When we look at the human condition, we notice that most of us are entirely controlled by a world outside of us. When we get what we want from it, we’re happy. But when it’s taken away from us, we’re sad. The praise people give us uplifts us, but their dislike makes us miserable. The more we want something, the more we’re willing to sacrifice to get it. And the more we oppose something, the higher the price we’re ready to pay to avoid it.

These chains of desire and aversion, love and hate, of like and dislike, leave us fearful and open to manipulation by shaming and blaming, the appeal of large companies, political parties, cults, and other external forces that want something from us. And thus, the world governs us like a donkey rider with a carrot on a stick, which most of us follow from birth to death, like the obedient cattle we are. But what if we decide to reject the carrot? What if we choose to escape the system?

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Creative Commons (attributions):

Seneca & Nero: https://commons.wikimedia.org/....wiki/File:Ner%C3%B3n
Seneca bust: https://commons.wikimedia.org/....wiki/File:Buste_de_S
Seneca painting: https://commons.wikimedia.org/....wiki/File:Bust_of_Ps
Epictetus: https://commons.wikimedia.org/....wiki/File:Frontispie
Marcus Aurelius: https://commons.wikimedia.org/....wiki/File:Equestrian
Marcus Aurelius (2): https://commons.wikimedia.org/....wiki/File:0_Marcus_A
Stoa: https://commons.wikimedia.org/....wiki/File:Second_flo
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Skull: https://commons.wikimedia.org/....wiki/File:A_skull._O
Skull (2): https://commons.wikimedia.org/....wiki/File:Still_life

00:00 - Intro
01:25 - Enslavement to the system
03:07 - 1) Being cheerful whatever befalls
04:43 - 2) Caring less about reputation
06:01 - 3) Learning to endure
08:00 - 4) Letting go of people
09:30 - 5) Letting go of material things
11:32 - 6) Choosing our response
12:56 - 7) Accepting death

#stoicism #stoic #epictetus