In this second section of Epictetus' Handbook, there is a larger variety of ideas than in the first one. I disagree strongly with the ideas proposed in point sixteen. To me, it is very important to accept a loss and mourn for it. On the other hand, if you say you feel sorry or if you try to recomfort another person, you should do it only if you sincerely feel it. If you don't feel anything you shouldn't pretend you care because slowly we would be forming a hypocrite society.
Point seventeen, again remembers, although this time in from of an elaborated allegory, how powerless we are in our lives and on driving the course of them. It is a nice attitude it promotes towards life, a optimistic and proactive way for accepting whatever might come no matter what "role" it might be, because at the end what matters is not the role but the interpretation of it throughout life.
Once again, in point twenty-one, I disagree strongly with Epictetus. I think we should never become indifferent towards "terrible things"(pg16) such as suffering because it is our indifference that lets it happen. For example if there is a man who has just been robbed and is severely injured, people should help him and try to find the guilty person or pass measures to prevent these horrible felonies to happen. However, if the man is ignored and people become only more skeptic and indifferent, each time there will be more victims and the vandalism will never be defeated.
Points twenty-two through twenty-four are very important for growing into look-up-to respectable and humble men and women. The first of them teaches people to hold their integrity and never allow being humiliated by others, and the other two teach to be happy with what you are and not expect getting high offices or feel underestimated if you don’t. These are things we often forget and if we just included them always in our lifestyle, without doubt, our communities would be better and we would evolve as a race, not just individually. If we are not happy with ourselves we will project that inconformity towards our society and it won’t help us evolve into more civilized communities.
Another important point shown in the Handbook is that you should always look ahead of what is expecting you so that you aren’t surprised and so that you know how to react in that moment. I think that this teaching will be very helpful for everyone because it will help you avoid making careless and misjudged decisions that you will most likely regret afterwards. Point thirty has a really interesting view on how to manage your problems and relations with other people. It is true that in some occasions we aren’t able to pick the people that surround us and therefore might not end up liking some of them. However, Epictetus teaches a new approach towards life, one should not be depressed because of having a “bad” brother, sister, mother or father; instead you should be able to control your feelings and even control what harms you because it’s all in your mind. I think that Epictetus should have described more thoroughly how to make your mind strong and become able to block certain pains out.
Throughout this part of the Handbook there are several new ideas and some of them I disagree with one that is word mentioning is point twenty-seven which states that there are no bad events in nature. I think most of stoicism lies on relativism which is interesting since it hadn’t been created yet. Several times he mentions the political office and being able to “help” his friends, this remembered me of the ungracious killing of president Garfield by a fanatic so that, he and all the members of his party, could get work since the vice-president was from the opposing party. Politics have always been important throughout history; however they have never been able to get rid of their corruptness.
Point seventeen, again remembers, although this time in from of an elaborated allegory, how powerless we are in our lives and on driving the course of them. It is a nice attitude it promotes towards life, a optimistic and proactive way for accepting whatever might come no matter what "role" it might be, because at the end what matters is not the role but the interpretation of it throughout life.
Once again, in point twenty-one, I disagree strongly with Epictetus. I think we should never become indifferent towards "terrible things"(pg16) such as suffering because it is our indifference that lets it happen. For example if there is a man who has just been robbed and is severely injured, people should help him and try to find the guilty person or pass measures to prevent these horrible felonies to happen. However, if the man is ignored and people become only more skeptic and indifferent, each time there will be more victims and the vandalism will never be defeated.
Points twenty-two through twenty-four are very important for growing into look-up-to respectable and humble men and women. The first of them teaches people to hold their integrity and never allow being humiliated by others, and the other two teach to be happy with what you are and not expect getting high offices or feel underestimated if you don’t. These are things we often forget and if we just included them always in our lifestyle, without doubt, our communities would be better and we would evolve as a race, not just individually. If we are not happy with ourselves we will project that inconformity towards our society and it won’t help us evolve into more civilized communities.
Another important point shown in the Handbook is that you should always look ahead of what is expecting you so that you aren’t surprised and so that you know how to react in that moment. I think that this teaching will be very helpful for everyone because it will help you avoid making careless and misjudged decisions that you will most likely regret afterwards. Point thirty has a really interesting view on how to manage your problems and relations with other people. It is true that in some occasions we aren’t able to pick the people that surround us and therefore might not end up liking some of them. However, Epictetus teaches a new approach towards life, one should not be depressed because of having a “bad” brother, sister, mother or father; instead you should be able to control your feelings and even control what harms you because it’s all in your mind. I think that Epictetus should have described more thoroughly how to make your mind strong and become able to block certain pains out.
Throughout this part of the Handbook there are several new ideas and some of them I disagree with one that is word mentioning is point twenty-seven which states that there are no bad events in nature. I think most of stoicism lies on relativism which is interesting since it hadn’t been created yet. Several times he mentions the political office and being able to “help” his friends, this remembered me of the ungracious killing of president Garfield by a fanatic so that, he and all the members of his party, could get work since the vice-president was from the opposing party. Politics have always been important throughout history; however they have never been able to get rid of their corruptness.
1 comment:
Mauela,
You should be much further than this. You are in danger of failing.
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