Tag: Stoicism

Epicurus On Death

Epicurus quote: "Why should I fear death! If I am, death is not. If death is, I am not. Why should I fear that which can not exist when I do?"

The quote above is not the most scholarly translation of that thought by Epicurus.

I’m not proud, I like the way it rolls off of your tongue and the meaning is fully intact.

It is a powerful quote.

I think it provides an insane amount of comfort.

I don’t think it provides complete comfort.

Marcus Aurelius suggested a rhetorical question ( for a context other than this post ), paraphrasing, “Am I afraid of death because I will not be able to do _____ anymore?”

I think that is the first reason people feel angst about death. They think about missed opportunities from the past and things they will not be able to do in the future.

I think another reason people feel angst about death is the handy dandy quote above. They haven’t worked that thought down into their bones. They will never experience being dead. If there is an afterlife, then all that worry is for nothing, so you are “good” on both counts.

I think there is also an animal, instinctual fear of death we inherit. I don’t think we can do much about that. If we can reduce that emotional reflex in regards to our own pending demise or the demise of someone close to us we are ahead of the game.

Possibly, there is a cognitive, cultural component on top of that animal instinct. Just beneath your level of your self awareness you think you should freak out when someone dies. Why? It will not do anything for the deceased. While they were alive, if they thought about such things, they decided they didn’t want their survivors to suffer over their death. They likely thought it would just be nice to be remembered once in a while. If there is an afterlife, and they weren’t republicans, they are probably having a grand old time. Feeling angst about your demise doesn’t help anyone either. You are still going to die. You are better off without the angst, enjoying the time you have. So again, why freak out? It isn’t doing anyone any good. In history, people used to move to different parts of the globe for life. No smart phones, no social media, no email, and not even a post office to deliver letters. That is what it boils down to when a person close to you dies (almost). They moved far away, such that you will never be able to communicate with them again. Memorials are a going away party that happened after the fact because something happened to their travel arrangements such that they had to leave on short notice.

Nobody wants to grow old.  Seeing people close to you die or grow old reminds you of that.  Growing old sucks, even the historical Buddha said that.  Your physical and mental capacities diminish.   On top of that there is a cognitive and cultural component on top of that.  Many horrible things about old age and old people.

You can’t do much about that animal instinct. You may be able to do something about your culture conditioning, though not completely.  You can work at aging gracefully, not just physically, but with your beliefs. There is a bit of luck in how well that will turn out, things beyond your control.  At least you can tell yourself you tried.  In regards to your FOMO ( Fear Of Missing/having Missed Out ), you are still alive, so you still have a chance at doing some things of value to yourself.

The Ancient Greek Roots Of The Serenity Prayer

 

Many people are familiar with The Serenity Prayer:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.”

The Serenity Prayer is attributed to American theologian Reinhold Neibuhr, who used it in his sermons as early as 1934.  It is widely known from its use in the meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous & other 12 step group meetings.

Interestingly, it is not of Christian origin:

“And they said: At the head of all understanding – is realizing what is and what cannot be, and the consoling of what is not in our power to change”

That quote is from Solomon ibn Gabirol, an 11th century Jewish philosopher.

“If there is a remedy when trouble strikes, what reason is there for dejection?  And if there is no help for it, what use is there in being glum?”

That quote (oddly translated) is from Shantideva, an 8th century Buddhist scholar.

“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.  Some things are up to us and some things are not up to us.

Our opinions are upt o us, and our impulses,desires,aversions – in short, whatever is our own doing.

Our bodies are not up to us, nor are our possessions,our reputations, or our public offices, or, that is whatever is not our own doing.”

That quote is from Epictetus, a 1st century Stoic philosopher.  It is at the beginning of his book the Enchiridion ( “Handbook”).

A Stoic Cheat Sheet

picture of a Greek stoa
The early Stoics taught in roofed porches or stoa

Stoicism is enjoying a modern and a popular ( ordinary people, non-academics ) revival. This is likely due ancient Stoicism having the practical goal of leading a happier life and is also likely due to the success of cognitive behavioral therapy which has its roots in ancient Stoic philosophy.

Disclaimer: I know nothing of Stoicism and I am just starting to learn about it myself.

The goal of Stoicism is to learn to live in harmony with how things work ( your mind, life, other people, the laws of nature ).

The ancient Stoics believed that in order to live a eudaimonic ( worthy and happy ) life people need to understand 2 things:

The nature of the world

The nature of human reasoning

The ancient Stoics had 3 disciplines and 4 virtues they tried to cultivate for happy and worthy lives. They studied 3 main subjects to aide this pursuit.

The chart below shows the primary relationship between each Stoic discipline, virtue, and subject of study. Unfortunately, translators have picked English words for translations of key Stoic concepts that are the way contemporary English speakers understand those words. This is an impediment to understanding the ancient writings. The chart below includes a “modern translation” or an alternative choice of words for those key Stoic concepts. It is based on my personal understanding of chapter 2 of “How To Be A Stoic” by Dr. Massimo Pigliucci.