Stoicism
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You are currently reading a thread in /lit/ - Literature
>just read pic related
>realise I've been living life pretty much as proposed in the book
>about to read the roman and greek stoicist authors for more reference
But anyway, is there a more superior philisophy to life than stoicism?
Discuss.
>>7817631
>>But anyway, is there a more superior philisophy to life than stoicism?
yes, the dhamma, since it is a user manual to establish, in daily life and in the jhana, what is called equanimity
calmness is overrated. It's a means to an end, not an end in itself. Do you think you were put here on Earth to be calm and still and peaceful and quiet your whole life?
The value of calmness is that it keeps you from getting bogged down by molehills, so that you can set your sights on a mountain.
Remember: the goal is not to eliminate emotion; only to ensure that you are not a slave to emotion.
>>7817631
I'm reading the sources now; who do they reference? I read Epictetus and Cicero's friendship one, and I just started Seneca; any others?
>>7817708
This guy gets it.
![calm-before-storm-1[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/U4PU2Mb.jpg "calm-before-storm-1[1].jpg")
>>7817708
So stoicism should always be coupled with something else? What's the best partner?
Not really. Equanimity shits all over hedonism.
>>7817755
Pragmatism
>is there a more superior philisophy to life than stoicism?
>>7817871
I've read the Tao, are there any other important texts, or good analysis?
What's the point of being calm and not affected by anything external?
might as well be dead
hedonism is where it's at. Intelligently inducing positive experiences, and avoiding negative ones. That is the good life.
>>7817894
Zhuangzi, TTC.
>>7817631
No there is not
>>7817903
The point is that the calm state of mind is vastly superior to that of the hedonist. I have tried both and your way is dogshit but the average hedonist will never make it say 2-3 years without pizza, alcohol, drugs and other useless things.
>>7817938
I know you're responding to another poster about hedonism, but it's worth making the point that this is a totally misleading evaluation of Epicurean hedonism. They are hedonists because they value pleasure as the end goal of life, but pleasure is defined as exactly equal to the absence of suffering. Like the Stoics, ataraxia (tranquillity/equanimity/calmness) is the result of lasting pleasure which can only be achieved by minimizing requirements for pleasure. Although "pizza, alcohol, drugs and other useless things" might provide momentary pleasure, the proper Epicurean denounces these because they do not provide lasting pleasure. Like the Buddhadhamma, Epicureanism recognises that desire should be limited and this is the basis for finding lasting pleasure.
Also Epicurean metaphysics are a lot more palatable to the modern scientific mind that the batshit stuff the Stoics were saying.
>>7817938
oh wow. you must know what is truly useful. please enlighten us.
how is the clam state of mind superior? In what sense is it superior?
>>7817738
>epictetus and cicero's friendship one
>started seneca
Which books anon (include translations as well)?
I just finished "Meditations-Marcus aurelius" and am looking for more lit on stoicism because holy fuck it's helping me quite a bit overcome frustration and anger over the inconsequential.
Anyone know best translation for "Letters from a stoic"-seneca ?
>>7817947
I like the penguin classics ones, they aren't perfect but decent
