gives quotes from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca etc. There are some great quotes and anecdotes.
@@johnathanjacobs2569 Evolution is a slow process and it seems with the dumbing down of the general populace, hedonistic and narcissistic lifestyles as the default and zombification by "smart"phones and social media moving ever more rapidly, that we may have stopped evolving as a result of deeming "survival of the fittest" null and void. It seems we're in a state of "survival of the weakest" and if one acts strong and fit as a man used to know was his assignment, he is ridiculed and held in contempt by society. Be a weak victim of circumstance or an oppressor of the herd it seems are the only options. I'm afraid it will only get worse before getting better...
@@johnathanjacobs2569 It's not that we have not evolved. It just that the majority of people don't seek wisdom by learning wise stuff which humans have already discovered years ago. I am a middle-aged full time working man living in 2019 and have just discovered this stuff. Babies are born ignorant regardless of when they are born. That why most kids go to school in the beginning years just to discover what humans have already discovered in the past. It's only possible to teach the kids basic at school. It up to the individual to seek further wisdom after that.
Johnathan Jacobs also, how would one define evolution? The purpose of evolution is to nippier a species life, not necessarily its intelligence. Take for example the ameba. Intelligent? No, but they’re an incredibly efficient and resilient organism.
I cannot tell you how much my life has changed after I found out about stoicism. Good vibrations to those who know what you are worth and what you can achieve.
It can be pretty subjective, what comes under things we should concern ourselves with. I mean "victim mentality" implies people aren't really victims, but of course some people are victimised and discriminated against. And it may be in your power to change that.
The pieces of art are exquisite and exquisitely chosen to match the discourse (“fulfilling life” a rainbow/// “not another day” a sunset). Lots of work into these videos
Slaves to the opinions of others and prioritising external growth - money and possessions, over internal growth are probably two of the biggest things that I think makes the average person unhappy.
Nothing wrong in pursuing external growth, someone did pursue that thats why we have youtube here. It's just working on oneself is more important first.
I found Aurelius and Epictetus young, somehow, at 17 I gorged on them. It definately changed my life, must admit I do miss passionate feelings, the ups and downs of a vivid emotional life (yes, they go with stoicism, irretrievably it seems) but the tranquility and peace this philosophy offers can be a feather in many a persons cap.
Thank you. Very timely information. Reinforces one's dedication to the decisions that one makes. Being adaptable by not judging how any given situation will play out helps keep us flexible. We have more options for more positive outcomes when we don't limit ourselves with negative expectations. Inward thinking and self correction are the paths one can use to reach a more balanced life. Peace Everyone.
Thank you so very much for doing this. Your other videos on Stoicism are amazing, some of the best I've seen. We we're all just waiting for something more on Epictitus. Our wishes have been granted. Thank you!
Excellent and inspiring! I had never heard of Epictetus before, but he seems to offer a lot of good substance. Thank you for creating this unique and very valuable content! It is a shame that throughout history in the West the deep and pragmatic wisdom of stoicism hasn't evolved more and found more popular reception.
This is insane that What comes before me is the tools I needed but am now ready to use. At the end of the day it’s all up to me to use me tools move forward and let go of things I can’t control.
This was crazy. I dont believe in destiny but, this video just perfectly fits the ideas I concluded today just before watching it based on the last few months of my life . The worst thing is that I had already concluded the same ideas one year ago, I think life, or at least my perception of it has cycles and it would be really worthwile to get to know them. Anyways, I think that now I am wiser than the last time I got to those ideas, because at the time I tried to apply them with great intensity and euforia, and I couldn´t keep the pace up. Now I will try to apply them with a more calm and measured attitude. Great video, thanks for reading and good luck!
Without a doubt, one of the most important channels on RUclips. I've been trying to do something similar on my channel, I'd be lucky to do it half as well as you do.
