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Define suffering, because the absolute of what you describe requires life with zero emotion and most would agree that a life like that would be depressing as he

Define suffering, because the absolute of what you describe requires life with zero emotion and most would agree that a life like that would be depressing as hell. I've never met a depressed person who didn't say they were suffering.

pkoird 4y ago
I did say that this school of thought has roots in Stoicism so what you say does indeed make sense. But I guess there's more to it which can only be found if you follow it. There are some things that just can't be described/told and have to be felt.
memen 4y ago
I think the idea is that emotion should never interfere with your actions.
haswell 4y ago
I've been exploring some of the same schools of thought mentioned by the OP, and for me, one of the most critical aspects of living this day-to-day is a daily mindfulness practice. Emotions are not discarded, but your relationship with emotions changes. Not meditation in the "focus on one thing to the exclusion of all else" sense, but mindfulness based on the practice of Vipassana, which roughly translates to "see things as they really are" and stems from Buddhism. As part of this practice, one is taught that emotions are just appearances in consciousness like all other appearances in consciousness (sights, sounds, smells, feelings, physical sensations, etc), and by becoming aware of/observing emotions/thoughts instead of just feeling them and identifying with them, the power they hold fades quickly. It's hard to describe the anti-suffering impact this seems to have in words, but for me, the difference has been remarkable. Emotions are still just as critical as ever to live a fulfilling life, but how you relate with those emotions can change with practice and re-framing. I started this exploration as the ultimate skeptic, but have found it to be far more practically helpful than I expected. Having a good teacher seems to be important, as they will continue to help you navigate the earlier stages of figuring out what you're supposed to actually do (turns out it's more about what you're not doing). I've personally been using Sam Harris' "Waking Up" app, and find that quite useful, but there are many more resources available.

pkoird 4y ago

I did say that this school of thought has roots in Stoicism so what you say does indeed make sense. But I guess there's more to it which can only be found if you follow it. There are some things that just can't be described/told and have to be felt.

memen 4y ago

I think the idea is that emotion should never interfere with your actions.

haswell 4y ago

I've been exploring some of the same schools of thought mentioned by the OP, and for me, one of the most critical aspects of living this day-to-day is a daily mindfulness practice. Emotions are not discarded, but your relationship with emotions changes. Not meditation in the "focus on one thing to the exclusion of all else" sense, but mindfulness based on the practice of Vipassana, which roughly translates to "see things as they really are" and stems from Buddhism. As part of this practice, one is taught that emotions are just appearances in consciousness like all other appearances in consciousness (sights, sounds, smells, feelings, physical sensations, etc), and by becoming aware of/observing emotions/thoughts instead of just feeling them and identifying with them, the power they hold fades quickly. It's hard to describe the anti-suffering impact this seems to have in words, but for me, the difference has been remarkable. Emotions are still just as critical as ever to live a fulfilling life, but how you relate with those emotions can change with practice and re-framing. I started this exploration as the ultimate skeptic, but have found it to be far more practically helpful than I expected. Having a good teacher seems to be important, as they will continue to help you navigate the earlier stages of figuring out what you're supposed to actually do (turns out it's more about what you're not doing). I've personally been using Sam Harris' "Waking Up" app, and find that quite useful, but there are many more resources available.