ethics – My Stoic Life

Thinking About Reason

The reason of which I’m thinking is the ‘this is the reason why I can’t come to lunch’ meaning of the word. I’m thinking about the ‘Thinking about’, kind of reason. The kind of reason that separates human from beast. There is some debate about whether any ‘beasts’ actually do use reason, but that is something for a different blog post.

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Using reason, considering things more deeply, and moving beyond the obvious into much more, these are the things that help us to do better things, or to do things in a better way. Reason, consciously used, allows us to consider effects, and work to understand the things that occur in our lives. Reason, rather than emotion, is the logical way to get to the actual truth of matters.

20190722_214309 — Not sleeping, thinking!

Reason allows us to consider ideas, and apply our own knowledge, and knowledge from other sources, to ascertain the actual truth of things. If we use reason, we will discard false ideas, and endeavour to correct ideas found to be untrue. Reason helps us to think about things, and arrive at responses based on truth, not falsity.

Intuition is often given by some people as the sole reason for a decision, but actions based only on intuition, may well give a totally wrong idea, when further thought and ‘reasoning’ would have taken that intuition, and shaped it into a more nuanced and true idea. Emotion can also lead a person to false ideas. Wanting something to be true, will never actually make a thing true. But the wanting, connected to reason, can work toward a process that may well bring the wanted thing, into fruition.

Stoic thought goes very strongly toward reason, in fact reason, used properly, will lead to Wisdom, and the gaining of Wisdom, as applied to all in life, is the ultimate goal for all, to lead to the living of the truly Good Life. This is a basic aim of Stoicism. This is not a life where we have all of our wants fulfilled, but rather a life where all of our actions performed lead to the greater, rather than only personal, good.

The satisfaction of hunger, or any base or strictly animal needs, at the expense of higher needs, such as the need for deeper thought, are not going to lead to that greater Good, the Good Life that is or should be the ultimate aim for us all. Hunger is a need that should be fulfilled, yes, but how often to people go overboard with it, and have more than they need?

The consequences of this overindulgence are many, and if all chose to only have enough, instead of too much, what a wonderful thing that would be, for all. Moderation is a key to a better life, meeting needs, but not ‘wants’ …
What do you think about this? Does it seem relevant to living a Stoic life? I’d love to hear/read what you think about this. Please leave a comment!

Happy Stoic New Year

Some End Of Year Stoic Thoughts To Take Into 2020

If a thing is beyond my control, I am not to blame for it, but if it was under my control, I must think deeply on why I allowed it to be.

Planning for the good to occur is a joy, planning for the bad, is a blessing … The sensible person spends at least as much energy planning for the bad, as for the good.

Everything that happens is a chance to learn. Nothing is good or bad, unless it brings no further reflection.

If I cannot be said to be at fault, I will not accept blame. If I was at fault, I will look closely at why it happened, and will take action, as appropriate, to ensure it doesn’t happen again, if such action is possible for me.

When considering my best action, I will look at the broader picture first, not only the best for myself only.

Being a member of a group is an opportunity to reach heights, but if others in the group are unable to reach them with you, you have in truth failed.

Any problems being faced now, will become irrelevant in the future, no matter how big the problem. We all will die …

If you were there when it happened, and did nothing to stop it, can you really say it wasn’t your fault at all? If you had no control over it at all, yes, otherwise no. Always do what you can if, and when, you can.

You are not one person only, you are a member of the group, the community, the world. Do all you can do, to help the best good come to all.

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If you lack the courage to do a thing this time, will you ever have the courage when you have not option but to do it?

A tree that always follows the usual direction of the wind, is a tree that will fall when the wind direction changes. Nature knows this, and acts accordingly. Let Nature be your guide …

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Facing fears and acting teaches you to be strong, hiding away from fears allows them to hurt you, over and over again.

If it is wrong for you to do a thing, but others are doing it, it is still wrong for you to do it …

Virtues and Stoics

What Is Stoicism All About?

First of all, the most important thing to sort out is to throw out the idea that Stoicism is all about having a stiff upper lip, and being cold, unemotional and uncaring. The Greeks and then Romans who put much into, and in fact in the case of the Greeks, began the Stoic philosophy.

Wisdom, Temperance, Justice, and Courage – these are the four cardinal virtues of a Stoic life. The Stoic wishes to go through their life, working at these four virtues to achieve their best possible life.

And to a Stoic, their best possible life is one that is lived in accordance with these four virtues. There are particular ways of considering these four virtues, with an emphasis on doing the best thing for themselves, and also for their family, friends and their wider community.

Going on a chocolate binge, while being very tasty, would not meet the virtue of temperance, and so would not be considered a good thing, by a Stoic. And if one had a heart problem and perhaps other health problems, then that’s certainly going to mean no chocolate, or perhaps only the smallest amount, as long as there have been no other dietary indiscretions.

Is it fair? This is an important question for a Stoic to remember and avoid. Life is made up of many things, and to rail against thing;s being ‘fair’ simply because they didn’t go your way is not a wise thing. As in Mindfulness, things that happen are, and it is up to all to deal with them in the best way possible.

And by the ‘best way’ one is not referring to gaining lots of money, or getting the biggest slice of cake. The ‘best way’ is the way that leads to improvements in your life, as it accords to your better understanding, and indeed embodiment of the four cardinal virtues.

I hope this brief look at stoicism has been of interest. If I have got anything wrong, please let me know. I am new at this Stoic life, and I wish to adhere to the proper way.