Stoicism for a Better Life – Weekly exercise (January 10, 2021)

Hello there,

This week I wanted to expand on this idea of how all of humanity (including you and me) are in a state of ignobility and decrepitness against our own will. This is a famous point made by Socrates, Plato and many Cynics and Stoics to follow, and it is something I visit often. Just last week we look at it from our own perspective (let us keep improving ourselves by focusing without any excuses on the person we want to become and do the things we want to do). This week, however, let us look at it from the perspective of others and their actions. This is from Seneca’s work on Providence:

“ …certain things which are praised and sought after work to the disadvantage of those who delight in them; overeating, drunkenness, and other indulgences, for example, kill through giving pleasure.”

What do our ancients mean when they say we are all decrepit against our will? Simply that despite our higher faculties and capacities for virtue, our true selves (the consciousness or rational mind) exist within these fallible vessels we call bodies. These bodies crave and want things that we would not want otherwise. The body’s primitive mind responds in ways and feel emotions that we would not otherwise. If we were somehow able to separate our consciousness from our bodies (which may very well come true sooner than you’d expect #blackmirror), then it would be so much easier to ALWAYS do the right thing. If you don’t crave food, drink, if you don’t lust or want, if you don’t feel emotions (no anger, jealousy or fear) being a sage becomes child play.

But we do exist in these bodies and these bodies have all of the above wants, cravings and aversions. This is true for you AND it is true for others. When you do something you wish you hadn’t due to your body’s primitive mind and instincts, you forgive yourself and move and try not to do it again (or at the least reduce the instances of errors). And the point Seneca is making here is that we should extend this same courtesy to others. We are too quick to anger or find fault in others to let out our anger or show our disappointment. But they are not in the same conundrum as us: They have the capacity to be good, they want to be good, but this is not possible 100% of the time (or even a majority of the time for that matter) on account of the decrepit vessels we exist in.

So this week as an exercise, catch yourself when you judge others and find fault in them and challenge yourself to accept them the same way you would accept yourself. They are a human being with the capacity for virtue just like you. And just because they may not have been virtuous this time, does not mean they were not at other times. So give them a pass and love them for who they are and the capacity within. Only through forgiveness and support can we help each other reach closer towards the potential we have to be great.

Anderson Silver