Is anyone else interesting in living the Greek life? A plank of wood for a bed, a laptop, and a bunch of books is all I want.
Sure, I want money and a decent job, not as goals in themselves, but as a means to an end. A little bungalow, some weights, a bunch of books, and a steady income and I'm set for life. Have no interest in accruing items for the sake of conveying social status. It's a monkey game.
I don't think you know what the Greek life is, my friend. They would probably appreciate that there are enormous discoveries and revelations to be made, and that science is bringing us ever closer to important questions they bad. Don't strive for the lifestyle you're describing. I'm living it right now, and it's hedonistic and unfulfilling now matter how you look at it or how many good books you read.
It's your life, but you should wait until you're at least middle-aged to live like that. You're right that participating in consumerism is unfulfilling and depressing (so don't do it), but to drop out of everything is quite literally to give up. Fail before you give up, because you won't be able to try again if you give up prematurely.
>>7914245
I didn't meant to imply dropping out of everything, but rather being indifferent and holding a stoic attitude.
>>7914245
>the greek life is hedonistic
Can someone be this wrong ?
>>7914398
stoicism is a roman attitude(you can't call it a philosophy since it's so haphazard and illogical)not a very greek family.
>>7914182
Proud to be a Phi but Greek Life can be overrated
>>7914432
>stoicism is a roman attitude
Stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium, in Athens, in the third century. It played a large role in Roman world, but it is quintessentially in the Greek tradition. Heraclitus and Socrates are two of the biggest influences. Stoicism is a Hellenistic philosophy through and through.
>you can't call it a philosophy since it's so haphazard and illogical
Yet every historian of philosophy of note alive today would disagree with you and promptly state you don't know what you're talking about.
Where is it illogical? I guarantee you won't find anything illogical, specifically in the ethical side of stoicism. Sure, stoic physics and cosmology is now purely a historical curiosity in light of modern science, but its ethics is still relevant and can be reconciled with the modern world.
Just live in your car. Better yet, buy an RV and move out to the hill country. Enjoy all of the bugs, deer, and bears.
You could also just get one or two roommates, hold down a part time job, and spend the rest of your time reading and whatever.
>>7914568
Nah. I want my own place. Others will restrict my freedom.
>>7914592
Buy a big van and convert the backspace to a living space. Work odd jobs to get enough money for gas and food. You wont have enough time to pursue interests if you hold down a full time job.
I went into college for computer science, and while I love learning about it I no longer care about getting a lucrative job after graduating. Would probably drop out if I wasn't on scholarship but nowadays I dream about having a small room with a stove and a bed, and a job where I help others, like an EMT or something. I feel like I'll be happy no matter what but I suppose I don't know for now.
>>7914604
>You wont have enough time to pursue interests if you hold down a full time job.
I disagree.
>>7914604
>uy a big van and convert the backspace to a living space. Work odd jobs to get enough money for gas and food. You wont have enough time to pursue interests if you hold down a full time job.
Drifting would be a far more time consuming and stressful experience than a consistent job and living in one place that you own.
>>7914182
I bet you have already have a bed, a laptop and a bunch of books. Why don't you stop thinking about whatever stupid lifestyle will be conducive to your intellectual enlightenment, and go about learning things. For a start, learn about the Greeks and what 'the Greek life' actually is.
>>7914626
But I don't have financial freedom and my own living space as I'm still a student.
>>7914620
It's much more interesting than sitting in front of a computer all day, though.
>>7914652
I don't know about that. I went through a phase of working odd jobs from the age of 16 to about 23. Did brick laying, warehousing, office clerk work, etc. It was probably the most miserably period of my life.
I'm studying civil engineering and that's what I plan to do, so 1/3 of the time I'll be on site and/or driving around.
>>7914182
nah
>>7914638
The point is that these environmental factors are secondary to whichever 'end' you have in mind. You'd probably get lonely, or miss your actual bed, or wish you had a job to occupy your time. You don't know this yet, but there are very few people who can really handle leisure and use it to learn. And they are the sort of people who didn't look for the leisure because they were already busy studying their field, or practising their art etc.
