After doing research, I found a great many philosophers who discussed emotions and anger. However, I found a select few who seemed to have the same feelings about anger as I do. While they are much older, their philosophy has stood the test of time and is almost exactly what I have been searching for. This blessing is the idea of stoicism. Stemming back since the third century B.C., thinkers such as Seneca, Epictetus, and its founder, Zeno of Citium have all spent years pondering the causes, effects, and alternatives to destructive emotions. Stoics turned their thinking into a way of life, for those who wished to better themselves. They had a devoted following throughout the Roman Empire for hundreds of years.
However, the philosopher who will be the focus of this essay is not known for being a stoic. Rather, he was in fact a Roman emperor. Marcus Aurelius is a prime example of the reach and influence that stoicism had almost two thousand years ago. He was one of the great Roman emperors, and at the same time was one of the great stoic philosophers. In fact, other than the writings of Julius Caesar, The Meditations are the only works by a Roman Emperor to still be widely read in western culture to this day. His work continues to be a source of guidance for all who read it, though The Meditations was originally meant to be solely personal writings, and not with the purpose of being published. They were written while he was at war. He chose to write whenever he thought of something worth writing, ranging from a few sentences to large paragraphs, and it is for this reason that the twelve separate books contain so much meaning. He wrote simply to try to better himself.
The Meditations strongly agree with what I have been discussing thus far in my essay. He explains how any anger or emotional pains come from our own judgment. The world is how we perceive it, so we can either see an event as a positive or a negative. We have the power to control our lifestyle, whether we are happy or sad, good or bad. We have the power to make our lives worth living. He explains, “If thou art pained by an external thing, it is not this that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now.” (VIII, 47) Basically, as people, we have the power to not let any outside influence control our emotions. Good can come from everything, as can bad, so people need to be conscious that they are the mechanism that ultimately makes that choice between a positive or a destructive emotion.
Marcus Aurelius also goes further to explain how all people must not let bad things get inside their heads. They must avoid confrontation at all costs, and turn away from things that could possibly lead to a multitude of destructive emotions. “A cucumber is bitter. Throw it away. There are briars in the road. Turn aside from them. This is enough. Do not add, ‘And why were such things made in the world?’” (VIII. 50) Essentially, it is not always necessary to question things that are not understood. Rather, it is more beneficial to accept that they are there and just to accept these things for what they are. This is not to say, however, that nothing in the world should be explored. If something interests you, it should be a goal to gain further knowledge about that specific subject. What Marcus Aurelius is saying is that things that could turn a mood sour should not become a burden on the mind. Instead, people should move on and forget about these things.
Marcus Aurelius believed that people have the capacity to bear any burden. No matter what happens, our minds can stay strong. In Meditations, he explains, “Nothing happens to anybody which he is not fitted by nature to bear.” What he means is that the human brain has lasted for so long due to its ability to withstand amazing pressures, whether it be external or internal. People would not be where they are today if the mind was weak and fragile. And, while perhaps a majority of people are weak-minded, the strong ones that nature intended us to use are the ones who facilitate change and shape the world. Also, though Marcus Aurelius lived around 200 C.E., this quote could also be looked at as way ahead of its time. This is because it seems to bear a hint towards natural selection, or survival of the fittest. The strong minds have been selected for, as, from a scientific standpoint, they have the greatest chance at reproducing and passing on their genes. Those who have trouble controlling their anger have slowly been dying off as the emotionally sound people have been overshadowing them.
When somebody understands that this quote has truth to it, they can conquer all obstacles. Even the worst possible outcome, death, can be looked at with dignity and acceptance. He continues, “Think not disdainfully of death, but look on it with favor; for even death is one of the things that nature wills.” So, if one fears death, then one will live his whole life in fear of what is to come. All people die eventually, so there is no reason to fear it. People must live with confidence and a positive outlook in order to keep these negative emotions as distant as possible.
