Anyone here practice 'Stoicism'?

Not like “year, I chopped my hand off and am all stoical”, but the ‘practice of stoicism[/url]‘.

I’m a real overthinker and though I’ve tried CBD and counselling, I still struggle with negativity at times.

I was up at 1am wathcing TED talks last night (well, this morning) andsaw one by Tim Ferris os Stoicism – seemed really eye opening.
I read into it a bit more, and some of the practices seem perfect for me.
Basically, mu life is summed up in this quote:

We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.
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I need to ‘live in the rel world’ rather than some fearful hypothetical one…

Any good resources or books people have read??

DrP

The internet feeds paranoia maybe you should disconnect or limit you time exposed to media, then maybe you would live more in the moment.

I’m a perfect stoic….as long as nothing goes wrong!

Echoing what wicki said, it is interesting just how negatively people can view the world. Although I think the internet negative feedback loop is more a symptom than a cause.

Interesting subject tho, thank you for making me think about it.

Wouldn’t have said I did until I read that interesting link. Still wouldn’t call myself a genuine stoic, but there was a lot in there that I totally agree with.

I wouldn’t consider myself a stoic as such, but Marcus Aurelius’ book ‘Meditations’ is one I read over and over. It’s as fresh today as the day it was written.

The internet feeds paranoia maybe you should disconnect or limit you time exposed to media

I understand that, but this isn’t “the grass is greener stuff”, more inner doubts/negativity etc..

DrP

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

Or worry about it when it happens

No but thanks for the interesting post. I’ll read a bit more about stoicism.

From Singletrack World forum the grammarian, to refrain from fault-finding, and not in a reproachful way to chide those who uttered any barbarous or solecistic or strange-sounding expression; but dexterously to introduce the very expression which ought to have been used, and in the way of answer or giving confirmation, or joining in an inquiry about the thing itself, not about the word, or by some other fit suggestion.

😉

http://classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.html

good thoughts DrP – definitely in the overthinking or at least what if camp.
It’s not just internet feeds but research can be a bad idea!

I did see a quote by Lee Craig, of TAS, which was advice from Mike Hall about the Tour Divide (IIRC) – basically once you remove the measure of success/failure, you can enjoy it much more. Suspect that is along the same lines.

Try getting some sleep :). It can take weeks to catch up properly but lots of things look different when you aren’t tired. I’m not really convinced the internet makes life better on balance

There’s definitely a scale with crippling anxiety on one end and doom leaden straw men at the other. I envy my friends who just don’t worry about stuff, especially stuff they can’t conceivably change. Like getting older or getting a horrible disease or worse the kids getting a horrible disease.

Moving the right way on that scale was why I started riding mountain bikes again. Still got some way to go 😉

That quote in Dr Ps first post is spot on.

Truth is, life is REALLY out to get you.

It’s something I studied at uni and was one of the things that stuck with me, but I wouldn’t say I think about it much.

We probably have more Cynics on here, have a read about Diogenes – he gets lumped in with the Stoics but was perhaps more of a wilful contrarian. He’d have fit in really well here…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes

Yes. Although I never knew the Stoicism label. Can’t claim to always get it right, mind.

We mortals are but shadows and dust.

Yes, mainly due to previous anxiety/depression issues I developed during my PhD many years ago.

I realised, the feelings caused by these things I cannot control are not something to be obsessed and concerned about. Take things as they come, then move on. Everything that happens does in a way that you can learn from. But you don’t have to focus on it.

As others have mentioned, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is worth reading, be prepared for people to be confused by how you react, some will view it as discompassionate. It’s not. It is just a different way of working with the world around you.

Also, maybe not being awake at 1am watching TED talks will help. Disconnect. Fully disconnect for 48 hours. Then start to bring that into your daily life.
No email past 6pm.
No notifications from social media, connectivity apps to your phone.
Phone, tablet, laptop, TV away and off after 9pm every day.

Also, maybe not being awake at 1am watching TED talks will help.

True… I’m normally (or, more often than not) quite composed.. I’m in a bit of a ‘state’ at the moment as I yanked my little girl’s arm yesterday (stopping her runing out of a shop into the road) and now she’s back in A+E (was there y’day too) as she’s still not using it, and TBH i fele like the biggest douche in the world and needed to distract myself at 1am…

It’s interesting to see the similarities between stoicism adn CBT (challenging beliefs, asking ‘where is the proof of this feeling’ etc..)

Will see how I get on

DrP

EDIT – i did smile at the bit about ‘living in poverty for some time’ – I suppose that answers the question of why I like to bivvy/camp, and find it ‘humbling’!

Just because you’re paranoid, don’t mean they’re not after you.
Got to find a way, a better way

Not me, it sounds appealing for someone like me who suffers from Anxiety, but I’ve always thought it was ‘an act’ rather than a way of life.

There’s movement at the moment towards ‘Emotional Intelligence’ in the workplace, which is quite similar – it tries to remove emotions from decision making, it has it’s pluses, but it makes people seem quite robotic if it leaks into their personal life – some people can have a ‘work head’ and a ‘home head’ but they’re never completely separate. I always had the feeling that they were never completely at one with it and constantly checking themselves and there could always be that last straw out there that would see them completely lose it. Are you really in charge, or just bottling up your fears by telling yourself they’re not real.