The emphasis that the Greeks placed on philosophy as a way of life is such an important one that is often missed so I was very happy to see this included. Stoicism as a philosophy is very interesting but ultimately rather flawed. Epictetus' statement that 'it is not things that trouble us, but our judgements about things' is true. Afterall, it's not the pain receptors in our finger when we touch a hot stove that cause pain. It is the brain's negative interpretation of this event. However, the problem comes in assuming that these judgements that we make are voluntary and that we have (or can have with training) complete control over our judgements of worldly stimuli. There's a romanticism and appeal in imagining a being who has ascended beyond the everyday but this is unrealistic and in some cases, undesirable. Imagine the disconnect you would need to have from your friends and family if you were to sever any emotional connection to these people. To not be affected one way or another if they're happy or sad. Love you or hate you. Whether they live or die. Life is inherently painful and so sometimes when we see an opportunity to pull away from that pain, we jump at it. But we're all bound within the confines of the human condition and try as we might, we can't escape it. Therefore, any joy we are to find in life must be found within these confines.
Chris J I've always held views similar to what you've stated regarding Stoicism. It is a wonderful school of thought to study, but not one I would choose to adhere to strictly. I love this discourse this channel starts, thanks for commenting your insight!
If the hot stove destroys your hand, leaving you without a hand, is that the brain's negative interpretation that you are missing a hand or is it an actual fact that you have lost your hand?
Very true, I do believe you touch upon the key problems with it. I'm not sure about the conlusion though. In my experience, you can't close this box once it's opened, and so you kinda loop back to problem number one again. Every conscious insight takes a bite out of ignorant bliss, but ultimately I have a hard time spotting a more worthy project.
Suino, you've definatley lost your hand so that part is fact. The part that is up for interpretation is whether the loss of the hand is a cause for being upset or not. The stoics would argue that we through the practice of philosophy we can become, and should seek to become, immune to negative feelings in response to these kind of misfortunes. My point is that this kind of approach to things is both unrealistic and ultimately undesirable.
if our desires are UP to us what is their origin? Where did they come from? And if they are up to us why do so many of us desire the same kinds of things Is this not saying pleasure or pain or really ANY sensation we have is a decision we make Do we choose to experience pain as painful or pleasure as pleasurable. I sometimes showed through thought experiments how this kind of thinking is so backward and contradictory experiment 1: Pick up a pen cap and now choose to feel euphoria that this pen cap is the meaning of life and only YOU possess it See if you change your own view about the pen cap experiment 2: Think of someone you care about deeply and then think of someone you dislike Try to deliberately swap the thoughts and feelings you have for one for the other Hold up two pictures looking at them at the same time if this helps make it more clear Experiment 3: Try to remember an event from your past then deliberately forget the event after you begin to feel certain ways. Even in modern CBT requires looking for evidence to contradict overly negative or distorted thoughts that we DO need to be convinced by in order to change them its not a simple matter of "our thoughts are "up to us" Our thoughts and desires are a mix of being learned through feedback from reinforcement history on the one hand or are biologically inherited Thus while you can change some thoughts by choosing to act against them as with phobias for example What we find desiraBLE is no more up to us than is the taste of lemons being sour or chocolate being sweet and our finding we LIKE certain sensations and DISlike others are also NOT up to us. What we WANT will never be "up to us" as WANTS inform US not the other way around. You have to HAVE the thought I want something to even KNOW you want something its not spontaneous it does not come from choice And good thing too otherwise we would NEVER make any choice to begin with starting at square 1 Reason without motivation has no where to go
I spend a lot of time searching for them online. You can find a gallery of the ones used here: academyofideas.com/2018/06/epictetus-stoicism-wisdom-of-the-slave-philosopher/
I agree that thinking can take an "independent" part in causing suffering. But it is also the case that our behaviour, our inner dominant self, our meaning, our work and our health also have direct effects in our emotions. And these emotions also affect our thoughts. Attempting to control all thought is very near to the pathological. Rather, controling our inner discourse should be a complement to all the rest, a part of the whole.
I'm not bad at the "don't be materialist/concerned with social status" part (definitely a degree of "can't miss what you've never had"). I'm terrible at the "don't sweat the small stuff" things like missing a train or having a computer freeze. I know it isn't healthy or productive to get so wound up, but I don't really know how to change this.
