Ask a Stoic anything

So, you believe emotions to be worthless(?) or perhaps a hindrance?? The only thing I don't understand is: if nature intended for us to have emotions, why would you find anything other than natural to be beneficial?

reply to post by arpgme



Listen to this piece of music..





And then tell me how you feel?


- JC

reply to post by arpgme


As social creatures, emotions are essential to our survival. How is it that you are able to override the very physiological hard wiring which is critical to your own existence? How is it that even possible, on a neurological level. Information is processed by the limbic system (seat of our primitive self, emotions, etc) BEFORE it is relayed to the neo-frontal cortex (area of the brain responsible for reason, abstract thought, etc). How have you done this?

Best question I can think of:

Why so serious?

Guys, gals, he's not answering questions anymore... I guess this was more difficult than he imagined it would be. We poked too hard so now he's off to meditate for hours on end or else he might have an emotion. I actually feel sorry for him. He probably went down this path because something terrible happened to cause him to block out all emotions because there was one or two that he couldn't bring himself to face. I kinda went through the same thing growing up not knowing my dad, and then again when my mom died. I didn't take it to this extreme though. I just pretended it didn't bother me. That bad things happen to people all the time so why should I feel sorry for myself. As long as I had a roof over my head and food to eat, why complain when so many others have it worse. I later realized that not letting myself feel these feelings was actually holding me back. And it WAS really hard, but I felt so much better afterwards. And it helped me to understand others and help them process their feelings too. Sorry to have called you out, but truth is better. You can u2u me if you wanna talk to someone who understands at least a little about what it means to put up those walls and hold back those emotions. We are emotional beings. You got it right partly, in that we need to know when to rein in those emotions and when its safe to let them out. Stopping them completely? Cmon.. that's just a method of dealing with that which you feel you cannot. Not that I blame you! When you really step back and look at the sadness in the world, any sane person would feel it too much to handle! You must balance this out with goodness. Like a pet. Or a mate. Or just knowing there are still plenty of good people! Many of them are waiting though... Waiting for a leader. Our elected leaders aren't guiding us towards positive change, so fear makes them wait for the right moment. The right movement to get behind. One that doesn't require you to sell out your self, one that doesn't discount anyone's beliefs, one that includes all of us as people who simply want to see good done and evil vanquished. Someone who can come up with a fair definition of good and evil. One we can ALL agree on! And someone who they can relate to, because they feel and express the same emotions they do when they look at the condition of the world...

Originally posted by ErroneousDylan
So, you believe emotions to be worthless(?) or perhaps a hindrance?? The only thing I don't understand is: if nature intended for us to have emotions, why would you find anything other than natural to be beneficial?

Peace is dominant in nature. A thing is peaceful, becomes violent, and then goes back to peace.

Originally posted by VerityPhantom
Free of all emotions for inner peace eh? Sounds boring to me… I'd rather go the route of love and laughter then nothingness.

If you want, I guess you can.

Originally posted by boony
Its an amazing thing to be so apathetic yet so attention seeking.
If the op was truly apathetic why post and answer questions. Why even interact. By its very nature to be apathetic the act of interacting is only a speed bump to complete fulfillment of apathy...and yet here we are.
Obviously the op doesnt drive a car and ever get cut off in traffic, or accidentally hurt themselves and respond in pain and frustration.
Obviously the OP hasnt a spouse or children, probably no friends because of the attitude they hold, and probably posted a thread to illicit a little attention.

Personally I think the OP has to learn that pretending to be somebody will only make them less a person.
Hey buddy, Go find a friend.

These are inaccurate assumptions. I live the same lives as most people, except without emotion.

Originally posted by 3n19m470
So, you ignored shep's question? How do you survive in this money hungry world? I'm guessing you avoided it because the answer would be uncomfortable. (i.e. "I live with my wealthy spouse/parents/sibling/friend" or "trust fund" or "inheritance" etc) yeah if I had all my needs instantly met, I could be pretty care-free and at peace, too. If I was an inconsiderate person who wasn't concerned with all the starving, dying, suffering people in the world, that is. :/

I go with the flow of life. Right now, I'm pretty broke. I intend to get more money, but I'm not longer on it as a "desire". I'm not going to be worried, or be sad if I fail. It is what it is. No point getting emotional over the uncontrollable.

Originally posted by DaveNorris
ok spock, so you have no emotion. that means any decisions you make would be based on pure logic.

Definition of LOGIC. 1. a (1) : a science that deals with the principles and criteria of validity and demonstration.

my question is how can you beleive in god

Not exactly. Lack of emotion does not equal being logical. Any decisions that I make are based on which ones are most likely to give me the most peace. However, if I have to pick something that isn't going to give me peace, time to detach so that I can have peace anyway. It's all about the peace... That stillness, calmness, serenity, lack of emotion.

