Years ago, via some of the early bloggers, I first observed the revival trend in ‘Stoic’ philosophy.
It was back in London days that I first bought a copy of Marcus Aurelius Meditations, and then soon into my San Francisco days, I bought (and did not fully read, once again) a copy of Seneca’s Letters.
In the book clearing process of Rumschpringe, my hand pulled out of the pile a modern compilation of the writings of the first Stoic philosopher Epictetus, ‘The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness’, put together by a Northern Californian author and musician, Sharon Lebell.
Now if I say ‘Stoic’, you might think ‘stiff upper lip’ or ‘thick skinned’. With the speed and complexity and melodrama of the modern world (perhaps it was the same in roman times?), it’s the simple tones of common sense, a modicum of discipline and elimination of drama, that had Epictetus resonating for me again.
To share a few favorite under-linings…
“If you attempt to adopt the affairs of others as your own, your pursuits will be thwarted, and you will become a frustrated, anxious and fault-finding person.”
“If it concerns anything outside your control, train yourself not to worry about it.”
“It’s much better to die of hunger unhindered by grief and fear than to live affluently beset with worry, dread, suspicion and unchecked desire.”
“Spiritual progress requires us to be highlight what is essential and to disregard everything else as trivial pursuits unworthy of our attention.”
“Your happiness depends on three things all of which are within your power: your will, your ideas concerning the events in which you are involved, and the use you make of your ideas.”
And for this one, I wrote in the margin: “Enough said. Mantra!”:
“Attach yourself to what is spiritually superior, regardless of what other people think or do. Hold to your true aspirations no matter what is going on around you.”
But, perhaps this one is the most apt for Rumschpringe! A jab in the nuts, and a jab that I might have appreciated in my twenties….
“Think things through and fully commit. Otherwise you will be like a child who sometimes pretends he or she is a wrestler, sometimes a soldier, sometimes a musician, sometimes an actor in a tragedy.”
…which pairs well with the cautionary words that followed…
“Make the necessary sacrifices that are the price for the worthiest of goals: freedom, even-mindedness, and tranquility. If however, upon honestly appraising your mettle, you are not fit or ready, free yourself from delusion and tread a different, more realistic road…
…If you try to be something you’re not or strive fir something completely beyond your present capacities, you end up as a pathetic dabbler, trying first to be a wise person, then a bureaucrat, then a politician, then a civic leader. These roles are not consistent. You can’t be flying off in countless directions, however appealing they are, and at the same time live an integrated, fruitful life.”
Finally, if there is one piece of Epictetus to live by, it may simply be:
“It’s so simple, really: If you say you’re going to do something, do it. If you start something, finish it.”
Noted, young Epictetus, noted!
