Meditations + Discourses

Question 1

8.1 Why is it ensential to develop humility?

Answer 1

Humility. A child invested in his ego can never become a man practicing Stoicism. Humility will save you from the ignorance of the ego, because one who practices humility does not have an ego to feed with Stoic success. The man with humility has nothing to prove to others, the man of humility is not shocked or traumatized by failures, the man of humility is the man to rise after falling, again and again and again. The man of humility has nothing to lose.

Question 2

Do Stoics desire and develop aversions?

Answer 2

Desires and aversion should be retrained to outcomes produced by the will (i.e. under your control) less you want to be thrown around like a rag

Question 3

8.36 What should you ask yourself in the face of adversity?

Answer 3

Ask yourself, is this unbearable? Why can’t I endure it? Is there any reason for me to be misserable, frightened, huddled? Then proceed to feel shame at the answer.

Question 4

1.1 Explain the magnificance of the reasoning faculty.

Answer 4

The reasoning faculty has the power to discern impressions, effectively freeing you from a world full of indifferents. Think about it, you will not be whirled around like a boy, you will be an upright man. You will live producing good, you will not be a slave. You spit in the face of hedonism.

Question 5

1.12 What is freedom?

Answer 5

Freedom is the ability to accept that which is out of your control and to percieve events according to your own standards of thought and reason. For example, you csn view solitude (something outside of your control) as peaceful and view crowds (something outside of your control) as festivals. Freedom is not the ability to produce desired outcomes, because outcomes are out of one’s control. Also freedom can involve doing whatever you feel like doing, but this freedom is not noble. This freedom fails to acknowledge the conformity that is needed in order to function. For example, I have the freedom to add random punctionation inbetween my sentences, but what good does this freedom accomplish?

Question 6

1 What are the faults with happiness?

Answer 6

1. Hedonic Adaption
2. Happiness is genetic
3. Happiness is elusive. Happiness can not be chased as a goal, because the sheer fact of chasing happiness makes one unhappy.
4. The chase for pleasure often leads to the corruption of character. For example, harmlessly stalking a crush on FB. Although you are not harming anyone, you are harming your character by succumbing to stalking, because stalking shows attachment, cowardness, sexual objectification.

All these faults with happiness, especially #3, are repulsing. Happiness toys around with people, which leads me to believe that happiness is overrated and pompous.

Question 7

1 How shouldn’t you act?

Answer 7

Do not believe that virtue is acting in order to bring pleasure to others. You did not volunteer time at Chetan uncles event in order to bring pleasure to the guests, but rather to show respect to your parents to the extent where I am not committing a vice.

Question 8

8.2 Who are you?

Answer 8

You are not your flesh, you are not your GPA, you are not your parent’s vessel, you are only your intentions. The rest are out of your control and therefore should not be considered “Dipen.” With every intention and action you define yourself, your ideals, your view of good; therefore, every intention, every action should be made or taken with careful scrutiny.

Question 9

8.32 How is chracter assembled?

Answer 9

Action by action.

Question 10

8.22 How should you meet each task?

Answer 10

Focus on that which is in front of you. You will meet each task with the same demeanor with which you meet the current task?

Question 11

What is true for all events that happen to you? Here’s the source

Answer 11

Good meaning virtuous and bad meaning vice. No events that occur to you are good or bad, because these events are external to your power of choice. Therefore these indifferents (prefered or not prefered) can not affect your ability to act virtuous. Hench a Stoic is not determined by any event.

Question 12

1

What is an analogy for the relation between externals, the will, and character?

Answer 12

Your character is a cylinder. Externals push this cylinder. Will dents/shapes the cylinder into a fashion which resists push.

Question 13

3.12 What is the purpose of Stoic training ?

Answer 13

Stoics train in order to limit aspirations to that which is in the control of the will. Every aspiration must be examined in order to determine whether it is worth the effort and whether the aspiration is in our control

Question 14

3.3 How should you analyze people?

Answer 14

Not by their genetically determined looks, intelligence, or wealth. Rather by their character. You judge character by analyzing their values. Their sense of good and bad, their intentions.

Question 15

8.34 Would you punch yourself in the face for a broken leg, a long line at the office, an accident?

Answer 15

Of course not, but we routinely allow emotions, false judgements and values to metaphorically stifle us.

Question 16

1
How can you increase your concentration?

Answer 16

Clear your working memory by writing down thoughts often.

Take breaks every 45 minutes. These breaks (~10 min) should involve getting up and changing scenery, splashing cold water on your face, not reddit.

