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Is quoting a stoic on HN the same as playing 'Stairway to Heaven' in a guitar shop? I do love this quote of course (and all things Aurelius).
by l33tbro 4y ago
Is quoting a stoic on HN the same as playing 'Stairway to Heaven' in a guitar shop?
I do love this quote of course (and all things Aurelius).
- agomez314 4y agolol
- user_7832 4y ago...I had no idea it was common here on HN, though I'm not surprised. It was just something that's helped me a fair bit and I hope(d) it could help others too.
- bombcar 4y agoIt's not just HN, stoics hit a "rational coder" approach to life chord with those who fight computers all day.
- asveikau 4y agoI think it might be more that a lot of people in tech have poor work-life balances and bad interpersonal dynamics, and this causes high stress and receptivity to coping mechanisms.
- parroteal 4y agoThat's exactly what I think. Much of what modern Stoics put forth appears to be an excuse to dissociate from emotional pain, not cope with unchangeable fate or hardship.
- asveikau 4y agoThank you for this well put reply. I think I need to add that I don't mean to judge for this. I've been in similar places too. It can be a fine line with many shades of gray between "dissocation" and "coping". Some of it may be useful to somebody. Falling into it as a trap is very human.
- yamtaddle 4y agoStoics had (yet another—IIRC the last one was around the 1950s-60s) popular revival a few years back and now they're everywhere (especially Aurelius) and there's definitely a bit of "well I'll have to stop wearing that band's shirt out and about now that Wal-Mart's selling fake-faded reproductions of their tour shirts and most of the people you see wearing one can't name more than three of their songs" to it.
- darkteflon 4y agoFunniest thing I read today. Thanks. Thanks to GP, too. That’s a lovely quote.
- rchaud 4y agoYes, and the guitar solo equivalent would be linking to a Paul Graham article.