Thank you for this. Just got off of listening to The Obstacle is the Way, a self-help book based on stoicism. Gonna grab a coffee and really take this one in.
Anyone who is stuck in limbo of decision to either follow the crowd and be normal or be different and fulfill his desire and risk humiliation, 5:24 to 6:57 is enough to make one able to decide.
Like most philosophy, this is good in theory. Our emotional aversions are built through billions of years of evolution towards things happening in the external world. You can't exist in your mind without the external world influencing you in ways that are unpredictable and often harsh. Sure you can train yourself to think yourself out of a particular problem and have lower emotional response, but it's no easy task at all.
Equanimity.... I think this particular word has the world inside it. From Stoics to Buddhists to Shintos... To every other religion. This is the core as far as I have read. Calm under duress and character under regress!
I'm a fan of this channel and of stoicism but including - never mind starting with - a quote from Rene Descartes who was, by all accounts a monstrous man, who believed that animals have no capacity to feel pain; suffer or love completely discredits what is otherwise an excellent video. Descartes was himself an unfeeling monster when it came to animals: by his own account, he would happily slice open dogs whilst they were alive and tethered, sticking his finger into their chest to marvel at how the valves of their hearts opened and closed around his knuckle! Descartes also believed that animals have no souls. I'd agree with him there but there's no evidence that souls are anything more than a human constructed idea. That said, Descartes - a Christian - like most Christians of his era and even today who proclaim the same belief about animals and souls - obviously never read the Bible because it is written in the very first chapter of Genesis (1:30) - to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, [I have given] every green herb for food.' And it was so. Note: Many Christian versions conveniently translate the Hebrew word for soul (Nephesh' to Breath of life). Anyone who really believes that animals are no more than unfeeling, unthinking machines is deluded and who would want to follow the ideas of a deluded, cruel maniac?
It seems not popular today but most of my friends are stoics weather they proclaim to be or not. It seems really to be about self control and being calm. Those tend to be seen as boring in this age .
Imagine if they taught Stoicism in schools.. I studied 2 years of philosophy in high school.. We covered much of Socrates and Aristotle, Descartes, and others, but not Marcus Aurelius, Diogenes or Seneca the Elder, which have become my favourite in later years. Everyone should listen to or read the book 'The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton'', gentlemen have a candlelit bath with some essential oils and feel like a wise old king with that audiobook playing.. Heaven..
The thought of controlling our thoughts, rather than try to control our surroundings. To exist in our mind to shield ourselves from hurting because of exernal reasons is scary because, I feel like by doing that, I would have no reason to fix external problems that would get worse with time, unless I allow myself to be constantly negatively affected by them, thus try to change them. Thoughts anyone ?
I wouldn’t go as far to say “..that your progress is made or destroyed by a single day and a single action.” But either way the principle behind the whole passage is vital.
check out teal swan's completion process, and the THE SEVEN HERMETIC PRINCIPLES "The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open."--The Kybalion.
I'm noticing that this version of The Enchiridion may be incomplete: classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html. It has 52 chapters, where, I'm noticing now, other versions have 53. The quote at 6:17, I think, is the missing chapter. Can anyone direct me to a more complete translation? Also, thank you. This is my favorite youtube channel.
Inner strength for me requires some sort of substance upon which one could gather its vital elements. By simply abstracting and synthesizing the ideas of boldness and strength leads us nowhere. Social validity of thoughts is something which weak minds do in order to become part of the group / equation. Society sometimes recede or remain stagnant or make leaps so fastly that a discerning mind do require at one stage to stipulate and tgresh the implications of such tendency. Our society in the developed world is a society of making materialistic progress whereas the peace of mind largely eludes us because of our misplaced convictions and reliability on notions / belief systems that can only create further dark voids within our minds. A positive thought requires a vibrant and peaceful ideology. An ideology which creates its system of peace and tranquility not in mere theory but in the concrete world of realities. If we are not at peace with our external environments then there's no utility of such so called material progress and finding reasonable status in a fledgling society.
