Final report blog post- Jason Tuttle

Final Report Blog Post- Jason Tuttle

Stoicism- The basis for true knowledge

Stoicism- Jason Tuttle
Stoicism began in ancient greece and has maintained relevant status even in current times. Ryan Holiday wrote one of the most prevalent current books about stoicism called The Obstacle is the Way. 

Stoicism says that our reality is independent of our opinion of it. Confirmation bias leaves most people accepting their interpretations of reality regardless of the truth. Stoicism outlines two aspects of our world, the external and the internal. The external is things we are unable to control while the internal is everything in our minds. The marriage of these two things is the key to sustainment without chasing an the impossibility of complete contentment. 

Stoicism upholds we must assume any happiness or pleasure that comes from completion of a task is fleeting and provides nothing more than the experience of focus and presence. Stoicism does not say that there is no point in working to achieve wealth, just that one must understand that they cannot allow their happiness to depend on the success of the task. The sign of a truly successful person is one who can live without the material things and still feel complete.



Marcus Aurelius was a roman emperor and stoic philosopher with everything he could want yet he wrote
"Almost nothing material is needed for a happy life for he who has understood existence." 

Another stoic philosopher, Senecca, said
"Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. We've been using them not because we needed them but because we had them."

These quotes are saying that we need to realize that our constant expectations of something in the future being fulfilling like a new car is unrealistic and will never bring true happiness. In Letters From a Stoic written by Senecca, he writes that a vile life is lead in pursuit of material happiness. Nothing is good or bad. Only our interpretations of them is what they are. Senecca infers that a wise man is never driven down by adversity, rather he relies on and derives all joy from himself. Stoics suggests that everything that happens is relevant and we must strive to accept and become indifferent to it and focus on controlling our reactions to it. Only with this can we free ourselves from the world and find happiness within ourselves. 

Jason Tuttle Section 4
Runs since remote learning: 5

Sources
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Stoicism

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