The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
In A Guide to the Good Life, looks at various Stoic techniques for attaining tranquility and shows how to put these techniques to work in our own life.
Irvine offers a refreshing presentation of Stoicism, showing how this ancient philosophy can still direct us toward a better life.
Using the psychological insights and the practical techniques of the Stoics, Irvine offers a roadmap for anyone seeking to avoid the feelings of chronic dissatisfaction that plague so many of us.
A Guide to the Good Life Book Summary
BRIAN JOHNSON
Key Takeaways
The Art of Living the philosophers main purpose in life is to discover how to live optimally. Philosopher comes from two words: filo sofia, lover of wisdom and wisdom is knowledge of life. The wise shape their minds and as a result their lives.
According to Epictetus, “The primary concern of philosophy should be the art of living: just as wood is the medium of the carpenter, and bronze is the medium of the sculptor, your life is the medium on which you practice the art of living.”
Stoic Virtue Arete, the concept of doing our best moment to moment and striving to do what we are capable of doing. Virtue is living with integrity to our highest ideals. We want to make sure what we are capable are doing is what we are actually are doing.
Hedonistic Adaptation the fact that we get used to things that are great in our lives and e always want the next best thing. One way to avoid doing this is to practice negative visualization.
Negative Visualization the single most valuable technique in the Stoics’ pyschological tool kit. Where we spend time imagining that we have lost the things we value. Imagine losing everything you currently have. (spouse, job, children, pets, house etc.) This provides us with a deeper appreciation of what we already have.
Projective Visualization we have a lot easier time dealing with other people’s misfortunes. It’s entirely a different thing when it’s happening to us. We need to project and imagine that when we are facing something that’s happening to us, imagine that it’s happening to someone else. How would we respond then? What advice would we give our friends? This helps get out of thinking it’s just about you, or the witness perspective.
Living in A Dream World there are hundreds of things that we take for granted today. (for example technology) Learn to appreciate it.
Impermanence everything is changing always. We know that this, too, shall pass. Everything passes.
Control Your Own Thoughts Our thoughts ultimately control the quality of our life experience. Your mind will be like its habitual thoughts, for the soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts Soak it then in such trains of thoughts as, for example: Where life is possible at all, a right life is possible.
