Stoic Reflections: Building Confidence, Becoming An Adult & Proper Use Of Philosophy
Musings from Epictetus’ Discourses — Week 10
March 6th, 2024
And likewise with us too, where is it that we show fear? With regard to things that lie outside the sphere of choice. And where, on the other hand, do we behave with confidence, as if there were nothing to fear? With regard to things that lie within the sphere of choice.
The argument is that we often misuse our impressions. When we should be cautious, we are confident and when we should be confident, we are cautious.
An example might be fearing how our boss would react to an idea that we have. You can’t control your boss’s reaction, so the fear is misplaced. However, you might be confident in your idea when caution might be better suited so that you can thoroughly unpack your idea and put it through the wringer. That way, you have examined the idea from all angles. Once you do that, then you will naturally feel confident in presenting the idea to your boss.
So, maybe, when we are cautious about things outside of our control, it means we haven’t used the correct impression regarding things in our control.
Take thorough, cautious action upon the things that are under your direct influence. This will naturally result in a boost in confidence.
March 8th, 2024
Or what is a child? Ignorance. What is a child? Lack of knowledge. For in those areas in which he does have some knowledge, he is in no way inferior to us.
I found this to be an interesting thought experiment. If you were to separate yourself into different parts, which part of you would be a child — ignorant and lacking knowledge — and which part of you would be an adult, educated and knowledgeable?
It’s not your age that makes you an adult, it’s your knowledge or lack of it. Meaning, that you might be an adult in your workspace because you have plenty of knowledge about that skill but are still childlike with your health as you fail to follow a proper diet and adhere to a proper workout plan. Or a child in a relationship as you lack the emotional ability to connect with your partner, be vulnerable, keep your ego at bay and so on.
Viewing things this way is also productive because if you lack knowledge, it doesn’t mean you will lack it for the rest of your life. It’s not genetic. You can gain knowledge through effort and learning. So, if you categorize different aspects of yourself in this adult or child manner, you can see what part of you needs learning.
March 10th, 2024
And now, when the moment calls, will you go off and give a reading to show off your compositions, and boast about them, saying, ‘Look how well I can put dialogues together’? No, that’s not what you should be boasting about, man, but this: ‘See how I never fail to attain what I desire, see how I never fall into what I want to avoid. Bring death before me and you’ll know. Bring hardships, bring imprisonment, bring ignominy, bring condemnation.’ Such should be the display that a young man offers when he leaves school.
The beauty of studying philosophy is that it can help you in practical manners. Such as dealing with loss, hardships, and struggle. Along with navigating the ebbs and flows of life by guiding your perspective, helping with your attitude and how you view the world and those around you.
However, there are branches of philosophy which get lost in discussing things that have no answers. They contemplate whether we are alive or not. Or discuss without end what is consciousness or if we have free will or if everything is determined. These and many other thought experiments are valuable in their own way as they help you question what you see and believe and force you to confront what you might take for granted, but they can also distract you from actually making progress in your life.
Your life is limited. That’s one of the core understandings of Stoic philosophy. So, you have to be careful with how you divide your time. It might be useful to contemplate over dialogues and thought experiments but that shouldn’t distract you from unpacking philosophical texts that you can apply to your life directly.
These might result in you improving your life, building confidence, strengthening relationships, and so on. The value of getting these things right far outweighs any thought experiment. So, focus on what matters and use philosophy correctly.
Originally published at http://learnedlivingorg.wordpress.com on March 10, 2024.