Epictetus, His Thoughts,
and My Personal Stoicism: Part 2
The past couple
of years have been a roller coaster for me. There have been times that I have
felt invincible as well as times I have not felt so strong. As my third
semester comes to a close I recall all of these different feelings and the way
I have responded to each of them. I would say I have been fair and honest for
the most part but there are definitely times that I could have reacted better.
It has been
approximately two years since I first discovered Epictetus and Stoicism. I
happened to be in a Barnes & Noble
looking for a particular book when a black and white cover caught my attention.
I picked it up and scanned the back. It obviously interested me or I would not
be here writing about it. It was a short book that simply summarized
Epictetus’s life and The Discourses,
one of Epictetus’s works recorded by a student of his. I immediately tried
applying the wisdom in the book to my life. I’d say it worked for a day or two
but I lacked discipline. I quickly forgot about the book and it had sat in a
drawer since.
It
was not until recently I picked the book back up where I left off and continued
reading. All along this little book had been holding wisdom just waiting to be
absorbed. The book, “The Art of Living” by
Sharon Lebell, has been a helpful aid to me since reopening it. A major theme
of Epictetus’s thoughts is that you can only control a few things in the world;
one being your will which through association controls your happiness. The past
year many unfortunate events have found their way to my doorstep. Every single
one has made things more stressful and complicated. Or so I thought. Actually
not a single one of these problems I have faced has made things more difficult.
In each instance it was my response to them that made things more stressful and
complicated.
Epictetus said
that when a person can fit themselves between a stimulus and a response he/she
will be much more satisfied because they will be able to control the situation
instead of be controlled by it.
[Stimulus] Insert Self Here
[Response]
Stoicism is
highly concerned with self-control in every meaning of the phrase. A true stoic
needs to be disciplined, accepting, and patient. In The Discourses, Epictetus talks about patience in relation to
desiring a fig. In short, he says that one must wait patiently for a fig tree
to first blossom, then bear fruit, and then allow time for the fruit to ripen
before one consumes it. This example goes beyond waiting for fresh fruit. It
can be applied to nearly anything one might experience in life. Several times I
have given up on a task because I have felt overwhelmed form the start.
Epictetus would have (probably with reproach) told me to reevaluate the problem
and get back to work.
Epictetus
influences my reactions now more than ever. When I am faced with a difficulty I
step back for a second and ask myself the important questions. Does this in any
way affect my happiness? What are some of the ways in which I can respond to
this stimulus? How exactly will I choose to respond to it?
Just this week I
have used this process to deal with problems that arise with my family, my
ladyfriend, and school. After every instance I have felt significantly better
than I would have if I had let the problem control me instead of the other way
around. In the future I know that I will refer back to Epictetus. In fact, I
would bet that I encounter Epictetus before the night’s end.
I think that
Epictetus is correct in that controlling your thoughts and reactions is a
streamlined path to happiness. I know that I am the least content when I allow
external forces to dictate how I feel. Consider how much freedom one has when
they take control back into their own hands. It is as if you have just been
given the keys to a racecar with a full tank of gas.
Epictetus was
also adamant about one’s social circle. He believed that one could only have
these stoic-like characteristics if they surround themselves with others that
do. This is the exact same thing as saying, “Be careful who your friends are,”
and so on. I may not be the most patient person in the world or the most
disciplined when it comes to controlling my impulse reactions but I do have a
great set of friends. For as long as I can remember I have looked up to people
worth looking up to and associated myself with people whom I knew would only
allow me to grow. All of my friends are quick to say something if I begin to
start doing something I should not be. When I am down or feeling unmotivated I
have friends who are willing to listen and encourage me to keep trekking on.
Last year I thought about dropping the honors college here at MTSU because I
knew it would be much less strenuous to do so. My best friend reminded me of
why that would be a mistake and I would come to regret it. Every time I think
back to that day I mentally thank him for saying the things he did.
There are times
I am critical of myself for taking twenty years to figure out some of the
things I have discussed in these two blog posts. More concerning to me is those
who still are having a hard time with it. I consider my circumstances and
myself lucky. I wish for others that they will soon take control of the oars
and steer their lives in a desirable direction. If it had not been for that
coincidence two years ago in a bookstore I might still be having trouble. I
think that philosophy should be a common core subject in public schools
starting earlier than it does now. I am not certain that the high school I
attended even offered a single philosophy course. The point is that if
Epictetus was able to foster motivation within me it might work for someone
else. Student success would rise as well as self-confidence among the youth.
With a high self-esteem you can expect everything to improve. I am not strictly
limiting this to the education sector either. Work performance may increase
along with productivity and quality of work. If this occurred on a grand level
like I am imaging it, a whole entire country could be transformed. Imagine a
United States where happiness is real and abundant and not artificially created
and limited. Go bigger. The world. What if the world were a truly happy place
because people truly understood how to manifest it internally. Yes, this seems
farfetched but there is potential for philosophy to boost the quality of life
around the globe. Inexpensively too!
1st
comment link:
2nd
comment link:
1st
Post link:
Total Word Count: 2,514
"I think that philosophy should be a common core subject in public schools starting earlier than it does now." - Yes! Of course, curricular decisions are not entirely within our control. But a good Stoic should also be a good pragmatist, not ceding total control so long as there's still a chance of making constructive changes to those "external events" the bad stoics are too quick to write off. Stoics need to be moe familiar with that "full tank" feeling.
ReplyDelete