/lit/ - Literature

Only experience makes a veteran. Practice it's priciples to learn it, pleb.

smoke heroin

Just whatever you do, avoid Ryan Holiday's pop-stoicism bullshit.

Stoicism is for literal children. It's not even philosophy.

there's a stoic text literally called The Manual you lazy fucking child.

>>9517666
>I'm attracted to Stoicism but I have no idea how to actually implement it.
Read the meditations. Live it. Don't overthink it.
It's really not for everyone.

>>9517708
thank for nuance argument have a nice day
actually please elaborate

>>9517699
This. What a fucking train wreck meme that guy is.

>>9517666
Take it up the ass without complaining.

>>9517666
Of course you are. All brainlets are attracted to stoicism. They don't give a shit about concepts and ideas, they just wanna learn some cool life hacks from bearded dudes who wore togas in ancient greece and shit cuz that's a whole lot cooler than what the average person is doing.
Literally don't kid yourself. The only reason there's so much greek philo is because they couldn't get it right. In the AD you should only deal with plato and aristotle and have a general idea of the concepts that lead up tp them, who thought what and where they were wrong. Yes, we read the greeks to find out what they got wrong. Not what they got right. They were pegans, ofc they couldn't do anything right, just look at the athenian democracy. I mean for fucks sake you know your government sucks ass when the wikipedia article for it only has two headings under the 'History' section: Development, and Aftermath kek.

>>9517666

Read Epictetus.

>>9518131
He really is the best of the Stoics. His Discourses and Enchiridion are indispensable.

>>9517699
I found the book to be a good read, actually. He just drills into the idea of not giving up when an obstacle is in your way, as the 'obstacle is the way' which is a good sentiment which he backs up with from his interpretation of the meditations, and historical figures who led by similar example.

I am reluctant to agree however that the book doesn't really put across the real aesthetic beauty of stoicism the way I read it, as passages from the meditations are beautiful. I think strong aesthetics are crucial to a strong belief system.

I wouldn't avoid Ryan Holiday's book though. It's not a bad book or poorly written, and has value in the way it helps portray stoicism as a philosophy which can survive and even thrive under modern belief systems and daily trials.

I'm aware my argument boils down to 'don't be negative' -- yeah, fair enough.

>>9517666
this is what happens what an aspiring pseud visits lit... not uncommon

I think the issue with Stoicism is that it is a philosophy one has to be predisposed to. There are different philosophies for different personalities, which have their own strengths and weaknesses.

I gave my copy to a very christian girl who, when she returned it, said that Marcus Aurelius was 'a people pleaser' which seemed to me to be the absolute opposite of what the man was.

I love stoicism because it is anti-narcissism; that to be kind and to act towards the better of your fellow man is the right and sensible thing to do because it is correspondent to our nature to do so. This looking to nature has made Stoicism timeless and grounded in a way many other philosophies aren't.

Take the idea that if you can no longer be a good person or if daily life is suffering beyond what one can reasonably be condoned to cope, then suicide is a graceful option. It is not an edgy act, it respects the virtue of life.

You don't have a future. You don't have the past. You only have a continual repeating of the present moment. And if all you have to lose is the present moment; what have you to lose?

Another reading I always think to is that we find beauty in the changes of nature; seeing how time changes things; seeing a natural beauty in an elderly person for instance where age itself affords them a particular pleasing character that the ageing of their bodies has given them.

Stoicism is practical. Beautiful. Aesthetic. It's not going to fix your life but it can give vital support.

>>9518063
I yawned while reading this.