found the introduction clarifying although I think it should have made a better explanation regarding the meaning of Stoicism and Epicureanism. However, it was very clear and specific when referring to the Stoic philosophers and their theories. I agree with them but only to a certain extent. For example, when the Stoic Epictetus stated "Do not seek to have events happen as you want them to, but instead want them to happen as they do happen, and your life will go well." I would rephrase it so that it didn't say "want them to happen as they do happen" but "accept them good or bad as they come". Although it doesn't sound as nice, it's more true to life.
This text, has a slight similarity with the third part of Descartes’ Discourse on Method which states that one shouldn't be affected emotionally by the outcomes of events that we don't have control over.
The first point of The Handbook, teaches pretty much the same than exposed in the introduction. It praises that individuals should not be unhappy because of the outcomes of events they have no control over, which is very reasonable because many times in life you end up going against the stream instead of flowing with it. What I'm trying to say is that instead of fighting with your environment and wining all the time, you should accept it if it's out of your power, or do something to fix it if you can. This same concept is discussed also in the second point of the handbook but seen as aversions and desires, I also agree with it because in nature there are some things that are unavoidable and thus it's senseless to waste energies worrying or complaining as such things as death.
With the third point, I strongly disagree, I believe that you should have appreciate and care your possessions and more importantly you should love the people you care about and which are around you. If you don't express and let your feelings show, then when the person has died or is out of reach you will feel remorse because you never expressed all what you really felt.
Number seven called my attention since it taught (at least I understood it that way) that there is an order of things by importance. Sometimes you have to know when to let go or else you will miss your boat and you will end up trapped in something that wasn't in your best interest. Many times in life, we don't know how to take the right decisions and are afraid of loosing something by taking them too early. However, what this point shows is that if you wait too much to take your decision you might loose all.
In my opinion nine and twelve are very important lessons that we need to apply in our life. We are all vulnerable to sickness and pains but if instead of wining about the bad conditions and the sicknesses we strengthen our mind power and our determination we will enjoy life always no matter the circumstances. On the other hand number twelve teaches us to be always serene and not to let outside situations affect our humor or state of mind which at the end doesn't do any good.
Finally number fifteen is closely related to number seven. Its basic teaching, which I think is important to pay more attention to, is to know the appropriate time for taking advantages and not holding on to anything for too long because you might stop yourself from having access other new, and maybe better, things.
This text, has a slight similarity with the third part of Descartes’ Discourse on Method which states that one shouldn't be affected emotionally by the outcomes of events that we don't have control over.
The first point of The Handbook, teaches pretty much the same than exposed in the introduction. It praises that individuals should not be unhappy because of the outcomes of events they have no control over, which is very reasonable because many times in life you end up going against the stream instead of flowing with it. What I'm trying to say is that instead of fighting with your environment and wining all the time, you should accept it if it's out of your power, or do something to fix it if you can. This same concept is discussed also in the second point of the handbook but seen as aversions and desires, I also agree with it because in nature there are some things that are unavoidable and thus it's senseless to waste energies worrying or complaining as such things as death.
With the third point, I strongly disagree, I believe that you should have appreciate and care your possessions and more importantly you should love the people you care about and which are around you. If you don't express and let your feelings show, then when the person has died or is out of reach you will feel remorse because you never expressed all what you really felt.
Number seven called my attention since it taught (at least I understood it that way) that there is an order of things by importance. Sometimes you have to know when to let go or else you will miss your boat and you will end up trapped in something that wasn't in your best interest. Many times in life, we don't know how to take the right decisions and are afraid of loosing something by taking them too early. However, what this point shows is that if you wait too much to take your decision you might loose all.
In my opinion nine and twelve are very important lessons that we need to apply in our life. We are all vulnerable to sickness and pains but if instead of wining about the bad conditions and the sicknesses we strengthen our mind power and our determination we will enjoy life always no matter the circumstances. On the other hand number twelve teaches us to be always serene and not to let outside situations affect our humor or state of mind which at the end doesn't do any good.
Finally number fifteen is closely related to number seven. Its basic teaching, which I think is important to pay more attention to, is to know the appropriate time for taking advantages and not holding on to anything for too long because you might stop yourself from having access other new, and maybe better, things.
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