Originally posted by Open2Truth
reply to post by arpgme

 

Let me show you what apathy is. This is video shows apathy for all to see. This is what can become in a world devoid of emotion. (Warning - graphic video)

Well, that's life. People live and people die.

Originally posted by dontreally
reply to post by arpgme

 

And what is the stoic experiencing???

Being, Existence, Events....



Again, I just want to point out that "peace" is "stillness", "calmness", "lack of stress or emotion". The purpose is to feel peace at all times. Make the decisions that gives the most peace, and when I have to make a decision garenteed not to give me peace, find a way to detach and feel peaceful anyway.

reply to post by arpgme


Would you not call "lack of stress" happiness? Of course, in with my Taoist philosophical views, I know happiness to just be another form of dualism. However, the masters claim that when one is "enlightened", "awakened", "returns to God", whatever word you wish to use, that he finds everlasting joy and love. I would submit that joy and love are indeed a form of happiness and probably undergoes emotional responses.

reply to post by ErroneousDylan


But happiness is an emotion, so no I wouldn't call it that. I would just call it peace.

Please tell me why you are a Stoic.

Do you fight on and on forever?

Do you defy death over and over?

Do you go without food for long periods?

No, thought not - you are not a Stoic.

How would you feel about me strapping you to a chair and slowly dismembering you with various tools? I have always wanted to try that on somebody but I won't do it to anyone that cares. I figure you would be a good subject for me to explore my darker impulses.

Originally posted by catwhoknowsplusone
Please tell me why you are a Stoic.

Do you fight on and on forever?

Do you defy death over and over?

Do you go without food for long periods?

No, thought not - you are not a Stoic.

You have not understood my interpretation of Stoicism, I suggest you read the original post again.

Originally posted by The1Prettiest1One
How would you feel about me strapping you to a chair and slowly dismembering you with various tools? I have always wanted to try that on somebody but I won't do it to anyone that cares. I figure you would be a good subject for me to explore my darker impulses.

That would hurt, so no. There is no purpose of me subjecting my self to pain, just like there is no purpose of subjecting myself to happiness. I choose peace and only take actions which will give me most peace instead of being subjected to emotions of any sort...

What I was implying was that joy and peace are synonymous. If one is content with everything, then naturally he should feel joyed, however subtle it may be.

What I was implying was that joy and peace are synonymous. If one is content with everything, then naturally he should feel joyed, however subtle it may be.

Are you ticklish?

Akushla

You are one confused individual, you should think about talking to a psychologist/doctor about your lack of emotion, it very well could be the result of a chemical imbalance that can be corrected with a balanced diet and proper rest.

I have dealt with people that claim to lack emotions or refuse to acknowledge them, they are usually suicidal in nature.

Originally posted by arpgme
That would hurt, so no. There is no purpose of me subjecting my self to pain, just like there is no purpose of subjecting myself to happiness.

Of course I'm being facetious. Still, you sway on the pendulum instead of resting high at the fulcrum.

I choose peace and only take actions which will give me most peace instead of being subjected to emotions of any sort...

How convenient. You must have untold weath at your disposal. It sounds to me as though you cower away from being put to the test; you are avoidant, not stoic.

Yeah..... dissociation is something useful once you learn it. Trauma and stress in childhood can cause you to develop this ability, and as an adult it becomes easy to fall back on in times of difficulty and stress. It provides relief of mind. I tend to do that too. Stoic was word I had thrown at me, but more often "cold" or "apathetic". I felt "objective".
Here's the problems I eventually found with it-

Problem number one-The cutting off from emotion leaves me with little energy or drive with which to do things, to carry out actions, to even DECIDE to carry out actions. Emotions, I found, are a source of physical energy and strength. In that dissociative state, I am not a very effectual person in terms of how I interact with the world.

Problem number two- relational problems. People close to me felt emotionally distanced from me. I could explain (quite rationally) that yes, I did love them. But they couldn't "feel" it..... I could not respond to their emotions without it being verbally expressed, because I was cutting myself off from my empathy. I could not tell when my mate, my children, my friends, were in need of a hug, or a hand, or a supportive look. Much of these physical displays of emotional empathy are what mutual bonds are built and sustained upon. Knowing the other intimately became impossible.

Problem number three- A difficulty in appreciating art and music.

Problem number four- As I felt into this state at each stressful experience, I left off developing my skills at managing and canalizing emotion, so that ultimately, if I didn't fall into that, I would become hysteric, or completely paralyzed in stressful situations or ones of pressure. This, of course, reinforced my belief that emotion is the cause of all problems..... except that it was mostly only true for me because I hadn't progressively developed my ability to master emotions! My mistake was in thinking that others also fell into a similar state of irrational hysteria with emotions.... when actually many people were able to feel and use much higher levels of emotion and remain simultaneously logical and rational as well.