This last quote also demonstrates how Marcus Aurelius, and all stoics in general, went beyond the idea of quelling anger, and instead went to the extent of putting all emotions in conscious thought. Not just anger, but all emotions have a drastic effect on the continued presence of happiness. He warns, “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts, therefore guard accordingly; and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue, and reasonable nature.” He is saying how people must be careful not to demonstrate any emotions that may be considered unclean or destructive. Keep emotions in your conscious, and make any emotions that you exhibit are positive and lead to happiness in the long run. When he says to “guard accordingly” he is merely repeating my claims to keep anger in your conscious thought, though he is speaking for all emotions.
Even his writing shows that of a man with no regrets. He is extremely knowledgeable about life and about the world he lives in, both past and present, mentioning events such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried the city of Pompeii almost fifty years before his birth. He speaks with a confident undertone, as if to say that he wrote what he knew was true, no matter what other people believed. He even explained that to truly honor the Gods, all people must have a pure soul: “Live with the gods. And he does live with the gods who constantly shows them that his own soul is satisfied with that which is assigned to him.” This also brings in the topic of fate, which only adds to his argument. In essence, the future has already been planned out, and nothing that happens in life can change that. So, anger is completely contradictory to the stoics’ ultimate goal of happiness. Anger can occur when people fail to realize that what happened happened, and could not have happened any other way. They have not yet learned to accept that the world and everything that happens in it is out of their control, though the way the world is perceived and responded to is completely voluntary and can either work constructively or destructively.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Dialogue
Philosophy Question
Introductory Paragraphs
I am addressing a philosophical question regarding the origins and reasoning behind anger as a negative emotion in our lives. It seems like anger can be destructive to both yourself and those around you. People do not seem to understand that they have the ability to control anger, as it is such a powerful emotion when it surfaces. Anger blinds people from the enlightened path that could be taken as an alternate route which is much better than the dark path that anger leads down. He who is angry forgets logic and reason, acting on impulse and emotions alone. Rather than get angry in a bad situation, one must look at failure as an opportunity to learn, so that they may succeed in the future. Though it is difficult, we all must make a conscious effort to bring our emotions into our conscious thought, so that when negative emotions threaten our psyche, we can curb them into constructive emotions and come out of the situation with a better understanding of the world around us.
The idea of anger was present in many of the books we read this year. While Man’s Search for Meaning and Things Fall Apart gave similar views of how anger can be harmful to one’s health, they did so in sharply contrasting ways. Man’s Search for Meaning showed how having a mind free of these negative emotions saved the prisoners’ lives. This gave them strength to persevere and work, and also allowed them to think clearly enough not to make any poor decisions that could result in their deaths. On the other hand, in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo demonstrated what happens when anger takes control. His reputation plummeted, and he ended up committing suicide in the end of the story.
Response (Adam Rhum)
This is a very interesting opinion regarding anger. I used to have anger issues and I would just hit people. I was a victim of the issue you brought up in the first paragraph. I definitely agree that we can turn anger into a constructive tool. However, from personal experience, I have realized that it is very very hard to see past anger and think rationally and logically. I have struggled with this many times. Many of the stupid decisions humans make come from anger. I agree that if humans in general had more patience, or we found a way to teach patience better, then much of the violence and many of the conflicts between people would disappear
1. Do you think it is possible for anger to be healthy? If so, when are those times?
2. Why do you think humans get angry? What causes anger?
3. What do you think the world would be like with no anger or just less anger?
Response to Questions
1) I do not think that anger can be healthy. I think that when people believe that anger can be healthy, they mistake it for a completely different emotion, such as determination, confidence, a strong will, or any mix of these and other emotions like them. Another time when people falsely believe that anger can be healthy is when people are angry initially, then take control of their emotions and transform their anger to something else. The anger is not actually healthy. Instead, it is the conscious effort to change that produces the positive results.