Our desires, ambitions, aversion and impulses are not often within our control. Still attempting to master these is probably the best we can do. Working on our judgements and attitudes is important.
Stoicism is very interesting. I was drawn to it long before I knew it had a label. People around you though, will neither understand nor accept your ways. Primarily ruled by emotion, culture and custom, they will expect you to be equally dictated. Failure to comply, or at the very least successfully fake it, will be met with deep suspicion and harsh judgement.
The main idea seems to be to just do things to improve yourself and to make progress. My question is, towards what? It's all pointless if we will all die.
As always, you can find the transcript and a gallery of the art work used here: academyofideas.com/2018/06/epictetus-stoicism-wisdom-of-the-slave-philosopher/
Academy of Ideas Thank you!
This really helps me change my perspective. Good stuff. Thanks.
Absolutely beautiful
Epictetus' writings are second to none. I'd put them on every school syllabus.
Same with Seneca's Letters from a stoic. Absolutely life altering insight.
Gold man, pure gold. Thank you
Quality
Agree completely
A year ago I was banned from yt for good, but I remember your channel, Kegz. I'm glad that such a gem is back to my life. :)
*“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” ―Epictetus*
The rich one is that, who satisfied with little.
Thoreau said something like " the true measure of wealth is in what one can afford to leave alone "
Glad you're touching on stoicism. I've really been deeply practicing this in my life. It really has worked well for me more than any other philosophy out there.
Same. It's the only thing that has ever made a drastic long lasting improvement for me.
In what way has it worked, and in what ways has it not?
I bought Marcus Aurelius (the stoic emperor-philosopher) notes called "Meditations", read through it and marked all passages, paragraphs and sentences that felt significant to me personally, in the margin. They were quite a few. I sometimes pick it up and read the marked passages (doesn't take long) and these nuggets feel sort of like vitamins for my soul. It helps me cope when I am struggling with life.
I only recently get to know about Stoicism. I've known Buddhism and I've tried practicing it on my daily life and I'm quite surprised how similar Stoicism is to Buddhism.
Johannes Karlsson ... I have an android app called "the daily Stoic" which gives quotes from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca etc. There are some great quotes and anecdotes.
I find it amazing how people almost 2k years ago experience the same problems we do now.
Cybrus Steel it's also baffling how the majority of people haven't evolved since then even though humans were extremely self aware then.
@@johnathanjacobs2569 Evolution is a slow process and it seems with the dumbing down of the general populace, hedonistic and narcissistic lifestyles as the default and zombification by "smart"phones and social media moving ever more rapidly, that we may have stopped evolving as a result of deeming "survival of the fittest" null and void. It seems we're in a state of "survival of the weakest" and if one acts strong and fit as a man used to know was his assignment, he is ridiculed and held in contempt by society. Be a weak victim of circumstance or an oppressor of the herd it seems are the only options. I'm afraid it will only get worse before getting better...
@@johnathanjacobs2569 It's not that we have not evolved. It just that the majority of people don't seek wisdom by learning wise stuff which humans have already discovered years ago. I am a middle-aged full time working man living in 2019 and have just discovered this stuff.
Babies are born ignorant regardless of when they are born. That why most kids go to school in the beginning years just to discover what humans have already discovered in the past.
It's only possible to teach the kids basic at school. It up to the individual to seek further wisdom after that.
Johnathan Jacobs also, how would one define evolution?
The purpose of evolution is to nippier a species life, not necessarily its intelligence. Take for example the ameba. Intelligent? No, but they’re an incredibly efficient and resilient organism.
its almost like our problems ARE real and not merely inventions of the mind
I cannot tell you how much my life has changed after I found out about stoicism. Good vibrations to those who know what you are worth and what you can achieve.
Love your channel.
Today's society teaches victim mentality, not self accountability. Your amazing channel counteracts that.
That is just a way to keep control over the population, divide and conquer.