>>7914666
>or wish you had a job to occupy your time
But I will have a job anon, but I won't invest myself into it. I will perform it to my best ability, but I will still remain indifferent. Because ultimately, it's not something I have complete control over.
>>7914182
The Greeks were (some) interested in excellence and it's pursuit. Develop the self and your abilities, your self regarding duty is to become the best at whatever it is you aim to do.
Epicurus thought you should just chill with friends and reduce anxiety and pain.
The Cynics went further than your somewhat Stoic outlook.
Also Stoicism is flawrd, as Aristotle showed by the fact that luck is a component of the good life. Sometimes you go outside, get AIDS, cancer, hit by a bus or raped, hard to live well. Or kaybe you live in Syria or Yemen and your home was destroyed and family killed, you can try to be Stoic, but you'll hardly be living a good life.
Personally I think a mature philosophy must entail compassion and aid for others.
>>7916128
>Personally I think a mature philosophy must ential compassion and aid for others.
My edgy investigative questioning told me to call bullshit on this and ask you to explain yourself but it seems solid and self evident.
>>7916128
>Also Stoicism is flawrd, as Aristotle showed by the fact that luck is a component of the good life. Sometimes you go outside, get AIDS, cancer, hit by a bus or raped, hard to live well. Or kaybe you live in Syria or Yemen and your home was destroyed and family killed, you can try to be Stoic, but you'll hardly be living a good life.
How is that an argument against stoicism?
>Personally I think a mature philosophy must entail compassion and aid for others.
The brotherhood of human kind, which exists because of our universally shared ability to reason, is a central theme in stoicism. Which is why to a stoic, like Epictetus, a slave, a black man, a king, a philosopher, and whoever else are all of equal worth.
Seems like you don't really know anything about stoicism.
>>7914662
A job is only one part of your life, though. I'm sure you had plenty of other external and internal factors that were contributing to your misery
>>7916143
:)
>>7916152
Sure thing kiddo. I've read all the major Stoic works actually, and as far as mentioning benevolence, Aurelius does only a couple time.
What you are saying isn't really central to Stoicism. What is is ether to align your life with the will or nature/god. Not a whole lot about helping others.
>>7916171
Yes, certainly things outside work contributed to my misery.
The meaningless, dead end work and being looked down upon as disposable, dumb trash by supervisors and managers compounded it further.
>>7916194
>Sure thing kiddo. I've read all the major Stoic works actually, and as far as mentioning benevolence, Aurelius does only a couple time.
>What you are saying isn't really central to Stoicism. What is is ether to align your life with the will or nature/god. Not a whole lot about helping others.
I could go easily find 10 paragraphs in 5 minutes dealing exclusively with this in Aurelius, never mind Epictetus or Seneca, both of whom address this in great detail. Particularly Seneca in the moral letters.
Ethics is a central component of stoicism. The ethics of the stoics are the ethics of the cynics, of Socrates, and of Plato. From the latter the 4 stoics virtues are derived.
So again, it's very clear you've never read any stoics or if you have, you weren't paying attention.
>>7914182
No.
. . . And never bring it up again.
>>7914496
Jesus christ mate stop posting
The ethics don't even work without the metaphysics
>>7914182
Stop posting, you have no idea what the Greek lifestyle was.
Find me one Ancient Greek who slept on a plank with his laptop and weightlifting set.
And get over yourself, you sound like a deluded hedonist.
Fucking faggot.
That's how I roll, and I know a guy who does literally that - no computer, no phone, no TV. His entire life is a bare minimum part time job, and then he goes home and reads all day. Uses the library and spends all his money on used books.
He's the most zen person I've ever met. Total genius.