I think that following a strict philosophy can be good if you’re completely lost in the world, strict rules are easy to follow and it can get you out of a hole, but once you’re not panicking and firefighting problems every hour of every day – if you want to be happy it’s better if you can pick and choose aspects from many.

I don’t consciously practise it, but my natural attitude is not to worry about things I can’t affect, and not to dwell on stuff that’s happened.

did smile at the bit about ‘living in poverty for some time’ – I suppose that answers the question of why I like to bivvy/camp, and find it ‘humbling’

Getting into nature and living in poverty are not even close to being the same thing. Poverty has no comfortable home to get back to, no next pay cheque, no fridge full of food, no car to get you away, no fall-back and no future. If you can find peace and process when youre staring into the oblivion of tomorrow, then you’ll take the wisdom that brings. Pondering your existence whilst waiting for your camping stove to boil your £40 kettle of Evian does is not comparable, with all due respect.

i did smile at the bit about ‘living in poverty for some time’ – I suppose that answers the question of why I like to bivvy/camp, and find it ‘humbling’!

Me too! (Edit: although Three fish’s thoughts followed soon after.)

Do you find yourself on a bit of a downer anyway after a big ride, once the initial buzz has worn off and the legs feel normal again? You put in a big effort last week. If that were me, I’d be feeling mentally low about now, seems to be part of the recovery, and comes with other thoughts that chip away at the good feelings from the ride – “Why do I do it? what’s the point? Can’t I do something more worthwhile with my energy? Can’t I find a less pointless way of feeling happy?”

Not saying there aren’t other things going on, or that some mental practice isn’t a good thing in any event, but some perspective about your mood can help you deal with it, stop you pulling it out of proportion to the reasons behind it. “To understand everything is to forgive everything.” And that includes yourself.

I am intrigued, and see some parallels with how I try to be.

This is an interesting article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Stoicism

Have you read The Power of Now OP?

I listened to the audiobook on the train to work. Quite enlightening.

but I’ve always thought it was ‘an act’ rather than a way of life.

Sad that you think that.

For me, I never felt anything but at one with this approach.

YMMV.

Yes. Although I never knew the Stoicism label. Can’t claim to always get it right, mind.

This. Stiff upper lip.

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

and grizzlies, obvs.

mrmonkfinger – Member

but I’ve always thought it was ‘an act’ rather than a way of life.

Sad that you think that.

For me, I never felt anything but at one with this approach.

YMMV.

That’s good then.

I guess my Dad is the reason why I think that – he was always a massive hothead over things that don’t ever register on my horizon. Some slight in work, or some job title he didn’t like – not the job, but the name of it – if he’s not a director of something he’s not happy, which lead down some self-destructive paths in the past.

He works on his EI constantly and it’s made him a lot calmer, but I can tell when he’s under stress, but he rationalises it away, but I wonder if it’s really gone or he’s just not acting on it and if he’s externally calm but in a rage internally – is his inner monolog just a stream of obscenities and desires to kill everyone in his path, what’s that doing to his mental state.

Maybe I should just look at the evidence, he rarely seems happy, but he rarely seems unhappy, whilst I’ve spent the last couple of months never more than a badly worded text from my Wife from another full-blown panic attack, but I’m trying to work through it by facing my fears rather than ‘pretending’ they’re not real.

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

Oh god I hate that one, my FB feed is full of people posting stuff like that, usually not written themselves but attached to one of those Motivation type pictures with someone fishing in a lake or some shit.

Visit a trauma ward at the weekend, or google “verdict of misadventure” and hit the news tab.

Fear is a useful emotion that stops us doing stupid stuff that will just get us hurt or killed, it’s not an evolutionary mistake.

Rational Fear is worth fearing.

never more than a badly worded text from my Wife from another full-blown panic attack

Money worries will do that to all other areas of your life.

Nico – Member

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

and grizzlies, obvs. [/quote]

Oh yes. Definitely fear grizzly bears. And sharks. Tigers too, they eat your genitals first.

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

When is this fear coming? Is it soon? Tomorrow? How many fears? One, two…? What if this fear doesn’t like me? Oh sweet Jesus….

Interesting thread, this.

Since this was posted, I’ve done some reading on the subject. I’ve had a stab at Marcus’ Meditations (although I found it a difficult read). I’m reading through Derren Brown’s latest book, which covers Stoicism quite a bit.

Thanks for posting!

I’m a real overthinker and though I’ve tried CBD…

The power of hemp?

I need to ‘live in the rel world’ rather than some fearful hypothetical one…

Any good resources or books people have read??

Yep – ‘The Power Of Now’ – Eckhart Tolle

Personally I don’t “practice” anything ..I am what I am without trying to put a label on it .
Sometimes I’m good other times I’m bad ..but I rarely worry as to how I’m perceived by others .
Just be happy in your own skin ..

Kind of missing the point…

But I’m pleased you’ve found happiness..

DrP