It can be pretty subjective, what comes under things we should concern ourselves with. I mean "victim mentality" implies people aren't really victims, but of course some people are victimised and discriminated against. And it may be in your power to change that.
False. It is an eternal human paradigm - hence this philosophy was espoused in ancient Greece.
Weak people become dependent and easy to control, I see it every day.
Loved reading Epictetus with my dad. One saying I like is "We are just clay bowls filled with blood which we have to give back anyway."
The pieces of art are exquisite and exquisitely chosen to match the discourse (“fulfilling life” a rainbow/// “not another day” a sunset). Lots of work into these videos
A philosopher's thought process is precisely a mountain of words.
Slaves to the opinions of others and prioritising external growth - money and possessions, over internal growth are probably two of the biggest things that I think makes the average person unhappy.
The pursuance of money can lead to personal growth. The money doesn't matter, it's just how you keep score.
Nothing wrong in pursuing external growth, someone did pursue that thats why we have youtube here. It's just working on oneself is more important first.
I found Aurelius and Epictetus young, somehow, at 17 I gorged on them. It definately changed my life, must admit I do miss passionate feelings, the ups and downs of a vivid emotional life (yes, they go with stoicism, irretrievably it seems) but the tranquility and peace this philosophy offers can be a feather in many a persons cap.
That was amazing. These videos come at just the right time.
Thank You for sharing this knowledge.
Right? It feels like these videos come out just as I need that particular bit of advice. This video is no exception.
Transcripts are an appreciated added touch. Thanks. I learn and marvel at the presentations of the Academy of Ideas.
Titan of a youtube channel .
"...Your progress is made or destroyed by a single day and a single action." - Epictitus
So live always in this moment and watch over yourself.
Superb video - inspirational quotes - fantastic visuals (paintings) and.... joy of joys - no background music! Keep 'em coming Academy of Ideas!
Thank you. Very timely information. Reinforces one's dedication to the decisions that one makes. Being adaptable by not judging how any given situation will play out helps keep us flexible. We have more options for more positive outcomes when we don't limit ourselves with negative expectations. Inward thinking and self correction are the paths one can use to reach a more balanced life. Peace Everyone.
this is the best philosophy channel on RUclips. Heck, probably best of all channels.
Love Stoicism. It's a life changing philosophy.
Thank you so very much for doing this. Your other videos on Stoicism are amazing, some of the best I've seen. We we're all just waiting for something more on Epictitus. Our wishes have been granted. Thank you!
It's interesting how stoicism persists through times, Epictetus, Seneca, Marc Aurel, Descartes and also Victor Frankl.
Amazing, straight to the point no boring long entrance
Excellent and inspiring! I had never heard of Epictetus before, but he seems to offer a lot of good substance. Thank you for creating this unique and very valuable content! It is a shame that throughout history in the West the deep and pragmatic wisdom of stoicism hasn't evolved more and found more popular reception.
Chasing for gold and dollars, west lost a spirit.
I am a practicing stoicism and people call me a "son of a bitch" because I don't display my emotions and try to control them in the matters of life.
This is insane that What comes before me is the tools I needed but am now ready to use. At the end of the day it’s all up to me to use me tools move forward and let go of things I can’t control.
I like it SO MUCH when you guys publish practical wisdom and philosophy! THANK YOU! :D
"Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die"
Like this. Cheers Guest.
It seems you always drop the perfect video right when I need it most
Stoicism is always one of the most interesting topics
As a stoic thank you for sharing the ideas of the school of thought
You consider yourself a stoic?
Stoics dont call themselves stoics
My favorite RUclips channel
This was crazy. I dont believe in destiny but, this video just perfectly fits the ideas I concluded today just before watching it based on the last few months of my life . The worst thing is that I had already concluded the same ideas one year ago, I think life, or at least my perception of it has cycles and it would be really worthwile to get to know them. Anyways, I think that now I am wiser than the last time I got to those ideas, because at the time I tried to apply them with great intensity and euforia, and I couldn´t keep the pace up. Now I will try to apply them with a more calm and measured attitude. Great video, thanks for reading and good luck!
