Daily Stoic Week 34

The Daily Stoic

The Practicing Stoic

Meditations

How to Be a Stoic

If you have anger issues, this one is a great tool (h/t mindyourbusiness)

 

August 27

“Heraclitus would shed tears whenever he went out in public—Democritus laughed. One saw the whole as a parade of miseries, the other of follies. And so, we should take a lighter view of things
and bear them with an easy spirit, for it is more human to laugh at life than to lament it.”
—SENECA, ON TRANQUILITY OF MIND, 15.2

I am working on getting better at this one. I did manage a little last week. My boss had been through a 3 week course in Georgia and he said the base General made everyone wear masks the last week. I sarcastically replied “Yep, those masks really work”. He said, “There are a lot of cases down there”. I started to get agitated “There is no evidence anywhere they work”. His reply, “I don’t want to get political”. I started to get mad, but caught myself and started laughing instead. “I said there’s no evidence, you replied about politics, I did not mention politics. You know who talks politics instead of science, idiots that believe following the science equals listening to politicians”. That was funny to me, and he didn’t argue. I know the true believer mask wearer was in the room, but she didn’t say anything either. That was a long winded way to say it felt much better to laugh instead of following my natural instinct to get mad.

 

August 28

“The founder of the universe, who assigned to us the laws of life, provided that we should live well, but not in luxury. Everything needed for our well-being is right before us, whereas what luxury
requires is gathered by many miseries and anxieties. Let us use this gift of nature and count it among the greatest things.”
—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 119.15b

I think this one only applies if you live in a well off culture. If you live on the verge of starvation, it probably doesn’t seem as if god provides for you to live well. Personally, I need to work on the ability to live much simpler than I do now. This is a reminder to appreciate what I have and not become overly attached to being well off and not add stress to my life chasing things I don’t need.

 

August 29

“No person has the power to have everything they want, but it is in their power not to want what they don’t have, and to cheerfully put to good use what they do have.”
—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 123.3

I have plenty. My truck is mostly completed and she is a joy to drive. I used to have a 1973 Charger but I  gave it to my nephew when I didn’t have time or money to work on her. It is in pieces in my brothers garage, and I am attempting to get it back. He hasn’t decided yet, but if he keeps her, I need to not be greedy and keep wanting something that does not belong to me. The same goes for wishing I made more money so I could just buy a restored one or wishing I had a bigger garage with a lift so working on my own cars would be easier and instead make the best use of the space I have.

 

August 30

“Anything that must yet be done, virtue can do with courage and promptness. For anyone would call it a sign of foolishness for one to undertake a task with a lazy and begrudging spirit, or to push
the body in one direction and the mind in another, to be torn apart by wildly divergent impulses.”
—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 31.b–32

I don’t have this problem with my job, but I do sometimes with jobs around the house. I need to change the struts in my wife’s Corolla, I am not looking forward to doing this, but I was going to start on Sunday. I went to the garage, and screwed around on my tablet, put tools away from my last truck job, got my tools ready, fooled around cleaning off the workbench, next thing I knew, it was lunchtime and I haven’t even started on my wife’s car’s struts. Then I had a long lunch and didn’t go back out. My wife didn’t know I was planning on starting or else she would have teased me mercilessly. She already likes to point at the boxes of struts and call them decorations. This weekend, I will act with courage and promptness.

 

August 31

“Whenever you take offense at someone’s wrongdoing, immediately turn to your own similar failings, such as seeing money as good, or pleasure, or a little fame—whatever form it takes. By thinking on this, you’ll quickly forget your anger, considering also what compels them—for what else could they
do? Or, if you are able, remove their compulsion.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 10.30

I try to use this with my mom and she is trying to get an opinion out of me and I keep deflecting. I used to think I was right about everything and try to start discussions with people that didn’t agree. Luckily I’ve outgrown that, but I doubt she will. I also try to remember this when I am driving and an idiot does something stupid. I know in my younger days I did dumb things while I was driving. If you drive the speed limit in the express lanes however, there is no forgiveness possible.

 

September 1

“The rational soul is stronger than any kind of fortune—from its own share it guides its affairs here or there, and is itself the cause of a happy or miserable life.”
—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 98.2b

If I am unhappy and angry, I can either find someone or something to blame, or I can take responsibility for my mood and change the way I am thinking. It doesn’t matter what the outside world is doing as much as it matters what my mind is doing. Last weekend my wife and I wanted to go kayaking in the morning. I dragged the kayaks down to the lake and while I was getting hers set up it started raining. I needed to mow the grass that afternoon. I let the rain piss me off, so when she showed up I was angry. Luckily it was a single rain cloud and it passed rather quickly. Was it the rain’s fault I was irritated that my wife was late? It was mine and I did apologize, then we had a good morning kayaking on the lake.

 

September 2

“Men, the philosopher’s lecture-hall is a hospital—you shouldn’t walk out of it feeling pleasure, but pain, for you aren’t well when you enter it.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 3.23.30

Trying to be a practicing Stoic is not fun. It is not easy to change my outlook on life. I still have setbacks. But just like hurting my muscles and lungs make them stronger, challenging my own mentality towards the world makes my mind stronger. I still have issues, but I have become much more capable of not getting upset, and when I do slip up I have a much stronger ability to change course.

 

Today’s music follows last week with more “Hair Metal” band that was actually good hard rock.

 

This song rocks.

 

Modern Day Cowboy

 

Lay it on the Line