2) Humans get angry because it is such a potent emotion that people do not understand that it can be controlled. Most often, people seem to accept it as an inevitability in life. Those who get angry often are those with a weak mind. If people were taught to control their emotions earlier in life, we would all live much happier lives. However, as the majority of people do not think about these things, children are raised unaware of the importance of controlling emotions, and as they get older and grow up, it becomes harder and harder to change. This anger is caused by any number or things, ranging from actions to words to other emotions. People can get angry because somebody else did something wrongful to them, such as Okonkwo attacking the white messenger after the missionaries had all but conquered and converted his native village. People can get angry because they fail, which is often evident in sports, more specifically the volleyball story I discussed back in part I. Frustration can often lead to anger. Often in school, students who do not do well on a test turn their frustration outward into anger at the teacher, blaming the teacher for not teaching well enough instead of trying to figure out what could have been done to get a better score.
3) I think there are two different ways to look at this question. First is if, this second, all the anger was erased from the earth. In this case, I don’t think that the world would turn out for the better. True, there might not be any war or hate, but at the same time, most people would not know how to handle themselves. People would also lose the emotions that they believed came along with anger, such as determination. They would render themselves boring and dry. However, the second way to look at this question would be if everybody on earth had been raised to ignore and filter their anger. In this case, the world would still be filled with excitement, still without war or hate, but at the same time still with competition. The world would still be productive and people could still feel the true high of being happy. Many people have in their minds the idea that happiness would not be possible without the presence of its opposite emotion: anger. However, there are other emotions that can be substituted that are much more constructive that will still allow for happiness to thrive in our minds.
Response – Adam Rhum
1) I agree that anger is basically never healthy. It creates disincentives to act rationally, and people only want to get “payback”. However, I do think that it is necessary for anger to exist. The existence of anger creates duality so that people have a scale to compare peace with anger. With no anger, people would not know tranquility and peace. However, I cannot think of a situation where it is healthy to have anger. Although it is important to feel and have emotions, the emotion of anger only creates more problems. If humans could still function properly when they were angry then there would not be an issue with anger. But that is never the case,.
2) I think that humans get angry because, like you said, they are often reluctant to take blame by themselves. Anger is always directed at other people or things. Humans are selfish and never believe that things were their fault. If humans were less selfish then they would understand that many of the things that they get angry about are usually caused by themselves.
3) Like I said in response to the first question, I strongly believe that there needs to be an existence of hate and anger in the world. Although both of those seem to be totally bad, they create good. The existence of those creates duality so that humans can understand the difference between good and bad. Anger is very bad, but it makes humans appreciate peace, tranquility, and the lack of anger. I do agree though that limited anger is the ideal situation. It must exist, but people in general cannot be so angry.
a. How can anger be limited?
Introductory Paragraphs
I am addressing a philosophical question regarding the origins and reasoning behind anger as a negative emotion in our lives. It seems like anger can be destructive to both yourself and those around you. People do not seem to understand that they have the ability to control anger, as it is such a powerful emotion when it surfaces. Anger blinds people from the enlightened path that could be taken as an alternate route which is much better than the dark path that anger leads down. He who is angry forgets logic and reason, acting on impulse and emotions alone. Rather than get angry in a bad situation, one must look at failure as an opportunity to learn, so that they may succeed in the future. Though it is difficult, we all must make a conscious effort to bring our emotions into our conscious thought, so that when negative emotions threaten our psyche, we can curb them into constructive emotions and come out of the situation with a better understanding of the world around us.
The idea of anger was present in many of the books we read this year. While Man’s Search for Meaning and Things Fall Apart gave similar views of how anger can be harmful to one’s health, they did so in sharply contrasting ways. Man’s Search for Meaning showed how having a mind free of these negative emotions saved the prisoners’ lives. This gave them strength to persevere and work, and also allowed them to think clearly enough not to make any poor decisions that could result in their deaths. On the other hand, in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo demonstrated what happens when anger takes control. His reputation plummeted, and he ended up committing suicide in the end of the story.