I went through the same path.
Without a doubt, one of the most important channels on RUclips. I've been trying to do something similar on my channel, I'd be lucky to do it half as well as you do.
The quality of these videos is a form of excellence
The emphasis that the Greeks placed on philosophy as a way of life is such an important one that is often missed so I was very happy to see this included.
Stoicism as a philosophy is very interesting but ultimately rather flawed. Epictetus' statement that 'it is not things that trouble us, but our judgements about things' is true. Afterall, it's not the pain receptors in our finger when we touch a hot stove that cause pain. It is the brain's negative interpretation of this event.
However, the problem comes in assuming that these judgements that we make are voluntary and that we have (or can have with training) complete control over our judgements of worldly stimuli. There's a romanticism and appeal in imagining a being who has ascended beyond the everyday but this is unrealistic and in some cases, undesirable.
Imagine the disconnect you would need to have from your friends and family if you were to sever any emotional connection to these people. To not be affected one way or another if they're happy or sad. Love you or hate you. Whether they live or die.
Life is inherently painful and so sometimes when we see an opportunity to pull away from that pain, we jump at it. But we're all bound within the confines of the human condition and try as we might, we can't escape it. Therefore, any joy we are to find in life must be found within these confines.
Chris J
I've always held views similar to what you've stated regarding Stoicism. It is a wonderful school of thought to study, but not one I would choose to adhere to strictly.
I love this discourse this channel starts, thanks for commenting your insight!
If the hot stove destroys your hand, leaving you without a hand, is that the brain's negative interpretation that you are missing a hand or is it an actual fact that you have lost your hand?
Very true, I do believe you touch upon the key problems with it. I'm not sure about the conlusion though. In my experience, you can't close this box once it's opened, and so you kinda loop back to problem number one again. Every conscious insight takes a bite out of ignorant bliss, but ultimately I have a hard time spotting a more worthy project.
I agree
Suino, you've definatley lost your hand so that part is fact. The part that is up for interpretation is whether the loss of the hand is a cause for being upset or not. The stoics would argue that we through the practice of philosophy we can become, and should seek to become, immune to negative feelings in response to these kind of misfortunes.
My point is that this kind of approach to things is both unrealistic and ultimately undesirable.
Wonderfully done, as usual! Thanks for your time and work.
if our desires are UP to us what is their origin? Where did they come from? And if they are up to us why do so many of us desire the same kinds of things Is this not saying pleasure or pain or really ANY sensation we have is a decision we make Do we choose to experience pain as painful or pleasure as pleasurable. I sometimes showed through thought experiments how this kind of thinking is so backward and contradictory experiment 1: Pick up a pen cap and now choose to feel euphoria that this pen cap is the meaning of life and only YOU possess it See if you change your own view about the pen cap experiment 2: Think of someone you care about deeply and then think of someone you dislike Try to deliberately swap the thoughts and feelings you have for one for the other Hold up two pictures looking at them at the same time if this helps make it more clear Experiment 3: Try to remember an event from your past then deliberately forget the event after you begin to feel certain ways.
Even in modern CBT requires looking for evidence to contradict overly negative or distorted thoughts that we DO need to be convinced by in order to change them its not a simple matter of "our thoughts are "up to us" Our thoughts and desires are a mix of being learned through feedback from reinforcement history on the one hand or are biologically inherited Thus while you can change some thoughts by choosing to act against them as with phobias for example What we find desiraBLE is no more up to us than is the taste of lemons being sour or chocolate being sweet and our finding we LIKE certain sensations and DISlike others are also NOT up to us. What we WANT will never be "up to us" as WANTS inform US not the other way around. You have to HAVE the thought I want something to even KNOW you want something its not spontaneous it does not come from choice And good thing too otherwise we would NEVER make any choice to begin with starting at square 1 Reason without motivation has no where to go
The paintings you use in your videos are fascinating. Where or in what book did you get them?