For example, competition in physical sports was impossible for me. The stress and pressure would cause me to dissociate, remaining calm, but without the edge of energy rush and increase alertedness to use in my coordination and movements. My performance would suffer greatly.

Your perception of your emotions is subject to impression, however the chemistry is not.

Please answer my question. How is it that you are able to annul the autonomic responses of your limbic system (your primitive/emotional self), in deference to your rational self?

Please note the difference between no thought/emotion vs. control of thought/emotion.

Sounds like someone reads or watches too much Dexter, or at the very least wants to appear to have the mind of a sociopath.

As someone who has been diagnosed as having a form of sociopathy and can recognize it in them self, I can tell you that if that's what you're going for, stop. It's not a nice life. It's pathetic and lonely.

So, how's your anger? I mean real anger that you repress. Don't bother with the wise elder meditating on a rock at the top of a mountain crap. If what you're saying is true, there's a better than 99 percent chance that you either fly into a rage when someone cuts you off in traffic or you repress that and let everything out in short, violent bursts.

If I'm completely wrong, my best guess is malevolent narcissism. Either way, see a psychologist. Rarely is a "stoic" of the kind you claim to be harmless.

Originally posted by ErroneousDylan
What I was implying was that joy and peace are synonymous. If one is content with everything, then naturally he should feel joyed, however subtle it may be.

They aren't.

synonymous - (of words) meaning the same or nearly the same

joy/happiness - State of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

peace/serenity - A disposition free from stress or emotion

Originally posted by akushla99
Are you ticklish?

Akushla

yes.

Originally posted by The1Prettiest1One
How convenient. You must have untold weath at your disposal. It sounds to me as though you cower away from being put to the test; you are avoidant, not stoic.

I lose money on the ground, I can either feel sad and angry, or release the emotions and make peace...
I find money on the ground, I can either feel happy, or release the emotion and make peace...

If I don't allow myself to get to get happy about the good things in life, I won't feel bad while losing them... This is my personal experience...

Originally posted by followtheevidence
Your perception of your emotions is subject to impression, however the chemistry is not.

Please answer my question. How is it that you are able to annul the autonomic responses of your limbic system (your primitive/emotional self), in deference to your rational self?

Please note the difference between no thought/emotion vs. control of thought/emotion.

In the beginning, I will allow the feeling to pass, I would not exaggerate on the feeling and it'll quickly pass, now I'm numb to it but still sometimes have moments of that spark of emotion, but it comes up less and less often.

I just release and let it go and know that my true nature is peace. Never clinging to any emotion and staying here stable in peace.

Originally posted by Bluesma
Problem number one-The cutting off from emotion leaves me with little energy or drive with which to do things, to carry out actions, to even DECIDE to carry out actions. Emotions, I found, are a source of physical energy and strength. In that dissociative state, I am not a very effectual person in terms of how I interact with the world.

I decide based on which one will bring me more peace. If there are no peace-enabling choices, I accept that and hold peace anyway.

Originally posted by Bluesma
Problem number two- relational problems. People close to me felt emotionally distanced from me. I could explain (quite rationally) that yes, I did love them. But they couldn't "feel" it.....

That's their problem, not mine. The friends and family that loves me are by my side regardless. All relationship come and go, I hold no detachments.

Originally posted by Bluesma
I could not respond to their emotions without it being verbally expressed, because I was cutting myself off from my empathy. I could not tell when my mate, my children, my friends, were in need of a hug, or a hand, or a supportive look. Much of these physical displays of emotional empathy are what mutual bonds are built and sustained upon. Knowing the other intimately became impossible.

If I'm peaceful, I can talk to others from my place of peace... I know all beings intimately because I know they are all born of peace.

Originally posted by Bluesma
Problem number three- A difficulty in appreciating art and music.

I can listen to techno without feeling ecstatic and like I want to dance. I can focus more on all of the instruments. This has helped me to keep my peace no matter how "good" things seem to be... or bad...

I listen to music because it brings me peace, I make choices which brings me peace, I think thoughts which brings me peace, I meditate because it brings me peace. If something is out of my control, I still hold peace, stillness, calmness, without judgement.

Originally posted by Bluesma
when actually many people were able to feel and use much higher levels of emotion and remain simultaneously logical and rational as well.

My only rationale is peace.

Originally posted by Magnivea
So, how's your anger? I mean real anger that you repress. Don't bother with the wise elder meditating on a rock at the top of a mountain crap. If what you're saying is true, there's a better than 99 percent chance that you either fly into a rage when someone cuts you off in traffic or you repress that and let everything out in short, violent bursts.

If I'm completely wrong, my best guess is malevolent narcissism. Either way, see a psychologist. Rarely is a "stoic" of the kind you claim to be harmless.

I don't repress, I stay in peace. I don't yell at anyone even if they yell at me in front of everyone. I just choose to live in peace, it is a simple concept. No repression of anything here.