Response (Adam Rhum)
This is a very interesting opinion regarding anger. I used to have anger issues and I would just hit people. I was a victim of the issue you brought up in the first paragraph. I definitely agree that we can turn anger into a constructive tool. However, from personal experience, I have realized that it is very very hard to see past anger and think rationally and logically. I have struggled with this many times. Many of the stupid decisions humans make come from anger. I agree that if humans in general had more patience, or we found a way to teach patience better, then much of the violence and many of the conflicts between people would disappear
1. Do you think it is possible for anger to be healthy? If so, when are those times?
2. Why do you think humans get angry? What causes anger?
3. What do you think the world would be like with no anger or just less anger?
Response to Questions
1) I do not think that anger can be healthy. I think that when people believe that anger can be healthy, they mistake it for a completely different emotion, such as determination, confidence, a strong will, or any mix of these and other emotions like them. Another time when people falsely believe that anger can be healthy is when people are angry initially, then take control of their emotions and transform their anger to something else. The anger is not actually healthy. Instead, it is the conscious effort to change that produces the positive results.
2) Humans get angry because it is such a potent emotion that people do not understand that it can be controlled. Most often, people seem to accept it as an inevitability in life. Those who get angry often are those with a weak mind. If people were taught to control their emotions earlier in life, we would all live much happier lives. However, as the majority of people do not think about these things, children are raised unaware of the importance of controlling emotions, and as they get older and grow up, it becomes harder and harder to change. This anger is caused by any number or things, ranging from actions to words to other emotions. People can get angry because somebody else did something wrongful to them, such as Okonkwo attacking the white messenger after the missionaries had all but conquered and converted his native village. People can get angry because they fail, which is often evident in sports, more specifically the volleyball story I discussed back in part I. Frustration can often lead to anger. Often in school, students who do not do well on a test turn their frustration outward into anger at the teacher, blaming the teacher for not teaching well enough instead of trying to figure out what could have been done to get a better score.
3) I think there are two different ways to look at this question. First is if, this second, all the anger was erased from the earth. In this case, I don’t think that the world would turn out for the better. True, there might not be any war or hate, but at the same time, most people would not know how to handle themselves. People would also lose the emotions that they believed came along with anger, such as determination. They would render themselves boring and dry. However, the second way to look at this question would be if everybody on earth had been raised to ignore and filter their anger. In this case, the world would still be filled with excitement, still without war or hate, but at the same time still with competition. The world would still be productive and people could still feel the true high of being happy. Many people have in their minds the idea that happiness would not be possible without the presence of its opposite emotion: anger. However, there are other emotions that can be substituted that are much more constructive that will still allow for happiness to thrive in our minds.
Response – Adam Rhum
1) I agree that anger is basically never healthy. It creates disincentives to act rationally, and people only want to get “payback”. However, I do think that it is necessary for anger to exist. The existence of anger creates duality so that people have a scale to compare peace with anger. With no anger, people would not know tranquility and peace. However, I cannot think of a situation where it is healthy to have anger. Although it is important to feel and have emotions, the emotion of anger only creates more problems. If humans could still function properly when they were angry then there would not be an issue with anger. But that is never the case,.
2) I think that humans get angry because, like you said, they are often reluctant to take blame by themselves. Anger is always directed at other people or things. Humans are selfish and never believe that things were their fault. If humans were less selfish then they would understand that many of the things that they get angry about are usually caused by themselves.
3) Like I said in response to the first question, I strongly believe that there needs to be an existence of hate and anger in the world. Although both of those seem to be totally bad, they create good. The existence of those creates duality so that humans can understand the difference between good and bad. Anger is very bad, but it makes humans appreciate peace, tranquility, and the lack of anger. I do agree though that limited anger is the ideal situation. It must exist, but people in general cannot be so angry.
a. How can anger be limited?
Monday, May 3, 2010
My Question and Literature
In Man’s Search for Meaning, the key to survival was keeping a sound mentality. In the concentration camps, if you began to doubt or hope, you were doomed. Viktor Frankl described his experience through an attempt to teach us what had to be done in order to outlast the war. He described indifference as important aspect of life. During the war, anger would only lead to misery and since there was nothing that any of the prisoners could do to change anything from the position they were in. Thus, a feeling of anger or hatred would cause a feeling of worthlessness. This could evolve to become depression or other mental disorders. Additionally, this could lead to a decrease in productivity, which, in the Nazi’s concentration camps, could very well mean the gas chambers, where prisoners breathed their last toxic breaths.