I spend a lot of time searching for them online. You can find a gallery of the ones used here: academyofideas.com/2018/06/epictetus-stoicism-wisdom-of-the-slave-philosopher/
Well spoken and a good summary. Thank you.
So happy to have videos on stoicism back!
saving lives by posting these videos. thanks
Glad to have a Korean subtitle. Thank you
Concise and dense. Perfect format. Thanks !
I agree that thinking can take an "independent" part in causing suffering. But it is also the case that our behaviour, our inner dominant self, our meaning, our work and our health also have direct effects in our emotions. And these emotions also affect our thoughts. Attempting to control all thought is very near to the pathological. Rather, controling our inner discourse should be a complement to all the rest, a part of the whole.
I'm not bad at the "don't be materialist/concerned with social status" part (definitely a degree of "can't miss what you've never had"). I'm terrible at the "don't sweat the small stuff" things like missing a train or having a computer freeze. I know it isn't healthy or productive to get so wound up, but I don't really know how to change this.
Thank you Academy of Ideas for helping the emancipation of minds
This is our power, reality is shaped by our thought.
“make everything that seems best to be a law that you cannot go against.”
That’s convicting!
Best video of the month for me. Maybe year. Thank you for this.
Thank you for this. Just got off of listening to The Obstacle is the Way, a self-help book based on stoicism. Gonna grab a coffee and really take this one in.
Anyone who is stuck in limbo of decision to either follow the crowd and be normal or be different and fulfill his desire and risk humiliation, 5:24 to 6:57 is enough to make one able to decide.
Great video. Liked and subscribed. Thank you very much, that was what I needed to hear right now.
Wow i should more read into this, how i live my life is something similiar to this while not really reach that level yet
The best channel on RUclips !
you're such a blessing
Salam
Just wanted to say that I love your videos :) Keep up the great work!
Like most philosophy, this is good in theory. Our emotional aversions are built through billions of years of evolution towards things happening in the external world. You can't exist in your mind without the external world influencing you in ways that are unpredictable and often harsh. Sure you can train yourself to think yourself out of a particular problem and have lower emotional response, but it's no easy task at all.
Simply lovely as always my friend.
I just picked up a book which had Lucretius’ “On The Nature Of Things”, Epictetus’ “Discourses”, and Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations”.
Equanimity.... I think this particular word has the world inside it. From Stoics to Buddhists to Shintos... To every other religion. This is the core as far as I have read.
Calm under duress and character under regress!
This channel is the best...
Awesome!!! Would like to see more videos on Greek and Latin philosophy.
I'm a fan of this channel and of stoicism but including - never mind starting with - a quote from Rene Descartes who was, by all accounts a monstrous man, who believed that animals have no capacity to feel pain; suffer or love completely discredits what is otherwise an excellent video.
Descartes was himself an unfeeling monster when it came to animals: by his own account, he would happily slice open dogs whilst they were alive and tethered, sticking his finger into their chest to marvel at how the valves of their hearts opened and closed around his knuckle! Descartes also believed that animals have no souls. I'd agree with him there but there's no evidence that souls are anything more than a human constructed idea. That said, Descartes - a Christian - like most Christians of his era and even today who proclaim the same belief about animals and souls - obviously never read the Bible because it is written in the very first chapter of Genesis (1:30) - to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, [I have given] every green herb for food.' And it was so.
Note: Many Christian versions conveniently translate the Hebrew word for soul (Nephesh' to Breath of life).
Anyone who really believes that animals are no more than unfeeling, unthinking machines is deluded and who would want to follow the ideas of a deluded, cruel maniac?
We want a new video ! 😭😭😭 I'm addicted to this channel beside my addiction to smoking and not studying well
This hits close to home.
Could listen to this a thousand times 🌝
Awesome video, thank you! Happiness in life = Mastery over our inner discourse.
Stoicism is like crafting impenetrable suit of armor
And then becoming that armor
Good video
Well said!
It seems not popular today but most of my friends are stoics weather they proclaim to be or not. It seems really to be about self control and being calm. Those tend to be seen as boring in this age .
