Why the Stoics valued self-imposed hardship.
Self-imposed hardship can help us discover what we can do without, and reduce our fear of losing those things. It can also remind us that simple things, such as bread and olive oil, can be just as enjoyable as any luxury.
In the deep winter, Diogenes the Cynic would strip naked and embrace bronze statues. One day, upon seeing this, a Spartan asked him whether he was cold. When he said that he was not, the Spartan replied, “Well, then, what’s so impressive about what you’re doing?” Like their predecessors the Cynics, and like the Spartans, the Stoics greatly valued hardship, albeit on a more modest or moderate scale. We should, they said, routinely practice poverty or put ourselves through mild hardship, and this is for several reasons:s, Seneca advises Lucilius: “Set yourself a period of some days in which you will be content with very small amounts of food, and the cheapest kinds, and with coarse clothing, and say to yourself, “Is this what I was afraid of?”” Second, to be reminded that simple things, such as bread and olive oil, or a good night’s sleep, can be just as enjoyable and profitable as any great banquet , and thus that pleasure is both easily available and highly transferable., or to work towards them. “If you want to have time for your mind” says Seneca, “you must either be poor or resemble the poor… One cannot study without frugality, and frugality is just voluntary poverty.”To increase our appreciation and enjoyment of the things that we normally enjoy.To be prepared for future hardship, which, unless we are suddenly struck dead, is all but a certainty. To be convinced that the greater part of our suffering lies not in fact but in our attitude towards it.To empathise with less fortunate people, and people from the past. In addition, self-imposed poverty and hardship can also have more mundane benefits, such as losing weight, or saving time or money, or making yourself popular by seeming like one of the people. Finally, all these motives are in themselves a source of pride and pleasure of a different kind. “Do not” says Marcus Aurelius, “lament misfortune. Instead, rejoice that you are the sort of man who can undergo misfortune without letting it upset you.” Seneca does us the favour of putting self-imposed hardship into radical perspective when he says: “Armies have endured being deprived of everything for another person’s domination, so who will hesitate to put up with poverty when the aim is to liberate the mind from fits of madness?"Life never gets easier. Fortunately, psychology is keeping up, uncovering new ways to maintain mental and physical health, and positivity and confidence, through manageable daily habits like these. How many are you ready to try?Self Tests are all about you. Are you outgoing or introverted? Are you a narcissist? Does perfectionism hold you back? Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why Arsenal Have Signed Noni Madueke—and Why Doubting Fans Should Be ExcitedTrying to make sense of Arsenal’s move for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke, and why Gooners shouldn’t be so down on the move.
Read more »
Why Spielberg Had to Push So Hard For Jaws’ Explosive Ending (& Why He Was Right)Comic Book Movies, News, & Digital Comic Books
Read more »
Why Silver Lost Its Monetary Role—and Why That Could Soon ReverseMarket Analysis by covering: Gold Spot US Dollar, Silver Futures, FTSE 350 Banks. Read 's Market Analysis on Investing.com
Read more »
Why value investing has worked better outside the USWhat lessons does value investing’s success abroad hold for value investors everywhere.
Read more »
Why value investing has worked better outside the USWhat lessons does value investing’s success abroad hold for value investors everywhere.
Read more »
Why value investing has worked better outside the USWhat lessons does value investing’s success abroad hold for value investors everywhere?
Read more »