In Things Fall Apart, the focus is on the same issue, though from a completely opposing perspective. Instead of teaching how to survive by acting in a peaceful manner, this shows how death and destruction can follow anger and aggression. This is Okonkwo’s greatest flaw, and prevents him from achieving all that he possibly can. While he is a powerful member of his village of Umuofia, his inability to control his anger haunts him throughout the story. All he wants is to be seen as a great, strong, and powerful human being. However, his actions lead many to question him, therefore scarring his reputation. One specific example comes when Okonkwo beats his wife during the Week of Peace. This is considered a sin, and other than paying a hefty fine of yams, people look at him differently and he is permanently barred from becoming the people’s leader from that point forward.
One often meets his destiny on the path to avoid it.
http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=14745
In Things Fall Apart, the focus is on the same issue, though from a completely opposing perspective. Instead of teaching how to survive by acting in a peaceful manner, this shows how death and destruction can follow anger and aggression. This is Okonkwo’s greatest flaw, and prevents him from achieving all that he possibly can. While he is a powerful member of his village of Umuofia, his inability to control his anger haunts him throughout the story. All he wants is to be seen as a great, strong, and powerful human being. However, his actions lead many to question him, therefore scarring his reputation. One specific example comes when Okonkwo beats his wife during the Week of Peace. This is considered a sin, and other than paying a hefty fine of yams, people look at him differently and he is permanently barred from becoming the people’s leader from that point forward.
One often meets his destiny on the path to avoid it.
http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=14745
Friday, April 30, 2010
Confrontation, Business, and "why So Potent?"
Now that I have accustomed myself to keeping my emotions in the conscious part of my mind, I feel it is time to bring this vision to others. There are so many people that I witness losing control, it is time to try to make a difference. I am going to begin confronting people to try to help them realize what I have. People need to learn self-control. There is a difference between being enthusiastic and competitive compared to constantly getting angry and putting yourself down. That is a tough spot to put yourself in, and often takes valuable time to pick yourself back up.
Additionally, as a probable future businessman, this control is extremely valuable. From a production standpoint, people with clear minds and strong wills are going to generate ideas and be on task much more than those with a short fuse who get easily rattled. I hope to one day be seen as a great leader by those around and below me (in solely a job-position sense), and this will be made possible by my self control and ability to teach and be taught by those around me. Bosses who work well with their employees will make for a much more positive working environment, and the employees will be more inclined to listen and do what they are told.
This erratic kind of behavior that I see so often makes me wonder why anger is such a potent emotion. It seems like people succumb to anger when they have nothing else to turn to. If they do not know how to handle a situation correctly, they often simply get mad as a coping mechanism, blaming others for anything that went wrong or possibly becoming dangerous to those around them. Additionally, life can just simply be frustrating. It is full of adversity and obstacles, and if you do not have a strong will, then anger can easily start to control your life if you give up after initial failure. On that topic, failure is one of the hardest things to cope with. It is so easy to give up hope after failure and just simply be negative about the whole experience. Much more difficult, but much more constructive, is to instead take failures as an opportunity to learn and adjust so that next time will bring about success.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Volleyball Resolve
Tonight, my volleyball team just got embarrassed by our cross-town rivals, Highland Park. There are some major issues within the mentality of much of the team that is hard to deal with. This is exactly where this issue comes in. It has taken all of my mental toughness not to just get angry that I am not playing more and it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay positive through these tough times that our team is currently experiencing. However, I have managed to keep my mental state as a constant thought in the back of my mind. I realize that I am the sole reason for my being down, and I am the only person who can change that. It starts at practice tomorrow. I got nothing to lose, and everything to gain. I can only increase my playing time, and still have a ton of room to grow back from where I was before my three-week vacation and my week-and-a-half absence due to a sprained ankle.
