re: Do you live a Stoic life?

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They’re not mutually exclusive belief systems

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There is some overlap in outward lifestyle. But they are fundamentally incompatible. I’ll elaborate if I have time tomorrow.

I have always longed to be stoic.

I wear my heart on my sleeve and go up and down the emotional spectrum all the time

(no message)

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wear my heart on my sleeve and go up and down the emotional spectrum all the time

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We are irrational creatures living in a rational world. The conflicts are never ending.

I have emotional reactions to children and dogs. I've learned to accept them as natural protective instincts, not aberrations..

My mom was a stoic, strong and disciplined. But she went to war for her kids

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dont disagree with stoicism at all. but it is a fad right now and the fad will pass

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I think all of the major philosophies that have stood the test of time come in and out of fashion. I first read Meditations as a teenager almost 40 years ago. I was looking on my dad’s bookshelf and there were a few tattered, leather-bound books with writing in the margins. They had apparently belonged to my grandfather and were printed almost 100 years prior (grandpa was a dad in his late 40s and my dad was mid 30s when i came along). One was Meditations and out of all the old books, that one was the only one that felt relevant to me, so i read it. I went to college, got a job, etc., and forgot about it for years but as an adult I remembered and when i went back home i tried to find the old book, but it was gone. Nobody can say what happened to it. I bought my own copy a few years ago and read it when i’m stressed. It’s basically the diary of the most powerful man in the ancient world. He never planned to have it published and probably wouldn’t have wanted it to be. But he struggled with things like accepting death and loss, self-control and discipline, and dealing with difficult people. He is known to have been a powerful but wise and just leader, so i think i have a lot to learn from him.

I think so. I’m pretty minimalistic. Just enjoy watching movies and playing video games.

I've not deeply studied the philosophy, but based on what I know about it, I think I have leaned that way for my adult life. In youth and most of the teen years, I was a self-destructive wreck. At 19 I decided to change my trajectory and went celibate for over a year to be able to think clearly and make sure my decisions were not being influenced by romance or sex and were purely based on what would make me into the person I wanted to become. Every one of my parents/grandparents struggled with alcohol and or drugs so I abstain completely.. I (eventually) learned how to keep my negative emotions in check because I realized how much they were holding me back.

Now I'm as even keeled as can be with no vices. It's a good way (the only way) to live, for me. The alternative is dark.

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Lot of one word answers, no emotion, and just generally hard to read. I’d almost rather be around someone that wears their emotion on their sleeve.

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“Stoic” as a synonym for appearing to be unemotional isn’t the same as the Stoic philosophy.

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Been digging into the Stoics and it seems to be great info for living.

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I've tried and I will try again this year, but I'm just built to be chaotic good.