>>7917574
You sound like an American
>>7917574
sounds like a cuck
>>7914182
*tips fedora* you'll grow out of it
>>7917574
Know a guy like this too. No debt, no real drive for anything. Just reads all the time, and loves talking and debating.
We worked a night shift together at one point and I would just say something like "Roman empire 2nd century, go" and he'd talk about it all night.
I think doing this for a short time is a good way to come to terms with yourself and understand your priorities. But too long and you lose too many opportunities and in some ways, touch. I'm 1 month in to a 4 month experiment with it myself right now; so far so good.
>>7916229
If your interpretation of Stoicism is that compassion and altruism are central, good for you man, keep it up.
Go help other people.
not socializing is probably useless for almost anyone
it's possible to be completely cut off from the world even if you do socialize anyway
>>7917562
And you sound like a jealous pompous faggot.
>>7917895
Yes. I am jealous of someone of whom I can only judge from a single anonymous post.
Get over yourself gaylord
>>7914245
youre adorable
>>7917562
>Jesus christ mate stop posting
>The ethics don't even work without the metaphysics
There's nothing in modern science that makes stocism irreconcilable with the 21st century.
People much smarter than you are aware of this. Your little brain doesn't need to overwork itself. Off you go.
>>7917562
>Stop posting, you have no idea what the Greek lifestyle was.
Living in accordance with the logos.
>Find me one Ancient Greek who slept on a plank with his laptop and weightlifting set.
No shit, weights and laptops didn't exist, you massive faggot.
>And get over yourself, you sound like a deluded hedonist.
You sound like a deluded know it all unaware of his own lack of knowledge.
Suck my cock.
>>7917883
Nobody is talking about not socialising.
>>7914245
>They would probably appreciate that there are enormous discoveries and revelations to be made, and that science is bringing us ever closer to important questions they bad.
the scientific models invented by the scientists is nothing but stories, myths, paradigms, just like a few greeks knew.
>>7917919
>You're fantasy of being a lazy cunt reading books and browsing 4chan is hardly virtuous.
Where did I say I want to sit around all day reading books? Learn to read you dumb fuck.
Nietzsche was a mentally ill degenerate, I couldn't care less about what he thought. You still your edgy Nietzsche phase?
>>7917916
>scientific models invented by the scientists is nothing but stories, myths, paradigms,
Spotted the post modernist
>>7917927
Look at your OP post silly.
>your edgy Neitzsche phase????
Who the fuck goes through philosophy phases? I've just read a lot and therefore can remember how far under the Stoics are (6ft).
And please, don't try to imply I'm young and naive when you're reading bloody Stoicism.
>I couldn't care less what he thought
>still insults him, me, and carries on responding while I wind him up
You're such a Stoic mate, teach me your noble ways
>>7917929
we're all postmodernists bub
>>7914182
To be honest I already live this sort of life. In the morning I do a 1hr run or calisthenics. The rest of my day is pretty much devoted to learning - reading for pleasure, reading journal articles and writing essays for the subject I study at university, learning Spanish, and practicing the piano and guitar. I also have a part-time job, and when I go I make sure that I work hard and try to learn something valuable from the experience, even if it seems mundane and repetitive. My life is pretty much continuous discipline and self-improvement.
I used to have friends, but I cut contact with most of them when I got annoyed at how little they cared about anything other than getting drunk and getting likes on their Instagram photos. I used to get drunk, take drugs, and have one-night stands with girls, but I stopped all of that too and pretty much live a life of solitary sobriety. Honestly, it's shit, and I think I've made a bad decision. My self-improvement is completely pointless, because it has no real purpose other than to make me feel superior to other people - and I'm going to end up dead and buried just like the rest of them. I'm considering doing a complete U-turn and returning to a life of sensualism. It's not a very fulfilling life, but it's better than what I have now.
>>7918008
Lmao it's a cycle m8; just don't burn any bridges. Eventually you'll go back to what you're doing now.
>>7917940
Nope, only retards like yourself.
>>7917929
Nietzsche was saying this in the 1800s chief