Monday, April 26, 2010
My Question and Me
Anger is a part of everybody’s life. Emotions are difficult to control, and anger seems to be just another simple emotion. This emotion, however, is usually negative. It can often lead to destruction, whether mentally, physically, or emotionally. It seems like most people in the world simply accept anger as an inevitability, and therefore do nothing to quell it when it comes. They believe anger comes from the subconscious, and do not have the will power to attempt to change. On the other hand, I have seen many sides of anger, and I realize that anger can rarely, if ever, coexist with happiness. I have also come to understand that anger is moldable and controllable. It can be shaped from something destructive into something constructive. I believe that anger is never a necessary emotion. It is always replaceable. So, this main problem that we face is not about the inability to control anger. Rather, it is about the unawareness that our anger can be controlled.
One way that I think people can work to avoid unnecessary bursts of anger is to simply know yourself. If you understand the way that you think, if you can figure out the framework and inner workings of your brain, then you will be able to allow your emotions to surface, and essentially become part of your conscious thinking. I understand the things that make me angry, so I am able to recognize when I get into potentially harmful situations and avoid any anger before it even starts. Also helpful is to know those around you as best as possible. If you are around the same people often, it is extremely advantageous to understand how they tick, and what u could do that might make them angry. This is especially true in marriage. I have seen many couples that might love each other dearly, but still have yet to understand how each other’s minds work after even twenty years of marriage. I have seen one spouse say something to another spouse that even I could tell would anger them, even though I only have known them a fraction of the time that they have known each other. Essentially, it is important not only to know somebody, but to try to understand them as best as possible as well.
In fact, I often feel sorry for people that I know that have a hot temper. Without these negative emotions, everybody could live much happier and more fulfilling lives. The more people get angry, the less they try to control it, and succumb to their anger more and more often. If people were taught from the beginning, however, that anger is a conscious, controllable emotion, the world would be a much more enjoyable place to live. Emotions always seem to radiate out from a source. When you show a negative emotion, it spreads to others around you, and eventually everybody’s negativity is keeping the group frozen in a downward state. Likewise, if you are constantly happy or positive, the people around you will feel that as well. Emotions can change drastically in an instant, which is why it is important to be able to control yourself as best as possible, since the control you have on yourself doubles as the control you have over those around you as just described.
What I have been doing in the past year or so can only be described as somewhat of self-therapy. I have been attempting to learn from my life experiences. After everything that I feel, or any significant event in my life, I have reflected on what I did right and wrong, and how I could have handled the situation differently. This was not in the “coulda-woulda-shoulda” sense of dwelling on the past, but rather, I used it more as a means to learn for the future. For me, this is especially true in volleyball. Whether a practice or a game, I am always stopping and adjusting to improve my game. This comes in the good and the bad. During the writing of this essay, my volleyball team got embarrassed by our cross-town rivals, Highland Park. There are some major issues within the mentality of much of the team that is hard to deal with. This is exactly where this issue comes in. It has taken all of my mental toughness not to just get angry that I am not playing more and it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay positive through these tough times that our team is currently experiencing. However, I have managed to keep my mental state as a constant thought in the back of my mind. I realize that I am the sole reason for my being down, and I am the only person who can change that. It starts at practice tomorrow. I got nothing to lose, and everything to gain. I can only increase my playing time, and still have a ton of room to grow back from where I was before my three-week vacation and my week-and-a-half absence due to a sprained ankle.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Outline Thus Far
Philosophy Essay Section 1
I) Section 1: My Question and Me
A) Question is nothing new for me
1) Thinking about this for years
(a) Not about inability to control anger
(i) About unawareness that anger can be controlled, crafted into a more constructive emotion
(b) People must work hard to know themselves, those around them
(i) This will work to avoid unnecessary confrontations
2) Around Anger all the time
(a) Friends, family, etc.
