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"Stoic philosophy. Accept that you have control over nothing (only the chance to influence)" You have control over your reaction to things. And I think this is
by _puk 8y ago
"Stoic philosophy. Accept that you have control over nothing (only the chance to influence)"
You have control over your reaction to things. And I think this is a key component of Stoicism, especially in the modern working world.
If you are acting (and reacting) true to yourself, then it is other's reactions to your actions that are failing. This goes a long way to reducing the amount of stress felt.
Thanks for the insights.
- manmal 8y agoI‘d like to differ here: „You have control over your reaction to things.“. I‘ve had my fair share of yelling at my kids, and regretting it afterwards. Or writing an inflammatory email response. Obviously, I don’t have full control over my reaction, even though I think I‘m a rather careful person. I do have a strong influence, that’s for sure. I‘ve stopped beating myself up for knee-jerking something. The unconscious has so much control over what surfaces next. I think it was an article here on HN recently that claimed that decisions are formed up to 12 seconds before they become conscious.
- blocko 8y agoYou can train and improve the control you have over your reactions - the knee-jerk doesn't need to materialize into anything more than the initial feeling if you practice mindfulness for long enough. Definitely still not worth beating yourself up for anything that has already happened, but in my own experience, taking note and improving how I mentally and physically act in response to feelings has made my life immeasurably better over time