I’m thankful I found this channel and subscribed. I have an essay to write related to the topic that’s why hehe
Your channel is incredible. Subbed and notifications turned on.
Amazing idea, amazing presentation. Thanks a lot for your efforts!
Imagine if they taught Stoicism in schools.. I studied 2 years of philosophy in high school.. We covered much of Socrates and Aristotle, Descartes, and others, but not Marcus Aurelius, Diogenes or Seneca the Elder, which have become my favourite in later years.
Everyone should listen to or read the book 'The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton'', gentlemen have a candlelit bath with some essential oils and feel like a wise old king with that audiobook playing.. Heaven..
The thought of controlling our thoughts, rather than try to control our surroundings. To exist in our mind to shield ourselves from hurting because of exernal reasons is scary because, I feel like by doing that, I would have no reason to fix external problems that would get worse with time, unless I allow myself to be constantly negatively affected by them, thus try to change them.
Thoughts anyone ?
Great video, you should add it to your Stoicism Playlist.
Will do, thanks for reminding me.
Exceptional parting words
"even by a single action"
Choose this day.
Excellent as always. Have you thought about making a video of Cato the Younger?
Thank you for sharing the wisdom. Keep up the good work.
I am watching this after watching this....."Marcus Aurelius-Best Lecture on Stoicism EVER!"
"Whatever happens, it is either good, or can lead to something good." - Mr. Atwater
I just waited for this!!
thx!
keep that great work on! :D
You've widen my world.
Thank you for those last 2 minutes
I wouldn’t go as far to say “..that your progress is made or destroyed by a single day and a single action.” But either way the principle behind the whole passage is vital.
More videos on Epictetus
check out teal swan's completion process, and the THE SEVEN HERMETIC PRINCIPLES
"The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these,
understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose
touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open."--The Kybalion.
I love ur channel pure gold
I'm noticing that this version of The Enchiridion may be incomplete: classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html. It has 52 chapters, where, I'm noticing now, other versions have 53. The quote at 6:17, I think, is the missing chapter. Can anyone direct me to a more complete translation?
Also, thank you. This is my favorite youtube channel.
Really had a bad day. Lucky this video came on my recommendations.
Inner strength for me requires some sort of substance upon which one could gather its vital elements. By simply abstracting and synthesizing the ideas of boldness and strength leads us nowhere.
Social validity of thoughts is something which weak minds do in order to become part of the group / equation. Society sometimes recede or remain stagnant or make leaps so fastly that a discerning mind do require at one stage to stipulate and tgresh the implications of such tendency.
Our society in the developed world is a society of making materialistic progress whereas the peace of mind largely eludes us because of our misplaced convictions and reliability on notions / belief systems that can only create further dark voids within our minds.
A positive thought requires a vibrant and peaceful ideology. An ideology which creates its system of peace and tranquility not in mere theory but in the concrete world of realities.
If we are not at peace with our external environments then there's no utility of such so called material progress and finding reasonable status in a fledgling society.
Our desires, ambitions, aversion and impulses are not often within our control. Still attempting to master these is probably the best we can do. Working on our judgements and attitudes is important.
I wish if you could present an episode on Gramci's cultural hegemony
Thx i enjoy your videos a lot
Your voice is amazing and so your channel
Stoicism is very interesting. I was drawn to it long before I knew it had a label. People around you though, will neither understand nor accept your ways. Primarily ruled by emotion, culture and custom, they will expect you to be equally dictated. Failure to comply, or at the very least successfully fake it, will be met with deep suspicion and harsh judgement.
Stoicism is a brilliant life philosophy. It's truly underrated.
(I'll admit though that sometimes I think it dips (or can dip) into toxic positivity).
10% is what happens to us. 90% is how we react to it.
100% is how we react to it ☮️
Thank you 🙌
Academy of Ideas, i request you to make a series on Marcus Aurelius.
The main idea seems to be to just do things to improve yourself and to make progress. My question is, towards what? It's all pointless if we will all die.