(i) Feel sorry for people who don’t realize they can control their anger/emotions
· Could be much happier
3) Wonder why people have to be angry all the time
(a) Never necessary
(b) Always alternative emotions
(i) These would be more constructive
4) Attempting to rid negative anger from my life
(a) Making a conscious effort to stay positive/happy
(i) Somewhat like self-therapy
(b) Want to start confronting others to teach them control
(i) Difference between enthusiasm/competitiveness and getting angry at yourself
II) Section 2: My Question and Literature
A) Compare/Contrast the two stories
1) Man’s Search for Meaning
(a) Shows why not to be angry from the passive side
2) Things Fall Apart
(a) Shows why not to be angry from the aggressive side
B) Man’s Search for Meaning
1) Needed to think positively in order to survive
2) Anger would get them nowhere
(a) Would only cause misery
3) Needed to keep reminding themselves that they could survive, though they still needed to accept the fact that they would never escape
(a) Suicide was futile, pointless
C) Things Fall Apart
1) Anger only leads to bad things
(a) Beats His wife during the week of peace
(i) Causes irreparable damage to his reputation
(b) Tribesmen burn church to the ground because they are angry about the unmasking of an egwugwu
(i) Causes the leaders of the tribe to be thrown in jail
(c) Okwonkwo attacks the messenger, and kills him
(i) Leads to his realization that resistance is futile
(ii) Ends up hanging himself
III) Section 3: My Question and a Philosopher or 2
A) Marcus Aurelius
1) Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
(a) Thoughts and Reflections
(b) Embraced stoicism
(i) Source of Guidance and self-improvement
(c) Wiki: He claims that the only way a man can be harmed by others is to allow his reaction to overpower him. Rationality and clear-mindedness allow one to live in harmony with the logos. This allows one to rise above faulty perceptions of "good" and "bad."
IV) Section 4: A Dialogue
V) Section 5: A Summation
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Stoic Quotes
Epictetus:
"Man is disturbed not by things, but by the views he takes of them."
"If, therefore, any be unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone."
"No man is free who is not master of himself."
Marcus Aurelius
"If you are distressed by any external thing, it is not this thing which disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment now."
"It is in our power to refrain from any opinion about things and not to be disturbed in our souls; for things in themselves have no natural power to force our judgments."
"Everywhere and at all times it is in your power to accept reverently your present condition, to behave justly to those about you, and to exert your skill to control your thoughts, that nothing shall steal into them without being well examined."
Seneca
"The soul should know whither it is going and whence it came, what is good for it and what is evil, what it seeks and what it avoids, and what is that Reason which distinguishes between the desirable and the undesirable, and thereby tames the madness of our desires and calms the violence of our fears."
"Man is disturbed not by things, but by the views he takes of them."
"If, therefore, any be unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone."
"No man is free who is not master of himself."
Marcus Aurelius
"If you are distressed by any external thing, it is not this thing which disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment now."
"It is in our power to refrain from any opinion about things and not to be disturbed in our souls; for things in themselves have no natural power to force our judgments."
"Everywhere and at all times it is in your power to accept reverently your present condition, to behave justly to those about you, and to exert your skill to control your thoughts, that nothing shall steal into them without being well examined."
Seneca
"The soul should know whither it is going and whence it came, what is good for it and what is evil, what it seeks and what it avoids, and what is that Reason which distinguishes between the desirable and the undesirable, and thereby tames the madness of our desires and calms the violence of our fears."
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Philosophy Research Question
Main question:
Why do we get angry?
Sub-questions:
Why is anger such a potent emotion?
Why is anger a part of our emotional psyche?
Why does anger seem to be the one emotion that is abused or overused, when it is the most destructive?
Is anger subconscious? Can I bring it to my conscious thought process?
Seneca
Epictetus
Marcus Aurelius – Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
Anger is much too prevalent in my life. Many of the people closest to me get angry at completely unnecessary things, and I never understand the purpose of such a terrible emotion in these harmless situations. Sometimes, it seems like people prefer to be angry than be happy. Therefore, I have resolved, long before this paper was assigned to me, to try to be as conscious as possible about my anger, and figure out ways to quell my anger or convert it to a more positive, constructive emotion. I constantly spend my time wondering about anger, and the purpose of such destructive emotions.
Links to Philosophy Encyclopedias
Noesis: Philosophical Research On-line
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Guide to philosophy on the internet
http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/philinks.htm#topics
EpistemeLinks – Links for philosophy on the internet
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