Clear your mind of all other thoughts and focus on this one task, because you will meet every event with the same concentration with which you met this current task

Question 17

8.41 Why are drugs bad?

Answer 17

Anything that obstructs your ability to reason is bad; therefore, one should not intentionally revert to an animalistic state by indulging in drugs such as alcohol or weed.

Question 18

1.1 How can the reasoning faculty help you live a good life?

Answer 18

First and for most, reason allows us to understand the correctness of concerning ourselves with that which is in our power, virtue and vice, but nothing else. The reasoning faculty allows us to determine virtue guiding us with the various wisdoms. Without reason it would be impossible to distinguish a good life from a life filled with pleasure.

Question 19

1.6 How should you face challenges?

Answer 19

With appreciation for the challenge. For it is the hardships that mold a man into greatness. Hercules would have snored his life away in luxury if there was no lion, hydra, or bore. We are given the reasoning faculty, so there is not reason to fear challenges. This idea of appreciating hardship falls into the line of viewing life as a spiritual gym

Question 20

1.2 What if you are not satisfied with your production of virtue?

Answer 20

Slave, produce virtue and then tell me that you are not satisfied with your character. Contemplating such concepts of “what if” is useless.

Question 21

8.32 How should you regard percieved obstacles?

Answer 21

Obstacles are not obstacles, but rather forced paths. None the less, no actions are forced.

Question 22

1.18 Why do people do wrong?

Answer 22

All people act on their conception of good, but some people are misguided in that they lack the proper notion of good and bad. These misguided people place good in externals; therefore, they will act in an expient way, even if this manner is bad, for the end goal of attaining the good. Anger will not resolve the conflict. Anger will actually just distrubt your mental tranquility and prevent you from acting according to your reasoning faculty.

Question 23

1 Is Willpower Limited?

Answer 23

No, willpower is not a resource. Willpower is a rate, meaning that willpower can be increased if one is not distracted by hunger, thirst, other things on one’s mind.

Question 24

8.33 What are the marks of the man?

Answer 24

To accept it without arrogance. To let it go with indifference. These are the marks of a man.

Question 25

Is blame useful?

Answer 25

Do not dwell on blame. Yes, blame can be useful for identifying whether you can do something in a different way next time, but be sure not to regret the past.

Question 26

Matheason pg. 32. How should our time on earth be regarded?

Answer 26

As time for personal growth in viewing and strengthing our view of good and bad through experience.

Question 27

8.41 What should you ask yourself inregard to pleasure and pain?

Answer 27

Ask yourself, have pleasure and pain sunk their hooks into your mind, are they obstructing your ability to act reasonably. Nothing external can obstruct your mind unless you allow externals to obstruct your mind.

Question 28

1.2 How should you act?

Answer 28

Act consistently, the best way to act consistently is through always acting with reason, and reason always dictates virtue.

Question 29

8.44 What are people?

Answer 29

Most people are hedonistic filth. Their ignorance deserves your pity, why do you consider their judgement as important?

Question 30

8.12 What is to be derived from your defining characterstic?

Answer 30

What is your defining characteristic? If your defining characteristic is X, then why squander X in pleasure? Even animals can feel pleasure, but they are not X. Practice that which makes you unique.

Question 31

8.45 What human experience are you unfit for?

Answer 31

Which human experience is unfit for a human? As a man, you are equipped to deal with the human experience.

Question 32

8.11 What questions should be asked when observing an external (object or idea) and what about when observing a person?

Answer 32

Object or Idea:

What is it composed of? What is its utility? How does it affect the world? How long is it here for? How is it after the object is used?

Person:

How was it young? How will it be old? How will it behave when confronted by pleasure? How will it behave when confronted with pain? How does it spend its time? How will it behave when yelled at?

Question 33

8.47 What is a potential problem with indifferents?

Answer 33

Externals are not the problem. The problem is your assessment of externals. Who is stopping you from assessing externals correctly?

Question 34

8.14 What should you consider about people?

Answer 34

When dealing with people, ask yourself what this person thinks about pleasure and pain. If they think X and Y, then would it not be stupid to be surprised when the person acts according to X and Y.

Question 35

1 What is meant by live according to nature?

Answer 35

Humans are by their nature rational. Living according to nature means living according to reason. From reason, we can derive that humans are social creatures; therefore, it is reasonable to make “good” the helping of others.

Living according to nature also means living consistently, meaning sticking to reason. Following reason, meaning accepting “good” as virtue, means that one will not compromise virtue for the attainment of pleasure and the aversion of pain.

Question 36

8.15 What should you seek to eliminate?

Answer 36

Seek to eliminate surprise. Contemplate the practical outcomes in order to not overwhelm yourself at their occurrence, because your reason will suffer when overwhelmed.