Welcome Back
Today, we’re going to explore some Stoic exercises. We’ll start with the Stoic task that you explored for your homework, talking about the following.
- What was the activity you chose?
- What are the things that are inherent in the situation, that cause you disturbance?
- How can you best manage your attitude when going into this activity next time?
Up to Us or Not?
In this exercise, map out your life, thinking about:
- What are the things over which you have control?
- What are the things over which you have influence but no control?
- What are the things over which you have no influence and no control?
Map these are three concentric circles, with “control” in the centre, “influence” as the next ring, and “no influence, no control” on the outside.
Discussion
In groups share your maps.
- How do you manage the things over which you have control? How can you manage them better?
- How do you manage the things over which you have influence, but no control? How can you manage them better?
- How do you manage the things over which you have no influence and no control? How can you manage them better?
What is Good and Bad?
In Stoicism, there is an interesting distinction between things that are good, things that are bad,**** and things that are indifferent.
Briefly, what is good is anything that is good regardless of the circumstances. Fine food may seem good in some circumstances (it is tasty), but in other circumstances, it may lead to stomach ache. It is not inherently good or bad. But virtue is always good, regardless of circumstances.
Similarly, what is bad is anything that is bad regardless of the circumstances. So, sickness may seem bad. But if being sick stops you being called up to fight in a stupid war, then this sickness is good. Sickness, too, is not inherently bad. What is, then? Here, the Stoics would say that vice is always bad, whatever the circumstances.
What is good or bad, in other words, is up to us: our responses to the world and our conduct. But the world itself is not inherently good or bad. It is indifferent.
Indifferent here means “not pertaining to virtue.” And this is pretty much everything except our conduct. So does this mean that we shouldn’t give a damn what happens? No! There are, the Stoics say, preferred indifferents. We might prefer to be healthy to being unhealthy, in general, at a specific time. But this doesn’t mean health is good, because health does not pertain to virtue, and the only sensible meaning of “good” is “pertaining to virtue.” Or so the argument goes.
Discussion
- Is it true that things (other than virtue / vice) are not inherently good / bad?
- If we accept this argument, what are the implications? What are the down-sides of this argument?
- Does the idea of “preferred indifferents” go any way to solving these problems, or addressing these down-sides.
Homework
Your homework is part II of the Stoic task. Before you decide to embark on the activity you have explored in Stoic Task, Part I again, read over your notes. Then continue with the activity as before, but with the following difference:
- For those things that are inherent to the situation and not up to you, remind yourself that this is what happens, they are a part of the necessity of the situation.
- For those things that concern your response to the situation, ask yourself what you can change to diminish the frustration.
Finally, reflect on your experience of going into this task with a Stoic mindset. How successful were you in recognising the necessity of the situation and in training your mind to not become disturbed?
Post your reflections on “A Stoic Task, Part II”. We’ll talk about this next time, and then we’ll move on to our next topic!