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Tuesday 18 December 2018

Stoicism


"The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves".

Alan Watts


Written by Mathew Naismith

Most often and not always, I will come to a point where I have no idea how to present a topic or view, most often in this circumstance something will present itself. My wife wanted me to read an article about how stoicism can help deal with anxiety. Let's be honest, how many spiritually aware people of today suffer from some form of anxiety which can lead to depression. Depression doesn't lead to anxiety but most often anxiety can lead to depression. Of course one way to deal with anxiety in relation to our present reality, is to deliberately ignore all the deemed negatives in favour of desired so-called positives. I say so-called positive because isn't it more positive to face the present reality for what it is, instead of creating a desired reality that isn't of the present? In other words desiring to live within our own reality instead of the, very real, present reality. Are we not supposed to be living and positively dealing with the present reality within the present? We are not doing this; we are instead allowing our anxiety of the present reality to determine our reaction in relation to the present reality.

Note: Present means to introduce something to others, or, to being in the now. Yes, the English language can be confusing at times.             

Stoicism; (philosophy) the philosophical system of the Stoics following the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Zeno. An indifference to pleasure or pain.

"Make the best use of what is in your power and take the rest as it happens".....Epictetus

Who would a truly unconditionally loving soul embrace in love more, a soul of the same love or a soul that isn't of the same love? The soul that needs love will always be embraced before a soul that doesn't need love, however, quite the opposite is occurring with so many people of today. It's like a multinational; would not a like minded materialist person embrace the multinational before a spiritually aware person? Unconditional love is not of the embracement of its own first and foremost, it is of the embracement of what is in need the most.

How many of us are embracing this present reality while forgoing a desire of a desired reality of the future? The anxiety created by deeming the present reality as simply negative and even toxic is a typical trait of anxiety. Ignore an obvious state of mind for a desired state of mind, and we wonder why so many people are suffering with depression these days!! Yes, one way traits of anxiety deceptively avoid going into depression because of so many negatives, is to deceive. How many spiritually aware people of today think that positive thinking is ignoring the negatives, not dealing with them and turning them into something less negative? How many spiritually aware people today think that unconditional love is the embracement of their own kind and of their own reality first and foremost? This is while deeming everything else negative and even toxic, including the present!! How many actually live within the present while portraying being in the present? One of the main traits of anxiety is to deceive.

Yes, make the best use of what is in your power to influence and forgo, let go, what isn't in your power to influence. This reminds me of Confucius; where at the end of he's time he suffered with depression. This was due to him not being able to influence the present reality to the degree he desired to influence it by. Another trait of anxiety is to force change and if this doesn't occur to the degree we desire it to occur, depression sets in.

There is a difference between trying to force change to simply trying to influence change. I will try to influence change upon the present reality, if this doesn't occur, I will take the rest as it happens, meaning, accept what it is for what it is and make the best of it, not the worst of it. How many people today try, at times very hard and deliberately, to make the worst of the present reality? And this is their representation of positive thinking and unconditional love!!

Do people like me suffer with a degree of anxiety in relation to our present abusive reality? Yes, but it is what it is when it's beyond our influence. So many more people desire the present reality, or, desire to look upon the present reality as something to escape from and certainly not something one embraces in love. Try to remember, it took billions of people to create their present reality, who are we to force change upon so many? Yes, we also exist within this reality and yes, we have a right to influence change upon this reality, however, to try to force or manipulate change, especially deceptively, is simply being apart of this reality. You are not changing a thing.

Stoicisms is simply an indifference to pain and pleasure, meaning, one is not desired over and above the other, within this, traits of anxiety are unable to control our lives to any great extent. You could say that stoicism creates a balanced mind therefore reality, where a desired state is never forced, only influenced. When you decrease desires, levels of anxiety naturally decrease as well. You will also look upon the present reality quite differently, knowing that you may or may not be able to influence the present reality.

What brought this on is a reaction by a so-called social worker to a person suffering with depression. At no time was the person suffering depression seen to be suffering anxiety by the social worker, this lead to depression being treated and not anxiety which can cause depression. We need to all be aware in how our present reality can cause us to suffer with anxiety and possible depression. Be honest with yourselves and face up to what anxiety creates, remember though, anxiety will try to deceive us otherwise as anxiety will often ignore the real truth in favour of a desired truth.


Yes, the meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond the (present reality)                     

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